mvgossman said:
My first DBS Talk post as a new convert to the HR20, and a painfully detailed one. I have browsed posts on this topic, but...
I received my first HR20 and have had good luck with it so far. So good that I elected to purchase 3 more, after first seemingly verifying that it is possible to have them all on discrete remote codes.
I now know that I was wrong about that... I thought the "00001 00002 00003 00004" codes were remote codes but I now know that they are device codes. I discovered from Directv people that the proper code is 00003 when setting the remote to use "AV1 or AV2" as the remote mode to use.
They asserted that it is possible to use TWO HR20s in the same room using "DIRECTV" on one and "AV1 or AV2" mode on the other.
Well I assert that it is possible to run THREE units separate from each other, avoiding crosstalk. Here's how:
Go to Menu: Help & Settings: Setup: Remote: Program Remote:
At that point select AV1 or AV2 and then Product "Directv Receiver" - Brand "DirecTV". You will then be told how to program the remote itself with the code, which should be 00003, after putting the slider on AV1 or AV2 depending on which you chose before.
THen you must BACK up to the "Remote" page and select "Receiver Mode" from the three options "Program Remote", "IR/RF Setup", or "Receiver Mode". It is here where you tell the receiver to respond with the slider in AV1 or AV2 on the remote. Keep the remote on the correct slider position, and select "Done" after switching "Mode" to "AV1 or AV2". You will probably have to use the front panel controls to go over to the "Done" button before hitting Select on the remote. I believe it is this crucial point where the receiver learns what to respond to, "AV1" or "AV2" on the remote.
So there you have it. I am about to crack open the other three, one at a time, to see if they indeed do not crosstalk, first concentrating on AV1/AV2 crosstalk, then go to DIRECTV/AV1/AV2 crosstalk. If anyone has any information telling me that I am dead wrong, that it is impossible to program AV1 separate from AV2, I would like to know, but I did at least confirm that when the remote is in AV1 mode the remote does not talk to the AV2-programmed receiver and vice-versa. I cannot tell at this time if it is possible to have one in AV2 and the other in AV1 and neither talks to the other, but I suspect it will work.
If anyone has found a means to have the fourth one "in the same room" either actually or "virtually" with IR distribution, I'm all ears because as it stand now, one of the TiVos will have to be solo in one room. It won't talk to the others because I will configure my Harmony 890 remote blaster to deliver only to the HR20 in that fourth room and not all over the house.
Why in God's name did they have to make this that complex? Give me the TiVo convention where different remote codes are assigned with the remotes. Couldn't they have known that there would be techies and geeks and weirdoes out there on the bleeding edge who would have multiple HR20's in the house in the same rack? In my case, I have them actually in separate rooms but broadcasting (in standard def except for the HDTV in the same room) over conventional ATSC video to other TVs in the house, using whole-house IR distribution to allow control from all over the house using programmable remotes (Harmony 890s).
I suspect that the Harmony database will not include the codes for the HR20 in anything other than "DIRECTV" remote format, i.e. NOT AV1 or AV2 so I will be stuck doing a total learning for those TiVos.
I put one HR20 and two H20s in the same room....IR. Sorry to tell you but the AV1 and AV2 is a shared location/ID for the receiver so this is why they show AV1 or AV2 in the menu as a single entry not split out like DirecTV, AV1, AV2. I spent three hours on the phone with Advanced Tech support trying every IR variant and three more myself....tried every combo in the book....Nada. Yes, I tried many times what you outlined above and others....and two fundamental issues came back. 1) There is only two IR code sets for the HR20 so no way to split three ways.....even if DTV, AV1 and AV2 were all truly seperate 2) AV1 & AV2 are not seperate from a DirecTV Receiver point of view.
Thus, as other posters said you can change some to RF.....make sure you have a RF remote....note RC32 is not...need RC32RF. Also, another gotcha...it appears turning on RF does not deactivate IR in the remote. Thus, you need to tape the end of the RF remote to keep the IR from coming out....RF will still broadcast. It is cludgy I know but I avoided because of the below....however, you can cut some black electrical tape cleanly and put over the IR window...doesn't really look too bad.
The two
confirmed IR remote code sets in the H20 are 00001 & 00002.
The two
confirmed IR remote code sets in the HR20 are 00001 & 00003.
Also, it appears 00001 code set is only good for DTV slider position.
Here is how I solved mine.....(1) HR20 & (2) H20s........
HR20 ==> IR code 00003, Remote Slider @ AV2 Logo, Receiver IR....AV1/AV2 mode
H20-100 ==> IR code 00002, Remote Slider @ AV1 Logo , Receiver IR....AV1/AV2 mode
H20-600 ==> IR code 00001, Remote Slider @ DTV Logo, Receiver IR...DirecTV mode
Also, totally agree with you on the rest.....could it have killed D* to have some foresight to put more than 2 IR code sets in the receivers ? Could they not post their IR discrete code sets ? Seems to me this could be easily fixed with a future firmware update since obviously the remotes can handle more than two code sets.
Lastly, perhaps I can provide you a low-tech, low-cost solution to your problem. Assuming these settops all in the same room are not controlling the 3-4 TVs in the same room......and that they are connected via your IR distribution system house wide.....then in theory there would be no need to access but one receiver in that room for that room's TV ? If so, you can block the other IR windows which I'm guessing you have IR emitters on with these:
SmartPath Version
http://www.smarthomepro.com/97252700.html
Xantech Version
http://www.smarthomepro.com/8172C.HTML
Put these on one of the four and you can now re-use/duplicate it's code set.
