vip722, TV2 (IR control?)

bub

SatelliteGuys Guru
Original poster
Nov 18, 2003
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I have a vip722 and the URC RF20 system with Power Blaster IR control. Is there any way that I can control TV2, normally controlled by DN 6.3 IR/UHF Pro remote, using my URC IR/UHF remote?

Thx,
George
 
Ditto. I contacted a CSR, also sent a note to Tech Forum (email and online) to see when they were going to 'Fix' this issue. No reply yet.

TV2 is useless without a DISH UHF 'ONLY' remote. Third party IR remotes should be allowed to work, but are currently not suppoted.
 
Look for Next Generation remote extender (~$35).
There is no better product to accompish your goal.
I use it with Harmony remote in the basement home theater to control all equipment upstairs.
 
Thx guys, picked one up for Claude here at the DishStore. I'm hoping there are instructions on how to 'teach' my learning IR remote. I'm a little bit fuzzy on that one. How does the 6.3 UHF Pro teach via IR...

George
 
I have one of the TV2-IR kits and it works great. What I did was take the UHF remote and flip the chip-thingy at the bottom (I'm sure there's a technical term for it) so the black side was facing up rather than the blue "2" side. That made it IR (don't ask me where I learned that, I don't remember). I was then able to use that remote to "teach" my Harmony IR remote.
 
I have one of the TV2-IR kits and it works great. What I did was take the UHF remote and flip the chip-thingy at the bottom (I'm sure there's a technical term for it) so the black side was facing up rather than the blue "2" side. That made it IR (don't ask me where I learned that, I don't remember). I was then able to use that remote to "teach" my Harmony IR remote.

I've looked at that, there is a screw and I remove the screw but the 'chip-thingy' doesn't come out. I must be doing something wrong.
 
Any TV IR

They should have been able to tell you about the adapter they've had available since last summer, maybe earlier.
EKB: TV2 IR Converter

The problem with this device is that I would need one on EVERY distant TV in the house. I also would need to 'learn' the proper IR codes on my Universal MX remotes, but the Dish Remote is not sending an IR signal, so where does the MX get the 'learned' code?
(I guess I could put TV1 into the TV2 'remote' address mode, learn the IR codes for TV2, then put TV1 remote back to the correct address. Then I would need the 722k to accept the IR codes for TV2 instead of UHF).


The Dish 21.0 remote is "capable" of sending IR, and the 722k Is "capable" of receiving IR, but the programming in the 722k is not allowing this to happen.

According to the manual:

"Users Guide Part Number 158669, page 74, "Changing UHF/IR Using the Switch" used in conjunction with the instructions from page 72, "Changing the Address for remote Control 2".

In addition, the manual says that the 21.0 works in BOTH IR and UHF when in the UHF position (simultaneously!). This is not the case, it is in UHF mode only when in UHF mode, IR signals are not issued when in UHF mode. And when TV2 21.0 remote is set to IR, the 722k does not accept the IR signal on TV2.

Any other solutions?
 
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I've looked at that, there is a screw and I remove the screw but the 'chip-thingy' doesn't come out. I must be doing something wrong.

Pull off the battery cover, then pull the chip (called the Identifier Tab I now know) towards you, it's held in by 2 protrusions. It should just pull right out, no need to remove a screw....
 
Look for Next Generation remote extender (~$35).
There is no better product to accompish your goal.
I use it with Harmony remote in the basement home theater to control all equipment upstairs.


Thanks for pointing out this gem, however, it does not solve the problem. I already have Whole-House IR transmission (IR from anyroom to Home Theater). I need the 722k to accept the IR signal on the TV2 receiver (Line of sight is fine). I also need the ability to put a Dish remote into IR mode, so I can teach it to other Universal remotes, such as a Harmony, Universal MX, Pronto, etc.

Once I can teach another (non-dish) remote to send the proper IR signals, I would like the 722k to accept them on the TV2 receiver.

This should not be this difficult.
 
I may be mistaken but I think that what DN means when they classify their remotes as UHF AND IR, they are referring to the ability of the remote to send IR signals to other devices, not their own equipment, at least certainly not the TV2 tuner on dual tuner receivers.

The 722 can receive IR commands, but only on TV1. I'm not sure what the differences are between the 722k and the 722 (I have the 722). My remote is the 6.3 UHF Pro (for TV2) and it most certainly does not send IR commands to a IR learning remote regarding TV2 tuner commands.

Again, the 722 can receive both UHF and IR but only UHF on TV2. The DN UHF remotes can send both UHF and IR but only IR, at least as far as TV2 goes, to control other equipment, not DN.

I'm still trying to figure out how to turn the 'chip thingy' around on my 6.3 DN remote.
 
Pull off the battery cover, then pull the chip (called the Identifier Tab I now know) towards you, it's held in by 2 protrusions. It should just pull right out, no need to remove a screw....

Ooops, didn't see your post, will try that, thx.
 
Thanks for pointing out this gem, however, it does not solve the problem. I already have Whole-House IR transmission (IR from anyroom to Home Theater). I need the 722k to accept the IR signal on the TV2 receiver (Line of sight is fine). I also need the ability to put a Dish remote into IR mode, so I can teach it to other Universal remotes, such as a Harmony, Universal MX, Pronto, etc.

Once I can teach another (non-dish) remote to send the proper IR signals, I would like the 722k to accept them on the TV2 receiver.

This should not be this difficult.

I am in the exact same boat as you! I've decided to go with the TV 2 IR Converter Kit from the DishStore. It was $39 with ~$8 shipping. I don't think you would need one for each TV but certainly for each dual tuner you wanted to access TV2 via IR.
 
TV2 Needs IR Capability!!

I don't think you would need one for each TV but certainly for each dual tuner you wanted to access TV2 via IR.

Most people have one TV connected to TV2, (or TV1 for that matter), But I have a whole house Cable headend for multiple channels: Ch54=DVD, Ch56=HTPC, Ch58=Dish Sat1, Ch60=Dish Sat2, Ch64=MediaPlayer, Ch68=BUD, Ch73=Dish Sat3(TV2), Ch75=Dish Sat4, Ch77=Camera1, Ch79=Camera2

I can watch ANY channel on ANY TV in ANY room, and control ANY device, with Univeral remotes (EXCEPT DISH 722k TV2).

I do not want to place a DISH NETWORK $48 device on EVERY TV in the house. Not practical.

Time to send an email directly to the Software engineers at Echostar.
 
what you do is put the ir to uhf converter by the receiver you want to control and put one of you ir transmiters from your whole house system to control the converter.

you can email the software engineers all you want but the problem is the hardware.
 
Most people have one TV connected to TV2, (or TV1 for that matter), But I have a whole house Cable headend for multiple channels: Ch54=DVD, Ch56=HTPC, Ch58=Dish Sat1, Ch60=Dish Sat2, Ch64=MediaPlayer, Ch68=BUD, Ch73=Dish Sat3(TV2), Ch75=Dish Sat4, Ch77=Camera1, Ch79=Camera2

I can watch ANY channel on ANY TV in ANY room, and control ANY device, with Univeral remotes (EXCEPT DISH 722k TV2).

I do not want to place a DISH NETWORK $48 device on EVERY TV in the house. Not practical.

Time to send an email directly to the Software engineers at Echostar.

Yes, I agree with Kevin. The one $48 device will allow you to control TV2 with your IR system from anywhere in your house on any TV, which is what you want/need. Sounds like you are like me, with plenty of money already invested in your system, an additional $48 didn't seem like so much to polish off your setup (or mine either).

Good luck.

I will report back once I receive my TV 2 IR Converter Kit and get it setup.
 
Update, received my TV2 IR Converter Kit...


I have HD TV1 (main TV connected to VIP722 (non k model) via HDMI) and HD TV2 (120 feet away in bedroom connected to same VIP722 via Component (more on that later)). I didn't want to use DN UHF Pro 6.3 remote to control TV2 from the bedroom so started researching possible solutions and that brought me to the TV2 IR Converter Kit.

I just installed it using the simplified 'Slingbox' setup (even though I don't have a Slingbox). I simply connected to the UHF antenna in on the VIP722 and used the included IR Cable for the Slingbox (used it for my URC RF20 setup, which I have two remotes). I had to switch TV1 remote to channel 3 and re-learn my URC's. Worked like a champ right off the bat, no problems.

Now, if some of you are still reading, I can only assume you are interested in how to get component HD out to TV2 over 120 feet away... Well, I use the Audio Authority RCA to Cat5e/Cat6 gear. This is the same, or similar, gear the big stores use to send one signal to scores of TV's.

This gear allows you to send HD Component and 2 channel audio AND RCA audio/video AND a digital audio channel via 3 runs of Cat5e/Cat6 cable for some many hundreds of feet without any perceptible image/sound loss (at least to my eyes and ears).

So, I take the HD Component along with the 2 channel RCA audio AND the RCA audio/video out of the VIP722, plug those into the Audio Authority head end, which converts those to 3 Cat5e cables, which I run through my attic to the TV2 in the bedroom, connect the 3 Cat5e cables to the Audio Authority end gear, which converts the signals back into HD Component and left/right RCA audio AND RCA audio and video, which I plug into my HD TV2.

The reason I run both is so that if TV1 is not being used, I can use TV2 for HD viewing. If TV1 is being used, I can switch TV2 to SD RCA audio/video and continue to watch tv via the VIP722's 2nd tuner. This gives me complete access to all channels as well as all recorded material.

Now, the Audio Authority gear will also carry one digital audio source. I believe that there are toslink to mini mm audio cables (the VIP722 does not have a digital audio other than toslink). If there are also mini mm to rca cables, then we could actually send the toslink audio from the VIP722 through the Audio Authority gear to an audio receiver at TV2's location. This is some very interesting stuff here.

There is a guy over on a different forum (AVS) who is selling the Audio Authority head and end gear for only $80 plus shipping. I also had him cut me and ship some Cat5e in the lengths I needed. I purchased the Ideal 30-696 RJ45 crimper off ebay for only $15 w/free shipping.

My advice, use a magnifying glass when terminating your Cat cable as those wires are teeny. I had 3 out of 8 terminations fail due to either crossed wires or open wires, before the magnifying glass, zero after.

Luck all,
George

If anybody needs more information, I would be more than happy to assist. I have absolutely no affiliation with Audio Authority or the guy selling the units, just stumbled upon the setup while doing my research. The guy is very helpful and friendly, but this gear is pretty straight forward and works without issue.
 
Yea, what a stupid design for remote and receiver. :mad::mad: How much extra would it have cost Dish to get a dual functioning remote and tv 2 receiver. Probably 50 cents!!! That was how the 3xx remotes worked...uhf and ir at the same time on remote #2. To fix this ill designed remote mistake cost $40 for the kit. To all the future design engineers, there are enough dumb designed remote controls in the electronics world, so get smart and give us the features we need and that are useful. Part of the design flaw also lies with these new receivers that are not ir capable in the TV 2 mode....just an old man's thoughts on this subject.:eek:

And while I'm venting, why would dish make a dual receiver Hi Def receiver and both sides not be Hi Def output??? The vip222 is such a case. TV 1 is hi def, TV 2 is standard def. And Dish wants me to pay extra $7 per month in order to have a non hi def receiver on TV 2 side...errrrrh:confused:
 
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