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DIRECTV First Look: C31-700 Home Media Center RVU Client

122K views 502 replies 121 participants last post by  inkahauts 
#1 ·
This is the future of DIRECTV: It's all RVU, and it's smaller than you imagined. Yes, that's an iPhone on top.


C31 First Look


This is an incredibly small box. It only works with the HR34 but it provides full DVR functionality with zero fan noise. Even pause live TV!

I'd like to thank the hard working C31 test team, who really came through on this little box.

The C31 is only available in limited areas at this time.

Please note that some DBSTalk.com testers and staff members may have received free equipment from DIRECTV or its partners for the purpose of evaluation and testing.
 
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#128 ·
"Sixto" said:
I'm guessing not.

You'd have a limit on how many could be added (the # you're paying for) and it's not easy to swap them.
I thought it was initially said ages ago that there would be a maximum of 8 clients that could be tied to any hmc at one time, with only three being active. Of course, we have no way to check as of this moment....
 
#129 ·
inkahauts said:
I thought it was initially said ages ago that there would be a maximum of 8 clients that could be tied to any hmc at one time, with only three being active. Of course, we have no way to check as of this moment....
Whether it's 6 or 8 or whatever, you'd be paying for each one, with "active" just being the number of active streams, unless I'm misunderstanding the billing aspects of this.

And it does not appear simple to add/delete them, simple to add but may require a call to delete, thus wouldn't expect you'd want to do this on a regular basis.
 
#131 ·
HarryWild said:
I am going to buy two C31s and a HR34 together. Don't want the contract of two years!
You can't purchased a HMC only lease.

inkahauts said:
I thought it was initially said ages ago that there would be a maximum of 8 clients that could be tied to any hmc at one time, with only three being active. Of course, we have no way to check as of this moment....
It can only stream 3 different streams to clients. 8 clients can be registered to it which would be billed $6 each.
 
#132 ·
Sixto said:
Whether it's 6 or 8 or whatever, you'd be paying for each one, with "active" just being the number of active streams, unless I'm misunderstanding the billing aspects of this.

And it does not appear simple to add/delete them, simple to add but may require a call to delete, thus wouldn't expect you'd want to do this on a regular basis.
FWIW a Reset Everything on the HR34 will also delete a particular client(s), maybe something one would do to replace a C31 with an RVU TV, but that's a little severe.
I did it just to get the proper installation sequence down.
 
#134 ·
So when you attach an RVU client like the C31 to the HR34, its really in there for good until you call DirecTV and they send a signal to remove it?

I guess it stores the mac address of the RVU client in the HR34 so say a C31 breaks or you replace it with an RVU TV... even though your # of active TV's is the same, it won't be able to add it without calling in?

Maybe DirecTV will make it possible via your account page on directv.com just to cut back on phone traffic getting into the support line.
 
#136 ·
Shades228 said:
It can only stream 3 different streams to clients. 8 clients can be registered to it which would be billed $6 each.
That is how I understand it to be also, according to the CSRs I have dealt with over email, and you here on this board.

However, I will once again voice my displeasure in this decision, as I really feel that DirecTV should not be charging any monthly charges for RVU clients 4-8 since you can only use 3 at a time.
 
#137 ·
Shades228 said:
It can only stream 3 different streams to clients. 8 clients can be registered to it which would be billed $6 each.
It seems kind of Micro$oftian to pay for every device that you could possibly use even if you can only use three simultaneously. Makes the RVU client vs H2x argument a lot more difficult to reconcile since you can always use an H2x.

Good information nonetheless.
 
#138 ·
I disagree. It's common practice to pay for a cable box or receiver whether or not it's on. The fact that you can only use 3 clients concurrently doesn't mean you can't use 8 clients.

What isn't know yet... is what happens when all the tuners are booked and you turn on a C31. Does it go to the playlist?
 
#140 ·
"Stuart Sweet" said:
I disagree. It's common practice to pay for a cable box or receiver whether or not it's on. The fact that you can only use 3 clients concurrently doesn't mean you can't use 8 clients.

What isn't know yet... is what happens when all the tuners are booked and you turn on a C31. Does it go to the playlist?
But why even take you to a playlist, since you can't watch anything at all. Stewart, why haven't you got Three c31 with your Samsung tv to test this for us? :)
 
#142 ·
Beerstalker said:
That is how I understand it to be also, according to the CSRs I have dealt with over email, and you here on this board.

However, I will once again voice my displeasure in this decision, as I really feel that DirecTV should not be charging any monthly charges for RVU clients 4-8 since you can only use 3 at a time.
Stuart Sweet said:
I disagree. It's common practice to pay for a cable box or receiver whether or not it's on. The fact that you can only use 3 clients concurrently doesn't mean you can't use 8 clients.
Sorry but got to agree wirh Beerstalker on this one, customers shouldn't have to pay, or at least not pay $6/month for clients 4 through 6 IMHO. You cable box argument doesn't really match up because if that 4th through 6th cable boxes were turned on you'd be able to watch whatever cable channel you normally would be able to. Not with the 4th through 6th C31's, maybe you'd be able to watch a recording but I doubt it since you can only have three concurrent output streams from the C31 going at once from what I've seen. If they want to charge for 4 through 6 at least consider a reduced monthly 'accounting' charge for it but not the full $6/month.
 
#143 ·
Beerstalker said:
However, I will once again voice my displeasure in this decision, as I really feel that DirecTV should not be charging any monthly charges for RVU clients 4-8 since you can only use 3 at a time.
It's certainly not as convenient, and it would require making sure certain coax connections are capped whenever it's done, but the good news is that the C31 is so small, it can be moved from room to room easily... :)

~Alan
 
#144 ·
I would of thought if anything you paid for the concurrent licensing model. Since only 3 can concurrently be used at a time, you'd pay no more than 3 charges for each RVU client connected.

Instead it sounds like they might associate a charge with each device ID (MAC address, UID or RID or whatever they are calling it).

Not a big fan of that, though I personally wouldn't need more than 4 rooms anyway.
 
#146 ·
Another fantastic job with the first look.

I can see that this is the direction I should be going once my good old HR20-700 bites the dust.

I would love to replace my HR22-100 with the HR34 and replace the HR20-700 with a C31. Its exactly what I need. No need to have 2 DVRs with a total of 4 tuners when I can have 1 DVR with 5 tuners.
 
#147 ·
"Stuart Sweet" said:
...What isn't know yet... is what happens when all the tuners are booked and you turn on a C31. Does it go to the playlist?
Actually, I do know. If 5 recordings are in progress and you turn on a C31, it is tuned to one of the channels being recorded. If you then try to tune to a channel not being recorded, you are given an option to stop one of the recordings in progress or cancel the tuning change request. Of course you can go to the playlist and select a recording.
 
#148 ·
A setup with 1 HR34 and 3 C31s would eliminate the need for any DECA connection (DECA connected to your router) right? You can just plug the HR34 into your router via ethernet and the C31s via coax (SWM LNB, 4 or 8 port splitter) and get OnDemand content on the HR34 that can be viewed and served from the C31s. No wireless connection kits, no wired connection kits, pretty simple right?
 
#149 ·
heisman6183 said:
A setup with 1 HR34 and 3 C31s would eliminate the need for any DECA connection (DECA connected to your router) right? You can just plug the HR34 into your router via ethernet and the C31s via coax (SWM LNB, 4 or 8 port splitter) and get OnDemand content on the HR34 that can be viewed and served from the C31s. No wireless connection kits, no wired connection kits, pretty simple right?
Right. :)
 
#150 ·
Stuart Sweet said:
I disagree. It's common practice to pay for a cable box or receiver whether or not it's on. The fact that you can only use 3 clients concurrently doesn't mean you can't use 8 clients.

What isn't know yet... is what happens when all the tuners are booked and you turn on a C31. Does it go to the playlist?
Like someone else said, that is nowhere near the same. With 8 cable boxes you could be watching 8 different channels on 8 different TVs at any one time. Just like if you had an HR34 an 8 H25s you could still watch live TV on all 8 H25s at one time if you needed to (while you would still be limited to 3 recordings being streamed. I have no problem with DirecTV charging for all 8 H25s since the programming is still being mirrored to all 8.

With 8 RVU clients you cannot use all 8 at the same time, only 3 at a time. That means you have less functionality, and shouldn't have to pay the same amount.

In my parents case there is absolutely no real advantage to getting the C31 with billing set up this way. They live in an MPEG4 area, so they could get an HR34 and 7 H25s for pretty much the same cost as an HR34 and 7 C31s, and have the same monthly expense with the ability to watch live TV on all 8 TVs (which they don't really need). But it's going to cost DirecTV a lot more money because that means they have to give my parents a SWM 16, H25s instead of C31s, two splitters, different power inserter, more wiring etc instead of a SWM LNB and a normal install. But if it's going to cost my parents the same amount of money an HR34 and 7 H25s makes more sense for them.

If DirecTV only charged $6/month for the first 3 C31s both DirecTV and my parents could save money.
 
#151 ·
heisman6183 said:
A setup with 1 HR34 and 3 C31s would eliminate the need for any DECA connection (DECA connected to your router) right? You can just plug the HR34 into your router via ethernet and the C31s via coax (SWM LNB, 4 or 8 port splitter) and get OnDemand content on the HR34 that can be viewed and served from the C31s. No wireless connection kits, no wired connection kits, pretty simple right?
That can be done with any setup that has an HR34. AN HR34 and 3 H25s can be set up the same way with the ethernet connected directly to the HR34. The HR34 and all 3 H25s (or H24s) would all have internet connections as well as Whole Home DVR functionality.

DirecTV just doesn't tell the techs that to avoid confusion with the HR24 that can't be set up that way. If you hooked up one HR24 and 3 H25s (or H24s) and hooked up the ethernet connection directly to the HR24 only the HR24 would have an internet connection and Whole Home DVR would no longer work (because the DECA adapter built into the HR24 would shut itself off).
 
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