[Camborita]

OK, I know there are existing threads on all of this stuff, but I am clearly "search-challenged" today and can't really find what I'm looking for.

I just had DirecTV out yesterday and they installed a new HR24 and a Slimline 3 dish (with SWiM). I also have 2 H23 receivers.

My entire house is wired for ethernet, so I have wired network access at every receiver.

When the installer was at my house yesterday, he said I had to have DECA and installed a unit which I believe was a broadband DECA (small black box, short ethernet cable to my switch and a coax to the splitter).

So, in short, my questions are:

1. Do I really need the DECA unit? I thought I could run everything on ethernet.
2. What is the difference between MRV and Whole-Home?
3. Do the receivers I have allow for either MRV or Whole-Home?

Please don't flame me, I know I have seen threads about this, but just can't find what I'm looking for today. If someone could point me to the links or let me know on the above questions, I would appreciate it.

Thank you!

 

[Stuart Sweet]

No flames here.

There is no technical reason you can't run whole-home over ethernet. By the way, whole-home is the name for the suite of services that includes multi-room viewing and other services (most of which are still to come.)

However, DIRECTV doesn't really want to support any configuration other than its own coax networking. The support load would just be too high.

The thing is, though, there's really no downside to the coax network method (which people call "DECA" because of the boxes connected to the receivers and to the internet.) It means one less cable to your DVR and the stream is optimized for media delivery (which ethernet really isn't, unless you put a lot of effort into it.)

You already have the dish you need and if you've got ethernet throughout the house, you can put the DECA adapter anywhere there's access to both coax and ethernet.

All your receivers are good to go for whole-home; you'll need a cinema connection kit to connect your coax line to your router, as well as one DECA for each H23. The HR24 doesn't need one.

 

[Camborita]

Thanks Stuart,

Can you briefly let me know what MRV is? Does it allow me to watch shows recorded on the DVR on the other non-DVR receivers? I have seen numerous threads about unsupported MRV, but don't totally understand what it actually is and whether I can get that working with what I have now.

Also, what is the purpose of the CCK? I had thought it was just to be able to download movies, but I certainly could be way off base here...

Basically, I'm just looking to maximize the usage of the current receivers I have without needing additional equipment/monthly fees (unless it is fairly inexpensive).

I'm happy to do the research on my own, I just wasn't finding the specific threads.

 

[Stuart Sweet]

Multi-room does just what you say. It lets you watch your recorded programs in any room with a connected receiver. You can pause recorded programs in any room as well.

Unsupported MRV is something you'll hear about; a few people prefer to network their receivers using ethernet cables; honestly for most people there's no reason to go that way.

The CCK gives you access to a lot of connected content like Pandora, Youtube Videos, On-Demand Programming and gives your DVR a basic "apps" suite for checking weather and sports scores. As long as you're not paying by the megabyte, I don't know why you wouldn't connect.

If you have the CCK in place and if you have boxes hanging off the back of your H23s that split the coax line out to plug into both the coax and ethernet ports, you should have everything you need.

Whole home service does have a monthly charge, although you get a lot for what you pay.

 

[lesz]

Whole home service does have a monthly charge, although you get a lot for what you pay.

Unless something has changed recently, regardless of whether you have a DIRECTV supported system or an unsupported system, I believe that there is still the same monthly charge to have multi-room viewing service activated for your system.

 

[n3vino]

Thanks Stuart,

Can you briefly let me know what MRV is? Does it allow me to watch shows recorded on the DVR on the other non-DVR receivers?

MVR is just another way of saying Whole Home DVR. They are the same thing.

 

[Camborita]

Thanks everyone for all your quick and helpful replies.

To be clear, I don't have any DECA's for the H23's and I do not have a CCK. If I want to just run everything over ethernet, is it possible to do MRV this way with the equipment I currently have since there is available wired ethernet in every room.

I do understand that I would need to request MRV to be activated through the e-mail process and there is a $3/fee per month for that service.

I'm just not seeing any particular advantage to using the BB DECA unit that the installer hooked up since it sounds like I would have to pay for additional DECA units for the H23's and a CCK in order to use MRV with DECA. Also, I'm not really interested in Pandora, YouTube over the receivers as I can stream all that already through my HTPC. I am interested in on-demand but didn't think I needed DECA or the CCK for that. Please correct me if I'm wrong here.

Thanks again!!!

 

[dpeters11]

You can get everything through the Ethernet connections. In your case, there really is no benefit to going DECA. The catch is, that (if someone isn't technically inclined with networking), DirecTV can't help you if one box can't see another etc. You have to either figure it out on your own or ask here. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just one difference.

If you were ever to get an H25, that would not work in your setup as it has no Ethernet port. It is the only MRV compatible box that does not have one, it has a built in DECA.

 

[carl6]

If you were ever to get an H25, that would not work in your setup as it has no Ethernet port. It is the only MRV compatible box that does not have one, it has a built in DECA.

That is one potential disadvantage of going unsupported with your own network, incompatibility with future products (including the current H25). But, should that become an issue in the future, you could always change over at that time.

 

[jpray72]

OK, I know there are existing threads on all of this stuff, but I am clearly "search-challenged" today and can't really find what I'm looking for.

I just had DirecTV out yesterday and they installed a new HR24 and a Slimline 3 dish (with SWiM). I also have 2 H23 receivers.

My entire house is wired for ethernet, so I have wired network access at every receiver.

When the installer was at my house yesterday, he said I had to have DECA and installed a unit which I believe was a broadband DECA (small black box, short ethernet cable to my switch and a coax to the splitter).

So, in short, my questions are:

1. Do I really need the DECA unit? I thought I could run everything on ethernet.
2. What is the difference between MRV and Whole-Home?
3. Do the receivers I have allow for either MRV or Whole-Home?

Please don't flame me, I know I have seen threads about this, but just can't find what I'm looking for today. If someone could point me to the links or let me know on the above questions, I would appreciate it.

Thank you!

I believe this black box is you CCK.

 

[Carl Spock]

Camborita, I've been using an unsupported, Ethernet based Whole Home DVR set-up for a couple of years now. It was promoted here before DECA and SWiM were a reality. A few years ago, a lot of us set up Ethernet-based WHDVR systems as DirecTV was trying to work out the bugs. Many forum members have switched over to DECA and SWiM but there are others like me who have never changed. My system works flawlessly, has a great picture and is invisible in its use.

And lesz was correct. I pay the same $3 a month as a person who has a supported WHDVR system.

That said, as soon as I can figure out a way to get it for free or at least very cheap, I'm going to switch over to a supported system. As has been said, future products from DirecTV may not have an Ethernet port. Plus I have no intention of switching to another service provider. I live in a rural area and my only other realistic option would be Dish. For many reasons, I'd rather have DirecTV. I'll throw my lot, hardware and cabling-wise, in with DECA and SWiM.

In your case, as a new subscriber, I'd bypass the Ethernet option and go with DECA and SWiM.

 

[Camborita]

I believe this black box is you CCK.

Camborita, I've been using an unsupported, Ethernet based Whole Home DVR set-up for a couple of years now. It was promoted here before DECA and SWiM were a reality. A few years ago, a lot of us set up Ethernet-based WHDVR systems as DirecTV was trying to work out the bugs. Many forum members have switched over to DECA and SWiM but there are others like me who have never changed. My system works flawlessly, has a great picture and is invisible in its use.

And lesz was correct. I pay the same $3 a month as a person who has a supported WHDVR system.

That said, as soon as I can figure out a way to get it for free or at least very cheap, I'm going to switch over to a supported system. As has been said, future products from DirecTV may not have an Ethernet port. Plus I have no intention of switching to another service provider. I live in a rural area and my only other realistic option would be Dish. For many reasons, I'd rather have DirecTV. I'll throw my lot, hardware and cabling-wise, in with DECA and SWiM.

In your case, as a new subscriber, I'd bypass the Ethernet option and go with DECA and SWiM.

Please look at the attached pictures of the DECA unit the installer put in. Is this unit also the CCK?

If this is the case, I suppose I could pick up some cheap DECA's on eBay for the H23's instead of going with straight ethernet. Would something like this work with the H23's?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIRECTV-DECA-1MR0-01-HOME-ADAPTER-MULTIROOM-VIEWING-MRV-/261044910960?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc77d3b70

Lastly, if I ended up going the DECA route using equipment I did not get from DirecTV, would I have to then have them activate MRV as unsupported since an installer didn't attach the DECA's to the H23's?

 

[The Merg]

Please look at the attached pictures of the DECA unit the installer put in. Is this unit also the CCK?

If this is the case, I suppose I could pick up some cheap DECA's on eBay for the H23's instead of going with straight ethernet. Would something like this work with the H23's?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIRECTV-DECA-1MR0-01-HOME-ADAPTER-MULTIROOM-VIEWING-MRV-/261044910960?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc77d3b70

Lastly, if I ended up going the DECA route using equipment I did not get from DirecTV, would I have to then have them activate MRV as unsupported since an installer didn't attach the DECA's to the H23's?

Yup. That is a CCK. It should be on its own coax and you should have an Ethernet cable going from your router to it.

With that hooked up and the DECA in you linked to in your post attached to each H23, you will have a SWM/DECA system.

Since you had DirecTV install the SWM and they also installed the CCK, you might be able to get MRV turned on in a supported mode. I would try calling and speaking to a CSR. Explain that you have SWM and DECA, but the installer didn't activate Whole Home for you. They might just turn it on. If they don't do it, go the email route. Worse comes to worse, the next time you have a tech out for something, he can confirm your setup and get you switched over to supported mode.

- Merg

 

[Beerstalker]

Yes that device is also referred to as a wired cinema connect kit (as opposed to the larger one with WiFi capabilities). Also, the eBay link is to the receiver DECAs you would need to add to your H23s to get them on the DECA network and give them access to the internet and Whole Home DVR if you ever subscribe to it. There is also a smaller black one that is the newer version but is probably more expensive on eBay.

Like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-newest-...US_Satellite_TV_Receivers&hash=item3f18cd1be5

Also, just a thought, since he has an HR24 and CCK shouldn't the installer have put bandstop filters on his H23s?

 

[Camborita]

Yes that device is also referred to as a wired cinema connect kit (as opposed to the larger one with WiFi capabilities). Also, the eBay link is to the receiver DECAs you would need to add to your H23s to get them on the DECA network and give them access to the internet and Whole Home DVR if you ever subscribe to it. There is also a smaller black one that is the newer version but is probably more expensive on eBay.

Like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-newest-...US_Satellite_TV_Receivers&hash=item3f18cd1be5

Also, just a thought, since he has an HR24 and CCK shouldn't the installer have put bandstop filters on his H23s?

Thanks Beerstalker (and Merg - sorry missed your post before) for clearing that up. The different terminology has been a little confusing since nowhere on that DECA unit does it show Cinema Connection Kit or CCK...

Will see if I can get my hands on some DECA's then for the H23's and get everything going for MRV.

Also, I don't think that bandstop filters are needed for H23's using DECA (at least according to SatPro.tv), but someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[The Merg]

Also, just a thought, since he has an HR24 and CCK shouldn't the installer have put bandstop filters on his H23s?

Yes.

- Merg

 

[Camborita]

Yes.

- Merg

So I need to have bandstop filters and the DECA's for the H23's???
Everything I'm seeing on Google indicates bandstop filters are only needed for the H20, HR20, D12 & R16 receivers, not H23's.

 

[Beerstalker]

You need bandstop filters if you don't have DECAs attached to any receiver that doesn't have DECA built in (HR34, HR24, H25, H24). The receiver DECA pretty much contains a bandstop filter in it.

This is only for SWM installs where DECA is being used (you are using it to get internet connection to the HR24 right now). If you have a regular SWM install without any DECA devices then you don't need bandstop filters.

So right now yes all your H23s should have bandstop filters on them. But if you get DECAs for the H23s then you won't need bandstop filters.

 

[Camborita]

Ahhhh, I understand now. Thanks for the clarification.

Well he definitely did not install bandstop filters on the H23's, but they are working without issue so I guess I won't worry about that.

To all - I REALLY appreciate the help. I know it's been said before, but this is just a great forum and even though I don't post very often, I have learned so many useful things which have helped me again and again in my 10 or so years with DirecTV.