Thread: Using RF and IR at the same time

Hello all,

I know I'm asking for a 'hack', but its not to steal anything - its just to enable something that should have been enabled all along. If this is against the policy here, I apologize in advance.

Has anyone figured out how to enable BOTH IR and RF on DirecTv HD DVR receivers? I'm having DirecTV installed next week and I'd like to send my receiver output to 3 TVs, with 2 in other rooms. I'm assuming the RF remotes would work from the other rooms, but I have a Harmony remote nicely set up for my HT system. which is all IR.

I know DISH can use IR and RF at the same time, so theres no technological barrier. Has anyone figured out how to enable both in DirecTV receivers?

Thanks, CJ

Originally Posted by cnrsat

Hello all,

I know I'm asking for a 'hack', but its not to steal anything - its just to enable something that should have been enabled all along. If this is against the policy here, I apologize in advance.

Has anyone figured out how to enable BOTH IR and RF on DirecTv HD DVR receivers? I'm having DirecTV installed next week and I'd like to send my receiver output to 3 TVs, with 2 in other rooms. I'm assuming the RF remotes would work from the other rooms, but I have a Harmony remote nicely set up for my HT system. which is all IR.

I know DISH can use IR and RF at the same time, so theres no technological barrier. Has anyone figured out how to enable both in DirecTV receivers?

Thanks, CJ

This is not a hack, so you don't have to worry about it here.
I didn't know that DISH was able to do IR AND RF .....

Anyways, No, you cannot do both with D*.

You can use the RF for other rooms, mine worked well that way, I had one remote in the HT room and I in the other room.

Can the Harmony do both IR and RF ?
If not, why not ?

The Harmony 890 does do RF, but not natively to the HD DVRs. It uses an RF receiver that converts the signal to IR.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I didn't know that DISH was able to do IR AND RF .....

I know some of the older receivers could. My 811 I was able to. Had the UHF remote in the bedroom and a IR remote from a 301 in the living room. Worked fine

Originally Posted by jdspencer

The Harmony 890 does do RF, but not natively to the HD DVRs. It uses an RF receiver that converts the signal to IR.

Originally Posted by Iceberg

I know some of the older receivers could. My 811 I was able to. Had the UHF remote in the bedroom and a IR remote from a 301 in the living room. Worked fine

Today, I learned from both of you !

All Dish Receivers that do RF can do IR at the same time.. Never have understood why DirecTV has to use one or the other

Thanks for the info guys, even though it wasnt what I wanted to hear. I wish some of the real clever computer hackers would hop on this and figure out how to do both IR and RF. If the DirecTV remotes can do it, then their receivers should!

I just had DTC installed yesterday and the included RF remote does work from upstairs on the opposite end of the house.

But to use my Harmony remote I guess I'll have to go with the Nect Generation RF remote extender.

Thanks for the answers...

CJ

Originally Posted by cnrsat

Thanks for the info guys, even though it wasnt what I wanted to hear. I wish some of the real clever computer hackers would hop on this and figure out how to do both IR and RF. If the DirecTV remotes can do it, then their receivers should!

The real clever computer hackers would have to rewrite the code for the DIRECTV receiver and DVR boxes and reload it into the receivers and DVRs somehow. Not likely to happen.

not sure about the harmony remote, but u could program multiple rf remotes to 1 receiver without any problems.