New TiVo-powered DirecTV DVR coming in 2009

The original DirecTV HD TiVo (above) is getting a long overdue sequel.

(Credit: CEA)

DirecTV will release a new TiVo-powered high-def DVR in the second half of 2009, the company has announced. Unlike the last "DirecTiVo" model that was released in 2004, the new model will be able to receive DirecTV's entire lineup of digital and high-def channels.

DirecTV's original TiVo-powered DVRs were among the first satellite receivers with digital video recorders built in (rather than tethered external units). The HR10-250, in fact, was the first high-def DVR available anywhere. Unfortunately, two things happened that put that model on the fast track to obsolescence. DirecTV began utilizing MPEG-4 broadcasts for most of its HD channels--a format that wasn't compatible with the TiVo units. And secondly, the company introduced its own line of non-TiVo DVRs.

Those second wave of DVRs were based on technology from a British company called NDS. The NDS-powered models--such as the HR20 and HR21--were shoehorned into DirecTV's lineup soon after the satellite company was purchased by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. because NDS was a sister company in the Murdoch empire. But News Corp. sold off its DirecTV stake just three years later, in November 2006. With no more familial corporate obligation to NDS, presumably, the door was reopened to pairing with TiVo.

Beyond specifying that the new HD TiVo DVR would "support the latest TiVo and DirecTV features and services, including TiVo's Universal Swivel Search and TiVo KidZone," the press release provided few details about the new hardware. As far as our wish list is concerned, we'd like to see a faster, more responsive user interface (the HR10-250 was notoriously pokey, even by TiVo's less-than-jackrabbit speed standards) and the enabling of full TiVo network features (streaming media support, Amazon Unbox, Rhapsody, etc.). But given the decidedly mixed response that viewers have given the HR20/HR21 DVRs, even having the possibility of an alternative will likely excite many DirecTV subscribers.

If you're a DirecTV subscriber, what do you think: Is the announcement of a second-gen DirecTiVo cause for celebration? Or is the HR20/HR21 good enough?

[wjsteele]

This is fantastic news. I've been waiting for a model that I liked with the features of TiVo (like the 30 second skip hack.) Now, I have something to look forward to and don't have to worry about it. (I was a real big fan of UltimateTV before MS wacked it... talk about slow, but it had a feature set that I loved!.)

Bill

[cyclingkitties]

I've been a DirecTIVo user for years (standard definition), but refused to shift to the AWFUL HR21. But since I have a gorgeous new HDTV, I've been thinking of shifting to Comcast, horrors. Now I won't have to. But another whole year is still a loooonnngg time to wait...

[YEAHME78]

You cheap bastard, just break down and get the reciever. Why buy the new tv?

[debdebtig]

This is great news! As long as it has all the features available to the current TiVo users I'd love to upgrade!

[Delfairen]

@wjsteele the hr21 already has the 30second skip.

@cyclingkitties the hr21 is a massive improvement over any of the comcast dvr's I've owned and a ton quiet. The picture quality on directv hd is so much better than anything comcast is overing, at some points comcasts hd service looked like a badly encoded divx.

Personally I will not be upgrading unless something happens to my hr21. What I would love to see is someway to get the hd into my Vista MCE.

[cyclingkitties]

Of course I was going to use the TiVo HD DVR with Comcast, NOT the ones they supply...
Again, now that TiVo is coming back to DirecTV, I won't have to switch to Comcast just to be able to use an HD TiVo box...

[ReVeLaTeD]

No time shift = no go. Additionally, they need a way to migrate existing recordings to new boxes. That hasn't been developed yet.

Just a side note: Why is News Corp. citing Wikipedia regarding News Corp's selling of majority stake of DirecTV? #1: Wikipedia is not a reliable source and #2: YOU ARE NEWS CORP. Why are you not citing your own press release??

[slbyer]

YAAAAAAY! *This* is what I've been waiting for. DirecTV kept wanting us to "upgrade" to HD earlier this year, and we kept asking, and they kept replying that yes, it would mean replacing the HR10-250 (now a 1TB) with the HR21. Sorry, I've used the HR21, that's not an upgrade. Yes, the UI has gotten better, but it's no TiVo.

[adrelles]

Huzzah! I read this post and immediately turned to my colleagues in the office to scream it to the heavens that Directv was finally putting out a HD Tivo box, my dreams had come true, it was Christmas time in the summer, and they looked at me like I was friggin nuts. Fine, so I'll rejoice here with people who understand my joy. Sure late 2009 is way to long to wait, so what. I've been doing time in Directv prison for the last 2 years, I can tough it out. I'll just have to nurse my old Directv Tivo for another year, totally doable with a new hard drive.

[ender21]

As long as it retains all the GOOD features of the HR20/21 & 22 plus the good features of Tivo, I'm down.

And yes, there are several basic functional benefits that the HR20/21&22 class have that the old HR10-250 didn't. On the old box it's a mess trying to stop and delete a recording. On the HR20/21, press Stop and it gives you 3 options: Stop and Keep, Stop and Delete or Continue recording. On the old box you had to select Stop recording, then go back in and Delete and then go through the round of confirmations if you really want to delete or not. Deleting an old recording: On the HR20/21 series, two clicks of the "-" button and not only is an old recording gone, if you do it to a folder full of old recordings, ALL of them are gone. Playing back entire folders as playlists also rocks, streaming one right into the next. The HR10-250 didn't do that either.

[powellph]

You make mention of a feature that I can't find: the ability to playback entire folders as streaming playlists, and can the order be changed if episodes are recorded out of sequence date-wise?

[ender21]

powellph, I apologize for being woefully late to respond to this. In your HR20/21/22's list of recorded shows, if you have multiple episodes of say, "Seinfeld," then you would highlight the *folder* for the show and press play. This will begin playback in order of date recorded, beginning with the first unwatched episode. Unfortunately you cannot reorganize the playlist, though I'd like to see that happen as well.

[countertorque]

My HR21 works fine. But, I'm still happy to see Tivo come back to DTV. I miss my suggestions.

[make_or_break]

Frankly I don't know WHY Murdoch even bothered with DirecTV. Aside from his asinine infatuation with owning it, News Corp. never did anything positive with DirecTV once he bought it. Suppose it was just an itch that he needed to scratch.

As for an HD recorder...it's about TIME that DirecTV addressed the failings of the current units. Shame that we have to wait A YEAR for them to HOPEFULLY get things right.

[mjbvideo]

Whew! A couple months ago I switched from my HD Tivo to the HR21-100. What a piece of junk! It requires reboots every other day. It just slows down to a crawl. I will say if it was reliable then I wouldn't have any complaints - but it's a crap-shoot everyday to see if it will record my programs.

[MGuyM]

This is FANTASTIC!.. I upgraded all of my DirecTV Receivers to DirecTIVO's just before the fallout. And while I have one DirecTV DVR, I (and the rest of the family) hate. It says you can record two shows while watching a third, but as soon as you change channels to one of those other shows, all the streaming on the second tuner gets dumped (unlike the TIVO Branded Unit). I was planning on putting in a Request for an HD DVR not for the HD Features, but for the On-Demand, but I won't be doing that now. I may just go with a Standard Receiver instead and wait for the True HD DirecTIVO to come out!.. This is the BEST News I've heard about DirecTV and TIVO in a long time. Further, if DirecTV has the True Network features, that most of us desire, I think DirecTV will get alot of customers back that left when the TIVO Branded DVR was replaced with the NDS crap. (yes, it's crap). Here's to waiting for an entire year to get what we've been waiting several years already for. Thank You for making my day!

[MacTraveler]

What would be really sweet is a DirecTv/Tivo/HD dual turner/DVD burner with all the bells and whistles we are accustomed to......... a unit that when its in full operation, all the lights dim in your sector.

[MacTraveler]

Broadband only???? Read this.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/09/01/daily45.html?ana=from_rss

[woodygg]

Who cares. My HR20 & 21 work great - no problems at all. Great picture quality, 30 second jump (someone thought it didn't have it), etc.

[lewis_griswold]

To change the HR2x's from FF 30 secs to skipping it all together:
1. Go to Menu > Search for Shows > Keyword
2. Enter in ?30SKIP? in the search area and hit ?Continue?
3. If you want to go back, do the same thing as above but put ?30SLIP? instead.

[lewis_griswold]

bad copy/paste! ignore the ?'s. 30SKIP and 30SLIP are the codes.

[powellph]

Lewis - Following your exact instructions (the corrected version) I can't get this to work! What am I doing wrong. Is there something I'm missing. Also "skipping WHAT all together"? All commercials during one break?

[bdefx]

I have had the HR10-250 for two years, and it still works quite well. I only get HD off the air right now. Now that DTV will be offering a Tivo based DVR, I am ready to sign up for DTV's HD service.

I really hope that the DTV Tivo has all the features of Standalone Tivos. Tivo to Go is a feature I would love to try out.

This is great news!!!

[teamster02]

The HR21 is not bad. I did like my Tivo, but now I don't miss it at all. I like the "on demand" feature of the HR21 as well as remote scheduling. If I remember correctly the DirecTv version of Tivo was missing all the latest cutting edge things the regular Tivo offered at the time, right? And we will see how the (monthly) pricing is on the new model. I'm guessing it will be more than a regular DVR. That said, I welcome Tivo back.

[powellph]

I've had the HR-21 for a couple months now, and while I like most of the features, I hate the color scheme compared to my old Tivo-based DirecTV.

Ender21 - you make mention of a feature that I can't find: the ability to playback entire folders as streaming playlists, and can the order be changed if episodes are recorded out of sequence?