DIRECTV HR21 HD DVR Satellite Receiver In Black - HR21700
from: DirecTV
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Electronics : DIRECTV HR21 HD DVR Satellite Receiver In Black - HR21700 |
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Rating:  - * 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. Rating: - * 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! Rating: - * 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. Rating: - * NOTHING BUT TROUBLE ... I have had this receiver for about 1 1/2 yr and have had nothing but problems with it. DirecTV has finally admitted that the unit has so many problems that they can't replace all the units so now they "have technicians working on the problem". They need to face it, the product is a piece of junk. The unit freezes up - resets itself - loses satellite signal for no apparent reason (and it is not the satellite, believe me, I have gone through that 30 minute routine to check MANY times), does not record instead just an hour of blackness. In other words, pretty much a pain in the arse. My 2 yr committment runs out next summer and if they don't resolve the issues I will be looking for another satellite provider that can provide me with a reliable HD DVR. Rating: - * Disappointment in so many ways ... It's been officially one year since receiving one of the first HR21 units. After about 6 months it started locking up, getting stuck on FFs or rewinds, and just acting wacky. I called DTV and complained about it and they said they were working on it and a fix was in the works. I called 2 months later - same thing. Then again, 2 months later - same thing. Finally I said this was a piece of crap and I wanted a new HR21 unit sent to me. I had it the very next day. The new unit is 10 times worse than the previous one! It hard locks up every day at least once, and I am at the point were I just reboot it daily now and keep my fingers crossed. The good news is that (although they pushed and tried) I was able to continue on my contract from where I left off so I still only have one year left. Good News: I really like DTV and have found there customer service to be excellent in most cases (boy have I heard stories). The picture quality is excellent, and I think the company is excellent. Plus - External Hard drives are simple now to connect to these units. Awesome News: I just read that DTV was teaming back up with TIVO and should have units available by the end of 2009! Bad News: The present HR21's are very very bad imitations of TIVOs and do not work at their capacity. This is disappointing because it is all WE DTV costumers have to use - we have no choice. The units have great potential if they can work out the software issues, but for now they are crap, but were stuck with them for now. |
Critics and audiences didn't seem too happy with Back to the Future, Part II, the inventive, perhaps too clever sequel. Director Zemeckis and cast bent over backwards to add layers of time-travel complication, and while it surely exercises the brain it isn't necessarily funny in the same way that its predecessor was. It's well worth a visit, though, just to appreciate the imagination that went into it, particularly in a finale that has Marty watching his own actions from the first film. --Tom Keogh
Shot back-to-back with the second chapter in the trilogy, Back to the Future, Part III is less hectic than that film and has the same sweet spirit of the first, albeit in a whole new setting. This time, Marty ends up in the Old West of 1885, trying to prevent the death of mad scientist Christopher Lloyd at the hands of gunman Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson, who had a recurring role as the bully Biff). Director Zemeckis successfully blends exciting special effects with the traditions of a Western and comes up with something original and fun. --Tom Keogh
