New DirecTV Install

[aware]

Just got DirecTV installed yesterday under the Sunday Ticket promotion and so far I have been pretty happy with it. A couple of points/questions:

1. I thought the installer did a very thorough/professional job. This was very different from the person that installed Dish Network for me years ago.

2. MRV works, but let's just say that it looks like it was coded by the same developer that coded Windows 95. Not the smoothest UI that I have seen.

3. The 24's look very nice and I like that fact that they are small units.

4. I haven't noticed any difference in picture quality from Dish Network--this is a good thing.

4a. I love the native output option so that it switches between 480i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p.

5. In my opinion, the DVR UI is not as polished as Dish Network. Some of the kinks will get worked out as I use it more, but there are just a couple of things that feel like it takes more button pushes than it did on Dish.

6. Here is one thing that really has me going. I have an HD-DVR and an HD Receiver--both 24's--hooked up via RG6 for MRV. As I stated before--it works, but evidently you cannot simply connect an ethernet cable to the back for Internet connection. Is that correct? If it is correct, this is just stupid. There should simply be a setting that says that if the MRV is going through RG6 then the ethernet port is for Internet.

Any help/advice on #6 would be much appreciated.

Austin

 

[Liquidforce88]

Yes connecting an ethernet cable to the port on the back of the receivers will stop MRV from working. You need to have a broadband DECA or a DECA with a power inserter installed to add internet into the system.

 

[harshness]

DIRECTV needs a serious wake-up call regarding the broadband DECA issue.

 

[aware]

Yes, having to install a broadband DECA to get your box connected to the Internet is a REALLY ham-handed solution to what should be as simply as plug and go.

 

[harshness]

It isn't so much that the broadband adapter is inelegant. It is that they don't install it by default.

 

[wildbill129]

They ask (or at least they did me) if you want internet connected when you order MRV. All you have to do is say yes and they install the broadband DECA adapter....

 

[harshness]

They ask (or at least they did me) if you want internet connected when you order MRV. All you have to do is say yes and they install the broadband DECA adapter....

This assumes two things that may not be givens:

1. That the CSR can effectively communicate what the device represents

2. That the customer hasn't long ago convinced themselves that they can continue to use their existing LAN connection along with the DECA connection; after all, their Homeplug/wireless/Ethernet connection has worked fine up to now.

 

[slow88]

They say it does interupt mrv, but you can try it and see what happens. It shouldn't hurt anything.

 

[Liquidforce88]

They say it does interupt mrv, but you can try it and see what happens. It shouldn't hurt anything.

That will stop MRV from working. It's hard enough to get it to work when you have everything right.

 

[spokybob]

They ask (or at least they did me) if you want internet connected when you order MRV. All you have to do is say yes and they install the broadband DECA adapter....

I clearly asked for MRV & internet connection. They had to make another trip back out to install the DECA. That tech told me that it happens frequently.