Phasing Out DTivo Models?

[SpoonsJTD]

I was in the market for a new Series2 DTivo and noticed that Best Buy was only offering the R10. A sales associate said they weren't going to be carrying any other DTivo's (excluding the HD one). CC had the Samsung SIR-S4040R and the R10 on their web site last week, then over the weekend I went to look again and the Samsung was gone from their web site. I panicked and ran down to the local B&M and they had two Samsung left. The sales associate said he didn't think they'd be getting any more in, so I grabbed one (which was hacked to 6.2, HMO and MRV enabled in an hour and a half, much thanks to posters in the support forum).

Is Hughes forcing the non-R10's out of the market? Will these other boxes be available for much longer, or is it just CC and BB that are not going to carry them? Anybody have the scoop?

[cheer]

I was in the market for a new Series2 DTivo and noticed that Best Buy was only offering the R10. A sales associate said they weren't going to be carrying any other DTivo's (excluding the HD one). CC had the Samsung SIR-S4040R and the R10 on their web site last week, then over the weekend I went to look again and the Samsung was gone from their web site. I panicked and ran down to the local B&M and they had two Samsung left. The sales associate said he didn't think they'd be getting any more in, so I grabbed one (which was hacked to 6.2, HMO and MRV enabled in an hour and a half, much thanks to posters in the support forum).

Is Hughes forcing the non-R10's out of the market? Will these other boxes be available for much longer, or is it just CC and BB that are not going to carry them? Anybody have the scoop?
I'm amazed you found the Samsungs. I was in the market for a new DTivo back in March and all I could find in the stores were R10s. My son (a long-haul trucker) found an SD-DVR80 at a Best Buy in the middle of nowhere, but it was their last one. I ended up buying a new-in-box SD-DVR40 off of eBay.

At this point all the electronics stores tell me that the R10 is it for SD DTivos.

--chris

[captain_video]

The R10 is the current model that is in production. When DTV's agreement with Tivo expires they will no longer be marketing any DTivo models. DTV will eventually switch over to their NDS manufactured DVRs with their own logo on them that will use non-Tivo software. I have also heard that the new hardware may have to be leased rather than purchased. I'm guessing the change will occur when they make the switch to mpeg4 transmissions for non-HD content, but I can't say for sure.

[EvilJack]

The R10 is the current model that is in production. When DTV's agreement with Tivo expires they will no longer be marketing any DTivo models. DTV will eventually switch over to their NDS manufactured DVRs with their own logo on them that will use non-Tivo software. I have also heard that the new hardware may have to be leased rather than purchased. I'm guessing the change will occur when they make the switch to mpeg4 transmissions for non-HD content, but I can't say for sure.

I've been off the board for a while... do you have more details
on possible times for this mpeg4 conversion to take place.
Will our existing DTivos become door stops?

jack

[captain_video]

I don't know the exact timetable but DTV has already launched at least one new satellite to provide HD locals to the larger markets. I believe they will be launching more sats to provide HD locals to most, if not all, of the existing markets they now cover. The NDS PVRs that are currently being developed have been rumored to be very problematic so there's no telling when a bug-free device will be introduced. I'm sure there's more info on some of the DTV-related forums but I haven't been following them much of late.

[classicsat]

I've been off the board for a while... do you have more details
on possible times for this mpeg4 conversion to take place.
Will our existing DTivos become door stops?

jack

For the immediate future, MPEG4 will apply to only those locals coming from the new satellite platform. It will be years down the road before the SD "cable" channels gets switched to MPEG4, so your current D-Tivos should be safe to keep.