I want to get High Definition for my TV watching, and I have DirecTV. I also want to be able to record my own shows. I currently have Tivo, but to get HD and a DVR, I would have to get a DirecTV HD DVR receiver. They have phased out Tivo it seems.

So, is the DirecTV DVR as good or better than tivo? Are there certain features that Tivo offers that the DirecTV DVR doesn't?

Is it still very easy to navigate the system, menu's, your recordings, etc? Can you still choose how long you want to keep your shows, search for other programs via Director/Actor/Documentary/Suspense, etc.

And any other info regarding the DVR or HD for DirecTV would be great as well...thanks.

I've used both and TiVo is loads better. Easier to program and the DTV DVR skips recordings now and then.

I'd recommend this site, where you'll get all the info you need.

I switched recently and though it takes a while to get used the new layout, etc., I love the HD picture and the HR20 overall.

Pros of Tivo: Better interface. Better onscreen guide.
Cons of Tivo: Slow and sluggish. Less recording space.

Pros of new DVR: Much faster. Holds more recordings.
Cons of new DVR: Interface is very basic but convoluted.

Convoluted how?

Less recording space def? I thought they both had the same amount?
35 hours of HD? am I wrong.

I Agree though the DirecTivo is heaps better. but I'm using both for now.

Having never used Tivo, I can't compare, but the DirecTV DVR is irritating. I've had issues with setting up to record complete seasons of shows and getting EVERY episode that airs, including re-runs, despite re-programming it multiple times. I've had issues where I'll set up some one-time recordings, then when I check them, they're set up for a week further ahead than I'd programmed. Lastly, it has a section for "Showcases," where it forcibly records DirecTV programming, which you cannot prevent or delete, as far as I can tell, until it expires. DVR shouldn't be this stress-inducing.