THROWBACK THURSDAY: Remember wanting this DVR?

Could it really be 16 years ago? I guess so. Back in 2006, when today’s new drivers were just born, we all drooled over this new piece of equipment. I thought it might be fun to revisit those days, and think about where we’ve come since.

Early history

DIRECTV was a big adopter of DVR technology in the early 2000s. They worked with the biggest name in DVRs at the time, TiVo, to create DIRECTV-specific products that were years ahead of what cable companies were doing at that time. If you really think about it, the DVR was really revolutionary. When you watched TV in the 20th century, you probably watched live. You had a VCR but it was hard to program and most people didn’t do it. Along came the DVR and all of a sudden you had immense power. You could pause live TV, easily set recordings, and even get instant replay. We take these things for granted now but back then it was an incredibly big deal.

Not only that, but high definition was really in its infancy back then. It would be 2009 before all television went digital, and HD was seen as something far in the distance. Only true hobbyists took on the challenge of getting HDTV in their homes. And not just hobbyists if you think about it — rich hobbyists. You’d pay $3,000 (the equivalent of about $7,500 today) for a 32″ flat TV. You’d probably get a year or two out of it before it went obsolete or got broken.

The coming of the “real” DIRECTV DVR

DIRECTV had been fooling around with HD for about two years in 2006. They had been making a standard definition DVR of their own without TiVo technology for close to two years, and they had a first-generation HD receiver. This was the first time they got serious. This was the big dog, the DIRECTV HR20:

I mean, take a look at the specs. 50 hours of HD recording awesomeness, Dolby Digital, 2-week guide, and DIRECTV’s award-winning remote control. Of course it wasn’t perfect at launch. Nothing is these days. There were a few showstopper bugs like it spontaneously rebooted, a lot. It also took about 15 minutes to get back to live TV. But it didn’t matter, this was 2006 and this was an HD DVR! And more importantly, those bugs were all software-based. With the help of volunteer testers, those bugs were squashed quickly.

It was very different back then

Back then, DIRECTV sold receivers. I mean really sold them. This wasn’t a lease, this was a flat out you-own-the-thing-you-do-what-you-want-to situation. And then just like now, there was only one place you could get the best DIRECTV equipment, SolidSignal.com.

That’s right, Solid Signal was there and we offered the HR20 right from the start. Even back then, we were the source for news and information about DIRECTV. Don’t believe me? Check out our pre-order page, preserved for all time by the folks at the internet archive. The design of our site has changed somewhat, but the quality is still baked in.

Unfortunately most customers can’t buy receivers or DVRs anymore. All the satellite companies have switched to a lease model. This keeps costs down for them, makes it easier for you to upgrade, and really most folks are happier. Business customers in some vertical markets do have the option to buy receivers, but regular folks at home don’t. Letting businesses buy their equipment gives those businesses benefits, benefits that would be lost to most homeowners.

Cut to, 16 years later

Sixteen years later, the landscape is very different. DVRs aren’t considered the wonder machines they once were. Streaming is a big part of our lives. DIRECTV’s DVR systems have evolved through several generations to become the most powerful, most reliable satellite delivery systems possible. They’re more energy efficient, smarter, and even smaller than anyone would have thought in 2006. Still, if I had to bet, there are parts of their software that haven’t really changed since the days of the HR20.

Here’s something else that hasn’t changed. You can get the best products, services, and accessories when you shop at Solid Signal. This is the exact same equipment you’ll find on DIRECTV’s own trucks and you can order it directly. Not only that, you can get great customer service… something you might have thought had gone out of style. Try us out… call [email protected] during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below and the staff in our Novi, Michigan offices will get right back to you.