Phillips DIRECTV HD Satellite Receiver

H20 - MPN: H20

Description: Enjoy more than 225 digital-quality channels with DIRECTV. You'll also receive stunning high-definition broadcasts which now include your local channels in this format. With lots of premium channels and a variety of sports packages to choose from, there's always something to... read more

Enjoy more than 225 digital-quality channels with DIRECTV. You'll also receive stunning high-definition broadcasts which now include your local channels in this format. With lots of premium channels and a variety of sports packages to choose from, there's always something to watch. Get program listings days in advance with the Advanced Program Guide. HD capable: Choose a DIRECTV package that accommodates HDTV signals for the ultimate in programming options. minimize

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dburckh

Member Since
Jan 2006

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User has 1 Days of experience with this product

Directv H20 vs HR10-250

Strengths:

OTA Tuner, HD Locals via Satellite, RF Remote

Weaknesses:

Poor HD & SD Decoding, Slow Guide, HUGE 5 LNB Dish, Runs Hot

Posted Nov 12, 2006 - I had been getting local HD TV via an OTA antenna until this point. When I signed up for Directv I leased an H20 and bought a used HR10-250 (Tivo). Directv installed the H20 and the new 5 LNB dish. Excited to see the new HD locals, I decided to watch a football game. I was immediately disappointed. There was a lot of pixelation around any action and the football field looked more like confetti than grass. In focus and still image detail was good. SD channels were blocky and distorted. In addition the guide was as slow as, if not slower than my 5 year old Directv SD receiver. The guide also required picking a filter before actually viewing the guide. Very annoying. After my card for the HR10-250 showed up, I hooked it up and did a comparison. The guide was definately faster than my H20. The HR10-250 did a much better job of decoding both HD and SD. There was little noticeable pixelation even in the SD channels. To the H20's defense, the OTA tuner was much stronger than the HR10. The H20 did still suffer from the same pixelation problems even with the over the air signal. I spoke with Directv about this and they suggested a problem with the unit. Today I was at a local retailer and noticed the problems described on their showroom model H20. I have a 62" 1080p monitor, and I have to admit to being a video snob. A smaller monitor may not show these problems. I would only recommend this unit to someone who cannot receive HD locals via an antenna.

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anrooh from NC

Member Since
Oct 2005

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User has 1 Day of experience with this product

Nice HD Satellite and OTA receiver

Strengths:

Great OTA HD receiver. Love the RF remote option. Simulateneous HD (HDMI and component)and SD outputs.

Weaknesses:

Displays weak signal strengths in setup. External BBC module required.

Posted Nov 8, 2006 - The RF remote is a great feature, and because this unit outputs HDMI/Component/Composite videos all at the same time... you can wire 3 separate TVs off of it (2 HD and 1 SD). I bought this as a gift for my brother and wired his HDTV in his living room and the SDTV in his bedroom off of it. He loves it... and it saved him the additional receiver fee ($5/month). So if you have more TVs than people in your home... keep this in mind! One small detail concerning installation... the signal strength meter in this unit reads lower than most. I also have the HR20-700 and had 100% signal strength on most transponders on all 5 satellites, with the H20, most signals were in the 80s!! I was worried I had a defective unit until I read similar problems with other on the internet. Also, remember to install the BBC module that comes with it... overlook this detail at first and got errors during setup. This is built in on my HR20-700. Why it's not on this model, I don't know.

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ghettogreg

Member Since
Jun 2006

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Directv H20

Strengths:

great picture quality, very strong Over-the-air antenna tuner, decently quick guide

Weaknesses:

runs pretty hot, have had a couple audio/video glitches over the last week (but they only last a couple seconds)

Posted Jun 27, 2006 - This is a nice receiver with very good picture quality. Directv is notorious for over-compression of their HD signals, but this receiver must do a great job of masking any signs of it because I do not see any artifacts from down-resolution. One warning is that this unit runs pretty hot, so be sure to have it well ventilated or it could be in jeopardy of frying the internals. I use an antenna to receive several over-the-air digital channels and this thing really locks them in. I only use a small indoor antenna and I am over 60 miles from the broadcast tower and I receive nearly all available stations!

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dustinmagic

Member Since
Dec 2006

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User has 10 Days of experience with this product

Good, DirecTV better than Dish

Strengths:

Fairly easy to use. Nice HD picture.

Weaknesses:

HDMI jack faulty on first receiver. Low signal strength

Posted Dec 29, 2006 - Considering this is my first HD reciever, I don't have much to compare it with. Using a Monoprice premium HDMI cable, the picture on HD channels looks fantastic. On SD channels though it is medicore. You can sort of upconvert the image quality to HD using the player by changing the output signal to 780p or 1080i. I don't think it changes the quality and in fact it may lead to some noise at the top and bottom of the picture. My TV however showed that it was recieving an HD signal when I "upconverted." The device automatically adjusts to the imput it is recieving SD or HD and the resolution. In my opinion, the stretch feature which expands HD images to 16x9 was the best option. It resulted in little distortion except perhaps for ticker tapes on news channels. THe optical audio output works great as well. The unit is especially great for sports games in HD. Most stores have it for free with mail-in rebate so I would upgrade.

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iqzero

Member Since
Mar 2006

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User has 1 Day of experience with this product

DirecTV HD satellite receiver H20

Strengths:

Built-in OTA HD receiver and RF remote option. Easy to set up. Good HD picture.

Weaknesses:

runs hot!..but operates just fine.

Posted Feb 19, 2008 - HD picture quality is just as good as the H21 (black, updated model). I haven't used the RF remote myself, but given that option, it's a great feature to have especially if you're cabling up TVs in multiple rooms. Indicator lights on the front panel for the video resolution is nice, I like making sure I'm on the best possible resolution every time. It could use a small LED display to show channel and time instead of using the remote. Although the unit runs hot, it works fine and I haven't had any issues with it. Just keep the unit's vents open.

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randyn1 from CA

Member Since
Jul 2007

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Bad Batch?

Strengths:

None

Weaknesses:

I've bought 2. The first never powered up. I took it back to Costco, thank goodness Costco is close and good about returns. The second, only half powered up. Green power light wouldn't stay on.

Posted Jul 11, 2007 - After several calls to Directv, and speaking with the installer, I learned that many, many of these units are faulty. After jumping through all the hoops demanded by Directv, the tech person admited that they had a problem with lots of these units. Only a monopoly can get away with this crap. Tomorrow, I start looking into Dish Network. Read customer reviews on Amazon and you'll see what I'm talking about.

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GASTURBO1 from VA

Member Since
Jul 2002

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User has 1 Week of experience with this product

DIRECTV HD RECEIVER

Strengths:

Local channel capability, good HD quality.

Weaknesses:

HOT!

Posted Jan 12, 2008 - I went out and bought this unit because the one DirecTV was going to lease to me did not have local channel decoding built in. This recently discontinued model does handle free OTA HD channels very well. DirecTV remove this feature form the newer (black) model hoping to monopolize local channels for an extra fee. Other than running hot, it works decently well.

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rdroger1962

Member Since
Nov 2007

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User has 1 Week of experience with this product

directv HD satellite receiver model# H20

Strengths:

This receiver is the best quality for your money! I found it very easy to setup to my HDTV by myself. Didn't need to arrange a service call for a technician to come to the house. Brand new receiver.

Weaknesses:

Only weakness I found was with the service dept. at satellite server when attempting to add receiver to my account. No real weaknesses found.

Posted Nov 14, 2007 - Delivery of the product was within the said delivery time by seller. Product came in great condition and packed properly by seller. I was very pleased with the ease of hook up to HDTV. I would recommend this product to family and friends.

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dgrice2 from VA

Member Since
Oct 2007

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Direct TV HD Satellite Receiver model H20

Strengths:

The receiver and remote were easy to program. The unit is smaller than the analog receivers. The unit responds fast to remote demands. The picture quality is excellent.

Weaknesses:

The unit gets very warm to the touch but still operates normal.

Posted Oct 31, 2007 - The difference between HD and SD is amazing. I ordered my unit and received the shipment within three (3) days. I just had the dish installed on 10-30-07 and have enjoyed watching in HD format. I have been a subscriber with Direct TV since 1996 but the HD experience exceeded my expectations.

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SILBER21

Member Since
Oct 2006

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User has 14 Days of experience with this product

GOOD HD RECEIVER

Strengths:

EXELENT PICTURE FOR H20 - 100 / RF REMOTE / SIMPLE TO USE AND SETUP

Weaknesses:

NO SLEEP FEATURE ON REMOTE / NO RF OUT

Posted Dec 8, 2006 - I HAVE NOT NOTICED THAT A RECEIVER RUNS HOT AFTER TWO WEEKS OF USE, RECEIVER WEIGHTS LESS THAT I EXPECTED (I HAD SONY A-2) - CHEAPER MADE. I LIKE ERGONOMICS OF THE RECEIVER - SIMPLE AND RIGHT WHAT YOU NEED AND USE. ALSO $100 WIDELY ADVERTISED COST FOR H-20 IS A LEASE PRICE - YOU DO NOT OWN EQUIPMENT - SO YOU HAVE TO RETURN IT. BOTTOM LINE - GETS THE JOB DONE - WELL DONE

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usfacs

Member Since
Dec 2003

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User has 17 Days of experience with this product

Great Receiver

Strengths:

Very easy to set up and to use. Universal remote that works with all Directv receivers.

Weaknesses:

Guide is a little slow when tuning.

Posted Sep 24, 2006 - Overall a good receiver for the price. Works great with the 5 LNB Directv dish which provides HD signals for local channels without an additional antenna. Lights on the front panel are pretty neat.

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