DirecTV "Whole Home" DVR Questions - Page 2

Deca works over the coax but you need to pay Directv to install it. It will also connect to your router with no Cat-5 runs needed.

cool

Does anyone know whether the DTV service gets knocked out if the local cable internet service gets knocked out? In the past, I've enjoyed the satisfaction of still having my DTV service when the local cable got knocked out because someone knocked over the cable box on the street or something.

DirecTV service, and their whole home DVR service will still work fine if your internet connection goes down. The only things you won't be able to do is get new On-Demand content off the web or use TV-Apps, etc since you don't have web access. If you already have something downloaded from On-Demand, and saved on your DVR it should still work.

I live in Minnesota and have 2 H20 DVR's and one plain HD reciever. I called to get one of them upgraded from a 20 to the new 24. The gal mentioned a promotion, for $158.55 they will come to my home and upgrade all 3 recievers and the dish. Install the home wide service. I let them know I have gigabyte wired home with broadband internet.
So $158.55 for 2 HD24 recievers and one of the new HD recievers.

Sorry to tell you Dr Mark, but the CSR you talked to was misinformed. What you are paying for is the Whole Home DVR install. This just has them upgrade your system to SWM and install DECA adapters at your existing HD boxes. The only existing HD box that will be swapped out is if you have an H20 without a network port. It will be swapped out for either an H21, H23, or H24 (this will cause a new 2 year agreement).

A lot of people were incorrectly told all of their recievers would be upgraded to H24/HR24 models with the Whole Home DVR, and then got upset when the installer informed them that the CSR was wrong.

When I contacted the install service, I was told they specified model numbers. Would this be incorrect? I was very specific when I called and called back to confirm what was being delivered.

Hi folks,

Just had new service installed this weekend. Two boxes, one HD-DVR and one HD (non DVR). Had the whole home service requested, and tech said was installed, but not getting it to work.

The boxes are not connected to the Internet, and I am not planning to have them connected at this time.

Behind the HD-DVR is a DECA and a power supply. Both boxes show Authorized on screen in the status, and both show No Networked DVRs found.

On another forum it is mentioned that even without a connected to the Internet environment that a Cat5 is needed from the DECA to the DVR, is this true?

I won't be home to check for a few hours, but am almost 100% positive the tech didn't install one.

Thanks, Warren

If you have DECA with a non H24/HR24, there is a short ethernet cable that goes from the DECA module to the ethernet connector on the DVR and the non DVR. Both need the DECA module and both need the ethernet cable to be connected.
If it is an H24/HR24, then you do not use the DECA modules at all, and the only connection then is the coax cable connecting to the satellite/SWiM connection.

SMK

Thanks SMK, here are the two boxes:

HD-DVR (HR23-700) has a DECA on the back.
HD (H24-200) does not have a DECA on the back.

I have connected the Ethernet wire from the DECA to the HR23-700, that didn't seem to make any change. Do I need to manually assign IP addresses, since I'm not connected to my home's network? Other thoughts?

Here is my question....

Ive got HR22, H21, and HR24 all with DECA except the 24. not currently set up to the internet as i just moved into a new apt and AT&T hasnt come out yet. When this does get installed, im just thinking ill continue to use the DECA set up for simplicity sake (MRV works perfectly now) and find another DECA box for my router and use my extra SWM power inverter on it.

The question is where does the coax line run out of the router DECA? Im assuming there is an empty spot on my splitter outside, but is it a specified spot?

Lots of good info in this thread BTW, keep it up guys.

I think this is right, but mabye someone could verify:

I am having the house upgraded with 2 x hr24's with MRS.

I want to put an old hr20-700 I own in my office above the garage. Since this DVR will connected to a different dish I should be able to put it on the internet with out affecting the MRS or needing a DECA correct? Since it is on its own dish it wont see the hr24's and mess up the MRS correct?

Can you use the DECA adapter and a switch to share the connect with another device like a Blueray player. How is the DECA network connect to an Internet connection? thanks

Can I connect 2 hd dvr's together and have each of them access the others recorded list? The csr said i could could only connect a hd receiver to an hd Dvr.
Thanks!

Via an ethernet connection, yes. But you'd need to get DIRECTV to enable Whole Home DVR service in unsupported mode and pay the $3/month WHDVR service fee. That is unless you pay DIRECTV to install their DECA networking solution which uses the coax line for network connectivity.

Thanks! So when I go to the Dvr list I just pick which Dvr list I want to watch from? So I will order another Dvr plug it into the network and call dtv until I get a csr to enable that service.

You don't pick which DVR list you want to choose from. All your DVRs will have names. There will be two options if you press the yellow button when in "list" mode. There will be a bottom choice for "filter playlist." The choices will be "all" or "local." If you choose all, you will get a combined playlist for all DVRs but when you highlight a program, if will show in the upper left corner which DVR it is on.

SMK

Let us know how you make out. I tried the e-mail route over the weekend (I already have my HR2x DVRs networked via ethernet) and they replied via e-mail telling me how I needed professional installation and yada, yada, yada..

I then tried calling, struck out, called back (customer retention, this time) and struck out again. He refused to activate the service for me without the DECA set up. I didn't really push the issue any furthur...will probably give it another shot at a later date. I didn't even want to know what kind of offer they would have made me as a long time customer (since 1999). Mabye I should have but I'm not comfortable with having them come in and touch my set-up, all of which I've done myself.

Anyway, cust curious as to how it goes for you....good luck.

Vin, have you checked out this thread http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=177590 on how to get DIRECTV to enable WHDVR with your ethernet network?

Vin, try the email approach again.

Try tell them you were an MRV beta tester and would like to get Whole Home DVR using your home network without ordering DECA.

Good luck.

Update. I replied to the email they sent me on Sunday, pled my case and within 30 minutes the service was turned on.

Okay, now for the bad news. First of all, let me fess up ....my two HR22s are networked via powerline adapters, the HR-21 in my basement has a direct ethernet connection. Up until now, there appeared to be no difference, I've been able to get On Demand on all 3, no problem.

Now, keeping in mind I spent very little time tinkering with this last night, what I'm seeing so far is that accessing the ethernet connected HR-21 in the basement from the powerline connected HR-22 in the kitchen works perfectly. The other way around, however, (accessing the powerline connected HR22 from the ethernet connected HR-21) results in lots of studdering.

Trying to access the powerline connected HR22 in the kitchen from the powerline connected HR22 in the living room didn't work at all....I received a message saying something like 'packets missing' or something to that affect. Resetting the DVRs did not seem to help.

This is as far as I got, I hope to get some time tonight to play some more. Anyway, from the limited troubleshooting I've done so far, I'm assuming the powerline adpaters are just not cutting it. Does that sound like a reasonable assumption or is there something else I need to do before moving on to Plan B, i.e, running Cat5e to the two DVRS in question?

Vin, as you've seen, powerline adapters can be hit or miss. Even when you get them working something as simple as someone tuning on a CFL can ruin it again. A wired connection would be best as you guessed. Do you have a SWiM setup now, if yes you could go out an buy your own DECA units if pulling cat 5 would be too much of a PITA.

Yes rad, as a matter of fact I do have a SWiM8 multiswitch and I have been considering the DECA units. The HR21 and the HR22 are running off of that right now. I still have the other HR22 being fed by a WB68 but it will be easy enough for me to switch that over to the SWiM8 to make it DECA compatible. The problem I have with the DECA set-up that is I'll lose my OTA diplexing via the switch, correct?

Another question....I'm currently using a DIRECTV® SWS-8 8-WAY SWM SPLITTER. I seem to remember reading something about green label splitters....can you fill me in on that? Do I need to swap out my current splitter. Thanks for your help.

Yes, you do lose OTA diplexing when using SWiM. When I ran into that problem I just got an indoor antenna and solved that problem. You close enough to the transmitters that an indoor would work for you?

Yes, if you have a DECA setup you are supposed to use green labeled splitters. Also it's recommended that if you're using an 8-way then you shouldn't have any other splitters behind it due to excessive signal loss. You should use the minimum number of ports on a splitter as possible.

I'm close enough that an indoor would probably work but I'm currently feeding 3 AM21s from my rooftop antenna and diplexing makes this totally painless, although, the only line where I'm currently diplexing is for the kitchen (the other 2 are fed via separate coax lines from a splitter) where running a separate coax to would be quite challenging, to say the least....ditto on getting an ethernet cable there, hence, the powerline adapter. Can I diplex the OTA in after the SWiM8 on the line I need it on?


What's special about the green labeled splitters...they're cheap enough if I need to replace the one I'm using, I'm just curious.

Also, I'll need to connect a broadband DECA to one of the outputs on the 8-way (leaving only 1 more potential feed), if I want to continue to have internet access for On Demand, correct?

If using DECA then no you can't since DECA uses same frequency range as OTA.



My understanding is they're certified to pass the entire frequency range required for DECA and SWiM.

What all do you have on that 8 way splitter? From what I've seen in your post is you have 3 HD DVR's, that's three connections, so if you add a BBD DECA that's four total. Since you're HD DVR's take 6 tuners from the SWiM pool even if you connected to non DVR STB's that's total of 6 coax connections (3 HD DVR's, 2 STB, 1 BB DECA) leaving you two open connections.

Sorry about that, what I meant to say was that I'd be left with one possible tuner feed before maxing out the SWiM8. Based on what you're saying, however, I guess I'd have two tuner feeds left (I see now that the BB DECA doesn't count).

Hey, I think this was already answered somewhere in this thread but....if I just wanted to network two of my DVRs for WHDVR with no internet access, can this be accomplished by simply joining the two with an ethernet cable? Or join all three with the use of an ethernet switch, thereby getting them all on WHDVR, again, with no internet access??

I'm guessing I could also accomplish the same thing with two DECAs, or 3 for that matter and avoid running any additional cat5, thus, the whole point of DECA...

Hey guys. Just thought I would put this out there. It has been said in some of the previous posts but I guess it wasn't spelled out for me because I didn't know what it was. You MUST have a swm multiswitch for the CSR to be able to activate the Whole Home Service. I tried to get them to just add it anyway but they said that since I dont have the swm they dont have the option to add it. I have to pay $199 for a tech to come out and install it then call in to their special Tech line and make the change on my account. This kinda sucks. It is gonna cost me $400 to get this service after I buy the DVR and the install. Anyone know a way around this? Is the SWM just a switch or do they have to change something on the dish as well?

You don't need internet access for WHDVR to work. Yes, you can directly connect to of them via their ethernet ports with nothing else. Yes, since you have SWiM (and swap out that splitter with a green labled one) adding DECA's to your HDDVR would also work.