I have a HDRW 720 with IR blaster. The manual is packed away somewhere and not readily available.

Does anyone else here have this HDD DVR? If so, have you been able to set up the player to control one of the new digital converters with the IR blaster? Any recomendations about which converter to use or tips for setup?

I know it's old but I would like to keep it useful for a few more years.

Since that's an older model that probably has version 7 or 8 of the guide, it should work famously with the Channel Master CM-7000.

That's the preferred model that many people here use with HDD/DVD recorders that have IR blasters (at least with those versions of the guide). It has great reception, picture quality (one of the only boxes that has s-video out) and uses a very old, common Pioneer cable box code - which pretty much all IR-blastered recorders carry.

The Philips will also probably control the DTV Pal Plus (using an old Scientific Atlanta cable box code), but, except for it's superior guide, the CM is really better all-around - better PQ (much closer to DVD-like quality), reception, and much easier, straightforward setup and configuration with a recorder.

The CM-7000 is currently available from www.solidsignal.com for only $41.93 (+ $9.95 shipping charge).

(The EH55 and EH75 Panasonics, which have v9 of the TVGOS, can also control the Zenith and RCA boxes, just for reference.)

Yes - since that's an older model that probably has version 7 or 8 of the guide, it should work famously with the Channel Master CM-7000.

That's the preferred model that many people here use for what you're wanting (at least with those versions of the guide). It has great reception, picture quality (one of the only boxes that has s-video out) and uses a very old, common Pioneer cable box code - which almost all IR-blastered recorders carry.

It should also control the DTV Pal Plus using an old Scientific Atlanta cable box code, but, except for the superior guide of the Pal, the CM is really better all-around - better PQ (much closer to DVD-like quality), reception, and much easier setup and configuration with a recorder.

(The EH55 and EH75 Panasonics, which have v9 of the TVGOS, can also control the Zenith and RCA boxes, just for reference.)

Bummer, I already own the Zenith and RCA boxes and have replaced the TVs for which they were purchased.

I also have an old Hisense HDTV tuner and Samsung SIR something tuner, I may have some luck with those, they are about the same age as the HDRW 720.

When you say guide, are you referring to the TV Guide software or generally referring to the firmware?

I think I can lay hands on the manual this weekend and start experimenting. I'm hoping I come up with a solution that doesn't freak my wife out. She is remote phobic.

I will look into the CM if I can't make what I have work, thanks for the help.

When you say guide, are you referring to the TV Guide software or generally referring to the firmware?As far as the versions of TVGOS, I guess it would be the firmware. You cannot "upgrade" the versions (unfortunately), if that's what you're getting at.

If you're talking about the guide in the DTV Pal, that uses PSIP. That model is supposed to be able to convert the newer, digital TVGOS stream to an analog form, so that the old recorder's analog TVGOS will still function (there's an "Artec" model that supposedly can also do it) - but so far, there's not been a lot of success in getting that to work for people. We're hoping that it will someday soon. I actually have a Pal myself just for that purpose, and am waiting. Keep an eye out here to see if anything changes after June 12 - maybe they'll have gotten it all in place by then, as far as sending the "proper" signal to make it all work. I say "proper", because, apparently it doesn't use the standard digital signal - it supposedly uses a different one, and they might not be sending it out yet. Still, we don't even know for sure if it'll work with cable or not - only OTA possibly.

That's why I didn't even initially mention that - because the CM just works - with no major problems. The Pal also has manual timers that you can fall back on, but those can be erratic, so I wouldn't suggest depending on them over using an IR blaster. There is also the Zinwell ZAT-950A that has timers, and that's supposed to be a bit more dependable, if you really want to go the route of having to set and synch timers on two units. One caveat I should mention with using the IR blaster method, though, is that (at least with the older Panasonics and the CM) you have to leave the recorder on for it to always fire properly. I'm not sure about the Philips, though.

As far as those 4 tuners you mention you have - I'm thinking the only one that *might* have a chance of working with the 720's IR blaster would be the Samsung (as long as it's a "SIR" model, and not the last "H260F" one). I'm pretty sure the Zenith or RCA won't - but you can try. You can look at the "Sony HDD-DHG500/250" thread in the "HDTV Recorders" forum here and see how to go into the TVGOS diagnostics menu and see which version you have, If it's v8, it *might* possibly work with one of those two CECB's - I only have experience with v7 & v9 (don't recall anyone trying to do this with any v8 standard def HDD/DVD recorders, either - if there even are any. There probably are, but I just never heard anyone mention it).

As far as the versions of TVGOS, I guess it would be the firmware. You cannot "upgrade" the versions, if that's what you're getting at.

(If you're talking about the guide in the DTV Pal, that uses PSIP. That model is supposed to be able to convert the newer, digital TVGOS stream to an analog form, so that the old recorder's analog TVGOS will still function - but so far, there's not been a lot of success in getting that to work for people. We're hoping that it will someday soon. I actually have a Pal myself, just for that purpose, and am waiting. Keep an eye out here to see if anything changes after June 12 - maybe they'll have gotten it all in place by then, as far as sending the "proper" signal to make it all work. I say "proper", because, apparently it doesn't use the standard digital signal - it supposedly uses a different one, and they might not be sending it out yet. Still, we don't even know for sure if it'll work with cable or not - only OTA possibly.)


Very interesting, I was not referring to the Pal, but it would make the HDRW 720 as functional as new if they can get it working.

I am OTA only so things are a little less compicated in my setup.

I'll definately be watching the the PAL if they are going to offer analog conversion of the TV Guide, that is really great!

Is there a specific thread or web site following the development of this feature?

There are a few threads here. There's the dedicated Pal one in the "CECB" sub-forum, and a few scattered ones here and in the Technical forum (I think) that are keeping track of it (lots of nutty "experimentation" stuff with overly long, boring posts full of half-senseless, mumbo jumbo, goobbledegook by uber-geeks with way too much time on their hands to wade through, though ;) (seems to me that if it doesn't work the way they tell you to set it up in the Pal manual, it's not going to work at all - but try to tell them that :rolleyes:).

That's why I suggest not even starting to read them until after June 12 - it might appear there is a lot of useful information there because of the sheer volume, but there really isn't much that is too definite or useful as of yet. I suppose if you've got the time and don't have anything better to do, though...).

Bumping this back to the top to see if anyone is getting TV Guide info from their digital conversion box to their older HDD DVD burners after the digital change over.