DIRECTV Group - HR20-700S DVR Review

Having been a loyal Tivo user for over 7 years, I was quite hesitant to switch to DirecTV's new HD DVR box and service. I made the switch mainly because I had recently purchased a new HDTV, and DirecTV had severed their relationship with Tivo (I also own the excellent DirecTivo) in favor of building and selling their own DVR solution. When DirecTV announced a HD tuner/DVR that would be completely integrated into one box, and would receive and record HDTV programming at only $199 (Tivo's HD DVR is $800), I jumped at the chance.

It does the job. However, it's the little things that make me yearn for my Tivo. Tivo has a feature that, while fast-forwarding, backs it up a few seconds once you stop. This DVR has no such feature.  The Tivo's remote control is simple and intuitive.  This one has quite a few more buttons and is very confusing.  The most commonly used features (e.g. picking a program to record) are hard to find in a sea of menus.  The remote also stopped working after a week - DirecTV did replace it at no charge.

Overall, if you are a DirecTV customer who wants a single box that receives and records HD programming, then you have no choice but to go with the DirecTV Plus DVR.  If you are willing to have an additional box in your entertainment center and, more importantly, willing to shell out an extra $600 for the Tivo, there's no comparison as far as the quality of product you'll get.