DirecTV HR21-100 HD Satellite Receiver

by DIRECTV

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 18 x 3 inches ; 6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 pounds
• ASIN: B001XXAZH6
• Item model number: HR21-100
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,402 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #48 in Electronics > Televisions & Video > Satellite Television > Receivers
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 19, 2009

Product Description

The DIRECTV HD DVR delivers you the ultimate in 100% digital-quality DIRECTV programming. Add the DIRECTV HD package and DVR service and you get the best choice and widest selection of high-definition programming and the convenience of digital video recording in one unit. Images are sharper. Colors are brighter. Sound is crisper. And now they can be recorded. The easy-to-use search function enables you to locate exactly what you want to watch or record. Take a look at all the features and benefits and get ready to enjoy maximum entertainment. DIRECTV HR21 HD DVR Satellite Receiver In Black - HR21700/ Standard-Definition And High Definition Enabled/ Record Up To 200 Hrs Of SD Or 50 Hours Of HD (MPEG-4) Programming/ 2 Satellite Tuners/ Advanced Program Guide/ 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i Picture Output And Multiple Screen Formats Supported

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Fairly (Poor) to Middlin DVR, November 25, 2007

By 

Michael Barnidge Jr. "Radiology Resident" (Temple, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Update 12/17/07 - After using this DVR for about a month I am removing a star (*/*****). The machine has frozen several times (to the point I had to unplug it to reset it) while trying to fast forward or rewind, the unit also has very poor support for audio and picture streaming. It needs some serious stability updates!


D*TV customer for 5 years
Previously owned: 2 DSR704 Tivos & an HR10-250 Tivo

About the HR21
The Good: Decent interface design, seems to record what you tell it to, Has an icon in the program guide that shows you if you have marked a program for recording, networking port built in for streaming music and photos, lots of HD channels, good forward and backward "skip" buttons.

The Bad: inability to swap between tuners or quickly see what the other tuner is recording, if you have a DirecTivo you know what I am talking about. Overall the interface is not nearly as nice as a Tivo. The remote control is not really user friendly, I remedied this by using a logitech 880 universal which makes navigating this DVR much more tolerable. NO OFF AIR ANTENNA!!!!, This is almost a deal breaker for me. I was not the person at home when this was installed or else I might have refused this unit. As it is the installer told my wife that all the locals will be available in the next few weeks over the dish. If this is not the case D*TV and I will have a problem. On my HR10-250 I recieved locals from 2 major cities around where I live. Apparently this was done to make the unit cheaper.

Overall: The only thing that really irritates me is the lack of OA support and the inability to flip between tuners or easily see what is recording on the other tuner. The interface is not as slick as a Tivo but suffices once you get used to it. As to how well it records season passes, that remains to be seen. Basically, a fair effort by D*TV at a DVR, not as good as a Tivo, but not as bad as Dish Net. Note: If they fix the local stations issue I would give it 3 stars.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars hr21 is junk, April 9, 2008

By 

Glen M - See all my reviews

After trying at least 3 of these units, directv has admitted that they don't work over HDMI with about 1/2 of all TVs. They CLAIM this is the TV's fault, not the recievers!! Funny, everyone elses HD units work fine on these TV's, but DIRECTV still insists it's the TV's fault, not their non-functional reciever. Don't accept this junk for your money. Insist on TIVO returning. TIVO works. This unit can't display HD, freezes, drops audio, has lines in the picture, etc. Don't accept it, demand dual buffering. Call and write DIRECTV and insist on it, it's your money. Don't waste it on this non-functional unit. I only wish I could give 0 stars.
PS DIRECTV has also admitted they COULD have dual buffering, but they won't pay TIVO to lease the copyright unless enough customers complain about the loss of dual buffer. I've made it my mission. Call them, write them, stop trucks on the road and berate them. Insist on dual buffering and you may get it back. Remain silent and you'll get nothing. That's direct from directv's customer service.
chase.carey is the president of directv, if you can figure out his email (just think, where does he work?), email him.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars PLEASE bring TIVO back!!!, February 19, 2008

By 

DarioTexas - See all my reviews

Freezes, then freezes, then voices are off ... I'm on my THIRD unit ... After a year I still have to keep the lights on in order to know what buttons I'm pressing on the remote, terrible design ... I had the TIVO remote memorized in a week ... If you cancel recording a show when both tuners are recording for some reason it stops recording but forgets to tell the brain it stopped so it still won't let you change channels ... RESET! ... Now my screen is stuck on step 1 of 2 and won't EVER change ... I hate you direct tv.