DirecTV's HR21 pro gets official

DirecTV's new hardware rollout has been in the making for some time and now the latest addition to the lineup has been officially unveiled at CEDIA. The HR21-200 was leaked last week, and we've seen prototypes at other shows, but now the prosumer DVR will finally go into production around the end of October and offers some nice features for custom installers -- or anyone who's serious about their home theater -- like being rack mountable without a Middle Atlantic shelf, having a built in fiber HDMI port for long runs, or double the storage capacity of the HR20 (about 100 hours of MPEG-4 HD). In fact, the only downside seems to be the omission of OTA tuners, which is a non-issue if DirecTV HD locals are available in your area, but that can be a drag until DirecTV adds all the HD locals in every market.

[porcupine @ Sep 7th 2007 1:30PM]

yeah but does the software suck? i think i know that answer.

[Jeremy W @ Sep 7th 2007 3:06PM]

The answer is no.

[dee @ Sep 7th 2007 1:35PM]

no OTA??? blah

[NorthTXGadgetDude @ Sep 7th 2007 1:41PM]

what about price? i know it won't be free!

[j05h @ Sep 7th 2007 2:51PM]

I have a DirecTV HD DVR. It's a HR10-250, it has a 250 GB HD. I need a new DVR, but I need more than 250 GB. The 2 year old receiver has a 250 GB HD, if the new one is only 200 GB I'll be very disappointed.

[craig @ Sep 7th 2007 3:05PM]

Probaly have to sign a liftime commitment and pay a monthly lease if I know DTV.

[Josh @ Sep 7th 2007 3:16PM]

I have 100 hours of MPEG-2 HD on my TivoHD already. That's nothing. (Ok I'm just bragging...)

[Josh @ Sep 7th 2007 3:16PM]

I have 100 hours of MPEG-2 HD on my TivoHD already. That's nothing. (Ok I'm just bragging...)

[Josh @ Sep 7th 2007 3:16PM]

I have 100 hours of MPEG-2 HD on my TivoHD already. That's nothing. (Ok I'm just bragging...)

[Josh @ Sep 7th 2007 3:16PM]

I have 100 hours of MPEG-2 HD on my TivoHD already. That's nothing. (Ok I'm just bragging...)

[Josh @ Sep 7th 2007 3:21PM]

Whoa... Engadget crashed Firefox!

[roger_huston @ Sep 7th 2007 3:51PM]

Direct TV coordinated it's launch of its expanded HD Channel line-up with the start of the NFL football season which as we all know is the time of year they sign up the most people.

So why would they release a NEW receive 1 MONTH after this release? Everyone signing up now can't get in on the latest and greatest because DirectTV decided to screw their customer base yet again.

Well, better give their exec. board a big bonus for this one. It is thinking like this that earns people the Medal of Honor!

- Roger

[Shane @ Sep 7th 2007 4:46PM]

What expanded HD channel launch? I don't see any more HD channels on DirecTV now vs what I had a year ago when they promised me 150 were coming.

[The ZeroCorpse @ Sep 7th 2007 10:40PM]

First, do you have the little gadget filter that is required to pick up the new channels? It's free and all you have to do is request one from DirecTV.

Second, they said "in 2007" and last I checked it's still 2007. The official word is that the channels will be up in the fall. Would'a been sooner, but they had some satellite launching problems.

Third, even without the extra HD channels, there's still a lot of good HD content on DirecTV. I think HDNet Movies is my favorite channel in my entire channel lineup!

Finally--- NO OTA Tuner?!?! That's stupid. In my area-- third-largest market in my state-- we don't have HD locals via satellite. I have no choice but to tune in OTA if I want to watch Lost in High Definition! I guess Comcast is fighting the satellite providers tooth-and-nail to keep control of the locals. I'm actually lucky I get locals at all on my DirecTV.

So dropping an OTA tuner from this device is kinda dumb. We're not all hooked up for HD locals yet, and there's no end in sight to the stalemate between sat and cable.

[Shane @ Sep 7th 2007 5:19PM]

Oops - looks now like that 150 channel HD expansion has been downgraded to 100 channels. Still no sign of actual expansion.

http://directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=900034&CMP=ILC-Q107-Film-HD

[AJ @ Sep 7th 2007 7:51PM]

Rumor says the expansion will happen either this weekend or the next. Go to tvpredictions.com or dbstalk.com for more info.

[Chauncey @ Sep 9th 2007 3:45PM]

Some guy at the Directv Booth said $550 bucks, leased price. It looks nice but its plastic. I guess Directv told the Directv booth people not to say anything about the new channels or how many there were going to be. But the guy said its dumb because the HR21's guide was showing all the new channels. He showed me what channels were coming, sorry guys didn't write them down. He said about 50 is what he counted. They will roll them out in groups not all at once.

I hope this helps.

[wmj5 @ Sep 11th 2007 7:28PM]

What do you suppose it would cost directv to put a atsc antenna hook up on that h21-200 receiver, I won't have one untill they put it on there:! [e-mail]

[sfordyce @ Oct 25th 2007 1:34AM]

Our current field test is showing the hr21 700 has some real problems. Directv advanced support has no answers for these issues and no idea when escalations will help either. There is no hdmi output support (waiting on a new sw release) and no 720 or 1080 output resolution support for the unit we have. We can only get the 16c sw version for it but we've been told we need at least version 180. Again, no idea when we'll be able to get that sw release.

[Gary Davis @ Nov 10th 2007 5:59AM]

No OTA tuners a NON-ISSUE??? Even in cities like Los Angeles where DirecTV carries HD locals, it only carries a few of them... no PBS-HD anywhere, from what I hear.

This isn't "prosumer" this is "anti-consumer."
--Gary

[Peter M @ Nov 12th 2007 3:54AM]

I replaced A tivo HD DVR with an HR21 a week ago. It has been a most unpleasant experience. I am certainly no expert, but the audio is 1/2 second out of sync on many shows. The HD video (mpeg4?) is not nearly as sharp and pleasing as it was using the Tivo DVR and whatever the former compression was. Before the HR21, the picture quality, both over the air and via satellite was generally breathtaking The interface on the remote is so unintuitive and inelegant, and the picture quality so "unpleasing," that I'm considering leaving DirecTV after 10 happy years. DirecTV's new satellites and HR21 DVR (unless I'm missing something here) have turned my viewing experience from excellent to pretty poor. What good are all these new HD channels if the picture is worse than it used to be. In my ignorant opinion, picture quality should be getting better, not worse. The DirecTV installers have been out twice, and I've spoken with Tech Support multiple times. Am I missing something here?? Bottom line: the interface (switching from Tivo) is horrible, and the picture quality is not as good as it was. PS: I have had to set the timer to start recording all shows two minutes early and end two minutes late - so that I don;t miss part of a show. This limits my ability to record 2 shows in a row at the same time (is that English?). This was an issue with my Tivo DVR on only a few shows.

[Riggs @ Nov 16th 2007 9:18AM]

I have to agree - just swicthed last night from the TIVO HD/DVR to the new H21-700. VERY dissapointed! Once of the big pros about D-TV was the TIVO HD/DVR vs. Comcast's crappy box. I cannot easily pause one channel swicth tuners and watch something else, pause that and flip back and forth.......the remote is poor and overall the picture quality has deteriorated. May return everything and go elsewhere.....

[richard @ Nov 18th 2007 3:44AM]

I am a professional installer for DTV, and I have to say I install these receivers everyday and I recently "upgraded" from my hr10-250 to the hr21-700. needless to say
I was less than impressed. the interface does not compare to that of the tivo. very clunky too many steps to take in order to switch tuners. something that felt like second nature with the the tivo just feels too controlled by the lack of experience and user knowledge by those of the programmers at Directv.

[swagner @ Nov 23rd 2007 2:50PM]

My h20 has been dropping the audio during recordings. So I have been told by Dtv techs that I must upgrade to the h21. But after reading these reports I am concerned it is one problem for another.

[Bob @ Nov 23rd 2007 4:39PM]

I'm not really sure why various writers would be having trouble with the new HD channels when I'm not. I receive most channels in HD but did have to add B-band converters to the inputs and go to a 5 LNB dish. Also the HR-10 does not recieve the new HD channels. Initially I had a problem and had to switch out my 5X8 mutiplexer for a 6X 8 that passes MPG-4 data.

[John @ Nov 26th 2007 10:51PM]

Got a HR21 2 weeks ago. Works great. Great picture. Here's the things I have that may make it better. New 5 LNB dish, quality install. New 6x8 switch, lighting blew out old one. New cables (professional connectors), connected directly from 6x8 switch to receiver, no breaks. Came up thru floor and into receiver. Got several generations of HD receivers. Everyone has gotten better with new dish, switch, and new cables (no breaks). Good luck.

[Scott @ Nov 27th 2007 1:28PM]

I just had the HR21 installed last weekend free of charge from DirecTV. 'Upgraded' from the Tivo HR10-250 and the HR21 is most definitely a leap backward in the user interface. I now have an annoying box that rivals my parents' crappy Comcast system. On the plus side, there are WAY more HD channels and that certainly makes a difference on my Sony 42" LCD projection tv. Also, unlike some of the posts above I have actually noticed that the HD quality is slightly better on the HR21 than the HR10-250. But there is an audio delay. I've only recorded a few shows so I have yet to judge how good the 'season pass' equivalent is.

HOW DO YOU SWITCH BETWEEN TUNERS??????
WHY CAN'T I FAST FORWARD 15 MIN OR 30 MIN AT A TIME????????????

And the remote is quite a bit more difficult to send signals to the unit. I don't know if it is a poor IR sensor or a weak signal from the remote.

Prosumer? What?

[verus @ Dec 2nd 2007 3:09AM]

Look the 10-250 was made with tivo they have a patient on there technology so of course the dvr 21-700 is going to have a different interface you guys are crazy if you think that tivo who no longer makes recievers with DTV is just going to let them use the same interface...the only way to be happy (if the interface is that important to you)is to get the H20 and get an HD-Tivo (From Tivo) which gives you alot less record time and a monthly fee....you have to pick and choose. All and all I find the 21-700 just as easy to use as the 10-250 once you get use to it. The OTA being gone is a drawback that they could have waited on but hey DTV is looking toward the future which is HD in all local markets. But give DTV some credit the FCC has there hands tied on that one lots of red tape and leagal crap to get through before they can have the everywhere.