HR20 Tips, Facts and Features

[Brewer4]

JAG72 suggested we start a thread for facts, features, tips and facts for the HR20. So here it is. We have the reviews section but lets use this thread for more detailed information. I will put down an undocumented tid bit. For reviews on the HR20, use the TAB at the top of page titled "NEW! Reviews"

There are some hidden features in the HR20. It has varied over the past year but is mainly used by Living on the Edge downloaders as backdoors or tested features. Here is how to activate.

1. Menu - Search - Keyword - type exactly IAMANEDGECUTTER - ALL
2. When the search is done, exit out. You only need to do this once to activate the back door.
3. To view on screen hit on the front unit panel at the same time MENU/INFO
4. Depending on the version of software or hardware version of you unit, you should have some options not available in the regular Setup area. My HR20-100 has Playlist Sort and FFW Correction. The Playlist Sort is basicly how you want to sort your recorded shows. And FFW Correction is the jump back feature after fast forwarding through a recorded show similar to how Tivos work. Make sure to hit OK and DONE in this section after changing an option.

More undocumented tips and tricks are found here: Undocumented HR20 Tips & Tricks - DBSTalk.Com

No reason for us not to start our own list however.

 

[Brewer4]

LIST - YELLOW BUTTON - PRIORITIZER

In order to delete an item in the Prioritizer that has no scheduled programs, hit the DASH (-) button after selecting the item. It removes the item from the list.

 

[Brewer4]

To compensate for bad programming information from Comedy Central with regard to First Run versus Repeats, try setting a manual recording. I do this for Daily Show and Colbert Report (I lump them together). Here is how to setup.

LIST - YELLOW BUTTON - MANUAL

Record: Recurring
Channel: 249 Comedy Central
When: Mon-Fri
Start: 11 PM EDT
Duration: 01 hr 01 min

Since it will do 5 days and repeats or other shows are on Friday, you can just delete those when it records or you can cancel the record BEFORE it happens. Here is how you do that.

LIST - YELLOW BUTTON - TO DO LIST

Select Item
Record
Cancel Record

 

[Brewer4]

To control 2 different HR20's that are next to each other in the same room, you need to define the units and remotes to control each other.

The first receiver you dont need to do anything. It will be controlled by the toggle switch at top of unit at the Directv symbol. Steps for second unit below.

MENU - Help & Settings - Setup - Remote - Receiver Mode - AV1 or AV2 - DONE

Then on remote program it to second unit.

1. Move toggle to AV1 OR AV2.
2. On remote at same time, hit MUTE/SELECT. You need to hold these two buttons down until the LED above the slider switch flashes twice.
3. Type 0 0 0 0 3

Thats it. If you want an H20 instead of second one being HR20, use code 0 0 0 0 2

 

[Brewer4]

You can add an external Hard Drive to the HR20. See thread below.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/living-edge/100775-hr20-external-hard-drive-fyi-support-esata.html

A few facts.

1. It does not ADD to the internal drive. It deactivates the internal one and the external becomes THE drive.
2. Hooking up an external drive does NOT delete the shows on the internal one. They are just not available unless you shut down the unit, remove the eSATA drive, and boot to the internal drive.
3. Hooking up the eSATA drive will reset your network connection, favorites, scheduler, and To Do List. It kept satellite configuration, OTA markets, Display Preferences including GUIDE Keypress selection, HDTV options including TV resolutions and Native off for me, and selected OTA channels. It seems to have no problem with OTA channels and channels subscribed to.
4. My recommendation is to go with at least a 750 GB drive. The ratio of recording hours is as follows. 6 MB for MPEG4 and 10 MB for MPEG2/OTA. So a 750 GB drive should give you roughly 125 HD hours MPEG4 and 75 HD hours MPEG2/OTA. Its not exact as the HR20 does reserve some internal space for showcases and other stuff. We are not sure of the VOD impact yet.
5. You can use ANY SATA II hard drive with an eSATA enclosure. Make sure to get an enclosure that does eSATA output. There are plenty that handle SATA drives but they output only at USB. I recommend one that does both eSATA and USB. Also be careful of the combo enclosure/drive kits as they include USB cables but neglect the eSATA ones.
6 Its easy to setup. Put drive in enclosure. Shut down HR20. Turn on eSATA drive. Make sure eSATA cable is plugged into HR20. Turn on HR20. Just remember bullet number 3 above. http://www.satelliteguys.us/living-...ard-drive-fyi-support-esata-7.html#post962129

 

[Brewer4]

The HR20 can be setup to see music and pictures from a Media Center or XP/Vista PC. Video eventually but not currently supported.

Its a lot of information and I recommend someone start a Music & Photos sharing thread. In meantime here is a great source.

HR20: Networking and ViiV - DBSTalk.Com

HR20: Networking with Windows Media Player (WMP) - DBSTalk.Com

 

[Brewer4]

In order to see the new HD channels on the new satellite D10, you need to install B-Band Converters to the sat inputs on the unit. See this thread below.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-dvr-forum/102538-d-hr20-100-b-band-converter.html

If you lost yours or you get the message saying you need to order them when you go to channel 499, you can order them online at the following address. Or call Directv.

DIRECTV - HD Online Equipment Check

 

[Brewer4]

To turn off the blue circle, touch the left and right arrows on the front panel at the same time twice real quick to turn off, and left/right at same time twice to turn on. Its a bit fickle so keep trying.

 

[Brewer4]

To see all upcoming programs on a specific channel, open up the GUIDE, move the yellow box over the channel number, and hit INFO.

 

[rad]

OK Brewer, here's some tips for ya:

To change the default recording options:

- Select a program from the guide and press INFO
- With Record Once highlited press select
- With Record It highlited hit MENU
- Scroll down the list to Record Defaults
- You can now change the defaults for Episode Type, Keep at Most, Keep Until, Start, Stop.

This is all very helpful when wanting to set up a series link by pressing the record button twice since it now has your defaults set up vs. D*'s defaults.

You can also get to the System Info & Test screen by just holding down the Info button.

 

[bonscott87]

Multiple delete at once:

While in your Playlist hit the menu button and choose "Mark and Delete". You can then put a checkbox in front of as many shows as you want and it will delete them all at once.

You can use the same trick in the Recent Searches screen to remove old searches.

 

[Brewer4]

Can this please be updated to reflect that you need to hold these two buttons down until the LED above the slider switch flashes twice? I struggled wondering what I was doing wrong until I found the information elsewhere. Works great once you hold them down.

Updated. Thanks for correction.

 

[CWS_kahuna]

Any tips for Removing Channels from the guide?

 

[rad]

Any tips for Removing Channels from the guide?

You need to set up a favorites list, removing the channels you don't want, and then use that favorites while viewing the guide.

 

[CWS_kahuna]

You need to set up a favorites list, removing the channels you don't want, and then use that favorites while viewing the guide.

Thanks

Kinda a bummer to have to do that, but if that's the only option then that's what I'll have to do. I just am not liking the double channel listing for the locals, I've got two, 2s, 4s, 5s, 7s, etc.. on my locals, I can remove the SD version of the channels as I will never watch those and it forces my wife to pick the HD channel. This is something I find as a nice update from the HD Tivo, as the HD locals were only listed in the 80s and my wife would never look there for what she wanted to watch.

Can you easily add channels back to your favorites list, for when all these new channels are launched or will I have to re-create the complete list?

 

[rad]

Can you easily add channels back to your favorites list, for when all these new channels are launched or will I have to re-create the complete list?

It's an outstanding request to D* to get channels I get work as you expect, you only see the channel you get. Maybe one day they'll actually fix it.

Yea, it's easy to put the channels in, just go to edit the favorites and you can add the deleted channel back. Don't know what's going to happen with the new channels, rumor says they'll be the same channel number as the SD version, don't know how the favorites list will work with those just showing up.

 

[bonscott87]

Very easy to add channels back in. Just edit your favorite list again. During NFL season I have a favorite list called "NFL" which I edit every Sunday before the games so that only the HD versions of games are listed as well as SD only games as well as my locals. And then I use that for my guide so I can use the blue button mini guide to quickly move between games. Works great.

 

[Ramy]

Nice to see this, don't know how I missed it 12 days ago.

 

[Brewer4]

Slingbox and HR20 AV1/AV2 Setting
For anyone that has a Slingbox and has their HR20 set to AV1 or AV2, here are directions to make the remote work through Slingbox.

JP1 Remotes :: File Section

1. Download the file.
2. Place it in Slingbox's SBAV folder. (C:\Program Files\Sling Media\SlingPlayer\SBAV)
3. When going through the input wizard, select a directv remote but pick "other". Then enter S1378.


I did it this morning and works great.

If anyone has 2 HR20's next to each other and wants them controlled separately or wants one remote to control both units, here are some quick directions.

1. Keep one HR20 as Directv
2. On the second HR20, go into Menu - Setup - Remote - Receiver Mode - AV1 or AV2
3. On remote, move slider to either AV1 or AV2
4. Hold MUTE and SELECT down together for a few seconds until the top of remote blinks.
5. Then type 00003


You have now programmed your remote to handle the default directv control and HR20 AV1/AV2 on remote and receiver.

Let me know if anyone has any questions.

 

[CPanther95]

Can the Slingbox control an HR20 that is running in rf mode?

On a side note, is there a Slingbox FAQ on Satguys? Looking to get one, but curious about the quality of the "Turbo" or Wireless option. Laptop will be accessing via wireless router - will that be decent quality?