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One line DVR

755 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  inkahauts
So I have what I believe is the new HR22 and I just got it installed, but they were only able to run one line to it. They said one line dvr service would be coming soon. I talked to customer service and they said they already have this service in some areas, but not in mine yet. Can anyone provide more information about this or when it might become available.
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Ricawn said:
So I have what I believe is the new HR22 and I just got it installed, but they were only able to run one line to it. They said one line dvr service would be coming soon. I talked to customer service and they said they already have this service in some areas, but not in mine yet. Can anyone provide more information about this or when it might become available.
You can do this yourself by purchasing and installing a single-wire multiswitch (SWM8). They are available from several sources, such as http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=SWM-8.

Check the various SWM threads in the forums.
Ricawn said:
So I have what I believe is the new HR22 and I just got it installed, but they were only able to run one line to it. They said one line dvr service would be coming soon. I talked to customer service and they said they already have this service in some areas, but not in mine yet. Can anyone provide more information about this or when it might become available.
Why only one line? That makes no sense. What would prevent the 2nd line?

No news on the general availability of SWM that I've heard (that's the one line solution)

You shouldn't be stuck with one line unless you refused their install of two lines. In that case, you'll just have to wait.
Ricawn said:
So I have what I believe is the new HR22 and I just got it installed, but they were only able to run one line to it. They said one line dvr service would be coming soon. I talked to customer service and they said they already have this service in some areas, but not in mine yet. Can anyone provide more information about this or when it might become available.
What they are talking about is a device called SWM. Single wire multiswitch. It allows you to broadcast two signals over one wire. Currently you may get lucky and have them install it when the initial install done, but it appears that most cases the customer has to buy it out right and install it themselves.
It sounds like you had a lazy installer. He couldn't install a SWM, so he should have run both cables. Have DirecTV send an installer back out again to do it right.

BTW, you should be able to open the small door on the bottom right corner of the front panel and find a sticker inside showing the model number.
The reason they could not install the second line was because I rent a town home and all the options to get the second line to my receiver would have violated my lease. I called customer service about it and they said they did have this service available in some areas, but not everywhere. They said it was currently being tested and if it was available in my area my installer would have done it. I called my local office who handles installations and they said that directv has not yet provided them with the hardware to do one line dvr. All offices told me to keep checking back and they had no idea when it would be available. Really overall it was not very helpful.
Ricawn said:
The reason they could not install the second line was because I rent a town home and all the options to get the second line to my receiver would have violated my lease. I called customer service about it and they said they did have this service available in some areas, but not everywhere. They said it was currently being tested and if it was available in my area my installer would have done it. I called my local office who handles installations and they said that directv has not yet provided them with the hardware to do one line dvr. All offices told me to keep checking back and they had no idea when it would be available. Really overall it was not very helpful.
I'm a little lost on how running 2 lines instead of 1 violates a lease, especially since there are coax cables made that are two lines in one jacket, making it essentially one cable running into the location.... How exactly would running a second line right next to the first violate your lease?

However, before you run out and get an swm, there is another thing we need to know. How many boxes do you have total in your home? If you have other boxes what are they? I ask because the SWM will not work with every Directv box, only newer ones, so other boxes may need to be replace if you go to an swm setup...
They could not get the line into the wall to run two in one jack. There are town homes on both sides so they have no access to the outside wall next to the living room. There is no crawl space between the second and third floor, and no attic. They would have had to drill a whole through the exterior wall in the back bedroom of the home (which was the main problem) and then run about 75 feet of cable under the carpet to the living room and then drill another whole in that wall. I probably could have done it. But I was concerned about damaging the carpet and I know that drilling wholes in those two walls would not have made my landlord happy if he had noticed.

I only want the DVR to work on that receiver which is the brand new HD DVR receiver available from directv. I'm concerned that the SWM linked above will not work with this receiver but only with older versions.
Ah, so they didn't run the 1 line either, correct? It was existing line?
Ricawn said:
They could not get the line into the wall to run two in one jack. There are town homes on both sides so they have no access to the outside wall next to the living room. There is no crawl space between the second and third floor, and no attic. They would have had to drill a whole through the exterior wall in the back bedroom of the home (which was the main problem) and then run about 75 feet of cable under the carpet to the living room and then drill another whole in that wall. I probably could have done it. But I was concerned about damaging the carpet and I know that drilling wholes in those two walls would not have made my landlord happy if he had noticed.

I only want the DVR to work on that receiver which is the brand new HD DVR receiver available from directv. I'm concerned that the SWM linked above will not work with this receiver but only with older versions.
SWM is only for newer receivers, and will definitely work with your HR22 unit.

As for your description of your install issue, that now makes lots of sense, and an SWM is probably the cheaper route to go anyway...

As for only wanting the dvr to work on that receiver, ok. But that's not the issue. What is your full setup? All your boxes, and how they are all wired right now? SWM units change the way the entire system works, so if you have more than two older units in your system, (and assuming they are all homeruns from the dish) yo can still use an swm for your DVR, but there may be additional things you need to do, and there are several options. (cost varies from free to probably $40 or more, depending) If you explain your full setup, we can give you better advice...
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