Sooner or later, we had to do it.
Now, we can’t promise we’ll be faithfully Tweeting, but, for now, we’ll try. So news that’s too minute to bother posting here, or random thoughts that just don’t apply, will be Tweeted. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
http://twitter.com/weaKneesTiVo
or, in the land of Twitter:
If you have a DirecTV HD DVR HR21 or later, and you want to get your OTA HD signals into your unit, you need the DirecTV AM21 (or, “antenna module”). This unit basically just adds off-air capability to your DVR.
But the AM21 has been out of stock pretty much everywhere for many weeks now. And our distributors don’t even know when they’ll be getting these units.
So what can you do? The answer is the HR20 DirecTV HD DVR. This was the first of the MPEG-4 capable DirecTV HD DVRs, and it has an off-air module built-in. DirecTV later removed this capability, likely to lower manufacturing costs, plus to force customers to get their local HD channels from DirecTV – at $5/month.
We still have a good supply of the HR20 in stock, shipping every day from our warehouse in Los Angeles. If you’re looking for a new DVR with OTA capability, this is a great machine, and, currently, the only way to get OTA into an MPEG-4 DirecTV DVR.
Once upon a time, there was only one 3LNB dish in the DirecTV world. But that’s no longer the case, and it’s generating some confusion.
DirecTV has used several dishes over the years, to reach signals from many different satellites. But, for the most mainstream programming, there has been a simple progression from a single LNB dish, to a dual LNB dish, to a triple, and then to the five LNB dish. Each dish saw everything the preceding dish saw. Until now.
Now, there’s a new 3LNB dish that sees different satellites than the 3LNB from years ago. The original 3LNB dish added the ability to see a new satellite that sent out HD signals from the 110 and 119 satellites. But this new 3LNB dish can’t see either of those orbital slots – it sees the main DirecTV satellite (101) plus the newer 99 and 103 satellites.
And, this dish comes in two varieties – regular, and SWM. SWM is Single Wire Multiswitch, meaning that out of the one cable from the SWM version, you can run up to eight tuners, just using SWM splitters. The 5LNB dish is also available in both configurations. Further, the 3LNB and 5LNB non-SWM dishes will also work with a standalone SWM for more configuration and expansion.
Down to the details: It’s not the pricing that would necessarily lead you to this dish (although, since it is a bit less expensive, it will be included on general DirecTV installs where the 5LNB isn’t necessary). It’s the ease of installation. Yes, it’s still the same sized reflector, but since you’re aiming at fewer satellites, the fine tuning is easier.
For ordering info, see our DirecTV Dish page.
The promotion offering three months of free TiVo service when you buy a new TiVo HD (any size) from WeaKnees.com, has been extended until July 31, 2009.
Click the image above for more details, and be sure to use the code GET3FREE when activating your new TiVoHD!
This post is targeted to those who have many DIRECTV HD receivers (HD DVRs or standard HD receivers) stacked up in a single cabinet or in a space in which infrared signals could conflict. We encounter this situation with customers doing installations in sports bars or in large residences with a central media room.
As we have previously written, if you have just two receivers, you can use different infrared (IR) codes to control two different DIRECTV receivers independently. Alternatively, DIRECTV HD receivers can be controlled using RF (which works through walls and has a longer range than IR), but you will need to purchase an RF remote (RC64R or RC64RB) to do the trick.
As it turns out, our earlier post about using RF was inaccurate. We provided instructions that referred to a specific code to enter to enable RF. As it turns out, that code is uniquely generated based on the last six digits of the unit’s receiver identification number (RID) . The communication between an RF-enabled remote and a DIRECTV receiver is thus based upon the receiver’s unique RID. As a result, it is possible to have a near limitless number of HD receivers stacked up, all using unique RF frequencies to ensure that there is no remote conflict. Pretty slick.
Keep in mind that RF doesn’t have a limitless range, so if you are doing an installation in a massive bar or residence, you’ll want to be sure that the RF range is acceptable given the size of the location and ambient interference. If it is acceptable, then you can rely on DIRECTV RF remotes to do the trick. In fact, a single DIRECTV remote can control up to 3 specific receivers.
If this solution doesn’t work, there is a much more expensive option: The HR21-PRO, which has an IR input for direct hard-wired control, as well as an RS-232 input.