[rmmccann]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum. I've been a DirecTV subscriber for just over a year and a half and I have the whole-home DVR setup with the Cinema kit.

I installed the Cinema kit last year and I've noticed that off and on, ever since then we will have random issues when requesting shows from a DVR in the other room.

If I open a show on the other DVR, sometimes it plays without issue. Other times, it will play video but no audio. Other times it will give an error. Sometimes I get no audio and no video (infact, my TV shows 480i and no signal on it). Exiting and relaunching will usually fix the playback issues, but sometimes it takes a few tries.

I've noticed that after hooking up the Cinema kit, my receivers get IP addresses from my router. I've also noticed that if there is a power failure or something and the receiver boots up before the router, that the receivers will not be aware of the whole home network setup.

My question: when the Cinema kit is in play, does whole-home DVR run through the IP network (read router) or does it still use the coax and something behind the scenes? I'm trying to figure out if I have some strange network issue or a problem elsewhere with the setup.

It's a SWM system with 2 HR24-500 HD DVRs and two H24-700 HD receivers.

Thanks!

 

[veryoldschool]

My question: when the Cinema kit is in play, does whole-home DVR run through the IP network (read router) or does it still use the coax and something behind the scenes? I'm trying to figure out if I have some strange network issue or a problem elsewhere with the setup.

It's a SWM system with 2 HR24-500 HD DVRs and two H24-700 HD receivers.

Thanks!

Your router supplies the IP and other networking settings, but the packet traffic stays in the coax.

Where [or how close] is the SWiM PI to a receiver?

 

[carl6]

Assuming your DVRs and receivers are connected only via coax, and not via ethernet, all traffic between them for whole-home is over the coax and does not go to/through your router.

The CCK serves as a gateway to the internet, and yes you will pull IP from your router on all your devices when you are so connected. But whole-home traffic doesn't go outside the DECA network (internal to the coax network).

And, VOS types faster.

 

[rmmccann]

Thanks guys. According to the picture above, I am set up very similar to the PI/correction setup, with the only exception being:
1) the Cinema kit is connected to the "to receiver" port on the PI
2) there is an additional 4 port switch in the wall to accommodate a receiver in the room. The receiver in this room is a rarely used HD receiver and I don't watch recorded shows.

The Audio/Video errors occur when we watch programs from our "Bedroom DVR" on our "main" DVR in the living room. We don't watch recorded programming very often (if at all) on the HD receivers, so I'm not certain if this is DVR strangeness or what.

 

[veryoldschool]

Thanks guys. According to the picture above, I am set up very similar to the PI/correction setup, with the only exception being:
1) the Cinema kit is connected to the "to receiver" port on the PI
2) there is an additional 4 port switch in the wall to accommodate a receiver in the room. The receiver in this room is a rarely used HD receiver and I don't watch recorded shows.

The Audio/Video errors occur when we watch programs from our "Bedroom DVR" on our "main" DVR in the living room. We don't watch recorded programming very often (if at all) on the HD receivers, so I'm not certain if this is DVR strangeness or what.

The CCK connected to the PI should be fine.
This 4 port switch, I'm guessing is a splitter? [splitters aren't switches]
Are all the unused ports terminated?

 

[rmmccann]

Yes, I meant splitter. Yes, the two unused ports are terminated.

 

[veryoldschool]

About the only other thing I can think of is to run a system test on a receiver and see if there are any errors.
Part of the test will check the coax/DECA networking and report an error if the bit rate is too low.

 

[rmmccann]

I'll check it out when I get home. Thanks for the input!

 

[jdspencer]

You may also want to force a manual IP address on the DVRs. This way you aren't dependent on DHCP from the router.

 

[rmmccann]

Finally got around to checking this. Both DVRs tested OK with just a dial tone error (no phone line connected). I have found that the programs that seem to have the most problem with the black no signal screen are recorded in SD on my local fox station. Any thoughts?

 

[rmmccann]

Also, thanks jdspencer on the static IP idea. I have considered it, but I use my home network to test a lot of things so my IP addressing does change from time to time and I'm sure I'd forget to change them back when I do this. Usually I don't have a problem as my UPS keeps the router up - only during extended outages does it have a problem and that doesn't happen often.

 

[rmmccann]

Anyone have any additional thoughts or things I should try?

 

[veryoldschool]

Anyone have any additional thoughts or things I should try?

Your system test didn't show the error I was wondering about, but you might look at the coax networking test results and maybe post the results of the two tests.

Go to one of the 24s and on the front panel press the guide and right arrow [both at the same time]. It might take a few tries before the screen comes up, but when it does is a menu with coax on the left.
Select this and it will show the loss between the DECAs, and if there has been any dropped sessions.
The next test is the
Phy rate mesh, where it shows the values as a matrix between all of the nodes.

 

[Richierich]

Also, thanks jdspencer on the static IP idea. I have considered it, but I use my home network to test a lot of things so my IP addressing does change from time to time and I'm sure I'd forget to change them back when I do this. Usually I don't have a problem as my UPS keeps the router up - only during extended outages does it have a problem and that doesn't happen often.

I had my Router on a UPS but still had problems from time to time when the Router Released my DVRs so when I switched to Static IP Addresses via DHCP Reservations I No Longer had a Problem.

 

[rmmccann]

I'll report back with findings.

 

[rmmccann]

Hey guys - ran the diags on both DVRs. There were no dropped sessions and phys rate mesh was 230 or above in all areas. Highest was about 252.