Product Description

Product Details

• Brand: DIRECTV
• Model: HR21
• Dimensions: 4.00 pounds

Features

• DIRECTV® requires a 24 month commitment and all equipment must be returned to DIRECTV® if customer cancels service with DIRECTV®
• Standard-definition And High Definition (MPEG-4) Enabled
• 2 Satellite Tuners For Access To SD And HD DIRECTV
• Pause And Rewind Live High-definition TV For Up To 90 Minutes
• 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i Picture Output

Customer Reviews

Don't be a Directv victim. . . I mean customer.
Directv has the worst customer service I have ever experienced. They lie to you and cheat you out of credits and discounts. None of their employees will tell you the same thing. They all have a different answer for the same question. And if you do decide to be their victim, I mean customer, don't ever refer anyone else. You'll either never get your $50 referral credit or they'll have your service shut off because the idiot on the other end of the phone gave you too many credits.
Also, I agree with other reviews that frequently the sound and picture are not in sync.

13 Reasons Not to Choose DirecTV
*** Reasons to Buy DirecTV ***

1. Terrific picture.

*** Reasons Not to Buy DirecTV ***

1. All too frequently the receiver must be reinitialized using the reset button; this takes 10 to 20 minutes, so if you are intending to watch a program, you're out of luck.

2. They bill for premium channels not ordered and then state since the channels were available reversal of the charges are not possible.

3. Promised credits never materialize on the bill.

4. None of the equipment is guaranteed beyond 30 days; your choice is to either pay for an ongoing monthly service plan or the full cost of the repairs/replacements.

5. They nickel and dime you to death with extra charges (e.g., more than one receiver, HD reception).

6. The buttons on the remote are unlit, very stiff and are difficult to use for anyone with a joint disorder, such as arthritis. It is also poorly designed and white (dirtying easily).

7. Only one channel is available from local stations that broadcast multiple channels. For example, the local PBS station broadcasts one hi-def channel and three standard definition channels, but only the former is available.

8. The audio and video are not always in sync; sometimes resetting the unit helps, sometimes not.

9. Changing channels is not instantaneous, in fact, not even close, taking 4-11 seconds.

10. Sometimes when the DVR requires resetting, previously recorded programs are not available.

11. Although you pay $200 per DVR when initiating service, you don't really own it and must return it to DirecTV or be charged once again for it.

12. Attempting to record only the new episodes of a series does not work if the same episode appears later in the day or the next day (e.g., some news shows, such as Countdown). The DVR will record multiple copies of the same show, unnecessarily using hard disk space.

13. If DirecTV physically damages your audio video equipment on installation, they refuse all responsibility, refusing to pay for repair costs (after initially agreeing to do so and firing the tech). I'm out several hundred dollars in replacement costs.

Caveat emptor!

Piece of Junk
This is the premier, highest-priced Direct TV HD DVR receiver. It is an unmitigated piece of junk. I've had to reset it about once a week, with each reset constituting about 20 minutes of total down time.

Problems:

1) It won't turn on at all, either by remote or by pressing the power button on the unit. It won't turn on even if unplugged from and replugged into the wall.

2) It stops receiving channels when on.

3) It won't program the DVR as instructed.

4) It won't consistently record shows that are already programmed. It will not always record all programs of a series as instructed (even if both repeat and first-run are chosen).

5) It loses shows programmed on the "To Do" list when reset.

6) Recorded programs "stutter," with video and audio breakdown.

7) It takes 5-6 seconds for channels to come on, once selected.

8) The remote is prehistoric, insensitive, and poorly layed out, not at all ergonomic. Numeric buttons at the bottom of the remote are crowded and hard to get to with one hand. Remote has no back light. (One can buy a back-lit RF remote for $25, but I wasn't told of the option when I signed on.)

9) On-Demand downloads take forever, especially if HD.

10) It only has 2 built-in tuners, meaning one can record and watch a maximum of 2 programs simultaneously.