Whole Home DVR Service

[glen4cindy]

Hello.

I am adding another HD DVR to my system and requested information about Whole Home DVR to which the CSR informed me that it would be a $199 installation fee.

I currently have an HR24 and Cat-5 connections behind the tv where the current HR24 is. According to Weak Knees, the HR24 has the DECA built-in.

Assuming I get another HR24, the location where it is going also has a Cat-5 connection, and it too should have it's DECA built-in.

The CSR said no matter what receiver you have, a tech has to come out, and install DECA's and new multi-switches and various other types of equipment, hence the $199 fee.

Is this a fact, or can I self install since I have a home network and the HR24's are supposed to have built-n DECA's?

Thanks in advance.

Glen

 

[joed32]

You could just connect the two units with cat5 and disable the internal DECAs in the HR24s. Then Email to ask them to turn it on for you. I went for quite a while with 5 DVRs wired to a switch which was connected to the internet and it worked. I recently spent the $200 for a DECA install mainly because I wanted a SWM16 multiswitch, it's a much cleaner system and I no longer have to worry about IP addresses, etc.

 

[BobStokesbary]

Glen,
I can see that the CSR sort of confused the issue for you. Let's simplify by only focusing on the "approved" way to install whole home DVR. That involves having a SWM (Single Wire Multiswitch) setup. It also sounds like you are not really sure what kind of a setup you have. So, for starters, can you tell us how many wires come from your dish?

Since you have an HR24 I would not be surprised if you only have one wire, which means you already have a SWM setup. That means all you need is a splitter and a new RG6 line to your new receiver/DVR and an upgrade to your subscription for MRV ($3 per month).

The $199 quoted by the CSR was the cost of the new HR24 receiver. So, if they can guarantee you an HR24 installed for $199 that really equates to free installation.

Also, if you want MRV do not connect anything to the cat-5 terminal on the back of the HR24 or you shut down the internal DECA. You do not need an internet connection for MRV. The internet connection only gets you video on demand.

Hope this helps,
Bob

 

[glen4cindy]

Glen,
I can see that the CSR sort of confused the issue for you. Let's simplify by only focusing on the "approved" way to install whole home DVR. That involves having a SWM (Single Wire Multiswitch) setup. It also sounds like you are not really sure what kind of a setup you have. So, for starters, can you tell us how many wires come from your dish?

Since you have an HR24 I would not be surprised if you only have one wire, which means you already have a SWM setup. That means all you need is a splitter and a new RG6 line to your new receiver/DVR and an upgrade to your subscription for MRV ($3 per month).

The $199 quoted by the CSR was the cost of the new HR24 receiver. So, if they can guarantee you an HR24 installed for $199 that really equates to free installation.

Also, if you want MRV do not connect anything to the cat-5 terminal on the back of the HR24 or you shut down the internal DECA. You do not need an internet connection for MRV. The internet connection only gets you video on demand.

Hope this helps,
Bob

Hello Bob, and thanks for your great reply.

I have a dish with 4 wires coming into the house, but, not the wide LNB rack, just the single large LNB.

Those 4 wires go into a 4 x 8 multiswitch.

Out of that, right now, I only have 1 HD DVR, and the rest are SD DVR units.

The HD DVR is the only one I have connected to my home network because I am using the VOD and YouTube functions, as well as the DirecTv2PC function of the HD receiver in my living room.

If the HR24 has a built-in DECA, does that mean I would need to convert my 4 x 8 multiswitch to a SWM type to function properly?

How do the old school Tivo SD DVR's function in the SWM environment?

Thanks....

Glen

 

[Hutch1814]

How do the old school Tivo SD DVR's function in the SWM environment?

Thanks....

Glen

They don't, you'll either need to upgrade the box or get a SWM16 switch that has legacy ports. All the "HR" series works with SWM and the R22 does too. The R-16 will work with SWM but will not work with MRV. Hope that didn't confuse you!

 

[BobStokesbary]

glen4cindy,

Your original post made it sound like you only had one HR24 and were going to add another. Your current setup is more complicated than that. MRV depends on a SWM setup. So there are issues as to whether or not your current receivers/recorders could even be connected to a SWM setup. This site (which I think it the site you referenced) gives you some idea of the various configurations and how they do or do not work with SWM. From that you can determine what equipment changes you would have to make.

And your current VOD setup would have to change as well. The whole idea of MRV/SWM is that D* setups up a network configuration on your coax system. (It is similar to the original coax networking that was used for computers.) Consequently, if you want VOD (an internet connection) you have to do that with their "Cinema Connection kit". They have two versions now, a wired version and a wireless version. You do not connect directly to a receiver. (Connecting directly to your HR24 shuts down the internal DECA to receive the signal on the coax which shuts down your MRV.)

So your next step really depends on all the equipment you currently have and what you are willing to change out.

Hope this helps,
Bob

 

[harshness]

The OP really needs to come clean with the extent of their setup (this includes reading model numbers off of various devices). It really doesn't much matter what networking scheme is used.

The difference with the WHDS professional install is that the SD equipment will be replaced by SWM capable equipment and that means trading the SD TiVos for R16s (a major paradigm shift).

 

[glen4cindy]

All I am really interested in is Whole Home DVR for the soon to be 2nd HR24 to be added. I do not care about sharing playlists with the Tivo DVR and the R15 I currently have installed.

I am really interested in the "non-standard" ethernet method of Whole Home DVR that I could utilize myself IF I could just get them to turn it on for me.

Would that not just work with the receivers plugged into my home network so they can "see" each other? Or is it much more complicated than that? I am fairly comuter savvy in that knowing what needs to be done, I could most likely get it set up, so long as I am given the proper instructions.

As far as model#'s I have an R15 DirecTv DVR, SD, an SIR-4080R Tivo DVR, an HR24, and whatever they are sending me, I am making the assumption that it will be anoter HR24 something.... (hopefully).....

Hopefully this clears things up a bit.

 

[M_Marsh182]

All I am really interested in is Whole Home DVR for the soon to be 2nd HR24 to be added. I do not care about sharing playlists with the Tivo DVR and the R15 I currently have installed.

I am really interested in the "non-standard" ethernet method of Whole Home DVR that I could utilize myself IF I could just get them to turn it on for me.

Would that not just work with the receivers plugged into my home network so they can "see" each other? Or is it much more complicated than that? I am fairly comuter savvy in that knowing what needs to be done, I could most likely get it set up, so long as I am given the proper instructions.

As far as model#'s I have an R15 DirecTv DVR, SD, an SIR-4080R Tivo DVR, an HR24, and whatever they are sending me, I am making the assumption that it will be anoter HR24 something.... (hopefully).....

Hopefully this clears things up a bit.

Glen you will not be able to run Whole Home (mrv) between the 2 HR24's without upgrading the system to SWM. They do not "talk" to each other without through cat5 network cable they actually use the coax running through the swim splitters

 

[BobStokesbary]

Glen,
Use the search function to see how others have implemented the "unsupported" MRV method. Apparently they call D* and have them turn on MRV (which adds about $3 a month). Sometimes you get challenged when you have older technology, but there seem to be ways to convince them to sign you up. Then they make hardwired connections to their receivers into the internet connection. On your HR24 that would be the back of the receiver. But, whether they use their router, a hub or a switch I do not know. Making the internet connection shuts off the DECA, but you do not care since you are not trying to use the coax network that D* offers. If you have problems, you are on your own because D* will not give you any help. This is probably your only option given your mix of old and new technology. Again, you should be able to find all this information with a search. Here is an example. (Go to Iceberg's post.)
Bob

 

[joed32]

Glen you will not be able to run Whole Home (mrv) between the 2 HR24's without upgrading the system to SWM. They do not "talk" to each other without through cat5 network cable they actually use the coax running through the swim splitters

Actually they do.

 

[harshness]

Glen you will not be able to run Whole Home (mrv) between the 2 HR24's without upgrading the system to SWM. They do not "talk" to each other without through cat5 network cable they actually use the coax running through the swim splitters

This is not true at any level.

 

[raoul5788]

I am really interested in the "non-standard" ethernet method of Whole Home DVR that I could utilize myself IF I could just get them to turn it on for me.

Would that not just work with the receivers plugged into my home network so they can "see" each other? Or is it much more complicated than that? I am fairly comuter savvy in that knowing what needs to be done, I could most likely get it set up, so long as I am given the proper instructions.

The cat 5 method isn't supported by Directv, but they will activate it for you. From what I have read, you must email them and request it. They need to activate it, simply connecting the boxes doesn't do it.

 

[glen4cindy]

I did manage to get it activated.

The boxes are simply connected via Ethernet to my home switch.

I followed directions found on another site involving sending an email request to DTV.

They did advise me that I would not receive the mose ideal experience without the DECA's installed and the companion SWiM, but, they still actiated the service, and it i working withou incident.

 

[charper1]

I did manage to get it activated.

The boxes are simply connected via Ethernet to my home switch.

I followed directions found on another site involving sending an email request to DTV.

They did advise me that I would not receive the mose ideal experience without the DECA's installed and the companion SWiM, but, they still actiated the service, and it i working withou incident.

There is very little to no differences between the two methods; one is DirecTV supported and one is user supported. Same end results..