Stunning picture with the ease of Tivo
Written: May 25 '05
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Pros: Ability to record 2 simultaneous HD programs.
Cons: To do simultaneous recordings, both SATELLITE connections must be used.
The Bottom Line: If you need to time shift HD programs, this is the DVR to beat.
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| petergaryr's Full Review: Hughes HR10-250 (250 GB) 200-Hours Video Recorder |
I have owned a VCR since they were available for the consumer market. The concept of time shifting was something I quickly decided was essential from that point on. Despite all the jokes, they really weren’t that hard to program.. Watching “regular” TV with its endless commercials and advertisements for upcoming shows eliminated via fast forward became another benefit.
Then came Tivo. I got spoiled very quickly. Being able to pause live TV, plus the concept of a “Season Pass” for favorite shows made the whole experience even more enjoyable.
When I switched to HD in 2002, I was thrilled with the picture, but frustrated that I had to go back to watching shows under conditions that were a step backward. Finally, the DirecTV HR10-250 hit the market and I was ready for it except for 1 thing: a price tag of $1000. When their SD DVR sold for $99 and I could get a decent ATSC tuner for $300, it seemed way over priced. Well, the price has just dropped by $300 and that was the signal I was looking for.
Now, as a word of caution, the price drop is due in part to the fact that this DVR is going to be obsolete very soon as DirecTV shifts to the MPEG-4 format. However, I live in DMA market 52, so that isn’t going to be an issue for at least a year. I have also heard that DirecTV will be making attractive offers on the next generation boxes when they become available.
What’s In The Box Along with the DVR comes a nice programmable remote, plus all the cables you will need to get it connected. The instruction manual is well written and should answer most of the setup questions you have.
Setup Following the directions, setup is uneventful. At one point, you must call DirecTV to activate the unit., but that is a simple process as long as you have jotted down all the numbers you will need, such as serial number and access card number. You will need to plug the unit into a phone line if you want to be able to record. It takes its recording information from the DirecTV program guide. You will also need to go into the setup menus to tell the unit the type of TV you have (4:3 or 16:9), the type of signal you want to output (480i up through 1080i), the color of the panel bars for letterboxed broadcasts, and the style of program grid you’d prefer.
There is an optical output if you will be connecting this to a receiver capable of Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding (you will need to purchase a separate optical cable).
One thing that puzzled me until I did some research is that you cannot record 2 OTA or satelliteHD programs simultaneously unless you have connected both SATELLITE inputs. It will still work with only 1 satellite cable connected, but it limits the usefulness of the product.
Use If you haven’t used Tivo before, you would be advised to read the manual in order to familiarize yourself with what the “thumbs up” (you like a program) and the “thumbs down” (you don’t like a program) will do to Tivo’s ability to recommend programs for you. You will also want to understand what a Season Pass is and how it will be able to ferret out your favorite shows, even when their times change.
Build Quality This is a solid unit and the only “flaw” is the sound of the fan. While not excessively loud in, say a living room, you might be able to hear it if the unit is installed in a quite bedroom. I have placed mine in a cabinet (well ventilated) behind glass doors and it is hardly audible.
Picture Quality This is a replacement for a Hughes HRID-E86 that I have been using since 2002. The difference in PQ is stunning. The colors are more saturated and the picture is crisper. I thought the picture on the Mitsubishi was good before. It is now noticeably better.
A nice touch on the remote is that you can hit the “Format” button to change the shape of the picture from full to panel. Personally, I don’t recommend the stretch mode for SD since it makes people short and fat, but try it to see if you like it.
Also, while you are watching a program, you can use the “Up” arrow to switch between resolutions that your TV can handle. Some SD shows may look marginally better by downresing to a 480i or 480p resolution. In that resolution, your TV may offer some other picture formatting options, should you wish to experiment.
Conclusion,
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 649
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Epinions.com ID:
petergaryr
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Location: St. Johns, FL
Reviews written: 78
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
Have worked as a DJ, Consultant, Instructor, Course developer,Web Designer & vocalist in band.
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