Since it seems that the DirecTV HDPC-20 tuner for Windows Media Center might actually appear in Windows 7 I want to compare a whole house solution between it and the potential of a DirecTV DVR based Multi-Room Viewing alternative. Neither of these solutions exist today so this is partially a guess, however in some ways an educated guess based on currently available info. To make the comparison equal I will try to outfit the systems as similar as possible. Each setup will have the ability to power 4 different TV’s at once as well as record 4 different channels at once and I will guess it is not a new customer however that won’t always be the case. I am also going to assume the house doesn’t have in place Ethernet wiring and will require 802.11n install to support multiple HD streams simultaneously. For A/V cabling it should be the same in both cases so I won’t talk about that. The pricing is also highly variable base upon what pieces someone might already have.
Win7 w/MC + HDPC-20:
Computer/Server with Windows 7 Home Premium or Ultimate, one HDPC-20 + Dual OTA or Two HDPC-20, 1 TB HD, 2 GB RAM, Video and Audio on board - $1000
3 Media Center Extenders – Either Xbox 360 Arcade or Linksys/D-Link/HP Extender - $100-200 a piece or $300-600
Wireless – 802.11n router at least and potentially wireless adapters for 360’s - $100-400
Total - $1400-2000 initial cost
DirecTV DVR MRV:
2 x HR2X – Includes 500 GB HD per and two tuners - $170 each or $340
2 x H2X – Can view content from the HR2X boxes - $100 each or $200
Wireless – 802.11n router and wireless adapters for 3-4 boxes - $200-300
Total - $740-840
Win7 w/MC + HDPC-20 Pros:
Single recording list and prioritizer
Ability to schedule from any TV
Extender can potentially be multi-function (DVD / Xbox)
Can get TV with Extender built in as option
Arguably better interface
Lower monthly cost due to no mirroring/leasing fees
Essentially infinite storage capacity upgrade possibilities
Potential to move content to other (portable) devices
Win7 w/MC + HDPC-20 Cons:
Double initial cost
Potentially higher complexity initial setup
Performance (non-360) or reliability (360) of extenders
More complex devices
DirecTV DVR MRV Pros:
Much lower initial cost
Independently functioning rooms if necessary
Potentially ability to watch more live programs simultaneously
Less complexity of devices
DirecTV DVR MRV Cons:
Higher monthly cost due to mirroring/leasing fees
May not be able to schedule new recordings from H2X (unknown functionality)
Two separate recording lists and prioritizers
Potential for double recordings (wasted space)
Single function devices
I am sure I have missed some things in my list, any thoughts?
Don't forget about the Netflix capabilities of MCE or the 360 extender. MCE also makes it easier to have multiple sources of content. I also imagine it's pc picture and video viewing is better than the kludgy DTV box.