Really confused about R10 upgrade w/ my old dish. Help?

[Damn Dirty Ape]

Ok here goes - hope someone can help.

We have a Hughes single LNB dish from 2001 and a RCA old receiver.

We get the Total Choice Plus / no locals right now on the above setup, and we are happy and fine with that.

The big question: Can I upgrade the receiver to an R10, keep my current programming package, keep the current old dish AND use the Tivo function?

A call to Directv did'nt yield what I wanted to find out.

(see, I can only see the basic satellite 110?/101? and nothing more).

Where does the R10 get it's program guide from? We have cable modem access and a phone jack nearby..

Can someone help unravel this for us?

thank you

 

[JimD]

I'm no expert, but from what I remember with my old single-LNB (I had a Tivo back in 2001) as long as you are not wanting HD your programming on 101 should be fine, whatever receiver you have...it carries all the SD programming for Total Choice. The installer had to put a multiplexer on the drop from my old dish to feed two lines into the tuner (so i could watch one channel and record another).

 

[deezoneezo]

You can use an R10 with the dish. If there are 2 outputs on the dish and you run a second line to the R10 you will be able to record 2 shows at the same time or record 1 watch 1 live etc. If it has 1 coax output or you don't want to run a second line you will be able to record 1 show while watching something previously recorded or live TV. You cannot record 2 shows at the same time or watch live while recording something else. The bulk of D* programming is on 101 so this is probably what you are pointed at. Good luck.

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

You can use an R10 with the dish. If there are 2 outputs on the dish and you run a second line to the R10 you will be able to record 2 shows at the same time or record 1 watch 1 live etc. If it has 1 coax output or you don't want to run a second line you will be able to record 1 show while watching something previously recorded or live TV. You cannot record 2 shows at the same time or watch live while recording something else. The bulk of D* programming is on 101 so this is probably what you are pointed at. Good luck.

That's great news! Now, does anyone know about the tivo guide, how that would work in this case?

 

[Mike500]

To activate the DirecTiVo, you must connect the unit to a phone line and enter your phone area code, so it can dial in.

After that, your guide will be downloaded from then on via satellite.

You may eventually get a nag screen to connect your phone libe, but that is necessary only to get TiVo software updates.

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

To activate the DirecTiVo, you must connect the unit to a phone line and enter your phone area code, so it can dial in.

After that, your guide will be downloaded from then on via satellite.

You may eventually get a nag screen to connect your phone libe, but that is necessary only to get TiVo software updates.

ok... got that part, what satellite does it get that guide from, by chance?

I think mine is at 101 or 110.. I'm still a bit lost.

 

[Newshawk]

ok... got that part, what satellite does it get that guide from, by chance?

I think mine is at 101 or 110.. I'm still a bit lost.

All D* receivers get their basic programming and their guide info from the 101 satellite, specifically transponders 2 and 10, IIRC.

If you have locals available on the 101 satellite, then you'll have no problems getting your locals. If they come from the 119 or 72 satellites, then D* will give you a new dish (and a multiswitch for the 72 dish), if you go with the one year committment.

Are you sure you can only see the 101 satellite?

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

All D* receivers get their basic programming and their guide info from the 101 satellite, specifically transponders 2 and 10, IIRC.

If you have locals available on the 101 satellite, then you'll have no problems getting your locals. If they come from the 119 or 72 satellites, then D* will give you a new dish (and a multiswitch for the 72 dish), if you go with the one year committment.

Are you sure you can only see the 101 satellite?

Yes, I've had Directv people out to survey my situation and they tell me that "what you are getting now is about it". It's a 2001 vintage dish. Single lnb. I just at least want to get a DVR somehow, like the R10 and use it with my setup ... My worry is the guide download, and where it comes from... I can't get the 119 no way, no how as they put it. I think the 72 satellite is not carrying Paducah KY local channels unfortunately..

ugh.

 

[raymo721]

Could he run that 1 line from the dish to a multiswitch to get 2 lines out for the tivo? Just a thought.

 

[deezoneezo]

Don't think so(multi-switch). He probably has 2 ports at the lnb but as I said before he will have to run another line if he wants it. YOU WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM GETTING ALL THE GUIDE DATA FROM THE 101 SATELLITE. I am quite sure this is the satellite your dish is currently pointed at.

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

Don't think so(multi-switch). He probably has 2 ports at the lnb but as I said before he will have to run another line if he wants it. YOU WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM GETTING ALL THE GUIDE DATA FROM THE 101 SATELLITE. I am quite sure this is the satellite your dish is currently pointed at.

Yes it's at the 101. I have an installer coming out tomorrow (Thursday) with a triple LNB dish, R10 receiver and all the associated bits and see what they can do given the LOS I have.

Hopefully at least they will plop the R10 on the existing single lnb dish if nothing else..

 

[ShadowEKU]

Yes it's at the 101. I have an installer coming out tomorrow (Thursday) with a triple LNB dish, R10 receiver and all the associated bits and see what they can do given the LOS I have.

Hopefully at least they will plop the R10 on the existing single lnb dish if nothing else..

down in paducha huh...

they shouldnt have a problem hooking up the R10 at all... if nothing else you wont be able to use the dual tuners... which is a bummer but not a life killer...

the question about being able to use a MS.... nope not going to work...

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

down in paducha huh...

they shouldnt have a problem hooking up the R10 at all... if nothing else you wont be able to use the dual tuners... which is a bummer but not a life killer...

the question about being able to use a MS.... nope not going to work...

we're up a little bit in Southern Illinois actually, but they call the locals "Paducah based". The guy is supposed to be here in about 10 minutes so we shall see how it goes. Bringing a 3lnb dish, 125ft of cable, new pole, receiver and the other bits. Interesting to see how this ends up.. update later.

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

ok... guy showed up about 1:30, left at 3:30, he had misplaced his crimpers, so someone had to bring him some..

Triple LNB dish installed, 50ft of cable run, and a Philips DSR708 installed.

The receiver isn't the one I wanted, requested the R10, but did'nt get it.


Now, I read about the 6.2 upgrade, my firmware is listed as : 3.1.1e-01-2-301 and is pretty poky in the menus. Do I have that upgrade or how can I tell? I have the 80gb version apparently.

All is working well *so* far, so that's good. thanks to all for your help.

Can someone clue me in about the firmware please?

 

[DirecTV*Tier2Tech]

You have to keep you dvr connected to a phone line for scheduled service updates including the 2 week program guide. You get the standard program guide from the satellite but you get the extended program guide along with the tivo features through your phone line.

 

[DirecTV*Tier2Tech]

no the version will be 6.2 when you get the upgrade.

 

[DirecTV*Tier2Tech]

the R10 already has the upgrade installed, it will not be getting the upgrade, also the upgrade will come through the phone line.

 

[ShadowEKU]

You have to keep you dvr connected to a phone line for scheduled service updates including the 2 week program guide. You get the standard program guide from the satellite but you get the extended program guide along with the tivo features through your phone line.

this info is not entirely accurate. ALL guide data comes from the sat... I have a tivo that hant been plugged in to a phone line since the upgrade that still has the guide out several days... at least 2 weeks. it cuts off the same time my plugged in one does.

 

[cr0mag]

I ran a D*tivo for over a year without a phone line. I did take it to a relative's house to activate it (he had D*), and every 3 or 4 months I took it to make a phone call and check for updates, but other than that I didn't connect it once. I never had any issues with it other than the nag screen.

Don't believe the phone line hype!

 

[DirecTV*Tier2Tech]

I have heard that this works, but let me ask you this, how well does the season pass, wishlist, and search by title functions work... from my understanding these capabilities come straight from the phone line... I'd like to know so I can pass it on...