Single Mode now working on L201 software

[Toph]

Yup!

If TV2 could use tuner #2 as you suggest, what would happen when TV1 does a picture in picture and changes the channel? The person at TV2 would lose picture. See?

ChrisCoop,
Yes I see! IMO, if it could work the way kwajr described it, it would be an extra function or command like "combined" dual/single that I would use.

Imagine this...

Having both TVs in one room and using the swap feature to bounce something like sports from large TV to small TV and back....similar to PIP but on two sets and not waiting ~2 seconds it takes to "switch" channels and back again. I had a similar set up a while back but, I thought it would work better with the new L2.01....ho hum....

I guess, since I've had the 522, I've anticipated this dual/single mode a little too much!

 

[kwajr]

Toph, you're right and kwajr is wrong. When you're in single mode, TV2 has the same exact output as TV1. For all practical purposes, there's no longer any "TV2." It's basically a mirror of TV1. The only thing you can control (as has been mentioned) is "shared view," which allows you to decide if the person sitting in front of "TV2" can see what's being displayed on TV1.



Because when you're in single mode, tuner #2 is at TV1's disposal (to facilitate picture in picture). If TV2 could use tuner #2 as you suggest, what would happen when TV1 does a picture in picture and changes the channel? The person at TV2 would lose picture. See?

WELL WHAT IF YOU DISABLE SHARED VIEW

 

[ChrisCoop]

Toph, ah, I see what you're saying now. Yes, that would be an interesting way to do it. Maybe someday, who knows?

WELL WHAT IF YOU DISABLE SHARED VIEW

Then TV2 sees nothing. Period. When you disable shared view, you basically limit yourself to only viewing a picture on TV1.

 

[Sapient]

It would be ideal if either TV could use single mode as a default until someone pressed the "on" button for the tuner for the other TV, at which point both would go into dual mode.

 

[kwajr]

so once again what seems like an easy thing to do dish hasnt done it like thye never really think it through

 

[maximum]

It would be ideal if either TV could use single mode as a default until someone pressed the "on" button for the tuner for the other TV, at which point both would go into dual mode.

Yes, that would be nice. I'm surprised they didn't provide a way to switch modes through the menu. Then you could at least switch between single and dual mode manually with the remote. Switching automatically would be even better.

 

[maximum]

Now that I've had time to play around with single mode here is my 2¢.

:up A nice thing about single mode is the ability to quickly bounce between two channels without the delay you get when using the Recall button. Just press Swap (without PIP) and quickly switch to the channel on the other tuner with no delay.

:up Another nice feature is that single mode, with shared view enabled, allows you to use the TV2 UHF remote to control both tuners. So if your receiver is in a location where the IR remote won't reach, you can do away with using the IR remote altogether (assuming you don't ever use dual mode).

:down One bad thing about it is that the PIP window is too big. Even in its smallest size it takes up a huge amount of screen space. The larger window is totally useless IMO. What's the point of having a window of another program if it's so large that it blocks out most of the full-screen program no matter what position it's in?

:down There needs to be a way to switch modes via remote control. Maybe through the on-screen menu. Then you can switch modes from a remote room with the TV2 remote control. Of course shared view would have to be enabled. I get the impression that DISH doesn't expect people to be switching between modes very often.

Conclusion
I don't see us using single mode much in our house. One of the main selling points of the 522 for us was the ability to watch different programs in different rooms. I might use it more if I could switch between modes without pressing the button on the receiver. The wife can't see any reason to use PIP (she doesn't watch sports). If I were single it would be a different story and I would keep it in single mode all the time.

 

[Wishbone]

I just got my single mode update..

I have a question.. How does normal subscribers know about these kinds of updates? My user manual says "reserved for future use". I didn't get a new manual or newsletter. The only reason I knew about it was this forum... I wonder how the "normals" get this info?

 

[ericgtr]

I have heard that they will send out an email to your receiver in some cases when they update but I have yet to see one myself. The only way I have ever learned about updates is either through forums like this or by checking my system info.

 

[maximum]

They will probably put something in your next bill. I wonder if they'll update the demo on ch 100 to demonstrate the new mode?

 

[kwajr]

Now that I've had time to play around with single mode here is my 2¢.

:up A nice thing about single mode is the ability to quickly bounce between two channels without the delay you get when using the Recall button. Just press Swap (without PIP) and quickly switch to the channel on the other tuner with no delay.

:up Another nice feature is that single mode, with shared view enabled, allows you to use the TV2 UHF remote to control both tuners. So if your receiver is in a location where the IR remote won't reach, you can do away with using the IR remote altogether (assuming you don't ever use dual mode).

:down One bad thing about it is that the PIP window is too big. Even in its smallest size it takes up a huge amount of screen space. The larger window is totally useless IMO. What's the point of having a window of another program if it's so large that it blocks out most of the full-screen program no matter what position it's in?

:down There needs to be a way to switch modes via remote control. Maybe through the on-screen menu. Then you can switch modes from a remote room with the TV2 remote control. Of course shared view would have to be enabled. I get the impression that DISH doesn't expect people to be switching between modes very often.

Conclusion
I don't see us using single mode much in our house. One of the main selling points of the 522 for us was the ability to watch different programs in different rooms. I might use it more if I could switch between modes without pressing the button on the receiver. The wife can't see any reason to use PIP (she doesn't watch sports). If I were single it would be a different story and I would keep it in single mode all the time.

i think the single mode is a big selling point for a lot of us we can watch or record two live things at once something that was very bad about the 510

 

[kwajr]

I just got my single mode update..

I have a question.. How does normal subscribers know about these kinds of updates? My user manual says "reserved for future use". I didn't get a new manual or newsletter. The only reason I knew about it was this forum... I wonder how the "normals" get this info?

chats

 

[rhollinger]

You could record two shows at once with dual mode as well. It actually worked better because you could force all of your recordings onto Tuner 2 unless something else was scheduled so you'd never conflict with what you're watching on the main TV unless you're recording 2 things.