Upon ordering the HR34, the CS rep threw in a "cinema connection kit" for free, saying I needed this piece of equipment to access on demand and ppv. Now, I have a hardwired ethernet connection to my home theater, which I previously had connected to an HR20 when I had DirecTV last time and currently have connected to a 722 with Dish. So my question is, do I really need this cinema connection kit, or is this kit really just a fancy wireless dongle? I prefer to be wired, and want to be prepared to tell the installer what's what. Thanks!
HR34 and the "Cinema Connection Kit" - wireless only?
- Thread starter KasumiX
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Good to know. I am going to be using whole home DVR (one other receiver in the bedroom). Hopefully the installer knows what he/she is doing *fingers crossed*
I don't know HOW I missed this super-scientific chart on the official website
I don't know HOW I missed this super-scientific chart on the official website
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I sometimes feel sorry for the D* CSRs. D* has changed their technology so fast they just can't keep up. Apparently the HR34 acts as a cinema connection kit when you plug an internet cable into the receiver. (I don't have an HR34, but I am going off what others have posted on this forum.) Some posters here have also indicated problems with their HR34s when they have a separate cinema connection kit attached. The CCK is helpful though if your router is not located near your receiver. It will be interesting to see if your installer mentions this to you.
And, although I have a lot of respect for OSD771's posts, he is sort of off target here. The CCK and MRV have no connection with one another. My MRV works just fine with or without a CCK connected. The CCK is strictly for injecting the TCP/IP signal on your coax network, nothing more.
Let us know how this all ends up.
And, although I have a lot of respect for OSD771's posts, he is sort of off target here. The CCK and MRV have no connection with one another. My MRV works just fine with or without a CCK connected. The CCK is strictly for injecting the TCP/IP signal on your coax network, nothing more.
Let us know how this all ends up.
BobStokesbary said:
Actually the CCK does. If your whole home system is connected to Internet the receivers use the router for IP addresses. If its NOT hooked up to the Internet then SWM channel #1 does the communication between the receivers as they give themselves IP addresses by default.
You point out the fallacy of your argument in your post. You are exactly correct, if you don't have a CCK connected SWM gives an address for MRV to work and when you are connected to your router the receivers look to the routers for addresses. My point is still valid, MRV works just fine with or without a CCK.
I don't think I saw this mentioned and I'm sorry if I missed it, but the Cinema Connection Kits can be hardwired ethernet (if your installation permits). In which case you don't have to use the wireless capability.
I don't have personal experience on the HR34, but according to a number of posts on this forum, what you see on the HR24 (the disabling of the internal DECA when you connect an ethernet cable directly to the receiver) does not seem to apply to the HR34. And, as I stated earlier, from comments in other posts on this forum, connecting the HR34 directly to an internet connection appears to act as a CCK all in itself.
At any rate, the OP is going to get a CCK along with his HR34 so he can experiment to see what the best configuration is for this equipment.
I'll do some research on the HR34 having an "internal CCK", but it seems to me that if hardwiring a CCK disables MRV, then that would be an issue whether the CCK is external or internal. I was just hoping to not have 1 more thing to plug in back there - my surge protector is full up.
--EDIT--
Ok, THIS answered a lot of questions.
What's really cool about the HR34 is that if you have one, you don't need a CCK if you hook an Ethernet cable straight into the HR34. The HR34 has the exact same hardware as a CCK built right in. If your HR34 is connected to your router, it will send internet information to all your other receivers. You can also use a CCK if your HR34 doesn't have Ethernet nearby.
If you choose to run Ethernet networking instead of coax networking, you need to be aware of this. The HR34 will try to use coax networking and your other receivers will become confused. There really isn't a need to run Ethernet to every receiver as long as you have it connected to the HR34, but if you choose to do this, be sure to connect a Band Stop Filter between the satellite cable and the HR34. This will force all the receivers in your network to use Ethernet.
So, I think I see where the confusion is arising. If ALL my receivers were hardwired to the router via ethernet, then MRV would not work (officially). This is actually not the case for me - while the downstairs receiver is hardwired, there is no ethernet cable going up to the bedroom. So I would need the CCK to get both on-demand and MRV upstairs.
BUT, since the HR34 has the CCK built in, the only reason I would need a CCK would be to connect to the router wirelessly. I'm going to tell the installer to leave the CCK out of the setup and see if everything works.
The irony is, when I first placed the order I neglected to request the HR34, but the CSR did not add a CCK to the order so I would have had an HR24 but no CCK and I would have had problems. It was only after I revised my order to get the HR34 that the CSR said I needed a CCK. Nutty.
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Just an update - 2 things:
#1 the installer was very, very, VERY insistent that not including the CCK in the connection would disable WHDVR. Everything works and I'm hesitant to mess with it, but I'll test it when I get a chance and see if he's right.
#2 I thought with the CCK all receivers would have access to the internet and thus on-demand, but of course the H25 has no hard drive therefore it can't even access the on demand channels, so I have no idea what the point is of having the H25 connected to the internet.
#1 the installer was very, very, VERY insistent that not including the CCK in the connection would disable WHDVR. Everything works and I'm hesitant to mess with it, but I'll test it when I get a chance and see if he's right.
#2 I thought with the CCK all receivers would have access to the internet and thus on-demand, but of course the H25 has no hard drive therefore it can't even access the on demand channels, so I have no idea what the point is of having the H25 connected to the internet.
The H25 can access apps.
Just plug in directly to the HR34 and call it a day. Put the wireless CCK up and terminate that port or remove that splitter depending on how it was done. I really don't understand using wireless on a non mobile device anyways. If you are running a coax for the wireless, go ahead and run it next to the router. Then use a wired cck.
Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge
Just plug in directly to the HR34 and call it a day. Put the wireless CCK up and terminate that port or remove that splitter depending on how it was done. I really don't understand using wireless on a non mobile device anyways. If you are running a coax for the wireless, go ahead and run it next to the router. Then use a wired cck.
Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge
Okay, short story short:
Removed the CCK from the setup completely. This included removing a splitter that split the SWM power coax (or whatever it's called) and the coax running to the CCK. Plugged the ethernet cable directly into the HR34. The HR34 (which was plugged in while I did this) displayed a message when powered on that it was not communicating with the dish, despite showing a live picture at the same time. A red button reset cleared this error. MRV works perfectly, the H25 upstairs is connected to the internet, the CCK is totally unnecessary in my setup. Took all of 5 minutes to do. Installer was lying or just didn't know, I guess. One less thing plugged into my power strip... plus that CCK got HOT man. Glad to have it out.
Removed the CCK from the setup completely. This included removing a splitter that split the SWM power coax (or whatever it's called) and the coax running to the CCK. Plugged the ethernet cable directly into the HR34. The HR34 (which was plugged in while I did this) displayed a message when powered on that it was not communicating with the dish, despite showing a live picture at the same time. A red button reset cleared this error. MRV works perfectly, the H25 upstairs is connected to the internet, the CCK is totally unnecessary in my setup. Took all of 5 minutes to do. Installer was lying or just didn't know, I guess. One less thing plugged into my power strip... plus that CCK got HOT man. Glad to have it out.
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