[jfolliard]

newbie question - On my HR20 what are the uses for the ethernet port?

Thanks.

 

[MysteryMan]

The ethernet port is used for home networking. Connecting your receiver to your PC and the internet will allow it to receive VOD channels, access Youtube, view pictures and video off your PC as well as listening to music stored on your PC.

 

[NR4P]

To connect your HR20 to a PC, you really need to wire the HR20 with a cat5 cable to the same router as your PC. It needs to be on the same subnet. With this you will see a new menu choice or two IF your PC has WMP11 or Tversity and Plug and Play is enabled. Alot of If's.

Now once you connect your HR20 with a cat5 cable, you will have to reboot it to get an IP address from the router.

The real benefit is access to VOD (video on demand) and TV apps. Once its connected to the internet.

Now all that said, if you have multiple set top boxes in the home, get WHDVR service and they will all be internet connected and sharing the HR20 playlist.

More info specifically in the connected home area.
Go here

http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=137

And read through some of the Sticky Threads near the bottom of the first group.

 

[jfolliard]

To connect your HR20 to a PC, you really need to wire the HR20 with a cat5 cable to the same router as your PC. It needs to be on the same subnet. With this you will see a new menu choice or two IF your PC has WMP11 or Tversity and Plug and Play is enabled. Alot of If's.

Now once you connect your HR20 with a cat5 cable, you will have to reboot it to get an IP address from the router.

The real benefit is access to VOD (video on demand) and TV apps. Once its connected to the internet.

Now all that said, if you have multiple set to boxes in the home, get WHDVR service and they will all be internet connected and sharing the HR20 playlist.

More info specifically in the connected home area.
Go here

http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=137

And read through some of the Sticky Threads near the bottom of the first group.

thanks! I do not hve WHDVR service. But do have WMP11 if but not sure what to do with the setup. When I started WMP11 I did see a link entitled Directv2pc media - and that page had other links, one names Recorded TV. Nothinghappens when I click it - I wonder what that is suppose to do?

 

[davidjplatt]

If you enable sharing from WMP 11 you can play content from WMP on the DVR - not the other away around. To play content on the PC from the DVR you will have to download and install DIREC2PC from DirecTV's website.

You then have to get an activation key - it basically allows the PC to get recorded shows from the DVR and play them on the PC.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/directv/technology/directv2pc

The other thing that connecting the DVR to the home network gives you is Video on Demand. The DVR downloads content you choose over the internet and stores it on the hard drive in the DVR.

If you have an iPad you can also download an app to the iPad that allows you to control the DVR and stream video (not recorded on the DVR) to the iPad.

 

[allenn]

Networking also provides YouTube via your D* DVR.

If you do not want to run Cat5/6, you can use a wireless gaming adapter or create a wireless bridge from an old Linksys WRT54G. I would recommend Tversity 18b over WMP media server if you plan to use D* Media Share.
I am using the wireless and stream movies with great success. Best wishes!

 

[jfolliard]

If you enable sharing from WMP 11 you can play content from WMP on the DVR - not the other away around. To play content on the PC from the DVR you will have to download and install DIREC2PC from DirecTV's website.

You then have to get an activation key - it basically allows the PC to get recorded shows from the DVR and play them on the PC.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/directv/technology/directv2pc

The other thing that connecting the DVR to the home network gives you is Video on Demand. The DVR downloads content you choose over the internet and stores it on the hard drive in the DVR.

If you have an iPad you can also download an app to the iPad that allows you to control the DVR and stream video (not recorded on the DVR) to the iPad.

thanks - got directv2pc working! Now I don't suppose there's a way to capture on the computer what is being fed to it with directv2pc???

I note this statement: "The other thing that connecting the DVR to the home network gives you is Video on Demand. The DVR downloads content you choose over the internet and stores it on the hard drive in the DVR".

How does that work?

 

[HoTat2]

thanks - got directv2pc working! Now I don't suppose there's a way to capture on the computer what is being fed to it with directv2pc??? ...

No, the DIRECTV2PC app is to allow streaming playback of DVR recordings only. however there is an official device known as "nomad" (for $150.00) that will allow that functionality discussed in many threads on this forum.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/technology/nomad

Though its capabilities are limited by copyright restrictions in a number of areas.

... I note this statement: "The other thing that connecting the DVR to the home network gives you is Video on Demand. The DVR downloads content you choose over the internet and stores it on the hard drive in the DVR".

How does that work?

As the name suggest, it allows the selection of PPV or free TV programs for playback "on demand" for DIRECTV DVRs. Either via preloaded content "pushed" to a special reserved portion of the HDD from the satellite. Or mostly by download over the internet from DIRECTV's servers to the "user" portion of the HDD for immediate or later playback (HD-DVRs only).

Check out channels 1000-1889 for VOD channels.

 

[ssandhoops]

thanks - got directv2pc working! Now I don't suppose there's a way to capture on the computer what is being fed to it with directv2pc???

There is a way to do that but not with directv2pc. Check out the Vulcano Flow (http://www.myvulkano.com/products_volcano_flow.html). I've found the Vulcano pc player works better than direct2pc for playing back dvr content on your pc plus you can record what you are playing.

 

[jfolliard]

There is a way to do that but not with directv2pc. Check out the Vulcano Flow (http://www.myvulkano.com/products_volcano_flow.html). I've found the Vulcano pc player works better than direct2pc for playing back dvr content on your pc plus you can record what you are playing.

thanks but I didn't see anywhere in the Vulcano description that it allows capturing of the video on your PC. I have a slingbox which appears to be the same type of device and I don't believe you can capture what you view on the PC?

 

[HoTat2]

These devices also rely on analog playback from the DVR and re-digitization inside the Volkano, Sling Box, etc., and do not copy or stream the recorded digital files from the DVR's HDD as does DIRECTV2PC and nomad.

Also like MRV, DIRECTV2PC streams from a DVR in the background without affecting any local viewing or other operations on it.