After years of waiting and hoping, DirecTV has finally
released a new HD DVR powered by TiVo. The new HD DirecTiVo is model
THR22 as has been rumored. What it offers, however, might not be what
DirecTV subscribers that are TiVo fans were really hoping for.
To
start with, DirecTV has soft launched the THR22 in only 10 cities
initially, and subscribers in those 10 cities can order the THR22
starting today. Subscribers in other cities will have to wait till
sometime after the first of the year. DirecTV has not been specific on
their full launch plan for the THR22 beyond saying, “The TiVo HD DVR
from DirecTV will be available nationwide in early 2012,” which could
mean just about anything with all of the delays that the release of the
THR22 has encountered.
As for the THR22 itself, it is a TiVo and
it runs the TiVo OS, but not a version of the latest release. Instead,
it uses something that looks and acts very close to a slightly enhanced
version of the TiVo interface that we saw in the last version of the
older standard definition TiVo models in the 2.xx family. The receiver
itself is built upon the DirecTV HR22 platform, but from our
understanding these are new boxes, not recycled or used units with the
TiVo software loaded on them. This news has already thrown a red flag up
for some.
In addition, it lacks a number of the features found
in the latest generation of DirecTV HD DVR offerings. For example, it
lacks 3D support, DirecTV on-demand streaming, multi-room support, You
Tube streaming, and those are just the major differences. It does not
offer the additional services and streaming offerings found in the
latest generation of TiVo.
The THR22 comes with only a 500GB hard
drive, which is pretty much standard for DirecTV DVR models. It can
support the add-on AM21 terrestrial HD tuner and can record from it. It
supports recording of all DirecTV MPEG 4 encoded satellite streams. It
offers two-tuner support with the ability to record two shows while
watching a third show. It comes with the TiVo peanut remote, but it is
DirecTV remote compatible only, so you can’t use the high-end TiVo
slider remote with keyboard with it.
Despite all of this, if you
still want the THR22 it is going to cost you $199 plus shipping and you
have to agree to a 2-year commitment for it. In addition, as with
DirecTV receivers the THR22 is leased, which makes the possibility of
upgrading it tricky at best. The unit is subject to a TiVo/DVR fee, of
course, as well as the monthly receiver fee.
Given all of this,
there will still be many that want it and will gladly upgrade to it;
while others believe that it is a release with a very short life span.
as its feature set simply isn’t as good as what is offered by the latest
DirecTV DVR units. Still, with the ability to upgrade the unit, should
it become more popular than expected it is possible development and
upgrades could be headed the THR22’s way, but it will have to become
popular and DirecTV will have to move a lot of units before they will
choose to do more with the TiVo platform. In its current release state,
however, it may just be far too little and far too late.
Source is
http://www.fudzilla.com/home/item/25153-new-directv-tivo-hd-dvr-finally-arrives
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