Streaming recorded content to additional rooms?

[CoolGui]

I'm ready to switch from Dish Network over to DirecTV but my wife has made it clear she wants to be able to watch recorded shows on the living room (TV1) DVR in the back room (TV2) while I'm watching something else in the front room. Currently we have a Dish VIP622, is there *any* possible way to do this with dish? I know the HR20 has some media center extender options, but is there any way to use this to get content from TV1 to TV2? This is a deal breaker for her, and I have to keep the wife happy...

btw TV1 is HD and TV2 is SD.

[spartanstew]

Currently that's not possible.

All the outputs on the HR2X are active at all times, so you could run the same box to two TV's (or you could get a simple distribution system that runs over coax), but you wouldn't be able to watch 2 different shows at the same time.

Have you thought about getting an additional receiver for the other room? Or having 2 dvr's in the main setup, which will double your capacity, reduce the number of conflicts, allow for PIP (if TV supports it) and allow you to watch different things on different TV's (if hooked up correctly).

[CoolGui]

Currently that's not possible.

All the outputs on the HR2X are active at all times, so you could run the same box to two TV's (or you could get a simple distribution system that runs over coax), but you wouldn't be able to watch 2 different shows at the same time.

Have you thought about getting an additional receiver for the other room? Or having 2 dvr's in the main setup, which will double your capacity, reduce the number of conflicts, allow for PIP (if TV supports it) and allow you to watch different things on different TV's (if hooked up correctly).

I considered the first option you talked about, and I could do the wiring just fine, but the wife wants to watch the back TV while I'm watching sports or sci-fi or whatever. Besides she watches the food network and judge shows constantly so it's for the benefit of both of us.

The only other option is to have two separate boxes, but it still won't allow watching shows from one on another will it? I know the newer ones have ethernet ports, I would love it if they could share recorded programs.

[spartanstew]

The only other option is to have two separate boxes, but it still won't allow watching shows from one on another will it? I know the newer ones have ethernet ports, I would love it if they could share recorded programs.

MRV (multi-room viewing) is supposedly coming, but it's not here yet. We have two DVRs in the living room. On one we mainly record shows we both watch and my wife's shows. On the other, we record the kids shows and my shows.

They're both hooked up to a distribution system that allows us to watch either box on any of the 7 TV's in the house (SD only, except for the main HDTV they're hooked up to). If I'm in my office or in the loft and want to watch something different than her, I'll just find something on the second box while she watches her shows on the first. Often, we'll watch the same thing in 2 different rooms.

It's not as perfect as MRV, but it works well for us.

[CoolGui]

Ah, okay, so this is the feature I'm interested in -- MRV. I guess I'll keep waiting around until I hear that is available. Any word if the SD receivers will be capable of the feature? It's no matter I guess, I'd be willing to pay extra for HR20/21 in the back room if needed.

[GTS]

The only other option is to have two separate boxes, but it still won't allow watching shows from one on another will it? I know the newer ones have ethernet ports, I would love it if they could share recorded programs.

Yes, you could set both units up at TV1 (1 HD 1 SD, 2 HD and any combination of DVR) and remote the SD composite or RF signal, depending of the quality you're after, to TV2. If you had 2 HD units, you could watch the same program in HD on TV1 and in SD on TV2 from the same unit or you could watch two different programs, one from each unit. Depending on where your 622 is now, you might not even need to run any extra wiring.

Hope this helps.

[spartanstew]

Ah, okay, so this is the feature I'm interested in -- MRV. I guess I'll keep waiting around until I hear that is available. Any word if the SD receivers will be capable of the feature? It's no matter I guess, I'd be willing to pay extra for HR20/21 in the back room if needed.

No real word yet, just speculation, but the assumption is that they would both need to be DVR's.

HERE'S (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=123172&highlight=mrv) the most recent thread discussing it.

[CoolGui]

Great, thanks for the info. At least I know what to look for now. This would work exactly as I needed.