http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/ Engadget HD Comments for Ask HDBeat: Is DIRECTV ever gonna release their MPEG 4 HD DVR? http://hd.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://hd.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/Jul 18th 2006 9:49PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/Jul 18th 2006 11:51PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/
So, in the end, Cable it was.
No Setup Fees. No "Lease" downpayments. And ALL local channels in HD.

We were DirecTV customers for almost a decade, but, they just don't have their act together, so alas, good bye for now!]]>Jul 19th 2006 8:34AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/Jul 19th 2006 8:48AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/
The New HR-20 thats coming out this fall will be able to record the following:

30 hours of MPEG-2 HD programming
or
50 hours of MPEG-4 HD programming.

Or some combination of both.]]>Jul 19th 2006 10:00AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/
I understand them needing to switch to MPEG4 for greater compression. MPEG4 is superior to MPEG2 in quality and performance. DirecTV has limited bandwidth (especially compared to FiOS), but I think DirecTV’s priorities are mixed up since they could have used the new satellites for more MPEG2 HD Programming and then add local.
]]>Jul 19th 2006 10:19AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/
Of course, this product is separate from the HR20-700 standalone HD DVR which should hopefully be released this year.

By the way, two things do not "jive."

They "jibe."]]>Jul 19th 2006 11:00AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/Jul 19th 2006 1:21PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/Jul 19th 2006 1:39PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/To DIRECTV the benefits are that MPEG4 channels use less bandwidth which allows them to offer more channels, which also allows you to store more shows on the same DVR.

More importantly HD locals are only available in most areas via MPEG4 and in the future new national HD channels are expected to also use MPEG4. If you want to record or watch MPEG4 programming them then you will need a new DVR.

It is arguable if the MPEG4 PQ is better than MPEG2 if you don't care about the bit rate. (Which we usually do)]]>Jul 19th 2006 1:56PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/Jul 19th 2006 3:55PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/
Wealth TV HD
National Geographic Channel HD
MTV HD
Cinemax HD
The Movie Channel HD
Starz HD

Yet DirecTV doese not offer them as they don't have the bandwidth for MPEG2. I'm getting really tired of there limited bandwidth and they should really fix this "before" adding MPEG4 for there current customers they are loosing!!]]>Jul 19th 2006 11:17PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/Jul 22nd 2006 12:32AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/
Is there any idea how much the new DVR would be if/when it is released? Is there any idea about what kind of "upgrade" would be offerred to folks with the current version of the HD TIVO? Any word how much such an Upgrade might be?

This 'wait and see' stance by DirecTV is making me seriously think about becoming a cable customer so I can see fall tv in HD. ]]>Jul 24th 2006 2:28PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/
I switched from Cable to DirecTV three years ago in order to get Sunday Ticket. Although it was hard to give up my cable broadband Internet connection when I switched, I like DirecTV on the whole, prefer it to the Cable TV I remember (Cablevision, which was/is horrid), however, the time has come to upgrade the household to HD DVRs and I can't figure out why DirecTV can't get their act together. Their HD offerings are a mess if you want a DVR. We've got two HD TVs both with non-HD DirecTV TIVO boxes. I called DirecTV last December to finally get a HD TIVO box (the old model w/30 hours), and they wanted $700 for one box, a second antenna to receive HD Local, and installation. No thanks! I realize the price has come down for the old box, but everyone is saying just sit tight for the new box. Now I hear that the new box has some major shortcomings and what I REALLY should wait for is the NEW new box. I've just about had it. Everyone in my neighborhood has HD Cable from Comcast, with VOD and DVR capabilities and they love it. They pay the same amount that I do, with ZERO setup fees for HD programming & equipment. Sunday Ticket be damned, I can watch in a bar. It's obvious that I'm going to miss another NFL season without an HD DVR. I hope the NFL realizes that if they sign their next Sunday Ticket contract with Cable instead of DirecTV, this company would remain in business for maybe a week.]]>Jul 27th 2006 10:01AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/Jul 28th 2006 5:49PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/http://hd.engadget.com/2006/07/18/ask-hdbeat-is-directv-ever-gonna-release-their-mpeg-4-hd-dvr/
"Thanks for asking about high-definition television (HDTV). Upon review of your account, I found that local HD programming is available in your area. It requires you to have a DIRECTV HD Receiver- MPEG-4 Capable (which is now available) and a 5 LNB Multi-Satellite Dish."
]]>Aug 13th 2006 11:55PM