New to HR20, have questions

[cdavis]

Ok, just had my HD installed yesterday. I have a few questions about some things I noticed.

First, it appears to us that the SD version sounds a good bit louder than the HD version of the channel. Is this just me or do others notice this as well.

Second, we scheduled to record Ghost Whisperer (I know, please no comments) and last nights episode was a repeat. Despite that fact, it still recorded. The info for the episode indicated that it was a repeat. I thought this problem was fixed.

Third, I can't seem to get the RF function of the remote to work. This is not a real problem since I will be using my Harmony 676, but I would like some clarification.

Fourth, in the menu under display, the screen format allows for stretch, crop, and pillar box. Is this for SD content only? It appears to be and not related to the format button.

Fifth, why when you pause does it jump back 10 seconds?

Sixth, I have a 37" Sharp Aquos so I am thinking setting Native to off and am using 720P. It looks great and I didn't see any artifacts during last nights games. Any comments.

Thanks for all the help guys.

[Spanky_Partain]

Ok, just had my HD installed yesterday. I have a few questions about some things I noticed.

First, it appears to us that the SD version sounds a good bit louder than the HD version of the channel. Is this just me or do others notice this as well.

Second, we scheduled to record Ghost Whisperer (I know, please no comments) and last nights episode was a repeat. Despite that fact, it still recorded. The info for the episode indicated that it was a repeat. I thought this problem was fixed.

Third, I can't seem to get the RF function of the remote to work. This is not a real problem since I will be using my Harmony 676, but I would like some clarification.

Fourth, in the menu under display, the screen format allows for stretch, crop, and pillar box. Is this for SD content only? It appears to be and not related to the format button.

Fifth, why when you pause does it jump back 10 seconds?

Sixth, I have a 37" Sharp Aquos so I am thinking setting Native to off and am using 720P. It looks great and I didn't see any artifacts during last nights games. Any comments.

Thanks for all the help guys.

First - There could be a couple of reasons for this. You did not mention how your audio is connected ie RCA, Optical, is Dolby enabled in the Audio section of the HR20... Could use a little more information on this one.

Second - Check the settings on recordings. You may have already run into this one, but the selection for First Time only may not have been selected for the recording. This is not the default setting for recordings, but that can be changed.

Third - Check the model number of the remote. Unless you have ordered the RC32RF it will be the RC32 or maybe the RC34.

Forth - Depending on the TV it can effect the HD as well. On mine, I use stretch and it makes it a little bigger on my TV in HD. That helps on my eyes...

Fifth - That is not one I have seen or ever noticed after coming out of pause.

Sixth - This is a matter of personal choice. Many use one or the other. This is something you will need to play with and decide which one you like. Depending on the TV, one may be preferred over the other. One thing is the channel change is faster with fixed res and native off. Another thing to keep in mind, if you ever force a download of Firmware, the TV needs to be in a 480 mode so all the boot screens can be seen.

[Michael D'Angelo]

Ok, just had my HD installed yesterday. I have a few questions about some things I noticed.

First, it appears to us that the SD version sounds a good bit louder than the HD version of the channel. Is this just me or do others notice this as well.

Second, we scheduled to record Ghost Whisperer (I know, please no comments) and last nights episode was a repeat. Despite that fact, it still recorded. The info for the episode indicated that it was a repeat. I thought this problem was fixed.

Third, I can't seem to get the RF function of the remote to work. This is not a real problem since I will be using my Harmony 676, but I would like some clarification.

Fourth, in the menu under display, the screen format allows for stretch, crop, and pillar box. Is this for SD content only? It appears to be and not related to the format button.

Fifth, why when you pause does it jump back 10 seconds?

Sixth, I have a 37" Sharp Aquos so I am thinking setting Native to off and am using 720P. It looks great and I didn't see any artifacts during last nights games. Any comments.

Thanks for all the help guys.

Your 2nd?

When you do a search for a show to set a season pass the episode you click on to set the season pass will record even if it is not a new episode.

[cdavis]

I am using HDMI to my TV for audio and video and dolby is off. From my tv to my Bose Cinemate I am using RCA. However, the results are the same when I just use my tv speakers as well.

The settings are correct, I am not new to the new menu setting as I have an R15 which is similar.

The remote is a RC34 and a friend has the same remote and his RF works.

The 10 second jump back is not coming out of pause, it is when you hit pause during true live tv.

I didn't use search for the shows, I used the guide and hit R twice and then went to the menu and adjusted the settings for first run and etc.

[The Phantom Ghost]

Your 2nd?

When you do a search for a show to set a season pass the episode you click on to set the season pass will record even if it is not a new episode.

The same happens when you hit record twice on an episode that you want to set up a SL for, even if you go and edit it in the prioritizer.

[Tom Robertson]

Ok, just had my HD installed yesterday. I have a few questions about some things I noticed.
Congrats, we're here to help and hope you enjoy!
First, it appears to us that the SD version sounds a good bit louder than the HD version of the channel. Is this just me or do others notice this as well.
The HD version often is quieter (except during commercials :( ). I think part of it has to do with the HD frequently has DD sound. If you do not have a center channel speaker, things can sound very soft for the spoken parts.

And who knows, stations and networks may not yet be very adept at adjusting their HD sound. CSI Miami has times of inverted sound--the background music and other things very loud and voices almost gone.
Second, we scheduled to record Ghost Whisperer (I know, please no comments) and last nights episode was a repeat. Despite that fact, it still recorded. The info for the episode indicated that it was a repeat. I thought this problem was fixed.
As others have noted, a straight out of the box HR20 will record all when setting up a SL, especially from the double record button on the guide. If you adjust the SL, you can tell it to record only first runs--but I think that feature is still largely broken...

Now, when you are on a record once or record series screen, by hitting the menu button, you can adjust the "recording defaults" for all new SL and one-time recordings. A very cool feature for me, I pad everything to start early and end late, given how badly networks like to shift their clocks...

In this way, you can set the default to be record 1st run only.
Third, I can't seem to get the RF function of the remote to work. This is not a real problem since I will be using my Harmony 676, but I would like some clarification.
These days the most commonly included remote is the RC34. When I got mine, I got some RC24s too.
I find the instructions on the screen not to my liking, they don't enumerate the separate instructions the way I would (these should work on the RC24, the RC32RF, and the RC34):

set the remote slider to DIRECTV, AV1, or AV2
press and hold MUTE and Select keys until a lights flashes twice
enter 961
press CHAN UP
enter ####### (the unique number for your reciever)
press select
press select on done.


I always mess up on the chan up or chan down (for resetting back to IR) :)

Fourth, in the menu under display, the screen format allows for stretch, crop, and pillar box. Is this for SD content only? It appears to be and not related to the format button.
In theory, it could also apply to Digital (EDTV or HDTV) content that is 4:3 being project onto a 16:9 screen. In practice, most Digital content is already pillared to 16:9 by the station/network/etc. so you are correct, pretty much only applies to SD.
Fifth, why when you pause does it jump back 10 seconds?
A feature that has been played with lately. Some users have reported that some earlier generations of DVRs would do this so that the viewer could reorient themselves to what's happening in the show when coming out of pause. And they have reported liking the feature very much.

I found myself, before the feature was added, doing a play, then a jumpback so this saves me a step. Don't know how this feature will play out in upcoming releases. Might be adjusted for how far to jump back or it might go away again. We'll see. :)
Sixth, I have a 37" Sharp Aquos so I am thinking setting Native to off and am using 720P. It looks great and I didn't see any artifacts during last nights games. Any comments.
A very personal choice. I prefer speed and Native off is always going to be faster. Some prefer the way their TVs handle the up/downscaling so have Native ON. Your choice. :) And glad it looks great. That is, after all, the whole point.
Thanks for all the help guys.

You're welcome. We love to help.
Tom

[Tom Robertson]

The 10 second jump back is not coming out of pause, it is when you hit pause during true live tv.


When you trickplay live tv, the HR20 "seems" to go into buffered mode, where you are watching live TV thru the disk buffers. That shift from watching the live datastream off the satellite to a buffered data stream thru the disk drive seems to:

take 3-5 seconds to setup
mean you cannot catch up to "live" again, you will always be a few seconds behind the live data stream.
cause the jump in that first pause


Cheers,
Tom

[veryoldschool]

When the unit first power up or after a reset, the guide data you see & what the receiver uses doesn't "match". It take a while for the guide data to "back fill" from what you see in the guide.
So when I set up a series link for first run only, there will be a few reruns recorded until all of the data is there for the unit to "know" one from the other. It will "self correct" in time.
BTW: I had first run set for a program & the guide showed it was a re-run & wasn't to record. When the time came the show was recorded. When I looked at it it wasn't a re-run... Score one for D*..since it "save my bacon" & did what I wanted...:D

[cdavis]

What do the B Band Converter Modules do and do you need them? My installer didn't connect them and when I asked he said I didn't need them. Everything seems to be working fine with out them. Also, I am watching a the PODS Championship (Golf) on NBC in HD and the audio doesn't match the video. Is this a normal problem or what?

[Steve Robertson]

What do the B Band Converter Modules do and do you need them? My installer didn't connect them and when I asked he said I didn't need them. Everything seems to be working fine with out them. Also, I am watching a the PODS Championship (Golf) on NBC in HD and the audio doesn't match the video. Is this a normal problem or what?


You will need them when the new birds go up. There is a whole thread here about them just do a serach and you will get the information you need. The short of it is that it has something to do with the frequincies and that OTA can interfere with them