DirecTV and whole-home-DVR

[Towen7]

I'm getting closer to making a deal on a new house. Unfortunately it looks as though U-verse isn't available in the neighborhood I'm buying so I'll need to get TV service from someone else.

I read that DirecTV has a whole-home DVR service. Does anyone here have any experience with it? What can you tell me about it?

 

[Botch]

DirecTV is affiliated with Qwest, here in the intermountain west. They finally came to my neighborhood with "up to 40 Mbps" hi-speed fiber-optic Intranetz, and since I was only getting 3 Mbps (sometimes even lower) from KomKrap, I scheduled a time for them to come out and transfer my provider.
They were going to come out between 12 and 5 pm on such-n-such a day, BUT I had to be there all morning too, to answer the phone and confirm that I was at home. :x

They never called. :x :x :x

They never showed up. :angry-cussingblack: :angry-cussingblack: :angry-cussingblack: :angry-cussingblack: :angry-cussingblack:

They never followed up afterwards, either. I'm used to poor customer service after they get you locked in, but they never even got me on their payola roster. WTF.

Check to see who your "DirecTV" is affiliated with....

 

[Towen7]

The regional affiliations are for home phone, wireless phone, and DSL service only. The SAT service is completely DirecTV. These are completely separate services and installed/maintained by each company respectively. It's AT&T here and FWIW I am an AT&T employee and I work in the CIM organization.

 

[Doghart]

I have directv and multiple HD-DVR's and was offered a chance to beta test the whole home DVR concept last year.

I accepted and never heard anything more from them. I saw that the product was now available and thought it was odd they never contacted me again.

Anyhow, from what I understand you just need to have all of your DVR's you want to share content between on the same data network in your home, either wireless or cat5 cable. If you have a program that was originally DVR's on your family room DVR, you can watch it on your bedroom DVR by selecting to browse the other DVR and then select the show you want and it will stream to the other box, not move the program there.

D

 

[Towen7]

I got the impression from their (crappy) website that you need only a single DVR. The other sets can be plain-ole' STBs but can access the recorded content. FWIW thats how Uverse works as well.

I didn't realize that you can have multiple DVRs. How much more do they charge you for additional DVRs?

 

[Yesfan70]

.......How much more do they charge you for additional DVRs?

probably $10-$20 more a month if they are anything like Dish. I have two dual tuner HD/DVRs and I think mine's $20 extra,

 

[Batman]

I'm pretty certain it's $5/month/TUNER. So a VIP622/722 would be $10 but a 922 should be $5...

 

[Rope]

DirecTV is affiliated with Qwest, here in the intermountain west. They finally came to my neighborhood with "up to 40 Mbps" hi-speed fiber-optic Intranetz, and since I was only getting 3 Mbps (sometimes even lower) from KomKrap, I scheduled a time for them to come out and transfer my provider.
They were going to come out between 12 and 5 pm on such-n-such a day, BUT I had to be there all morning too, to answer the phone and confirm that I was at home. :x

They never called. :x :x :x

They never showed up. :angry-cussingblack: :angry-cussingblack: :angry-cussingblack: :angry-cussingblack: :angry-cussingblack:

They never followed up afterwards, either. I'm used to poor customer service after they get you locked in, but they never even got me on their payola roster. WTF.

Check to see who your "DirecTV" is affiliated with....

Think of the super service you'd have received if you signed on the dotted line.

Before they were Qwest, they were Useless West.

Rope

 

[Towen7]

Botch-
What was the final resolution with your internet service? Did Qwest come-out and make it right?

A large number of DSL installs don't require a technician visit because we (AT&T) will send the modem via mail prior to the date service is established. I wonder if that was Qwest's expectation and they failed to communicate that to you. Regardless, I hope it all got worked out.

 

[Doghart]

1st DVR is inluded, $5 a month for each addl....

D

 

[Towen7]

I hate... HATE that I have to do this but unless somebody talks me out of it I am about to take the plunge and order DirectTV's Choice Ultimate Package with a HD-DVR, whole home DVR service, and two additional HD STB for the princely sum of $65/mo.

I'm paying more and giving up a lot of features but Uverse isn't available at the new house. What scares the heck out of me is the 24 month commitment with a cancellation fee of $20/mo.

 

[Botch]

Botch-
What was the final resolution with your internet service? Did Qwest come-out and make it right?

They didn't call me, and I didn't call them; I'm still getting Comcast phone/intranetz and no TV.

Gettin' a lot of books read, though...

 

[Botch]

I hate... HATE that I have to do this but unless somebody talks me out of it I am about to take the plunge and order DirectTV's Choice Ultimate Package with a HD-DVR, whole home DVR service, and two additional HD STB for the princely sum of $65/mo.

I'm paying more and giving up a lot of features but Uverse isn't available at the new house. What scares the heck out of me is the 24 month commitment with a cancellation fee of $20/mo.

I'd go for it. Thanks to Doghart's link (which I read today at work) I realized getting into the TiVo thing would cost me a lot more than I actually watch TV/movies was worth. Getting the Ultimate pkg, with service to many rooms, for $65/mo. sounds reasonable.

 

[Akula]

If you'll allow me to kick this thread back alive, my HR20 DVR died tonight. I called DirecTV, and I'm getting a new DVR early next week. I also upped for the whole home package and it will be getting installed Nov 2; it isn't as simple as connecting receivers via ethernet.

It looks like we'll need a new satellite dish and some rewiring- the DVR passes along the data over the satellite coax itself, but I don't know EXACTLY how it all runs together... I can't find a definite explanation for how everything works. Once it's installed I'll have to post some concrete info on what the install is like and how well it works.