switching to DTV, MRV best equip setup

Question

I am going to switch to DTV and wanted to know the best equipment to get for MRV. I have 4 total rooms on Dish Network now, 1 dual tuner HD DVR model (ViP622) feeding two different rooms, and 2 SD DVRs (508) each feeding their own room. I have ethernet wired to all areas where there is a current TV plus Wifi coverage. I plan to move to 1 dual tuner HD DVR, have one SD DVR, and upgrade one set to single tuner HD DVR.

For those posting, are there any lessons learned (would be nice to have an FAQ sticky) from enabling MRV?

- is there a specific HD DVR receiver that works best with MRV?
- as a new subscriber, is there any sort of special setup I need the installer to handle (like DECA)?
- can the HD DVRs take a coax OTA input and record those as an additional tuner?

Thanks
james-

jgATL · Answer

One other question. I called DTV to get equipment info and found out that they couldn't guarantee me an HR24 would be installed. Plus the MRV was not in Atlanta yet.
- Is there anyway that I can find out what the installer will bring in terms of equipment? Or will DTV ship the boxes to me directly?
- If I go ahead and find out they bring an HR23, can I just cancel with no penalty?

joed32 · Answer

On an install there is no way to guarantee a certain receiver model. HR24s are only being installed in 4 areas where MRV is in a pilot program. If you must have one your best bet would be to wait until it goes national and the 24s become more plentiful. I am using HR20s and 21s and MRV works just fine.

dcd · Answer

With Directv you order a certain level of service and they supply the necessary equipment, you don't get to choose. Here are a few details. MRV is available solely via HD receivers and one of those receivers must be a DVR. Although feeding two TV's with one receiver is possible, it is not part of the standard Directv use. If I were you I would simply order the HD DVRs and HD receivers I wanted, plus any SD receivers (no MRV available) and let them install. When MRV becomes available in your area order the service and they will install the modules and get you running. The standard cost for MRV is $149 plus $3 per month.

jgATL · Answer

@dcd & joedc, thanks! I've read that the H24 box is worth waiting for due to increased speed. I can wait with Dish for another couple of months until the H24 is available in my market and hopefully get a good combo deal on 2 HD DVRs and one SD DVR.

One last question. Does MRV take over what you are watching in another room? For example, I am watching The Masters live in the living room. My daughter wants to watch a movie that's taped on the living room DVR. Can she do this while I'm still watching my show? Does it matter if I'm watching a recorded show and she wants to watch another recorded show?

litzdog911 · Answer

jgatl:1. No, MRV does not 'take over' what somebody else is watching in another room.2. Two people can watch two different recordings using MRV across two different DVRs. You just can't have two different people viewing two different recordings from the same DVR because each DVR can only feed one remote video stream.

irishntn · Answer

jgati, Pardon me asking, but with the intrest in MRV why not just go with 2 HD/DVR's and a HD receiver along with the order. The SD/DVR will not support MRV. With just the HD receiver you can choose the recorded shows that are on both of the HD/DVR and, correct me if I am wrong guys, you can set things to record as well from the HD receiver onto one of the HD/DVR's. To me that would be the best bet so that all rooms will have the MRV experience. With a side note they are giving away for free the 1 HD/DVR and a 1 HD receiver with all new customer sighn ups. So you will only have to pay for the additional HD/DVR.

dcd · Answer

Excellent point and even if a person had to pay for the additional HD receiver they are priced at $99 which is the same as a SD DVR. Not much snnse really for buying SD equipment.

jgATL · Answer

Thanks everyone. Because I'm not using MRV now, i keep forgetting you can play/pause/rewind everything but live TV, so I don't necessarily need 3 DVRs like I have today. I'll go with 1 HD DVR and 2 HD receivers. When the H24 comes out, i can buy it and replace one of the HD receivers. Is there any limit on when you can upgrade a box?

joed32 · Answer

Sounds like a plan. Don't know of any limits if you're picking up another one from a retailer. You could call and ask when the time comes.

dcd · Answer

jgati, One comment on your plan. If you install a DVR and two HD receivers, you'll have to pay (probably) for at least one of the receivers @ $99. If you replace it later this year with a HR24 @ $199 the first $99 will be down the drain. If instead you install one HD DVR, one HD receiver and one SD receiver, that SD will be free. After you get the HR24, you can self install it and even if you already have MRV in your home, the HR24 will self connect to the same coax the SD box was using.

jgATL · Answer

Good point DCD. I actually did some research on the H24 and it doesn't have an optical/coax digital audio out. Since my AV receiver doesn't have an HDMI input, I'll have to go with the H23 anyway.
Plus my family will get rid of me if I get anything that doesn't have DVR capabilities.

Thanks again for everyone's advice.

greywolf · Answer

There are HDMI switches with optical and coaxial digital outputs. I have four HDMI sources feeding a switch that has one HDMI connection to the TV and one digital coaxial connection to the AVR.

litzdog911 · Answer

jgatl:The H24 HD Receivers do have a coax digital audio output. If your AV Receiver needs the optical connection, you can buy adapters that convert coax digital audio to optical.

jgATL · Answer

Looks like DTV has extended the free HD DVR and free HD receiver until 7/14. Appears the HR24 is due out in May along with the DECA upgrade, so I'll just deal with Dish for another month. Thanks for the great advice, this has really helped.

wberryment · Answer

If you think about it this is not very useful. If the parents and the kids go to bed and they want to watch a program on the DVR in the family room, then only one of the remote MRV users in one of the bedrooms will be able to watch. I found this out last night when I went to watch a show in bed and one of the kids was watching one of the shows in the other room thru their MRV connected H23-600. Mine had red symbols in front of all the shows. I said that this can't be right so I researched it this morning and low and behold one remote viewer per time on one dvr. Seems to me that this defeats the whole purpose. Might as well get a DVR for each room that way everyone can watch what they want when they want.

wayne

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