Will R15 reciever work for HD TV?

Thank you!  Can you say if R15 will work with HD tv?

Obsolete doesn't bother me.

I'm obsolete & so is most of my environment.

But we still work...& that's good enough...because that's better (to me)

than trying to deal with DTV since AT&T took over.

Have tried repeatedly to get HD dish & receiver.

Frustrating to deal with stream of ESL people on phone,

then ending with techs telling me they don't have new receiver!

Also, not getting all channels I pay for is preferable to dealing with DTV dysfunction.

So...what I'd like to know is... will R15 receiver work with new HD flat screen?

Thank you again, from 15 yr DTV customer.

Sure. You can connect your R15 to an HDTV, but you'll need to use the Composite (yellow RCA) and analog audio (red/white RCA) cables. The R15 does not provide HiDef HDMI or Component Video connections. 

And, as previously mentioned, your R15 will soon become a boat anchor when DirecTV discontinues MPEG2 SD channels.  

Why not call them back and take advantage of their FREE SWAP program?  1 800 531 5000

@olerascal 

Obsolete doesn't simply mean very old in this case. The R15 will cease to work shortly. This is because DirecTV has started shutting down their MPEG-2 (SD only) broadcasts as of April 2019. This was planned years ago before the acquisition by AT&T.

So the R15 like all SD only boxes can connect to an HDTV using the older (A/V, RCA) cables (red/white/yellow), but may have a degrade in quality as the TV was built for higher resolution.

But within the coming months that box will stop receiving service completely. You will need to replace it, and any other MPEG-2 boxes as well as your receiving dish in order to continue using the service. You will need to call DirecTV 1-800-531-5000 about their complimentary swap. As a note recordings never transfer from a replaced DVR, so suggested to be caught up first.

You can also try chat.

Thank you for chat option reminder.

I did that with different provider...1st time ever doing chat!

Much easier for old guy to understand written word,

than heavily accented English.

Thank you for explaining obsolete in this case means...will longer function...in near future.

Hadn't heard anything about this...but admit to not reading all the endless emails from AT&T/DTV.

Most of their messages are trying to sell portable phone service.

My only phone plugs into wall, & works fine, so never had need for portable phone.

Even that now seems doomed...due to no pay phones in the world.

Current cable from DTV R15 receiver to old CRT TV is single grey co-axial.

Sounds like I'm OK to attach that to single co-ax terminal on new flatscreen TV?

No red/white/yellow cables are present.

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@olerascal wrote:

Thank you for explaining obsolete in this case means...will longer function...in near future.

Hadn't heard anything about this...but admit to not reading all the endless emails from AT&T/DTV.

 

Most of their messages are trying to sell portable phone service.

My only phone plugs into wall, & works fine, so never had need for portable phone.

Even that now seems doomed...due to no pay phones in the world.

 

Current cable from DTV R15 receiver to old CRT TV is single grey co-axial.

Sounds like I'm OK to attach that to single co-ax terminal on new flatscreen TV?

No red/white/yellow cables are present.

 

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With all the advertisement emails from AT&T you are certainly not alone in missing the notice about the R15 required replacement. Though it is possible your area hasn't hit the notification timeline yet. It is a rolling shutdown so will take some time before everybody is affected. But best to get it taken care of sooner than later.

The evolution of cellphones and internet based phones (VOIP) or voice chat, have greatly reduced the need for payphones, but they are not gone completely (yet). Landlines still have life in them as hardline for the home for many is still preferred. Unlike a cell phone, no reception issues, and if you have a basic handset it can work without power (as opposed to cell phone battery dying), as long as it is not a rotary phone (pulse dialing discontinued) unless you have a special adapter to turn pulse-dialing into tone-dialing.

You can connect R15 to most current TVs by the coax, provided the TV has the port. Then just have the TV set itself tuned into channel 3 or 4 like before as that will be your DirecTV channel. Most TV's still have ANT as the default input, but if the new flat screen defaults to something like HDMI, then just use the input (some call it source) button to switch it to ANT.

The R15 can use the A/V or RCA cables (red/white/yellow) but only if you have the cable and the TV set has the ports. Remember some TV sets use labels such as R, W, Y instead of being color-coded, but most current TVs still have the ports. Some of the new ones use dual-purpose ports because of Component (5-color), so do that and the traditional R/W/Y, so can cause a little confusion with the labeling.

Thank you SO much for comprehensive answers!

Sounds like I'm good to hook it up...when I find help to move new (used) TV upstairs.

Also thx for reminder of setting on channel 3 or 4.

It's been setup for many yrs, & all controlling is via DTV remote.

15yrs of bulletproof reception let details like that escape my geezer mind.

Have previously tried to get upgrade, twice.

Both times over an hour on phone with multiple people.

Both times tech showed up...to say they don't have upgraded receiver,

& they said they'd contact me when they have receiver.

Both times never heard another word.

Reading some posts here, that appears to be the new norm.

Located near Portland Oregon & no payphones anywhere I travel.

Thx again...y'all are awesomely helpful!

Payphones are harder to find. I wonder if one day public internet places (free or small fee access) will have a built-in communication interface (voice only or video chat), without having to use your own headset, so would serve both purposes. Will be interesting.

Because of the issues, when you next call DirecTV 1-800-531-5000, say "cancel" at the voice system. Their retention specialists are usually more experienced agents to get this taken care of (including submitting a complaint on prior appointment of tech showing up without the basic equipment needed). Make sure that the order is for the complimentary MPEG swap, and not an optional "upgrade". The main difference is upgrade comes with 24 month service agreement, but the complimentary swap does not as is required to continue using the service. That way you can save your upgrade instead of having to wait another couple years before your account qualifies again.

Is that R15 your only box or do you have any others? Just in case there is anything else to be aware of.

Success! DTV now works on new(er) HD tv!

Guidance from this forum made it relatively painless!

Thx for further tips on 2 upgrade options.

I wondered why 2 different techs recommended different upgrades.

No mention of cost or commitment differences.

Later, gotta figure why Roku box (included with TV) won't connect to Frontier wifi.

Triple checked connections & settings, got to & navigated Roku menus,

got password entered, then failed to connect, shows error 014.41

Reset wifi router to insure password is same as pw printed on router.

Only two devices on wifi...Vista PC sits idle most of time (has my pictures),

& Windows7 on my newer daily computer.

Only 1 receiver for 1 TV in single occupancy home.