Community Forums

dgerstel · 02-25-2007, 07:12 AM

Has anyone installed a Directv HD DVR, if so do you have any comments or suggestions?

Dale

dgerstel · 02-25-2007, 07:12 AM

Has anyone installed a Directv HD DVR, if so do you have any comments or suggestions?

Dale

Wayne R · 02-25-2007, 08:37 AM

I have the HR20 700 HD DVR although it has a phone hookup it is not needed. It works great for now, it will scan local over the air channels and provide local over the air and HD if available. I don't know what is going to happen when DTV puts 2 more satellites in the mix requiring a 5 LNB set up. I currently have the MotoSat MHDTV dish. I have heard several versions of what is going to happen, from needing the 5 LNBs to get the locals on HD to losing several of the premier channels without 5 LNBs.

swansnest · 02-25-2007, 02:06 PM

Wayne - I don't know the heck about any of this tecnical stuff you are talking about but I do know that we talked with Direct TV in Quartzsite and they told us that with the new satellites going up they (Direct)would be the only ones that you could still get the local channels on. They didn't say anything about needing more of any of the stuff you are talking about. FWIW! (I'm obviously satellite ignorant!)
Carolyn

Wayne R · 02-25-2007, 05:17 PM

Carolyn,

The local s issue is not a big deal to most RVer's I know, it is the DNS (Distant Network Service) that is important. Beyond that are the HD stations that are about to be going through a major change in quantity and satellites they are broadcast from.

Currently to get all of the available HD channels from DTV you have to access 3 different satellites 101,110 and 119. To the best of my knowledge the only RV system that can receive all 3 simultaneously is the MotoSat MHDTV unit.

Some like the Kingdome can move manually from one to the other and they may have even automated the process by now.

Soon DTV will add two more satellites to the mix for a total of 5. The size of the dish and weight of the 5 LNB stack will probably mean the current MHDTV unit will not be able to be upgraded and will make it hard for the current crop of dome units to access all 5.

What this means is what ever programming is moved to the 2 new satellites will be lost to the mobile RV crowd until technology catches up. The RV crowd is a very small nitch market for DTV and apparently not a big concern.

My DTV HD DVR came with the new dish and LNB stack witch is huge and not easily mounted on the roof of an RV, so it sits in a box. It would take a mount similar to the Datastorm unit by MotoSat to handle the dish. That unit currently retails for about $4000, not a cost effective solution for a TV only dish.

After all this is said the HD DVR is proving to be a very nice unit. How much programming we will lose or gain is still unknown.

OldForester · 02-25-2007, 05:30 PM

I have the RCA HD receiver in our '06 and have been told several times by DirectTV I can't have HD without a land line, even though often our TV looks like it's High Def, so I'm also inclined to think a land line isn't really needed.

I asked the factory to install a DVR when I bought the coach, and even supplied a DVR for them. They created space for it in the overhead compartments below the satellite receiver for the front. After they stuffed it in, they said it generated too much heat in the overhead compartments when added to the other stuff there that generates heat, and said it would cause problems, so they took it out and gave it back to me when I picked up the coach.

I have been frustrated that WRV doesn't supply a DVR or even a VCR and capability to record shows when we're out of the coach. Even my 2005 Fleetwood Tioga class C had that capability before I sold it and bought the Alpine.

So, I've come up with another idea. When I was at Quartzsite I installed a Motostat satellite internet receiver. The controller, modem, and wireless router took up the lower half of our big cabinet in the bathroom. We cut a 1 inch hole in the wall through to the TV in the bedroom to run the cables, and out the roof to the satellite through the same hole as other cables.

That gave me the idea to put a shelf in the cabinet in the bathroom holding the satellite internet controller, modem, router, and on that shelf, add a DVD recorder. The DVD recorder will be below the shelf holding the internet stuff and use the same power strip. I'll hook up the DVD recorder to the rear TV, running the cables through the same hole in the wall as the satellite internet. It won't be high def, but it will at least record the shows I generally want to watch the most and I can then play the DVD either in the rear TV or the front TV with my Sony sound/audio system.

So that's my plan - hook the DVD receiver to the rear TV. There's a vent in the wall to the TV so heat can escape, but I also leave the door on that cabinet open a little when I have the internet on; could do the same thing with the DVD recorder.

You might look into this idea of hooking the DVD recorder up to the rear TV where you have more space and it's easier to handle the heat issues. That's what I'm going to do and see if it works.

Wayne R · 02-25-2007, 05:47 PM

OldForester,

The new HR20-700 HDDVR is smaller than the Hughes/Sony DTV receiver that came in my 05. It was virtually plug and play. I did opt to use a HDMI cable. The new unit displays internal temp on the setup screen and so far is functioning just fine.

I have had a standard DTV TIVO unit installed in the bedroom since the 1st month I owned the coach. It also is connected via bird on a wire to the Datastorm by MotoSat.

PS: I have had HD in the RV since I bought the coach and I am a full timer with DNS service and get the East coast feeds of network stations in HD on channels 80, 82, 86 and 88, I also get the east west feeds on 380-388 in non HD no phone line.

OldForester · 02-26-2007, 06:24 AM

Wayne,

Who makes the HR20-700 HDDVR? Is it Sony and purchased from a third party, or is it available from DirectTV? Did you connect it to the Kingdome or to the Datastorm dish?

I have the Datastorm dish for internet but did not put bird on the wire since I had the Kingdome. Do I have to do that to get enough LNBs for HD?

Did you get the DTV TIVO unit direct from TIVO and also install it in the cabinet in the bathroom?

Thanks for the answers to these questions.

Wayne R · 02-26-2007, 07:30 AM

Old Forester

It is a DTV brand; it is connected to a MotoSat MHDTV dish that replaced the Kingdome. The TIVO is in the bedroom closet above where the washer/dryer combo would be. I plan on replacing the bedroom TV with an LCD unit on a hinged mount and at that time I will move the TIVO and the other Datastorm electronics to the area behind the TV and provide some sort of airflow. The bedroom TIVO is connected to the Datastorm but is not HD since I am on G16. One advantage of using the Datastorm for TV is you rarely loss signal do to rain, it has to be a cloud burst before the signal fades.

If you are on SAT/MEX 5 or 6 you can install an HD bird on a wire. For now most of the HD is on 101 but how long that lasts is up in the air. It is my understanding the Kingdome can be moved from sat to sat to get the desired channels.

Louie & Linda · 02-26-2007, 04:02 PM

When at Quartzsite I ask the MotoSat Rep Royal Lamb about the new 5 sat broadcast. He assured me that my current 3 LNB dish would be all I need. The two new Sat's are to be used for the 'spot beaming' of local channels required by the FCC. The 'Local Distant' channels we now get will remain as they are now.

Hope we can all believe him.

dgerstel · 02-27-2007, 05:08 AM

I just switched from a HD Tivo unit home to Directv's new DVR. I had problems with the Tivo and by switching I am now able to get HD local channels off of the satellite, I had never gotten good reception from the OTA antenna. The new equipment also is capable of receiving the new MP4 compressed signals that will be required to receive the channels on the new satellites when they are put into service. This setup came with the new 5 LNB skewed antenna.
A side note on local channels. When I lived in Oxnard, CA my local channels were on the same satellite as all of the others (one LNB dish) and I could receive them over a very large area in the motor home. When I moved to Las Vegas the local channels are on another satellite,(three LNB dish) now with my present setup I do not get channels 1 thru 99 in the motor home.
It is my understanding that the new satellites are going to me mainly the new HD channels including local HD and broadcast in MP4 format, which requires the newer receivers. Here is a few links on that information for those who are interested.

http://forums.directv.com/pe/action/forums/displaysingl...returnExpertiseCode=

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6407416.html

Dale

Wayne R · 02-27-2007, 06:14 AM

Dale,

We are all hoping the 2 new sats are mainly for local HD and bandwidth will be freeded up on the existing 3 sats. I also got the huge dish and 5LNB stack with my HD DVR along with the KA band converters. Don't see that monster going on my roof anytime soon.

dgerstel · 02-27-2007, 06:28 AM

Wayne,

Did you have to run the cables to your MotoStat MHDTV dish over the top of the roof back to it? If so did you enclose them in anything. I assume it is mounted behind the front AC.

Dale

Wayne R · 02-27-2007, 07:01 AM

Dale,

Yes it is mounted behind the AC. My cables are inside black plastic convoluted tubing routed to the front cap. I had mine secured to the roof with Dicor sealant every foot in stead of clamps and screws. It has stayed secure for over 2 years now and no wind noise.