Please have pity on this ignorant newbie

[chalucky]

I was hoping the guru's on this forum would help me with some decisions I need to make before upgrading my new room.....my call to Direct TV Customer Service was....guess what .....no help at all.

My current setup includes both HD and DVR service.........
Already have HDTV downstairs in the family room using old receiver DTC-100 RCA (which I need to upgrade but I will do that later....also have regular Direct TV DVR in the bedroom (NON-hd) .....I think they upgraded my dish (perhaps to 5 lnb) 6 months ago for free, but am not sure by looking at the satellite....I only see 3 of the gizmo's on the opposite side of the dish.

I am having a new room built with a Panasonic 800U 50" plasma, Yamaha 663 receiver (which has most of the upconversion and new formats I believe), deciding on a Blu Ray (perhaps the new Panasonic BD-50).

I would like the
1) Latest and greatest Direct TV DVR....model #'s from the Direct TV website obscure what I would be receiving so what should I ask for? Is 500GB enough or would the consensus be to install an external SATA drive from the getgo?

2) Do I need the OTA module/accessory? I thought most Southern CA channels are included...why would one need the OTA accessory?

3) Internet for future application that I have seen mentioned...streaming movies and the like....no Cat 5 prewired around where the receiver would go...would I need another modem from my service provider to convert my telephone signal to DSL near the receiver?

4) How exactly do you know if you have a 5 lnb dish?


Thanks so much in advance to you kind souls!

[Michael D'Angelo]

:welcome_s to DBSTalk, chalucky!

1) You will most likely receive a HR21 (a very small chance you could get a HR20). It does not matter what unit/model you receive. The all function the same and have the same features. BTW the internal hard drive is 320GB, not 500GB.

2)If you get an HR21 and if you would like to have OTA tuners you would need the AM21 (add on OTA tuners). If you do get an HR20 it has built in OTA tuners.

3) If you have a wireless router you could get a wireless adapter with an ethernet connection, not USB.

4) If it says Slimline across the front than you got a 5 LNB dish. That is the only 5 LNB dish being installed about 6 months ago. The one LNB is actually three (SAT's 99, 101, and 103).

[jimb726]

I was hoping the guru's on this forum would help me with some decisions I need to make before upgrading my new room.....my call to Direct TV Customer Service was....guess what .....no help at all.

My current setup includes both HD and DVR service.........
Already have HDTV downstairs in the family room using old receiver DTC-100 RCA (which I need to upgrade but I will do that later....also have regular Direct TV DVR in the bedroom (NON-hd) .....I think they upgraded my dish (perhaps to 5 lnb) 6 months ago for free, but am not sure by looking at the satellite....I only see 3 of the gizmo's on the opposite side of the dish.

I am having a new room built with a Panasonic 800U 50" plasma, Yamaha 663 receiver (which has most of the upconversion and new formats I believe), deciding on a Blu Ray (perhaps the new Panasonic BD-50).

I would like the
1) Latest and greatest Direct TV DVR....model #'s from the Direct TV website obscure what I would be receiving so what should I ask for? Is 500GB enough or would the consensus be to install an external SATA drive from the getgo?

2) Do I need the OTA module/accessory? I thought most Southern CA channels are included...why would one need the OTA accessory?

3) Internet for future application that I have seen mentioned...streaming movies and the like....no Cat 5 prewired around where the receiver would go...would I need another modem from my service provider to convert my telephone signal to DSL near the receiver?

4) How exactly do you know if you have a 5 lnb dish?


Thanks so much in advance to you kind souls!

First Off Welcome!!
1. The current model is the HR21, but there is no way to request a specific model. That is most likely what you will recieve but depending on supplies there is a chance that you may recieve a HR20-100. The only way to guarantee what you want is to pick one up at Costco or another bix box store.

2. If you currently get your locals than you will not need the OTA addon, however if you currently have an antenna then you would need one. The add on was designed for those people who have a need for OTA reception.

3. The reciever will come with approximately a 320 gb hard drive in it. If you desire more the external hard drive is used as a replacement of the internal not in addition to. If you get a 750 GB hard drive, you have 750 MB of space, not 750+320.

4. The 5lnb is huge about a meter across at its widest part. You will only see three LNB's.

[Greg Alsobrook]

:welcome_s to DBSTalk!

What they upgraded you to is still a 5-LNB dish... even though you only see 3 gizmo's... ;) The center 'bubble' has 3 LNB's in it...

1... The HR21 is most likely what you would get at this time... It is the latest model...

2.... If you did receive an HR21 and would like OTA capability, you would need the add on module (AM21)... OTA is good for sub-channels that aren't provided over the sats, back-up during heavy rain storms, and most people do not receive PBS-HD via sat so OTA is the only way to get it...

3. All of the current HD DVR models have networking capabilities.... if you do not have a Cat-5 near the receiver, you could use a 'Wireless Game Adapter' or 'Powerline Adapter' to network your receiver...

4... If you get any of the new HD channels, it's a 5-LNB...

[Stuart Sweet]

:welcome_s Chalucky!

Does your dish look like the one in the DBSTalk logo? Is it wide and oval with a wide head? If so, you're "go" for HD.

I used to have a DTC-100 myself, it was a decent receiver.

The latest HD DVR is the HR21. There is an HR21Pro which has better ventilation and a larger drive but it is quite a bit more expensive than just adding an eSATA drive.

The internal drive in HR21s will give you up to 55 hours of HD. If that doesn't sound like enough, I'd get that external drive right away since when you put on the external you lose all access to recordings on the internal. So, starting with the external you don't lose anything.

The array of channels in the LA market is ridiculously good. You will get every channel from San Bernardino to the coast in SD, and you'll get 2,4,5,7,9,11 and 13 in HD. The PBS stations are expected to go HD on DIRECTV this year, too, if you're a big PBS fan. If that's not going to work for you, the antenna module is excellent in my opinion.

You can get a powerline adapter like I have to put a network line at your DVR. They're about $39 at DIRECTV.com, you will need two.

[dduitsman]

3) Internet for future application that I have seen mentioned...streaming movies and the like....no Cat 5 prewired around where the receiver would go...would I need another modem from my service provider to convert my telephone signal to DSL near the receiver?
chalucky,

Sounds like you have DSL like me. You would not normally need to get another DSL modem. If your DSL modem is like mine, it would be a DSL modem / gateway. Can you post the brand and model number of your DSL modem.

If your DSL modem is a gateway, it will provide ethernet jacks to feed multiple devices - you should be able to run a cable from an unused jack to your new DVR. If you are out of jacks you can buy a switch to expand the number of ethernet ports (a 10/100 switch can be had for under $20 at newegg).

If I had a chance to redo my setup - I would spend a little more on my switch to get a gigabit capable switch (10 / 100 / 1000). Even though the DVRs can only do 100MBPS, I'd want my network to be able to handle a lot more traffic (within my home) for things like Media Share and (coming soon) Multiple Room Viewing (MRV). There are high-performance, low latency switches that might be designated for gaming, which usually are very responsive.

regards,
dd

[Doug Brott]

chalucky,

I see you have a bunch of helpers right out of the gate :) .. Feel free to ask more questions if you are still unsure of anything.

[dduitsman]

chalucky,

If you're into reading tech stuff - try this thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=99327) for information on networking DVRs.

dd