R-15 Disk Holdback? Consensus Ship Date?

[Billybobster]

Question 1...

Looking at the specs on the R-15 (if I have them correctly), hard drive is 160GB - recording capacity is 100 hours.

Again, if I am correct, the DISH 625 has a 120GB drive and 100 hour recording capacity plus space held back for DISH On Demand, their pre-caching of pay per view movies. A friend has one and there has been as many as 14 movies stored there so far.

So the R-15's 100 hours on a 160GB drive sounds low. The disk holdback for pre-caching may be the reason. It's logical that DIRECTV is doing a holdback (even TiVo does on standalone boxes) but does anybody know how much? In hours and/or GB?

Question 2 (and I don't want to incite a flame war, just want to know)...

The consensus estimate is that the R-15 will start shipping in mid-September?

Last minute directives from DIRECTV software Q&A notwithstanding?

Thanks,

Billybobster

 

[bonscott87]

The rest of the capacity is for the new VOD service when it becomes available.