DirecTV intros dual ATSC tuner AM21 to piggyback HR21

If your DirecTV HR21 leaves you feeling empty because you want need to streamline your over-the-air ATSC side of the house, listen up. DirecTV's AM21 is your answer. For $59, you can pick one up, stack it above or below your HR21, connect it via USB, and bask in the glow of dual tuner ATSC programming (integrated with your OSG, to boot). It's not a bad looking little black box at all, and the price is reasonable. It's being shown off at CES, and you can expect it to be available at the end of February.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2008 3:21PM]

What they don't say is that the HR20 comes with this built in...so if you are unlucky enough to buy an HR21 instead of an HR20, you have to pay for OTA support.

[spin cycle Posted Jan 9th 2008 1:20PM]

Maybe this has a better OTA tuner than the HR20. It'd better, or else it's an A-1 ripoff.

I'm baffled this device needs its own 120V AC plug. Aren't there ATSC tuners that plug directly into a USB plug on a PC? Why can't this be powered from a USB plug on an HR21?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 10th 2008 4:18PM]

But the AM21 comes with it's own AC power port.... so it does a pass-through connection to the HR21... so the pair, only needs one plug on your UPS, Power Strip, Outlet

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 12th 2008 3:07AM]

Actually it doesn't - the HR20 has 1 ATSC tuner and 1 satellite tuner

The HR21 has DUAL satellite tuners, and with the addition of the AM21, TWO ADDITIONAL ATSC tuners - for a total of QUAD TUNING CAPABILITY

I wonder if the combo will allow for 4 recordings at once?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 9th 2008 11:32AM]

This is good news for me. I've got a high end HD monitor (Pioneer Elite) with no built in ATSC tuner so I'm limited to viewing whatever comes (or doesn't come) thru my DTV box. I would gladly purchase one of these for $59. That's a steal for an outboard tuner box regardless of whether I can get OTA thru my HR20 or not simply because its so cheap. My next question is, does this come in silver as well as black?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 10th 2008 4:19PM]

It will only be in black....
And it is not expected to be functional with the HR20 series

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 9th 2008 11:55AM]

So it does not allow you to record 4 things at once. It just allows you to watch a 3rd show while recording 2 other. Disappointing.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 9th 2008 2:12PM]

Oh I wish Dish had something like this for their HD ViP boxes. Only one OTA tuner is a crime.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 10th 2008 4:18PM]

The AM21 has a power pass through (another plug on the AM21 itself), that you can plug the HR21 into. So the pair, only needs one outlet in your UPS, Power Strip, or outlet

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 12th 2008 5:09AM]

HR21 has a power outlet as well, so either would work.

For me, I'll plug the HR21 into my conditioner and have the AM21 off the HR21