OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
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- dbdynsty25
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
PM sent... would be awesome if it works.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Don't know if any of you heard, but Fox and DTV are in a spat that could result in a few Fox networks like FX and some of the Fox Sports channels getting blacked out by Nov. 1.
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2 ... over-fees/
Really bummed to hear this and hope it gets resolved so I don't lose American Horror Story.
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2 ... over-fees/
Really bummed to hear this and hope it gets resolved so I don't lose American Horror Story.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Not to mention The League.
They have separate deals for Fox owned and operated stations, so Fox in many markets such as LA and also a deal for Fox News.
If the first deal doesn't get made, then these other deals could be jeopardized as well.
They have separate deals for Fox owned and operated stations, so Fox in many markets such as LA and also a deal for Fox News.
If the first deal doesn't get made, then these other deals could be jeopardized as well.
- dbdynsty25
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Luckily Fox is big into Hulu...so we've got that. I need my League fix...that show is the underrated comedy of the last two/three years. Just hilarious.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Agreed. I bought season 2 and am recording season 3 while I get caught up. I have laughed harder at that show than any other recent comedy.dbdynsty25 wrote:Luckily Fox is big into Hulu...so we've got that. I need my League fix...that show is the underrated comedy of the last two/three years. Just hilarious.
- RobVarak
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Ack! Just discovered that DTV is holding the Red Zone channel ransom and not including it in the new discounted Sunday Ticket package.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/s ... pos=header
This displeases me greatly.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/s ... pos=header
This displeases me greatly.
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- dbdynsty25
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Umm...everyone else paid 299 for the past 10+ years for it, so it's not like it's that different. Just gets the new people to spend a bit more. Nothing wrong with that, tho of course I'd have like to see it for 199 but that's not how companies make money. The 30 min short cuts and streaming to tablets/phones makes the MAX package worth the price of admission anyway, so no harm to me.
BTW, the new HMC Receiver I got installed is BADASS. 5 tuners, whole home setup...it's a thing of beauty.
BTW, the new HMC Receiver I got installed is BADASS. 5 tuners, whole home setup...it's a thing of beauty.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Any other DTV people upgrade to the Genie yet? I had mine installed today, one main box and one client receiver. Haven't had much time to play around with it but having whole-home DVR with 1TB of recording room is going to be fantastic. Upgrading was really easy, but even though Genie is wireless compatible, the installer strongly advised using a wired connection. Said they had some issues with wireless connections. Not sure what, but I went with wired since the router and Genie box were near each other.
I got the main box and one client box (which is really small) for just a $50 install charge and the standard two-year commitment. Probably could have haggled on the install fee if I really wanted to.
I got the main box and one client box (which is really small) for just a $50 install charge and the standard two-year commitment. Probably could have haggled on the install fee if I really wanted to.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Keep us updated on what you find, I'm about to make the change from cable to DTV and I'm very interested in what you experience.
- dbdynsty25
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
I've had it for about eight months...since before it was the "genie" and it is actually overrated as far as the "whole home" thing goes. There's quite a bit of latency when watching things recorded in another room on another TV. Really difficult to FF and RW accurately like that.
Other than that it's nice being able to record 5 things at once on your main "genie" tv, so at least from that point of view it's great. But I got so sick of the latency all the time, I just kept my old DVR in my office so I could record games or whatever so I didn't have to deal with it.
Other than that it's nice being able to record 5 things at once on your main "genie" tv, so at least from that point of view it's great. But I got so sick of the latency all the time, I just kept my old DVR in my office so I could record games or whatever so I didn't have to deal with it.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
After spending the weekend using the Genie, the client module does have a little lag, but to me it's very minor. I usually fast forward on the 3 speed, but I'll probably drop down to 2 because it does seem to lag a little when you resume play. I think if you record a lot of sports and tend to do things like fast forward from play to play/pitch to pitch, I could see it being more difficult. I also did have it freeze up while I was adding a bunch of VOD episodes to me queue.
Those are the only issues so far. I think the response time is fine, and the guide, scrolling, button response, etc, do seem on par with what I had on my H20 unit.
Overall, it's a solid upgrade for me. My situation before was having two 250-MB DVRs, but I rarely recorded on the downstairs TV because all of the kid's shows, movies, and shows we recorded and watched were on our upstairs TV where the surround system is. That filled up quickly as a 15-20 kids movies in HD will eat up a lot of space, not to mention things my wife and I recorded. Now I have twice the total recording space I had, with the option to watch on either TV, and it only cost $50 for installation and $3 a month for the whole home DVR. As long as the client receiver doesn't have any stability issues, it was a no-brainer for me.
Those are the only issues so far. I think the response time is fine, and the guide, scrolling, button response, etc, do seem on par with what I had on my H20 unit.
Overall, it's a solid upgrade for me. My situation before was having two 250-MB DVRs, but I rarely recorded on the downstairs TV because all of the kid's shows, movies, and shows we recorded and watched were on our upstairs TV where the surround system is. That filled up quickly as a 15-20 kids movies in HD will eat up a lot of space, not to mention things my wife and I recorded. Now I have twice the total recording space I had, with the option to watch on either TV, and it only cost $50 for installation and $3 a month for the whole home DVR. As long as the client receiver doesn't have any stability issues, it was a no-brainer for me.
- sportdan30
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Thinking of switching over to AT&T U-Verse as we're moving and now would be a better time than any time to change. Directv's recent price increase has me paying $105 per month for really nothing substantial. I don't have any movie channels or add-ons. If I dropped to a lower tier, then I lose out on Fox Sports Midwest (Cardinals, Blues, etc). I've been with Directv for almost 15 years, so I'm aprehensive about switching. My main concern is twofold. I'm worried about AT&T's picture quality, along with their internet speed. I'd be going with AT&T for phone, internet, and tv. As it stands, I'm paying $105 for Directv and $70 plus for Charter (internet and phone).
Any of you with AT&T had any problems or issues?
Any of you with AT&T had any problems or issues?
- dbdynsty25
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
No info on At&t, but I'm seriously considering just switching to Verizon FIOS, even though I know it's sh*t. LOL. DirecTV is just soooo expensive and I can save around 100 DOLLARS A MONTH by switching. In fact, my telephone and internet right now is more expensive than it would be if I ADDED TV too! They are all about bundles at Verizon it seems. I just hate the DVR so much it's hard to switch without significant pain. Just not sure if it's worth it.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
I'm out of contract and contemplating a switch too.
Last I heard, U-Verse picture quality isn't as good as Direct TV.
I can get good promo pricing on Comcast which would give me more channels and much faster Internet for less than I'm paying now.
However, I'd have to buy Tivos (their top end DVR with lifetime service is $900 list but it's widely expected they will release new DVRs some time this year). Or maybe try to make a HTPC with Windows Media Center and something like HD Home Run Prime to record all the cable channels. So around $1000 in hardware investment.
Sticking with DirecTV, they have the Genie DVRs with 5 tuners and a lot of storage, whole home DVR service. They want $400 for a lease but if you play the threaten to cancel/retention dance, people said they are getting it for free pretty much.
They are also rolling out the latest Genie model HR44, mostly in test markets now. Suppose to be much faster than their previous top of the line.
Last I heard, U-Verse picture quality isn't as good as Direct TV.
I can get good promo pricing on Comcast which would give me more channels and much faster Internet for less than I'm paying now.
However, I'd have to buy Tivos (their top end DVR with lifetime service is $900 list but it's widely expected they will release new DVRs some time this year). Or maybe try to make a HTPC with Windows Media Center and something like HD Home Run Prime to record all the cable channels. So around $1000 in hardware investment.
Sticking with DirecTV, they have the Genie DVRs with 5 tuners and a lot of storage, whole home DVR service. They want $400 for a lease but if you play the threaten to cancel/retention dance, people said they are getting it for free pretty much.
They are also rolling out the latest Genie model HR44, mostly in test markets now. Suppose to be much faster than their previous top of the line.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
I use UVerse for Internet, 18 meg connection for $50/month, but it was only $25/month for a year, which is a pretty good intro rate and length. No issues with the connection, speed is good, etc. Cable definitely has faster options, but for what I use, I don't think I'd notice as much.sportdan30 wrote:Thinking of switching over to AT&T U-Verse as we're moving and now would be a better time than any time to change. Directv's recent price increase has me paying $105 per month for really nothing substantial. I don't have any movie channels or add-ons. If I dropped to a lower tier, then I lose out on Fox Sports Midwest (Cardinals, Blues, etc). I've been with Directv for almost 15 years, so I'm aprehensive about switching. My main concern is twofold. I'm worried about AT&T's picture quality, along with their internet speed. I'd be going with AT&T for phone, internet, and tv. As it stands, I'm paying $105 for Directv and $70 plus for Charter (internet and phone).
Any of you with AT&T had any problems or issues?
I contemplated the UVerse TV switch, but my wife hated the idea of having the HD channels at different spots in the guide than the standard channels.
- Danimal
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
I heard the Uverse DVR's are s***. Considering I'm not a fan of the DTV DVR's amd people say Uverse is worse I have not switched. Plus I have a weird issues with my Uverse internet that is making me contemplate a change. Randomly every month or two my wireless stops working and I am forced to change the wireless password and then update all my devices which is a pain in the ass and AT&T's customer support is worthless as they have never even heard of this issue. Yet a Google search shows countless users with the same problem and no solution.
Rant over.
Rant over.
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Wow, I'm paying almost $50 with the various taxes for Uverse 6 Mbps.
Time for a change.
Time for a change.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
I've had it for a year and only had a minor issue with XBox connectivity, but that appeared to be resolved. Also speedtest stats for me have always been good when I've checked.Danimal wrote:I heard the Uverse DVR's are s***. Considering I'm not a fan of the DTV DVR's amd people say Uverse is worse I have not switched. Plus I have a weird issues with my Uverse internet that is making me contemplate a change. Randomly every month or two my wireless stops working and I am forced to change the wireless password and then update all my devices which is a pain in the ass and AT&T's customer support is worthless as they have never even heard of this issue. Yet a Google search shows countless users with the same problem and no solution.
Rant over.
I do like the storage for the Genie for DTV (2 TB is really enormous), but the client unit definitely has issues. A lot of times it boots up a solid purple screen, which requires a reboot. Luckily the client reboot only takes about 30 seconds, so not a big problem, but it's definitely got some bugs.
- dbdynsty25
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Ironically the only DVRs in my house that I DON'T have issues with are the clients. I never have to reboot those. My office HD DVR maybe once a month, but my Genie, about once or twice a week. Nothing worse than recording a game and starting to watch the recording and it skips ahead to the current location, thus ruining the game for you. Ugh...I'm almost ready to dump the whole system for that reason alone. F it.Brando70 wrote:I do like the storage for the Genie for DTV (2 TB is really enormous), but the client unit definitely has issues. A lot of times it boots up a solid purple screen, which requires a reboot. Luckily the client reboot only takes about 30 seconds, so not a big problem, but it's definitely got some bugs.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Hey, DB, do you have your main unit on wireless or wired? When my installer came, he highly recommended connecting it with an ethernet cable because the wifi connection had a lot of problems.
I spend about 80% of my TV watching time with the client box, so it's possible I'd see more issues with the Genie box if I watched TV on that one more.
I spend about 80% of my TV watching time with the client box, so it's possible I'd see more issues with the Genie box if I watched TV on that one more.
- dbdynsty25
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
I'm running wired. It was wireless for a while and I had them come out to change it as the latency between boxes was horrible. I'm just not all that impressed with directv and their technology. Their picture and programming is the only thing keeping me with them really.
- sportdan30
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Agree. Actually, it's just the picture quality that's doing it for me at this point. I don't have any movie channels or sports subscriptions. The remote responsiveness is a joke for the most part, except on very few ocassions. Plus, I'm tired of losing service when a storm passes through the area.dbdynsty25 wrote:I'm running wired. It was wireless for a while and I had them come out to change it as the latency between boxes was horrible. I'm just not all that impressed with directv and their technology. Their picture and programming is the only thing keeping me with them really.
I think I'm going to end up going with our local cable company, Charter and suspend Directv service for a few months. That way, if Charter is unbearable, I'll simply switch back to Directv. Might as well save 50 dollars a month in the mean time with their triple play. Not the greatest scenario but beats the escalating prices of Directv.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
Picture quality and sound quality are what make it hard for me to leave DTV, too, plus my wife really hates the idea of having to learn a new channel layout (especially if HD and standard channels are separated). In terms of price, do AT&T and cable catch up to DTV after the promo periods?
I will be curious if the XBox One can double as a DTV receiver. That might prompt a purchase more than the game lineup.
I will be curious if the XBox One can double as a DTV receiver. That might prompt a purchase more than the game lineup.
Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
as long as DirectV shows as much rugby as they do, I can't leave.
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Re: OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread
I don't think it can. I think it just operates as a pass-through for a real receive. Moreover (and I do hope this is just a negotiating point right now)DTV has explicitly said that it will not be supporting it.Brando70 wrote: I will be curious if the XBox One can double as a DTV receiver. That might prompt a purchase more than the game lineup.
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"Ok I'm an elitist, but I have a healthy respect for people who don't measure up." --Aaron Sorkin
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