Hughes DVR80 - Utterly confused

[stroudm]

I recently visited Best Buy and decided to purchase a Hughes DVR80. I'm not really all that interested in recording something while I watch something else or recording two things at one time. All I really want to do is just record the seasonal stuff that I watch on HBO, i.e, The Sopranos, The Wire, stuff like that. My dish does not support dual connections, it's the standard one receiver hookup. Can't I replace my primary receiver now with this unit and still use Tivo to record my shows when I'm not at home or late at night when I'm not watching t.v. anyway? I also heard that you have to keep the unit plugged up to the phone line at all times, that true? If anyone could elaborate I would greatly appreciate it, I really want to use this box, just not interested in the dual recording, and the extra stuff. Any suggestions?

 

[CRendall]

You can use it with only one connection but you won't get the full use of the Tivo. Once you start using the Tivo you won't want to watch TV live anymore. If there's a show on I really want to see I wait until 15-20 minutes into it for an hour long show and then start watching from the beginning while it's still recording and fast foward through the commercials.

One of my Tivo's only has one connection and it's a pain because it will be recording something and I can then only watch shows I've already recorded. If there aren't two shows on at the same time that you like to see, then it might not bother you to have only the one connection.

 

[stroudm]

...do the units have to stay plugged in to phone lines all the time?

...I was told that the unit will often dial-out to download updated programming information. I was also told that you would be unable to record if the unit was not hooked in to a phone line, all that true?

 

[Neutron]

Welcome to Satelliteguys!!

You only need the phone line plugged in for the initial setup. All guide and programming information is downloaded from the satellite.

I've had mine off the phone line for over 120 days now. No problems.

 

[stroudm]

...another question from the rookie

....guys I can't tell you how much I appreciate the knowledge. Okay, so when I decide to install this baby all I really need to do is just physically swap the boxes, make sure I'm good to a land line and then call DirecTV?

....they will then de-activate my old Acess Card, enable the new one?

...I don't have to leave the old one hooked up before I call, I can go ahead and swap them out and get all the physical connections down before calling DirecTV?

...I apologize for sounding like such a newbie!

 

[meStevo]

....guys I can't tell you how much I appreciate the knowledge. Okay, so when I decide to install this baby all I really need to do is just physically swap the boxes, make sure I'm good to a land line and then call DirecTV?

....they will then de-activate my old Acess Card, enable the new one?

...I don't have to leave the old one hooked up before I call, I can go ahead and swap them out and get all the physical connections down before calling DirecTV?

...I apologize for sounding like such a newbie!

I think you can finish the setup on your own before calling D*, your DVR service and everything else will still not be active, but because it made that initial call it will be ok, they just need to send info to the card. They will ask if its connected, of course your answer will be yes.

Yes to the rest of your questions, pack up your other one, use it to prop open the door to a room or something. All of the access card stuff is done on their end.

Don't worry about sounding like a newbie, we all started knowing as much as you.

 

[Neutron]

Ebay your old receiver if you want.

I agree, we were all newbies once.

You can hook everything up before calling Direct if you want. It doesn't matter.

 

[stroudm]

...I just wanted to let you all know how much I apprecite the feedback. I hooked the DVR up last night, did all the setup myself. I was amazed at just how automated Hughes made the entire process. I am extremely happy with the Tivo service. I often find myself thinking, how did I ever manage to watch television without Tivo? Well you all know who you are, thanks for boosting my confidence. I've referred alot of my friends here as well, really bragged about the quality conversation and good people here. Again, my Thanks! You have helped bring another dish user to see the light

 

[Neutron]

I switched from DISH's DVR to Directv's DTivo back in March and I haven't looked back.

I'm glad we were able to help you out. That's what we're here for!

 

[MarkG]

You should make an attempt to run that 2nd cable from your dish to the DVR. Once it's done,it's done.You won't regret it! The Tivo is a great search engine,once you get to know it. Having both tuners active eliminates any conflicts of something you might want to watch or record that might be on at same time.

 

[stroudm]

...one strange thing

...hey guys, I'm back again.

The Hughes DVR80 has been great but I have another question. A couple days after installing it and really getting used to using/programming it I noticed something quite unusual. Very, very sporodically I have noticed some color loss/cycling in the live viewing/recorded playback. It is really weird. You'll be watching something and then suddenly all the color is gone, then very qucikly you will see the the colors cycle back into the recording. The live view/recording never distorts or becomes unwatchable but I've noticed it do it on a few occasions. The other night I was watching a movie, that I also happened to be recording at the same time, it happened again. So immediately I went back through the recording to see if the issues transposed to the recorded program, but the spot where I noticed the color distortion appeared perfect on the recording. It doesn't happen enough really to concern me and when it does it's only for a few seconds and then clears up and it never seems to be a permanent thing on the recording. Could this be something with the compression maybe? It happens so rarely and doesn't really seem to lead to any problems that I can tell, with the exception of the abrubt surprise. The unit runs fine, sounds fine. I just think it's odd when it happens, it's like that noise in your car when you take it to the garage, you hear it, but when you go back, there's no inkling of any kind of problem at all. I just thought maybe it might be some strange compression quirk or signal bug or something. Anyone else seen anything like this before with this model? Other than the rarity of this, it's GREAT!