[rbpeirce]

My daughter has FIOS and all the channels are duplicated in SD and HD. If she is watching a show in HD it will be, for example, on 523. In SD it is 023.

To save disk space where HD isn't critical, she records the SD show.

Is that possible with DTV?

 

[veryoldschool]

My daughter has FIOS and all the channels are duplicated in SD and HD. If she is watching a show in HD it will be, for example, on 523. In SD it is 023.

To save disk space where HD isn't critical, she records the SD show.

Is that possible with DTV?

With DirecTV both HD and SD channels have the same number. In the DVR, you need to select hide SD duplicates, hide HD, or show both.

 

[rbpeirce]

How do I do that?

Once I do, can I display SD channels while setting up an automatic recording and then switch back to HD for regular viewing?

 

[Stuart Sweet]

You do that by going to Menu>Settings&Help>Setup>Display and turning off Hide SD duplicates. Select what you want to record and then change it back.

 

[veryoldschool]

How do I do that?

Once I do, can I display SD channels while setting up an automatic recording and then switch back to HD for regular viewing?

Doesn't sound like you have DirecTV yet, but this is in the setup menu, so you make the changes you want to see what channels, and then they will be displayed in the guide. Even with both being displayed, you can always view HD [unless you've selected to hide them].
"I think" once you get a chance to see how this works, you won't have any problems.

 

[JoeTheDragon]

My daughter has FIOS and all the channels are duplicated in SD and HD. If she is watching a show in HD it will be, for example, on 523. In SD it is 023.

To save disk space where HD isn't critical, she records the SD show.

Is that possible with DTV?

well see how the older fios boxes only have like a 160gb HDD I can see why she does that. The directv boxes have a much better HDD + E-sata.

 

[veryoldschool]

well see how the older fios boxes only have like a 160gb HDD I can see why she does that. The directv boxes have a much better HDD + E-sata.

"Plus" DirecTV uses MPEG-4 which uses less space too.

 

[rbpeirce]

You do that by going to Menu>Settings&Help>Setup>Display and turning off Hide SD duplicates. Select what you want to record and then change it back.

Thanks. It's been so long since I got HD that I forgot all about this.

 

[rbpeirce]

Doesn't sound like you have DirecTV yet, but this is in the setup menu, so you make the changes you want to see what channels, and then they will be displayed in the guide. Even with both being displayed, you can always view HD [unless you've selected to hide them].
"I think" once you get a chance to see how this works, you won't have any problems.

I've had DTV and HD for years, long enough to forget the options. I hid the SD channels a long time ago and forget they were available and how to get them.

 

[veryoldschool]

I've had DTV and HD for years, long enough to forget the options. I hid the SD channels a long time ago and forget they were available and how to get them.

So I saw in your last post.

 

[rbpeirce]

well see how the older fios boxes only have like a 160gb HDD I can see why she does that. The directv boxes have a much better HDD + E-sata.

I'm not sure how much capacity I have and it usually isn't a problem, but last Fall we went away and the disk was full when we got back. We missed about a week of programming. Some of it was available via VOD and some through Hulu. Some I recorded on my SD Tivo and transferred to tape. Eventually, we got everything in the correct order.

I could add a bigger drive, and frankly, I don't want to try to change all my programming just because I am going to be away. Hopefully this won't happen again and if it does more of the programs may be available via VOD. This was more a curiosity issue than anything else.

What would be helpful is the ability to record more than two channels at once. I have actually run into a situation where I needed four for one specific time slot. I did two on the HD DVR and two on the SD Tivo. A friend of mine actually had two HD boxes connected to the same TV for this purpose. I am looking forward to the new 5-channel DTV box.

 

[veryoldschool]

What would be helpful is the ability to record more than two channels at once. I have actually run into a situation where I needed four for one specific time slot. I did two on the HD DVR and two on the SD Tivo. A friend of mine actually had two HD boxes connected to the same TV for this purpose. I am looking forward to the new 5-channel DTV box.

This is why I have two HD DVRs sitting next to each other, and with the Whole Home DVR service, either of them shows everything recorded.

 

[Stuart Sweet]

It's true... I actually run one of my DVR's "headless" - not connected to a TV at all. It just covers certain conflicts.