Thanks to a possible slip by DirecTV’s webmaster, we may have just received a glimmer of hope that the highly anticipated TiVo-powered satellite DVR might actually be released in 2011. long time DBSTalk members JBlow and Smuuth have produced screenshots that display they were able to add a $99 TiVo HD-DVR to their respective DirecTV.com carts… which is accompanied by a $5/month TiVo surcharge. Forum chatter suggests the FPO graphic refers to a ‘for position only’ placeholder; something that’d be used when testing layouts. So, we may indeed be headed towards a summer DirecTiVo launch as revealed on Twitter.
(Thanks, Brennokbob!)
It’s outdated HR22 based design with last generations Tivo UI. No fancy graphics, no boost in processor or memory performance. It’s just about the original DirecTivo, just with MPEG4 HD and SWM tuner compatibility.
My standard MR-DVR sompatable HR24 works for what I need it to.
DirecTivo …. PASS!
Yeah, that’s what all the rumors/leaks seem to indicate. If so, and if without multi-room but a surcharge, I couldn’t see many folks choosing TiVo over the H24.
In addition to the picture being a placeholder, the pricing could be as well. I’ve reached out to TiVo who will likely tell me nothing. ;)
I really hope this turns out to be a boost for TiVo, but like Cypherstream said based on the potential info we have it won’t be. I know a couple family members which will get them but they don’t care about the extra features. Then again they haven’t even made the jump to HD yet.
With rumors of no TTG, no MRV, no compatablility with the DTV DVRs and their whole home setup, I see this being another major disappointment for TiVo fans. I just wonder if and when TiVo might get it right again.
I really think there is going to be a pretty big backlash from DirecTV users who have been asking for this for a while once they see it. If it had come out a couple years ago, it would be different.
Remember in the end it is a DirecTV product, as with the last generation they call the shots on features, etc. Especially anything the retail TiVo has that the DirecTiVo lacks. TiVo always said that any and all features from the retail software (and hardware when they made it) were available to DirecTV, but they elected not to include everything.
I know a few testers and they all say they like their HR24’s much better.
This one was delayed too long to be useful and the hard ware is 2 generations behind what is current.
Lets hope they are working on the NextGen version now, as if they could get one that could do MRV and be FAST a lot of people would snap them up quickly.
Anything is better than the slow and buggy HR20-700 I have been suffering with…Hopefully its true…
I will try the unit out. Bring it on.
I remember giving up on an HD DirecTV/Tivo unit sometime during the first season of Lost.
It’s incredibly hard to believe that this might actually happen.
I can’t believe there are users really waiting for this product until I go to my parents house. Even after I show them my Premier and mention that the new DTivo won’t have these features, they still want DirecTV over Comcast.
Makes no sense.
JohnG
I guess that seals the deal for me…
Bye Bye DirectTV.
I am going to move over the SureWest’s version of Advanced Digital for half the price. This means giving up my lifetime TIVO but since that’s essentially worth nothing, I am losing nothing.
It’s too late for DirecTV. I jumped ship when I went HD and I was not happy about it. My DirecTIVos were flawless performers and I loved NFL Sunday Ticket. Comcast lured me with the triple package deal and my Series 3 landed Netflix and Pandora and I became comfortable. I’m looking forward to the potential of Xfinity VoD and perhaps an Amazon subscription service to go with my Prime membership if I upgrade to a blazing HTML 5 driven Permiere 2 one day. My Directv dishes will likely sit dormant on my rooftop forever.
HTML 5 based Premiere 2? I dream of flying cars too! TiVo would be better served building an ARM based platform and utilizing Apple’s Darwin OS and GNUSTEP API. TiVo could leverage the work completed with their iOS app, and build a UI with it. Tools even exist to convert Apple Cocoa apps to GNUSTEP. Developer Tools based on Interface Builder and Project Builder (Xcode’s predecessor) already exist. Best part is Apple pays for all the heavy lifting!
TiVo can affectively build a robust development platform, and deploy an app store of their own. Another source of revenue would be beneficial in reducing or eliminating their service fee.
wasn’t there always a TiVo surcharge? When I had multiple TiVos in 2001 with DirecTV and multiple HD TiVos in 2004, there was a $5 fee that covered all the TiVos on the account.
Although I left them for good in 2007 because there was not a new MPEG4 TiVo coming out. If this new TiVo would have been available four years ago from DirecTv I would have never even considered leaving. But instead I left for FiOS and they lost a good customer. Now that I’ve had FiOS for almost foru years now it’s very unlikely I would ever go back to DirecTV.
The really early DirecTiVos allowed you to get LifeTime (this was when it was all just rolling out) as I remember it.
I think the deal was only for 6 months or so and then they swapped to $5 TiVo charge no matter what.
I never had a TiVo fee on DirecTV. I did have a $4.99 DVR fee that was bundled with my top package that covered all DVRs on the account. Later they took this out of the top tier package and also raised the price to $6.99 for DVR.
I think this was a glitch. There should be no “leasing fee” (a monthly fee, yes, leasing fee-no) with the new directivo because they have said you will have to purchase this one.
However, I do think they are trying to set up the website because it is finally coming out soon. I just don’t think these prices, etc. are accurate. Isn’t is supposed to be way more than $99? Not that I’m wishing that, but…that’s what they were selling off the old tivos for when they were trying to get rid of them. They’re just testing out the system.
Still, I think it’s coming soon.
And I don’t care what anyone says. It will be so much better than the crap directv is peddling right now.
I now weep for TiVo
My parents are anxiously waiting for the return of Tivo. My mom continually fusses and fumes over the DirecTV boxes. This may come as a shock to those who hang out on technology blogs, but most people value base functionality over bells, whistles and “HD UI”.
I’m sure there will be plenty of people who swear up and down that the DirecTV DVRs work just fine. I’m happy for you. My parents aren’t so lucky. The darn things continually miss or delete shows earlier than indicated. The original Tivo UI may not be HD, but it’s easy to move around and it’s functional – and the core functionality of the product – recording shows – is rock solid!
We got the HR24 HD DVR, it’s ok. It’s not TiVo… The interface is not as intuitive and simple… My wife wept when directv made us retire our old tivo (wouldn’t re-activate it) and forced us to the HR24. Yes, she likes TiVo that much better. My old TiVo was 8 yrs old, and I had to resurrect it after the directv DVR couldn’t process 3 recordings, and instead opted to not record two season premieres… I was ready to throw it against the wall. If people want TiVo directv DVR’s, why not give it to them? I’d even consider (gasp) cable to get TiVo back… Tired of waiting for directv to do the right thing…
I’m beginning to think the Directv Tivo HD unit is a mythical creature, like a unicorn.
JC, please tell your wife that I feel her pain.
I don’t need a thoroughbred to do a work-horse’s job.
Just do the basics, please; my time is precious and I don’t want to fight over what needs to be or doesn’t need to be recorded.
According to a DTV rep, the new DirecTV TiVo, model THR-22, which is based on the HD22 DVR, will be available starting November 3, 2011.