Can a directv dual dvr control 2 tv's?

[jmc797]

I used to have dish network, and I had a dual tuner dvr that worked for 2 tv's. It was possible to watch recordings in either room as well as watch different channels in both rooms. You can also switch it to single mode and watch one channel while recording another but only in one room. My in-laws just got directv, and their dual dvr only works for one room, basically like the dish network in single mode. Is there any way to use it for 2 rooms like the dish network dvr?

thanks

 

[darrencp22]

Nope.

 

[jcrandall]

I think Dish is the only company that offers dual tv dvrs.

 

[Zynergi]

Its not entirely a No. You could put a splitter on the TV out of the DVR and run it to rooms you may want to watch recordings, then in each room if the TV only has a TV in and no Composite connections, get a AB switch to switch between DVR and that rooms receiver. You will still need a receiver for each room but this would allow you to watch recorded shows in other rooms as well.

Kind of a crude drawing but you should be able to get the idea.. now keep in mind that an installer will probally charge for the mirror lines. In this drawing the mirrored TV's would get teh DVR recording on Channel 3 and watch DirecTV on Input1

 

[darrencp22]

Even if you did this, wouldnt you have a remote issue?

 

[Zynergi]

No, the remotes would function just the same and the boxes would still be in thier respected rooms, the only thing added here is a back end distribution system. You will probably want to order the RF remote or pick up a RF/IR cone to control the DVR elsewhere in the house. The system is still a standard 4 box install with 3 extra lines.

 

[JAG72]

But you have the issue of watching two different programs at the same time. This is just not possible on the Directv equipment. Personally I would rather have DVR's in every room instead of sharing one. The TV2 feature did not work very well within my house.

 

[Zynergi]

Hence why you have 2 inputs in the auxiliary rooms, 1 from the DVR and 1 for the local receiver

 

[JAG72]

Hence why you have 2 inputs in the auxiliary rooms, 1 from the DVR and 1 for the local receiver

Still not the same. You can't do what the 622 or the 722 can with the Directv DVR with what was being asked, period.

 

[charper1]

Just get a IRD at each TV and have superior PQ.

 

[bagsy]

Its not entirely a No. You could put a splitter on the TV out of the DVR and run it to rooms you may want to watch recordings, then in each room if the TV only has a TV in and no Composite connections, get a AB switch to switch between DVR and that rooms receiver. You will still need a receiver for each room but this would allow you to watch recorded shows in other rooms as well.

I currently have a dual-tuner Dish Network dvr placed at TV1 and connected to TV1 and with 2nd output to TV2. I also have a Directv standard def dvr at TV1. Could I do something similar to what you mentioned and be able to watch the Directv dvr on TV2? I am guessing on how to do this --- take a splitter from output of Directv dvr and run one line into TV1 and run the other output to an a-b switch at TV2. Then I could run the output from the splitter and also the output from the Dish Network line that already goes into that room both into the a-b splitter. Then I could switch between Directv and Dish Network on my TV2. Is this correct?

 

[Cincyray]

I had dish and hated the tv2 thing. Tv2 the tech hooked up was in my sons room whenever i was taping he could not change the channel. I watch tv in mainly just one room even though we have 7 in the house so i am extremely happy with the hr21.

 

[bagsy]

The tech must have hooked up your 2-room dvr incorrectly then. You should have been able to control both feeds separately. I have no problem with recording on one tv and recording, changing channels, etc. on the other tv at the same time.

 

[ddinsm]

While I loved the 2nd TV in my wife's home office feature, she could watch all the stuff we recorded on the plasma and change channels. The one thing that needs to be changed is the ability to choose which tuner something records on. When I would set stuff up to record in the afternoon it always defaulted to TV2 so if someone is watching "LIVE" tv in the other room it changes the channel on them. She used to get fired up when the little dialog box comes up and says changing channel in 1 minute. Now she has her own PVR with Direct.

 

[harshness]

In the final analysis, darrencp22 had the correct answer in post #2. DIRECTV offers no DVR(s) with a comparable feature. The lack of a built-in RF modulator complicates trying to approximate the functionality.

With the significant number of HD-only offerings on DISH Network, it is perhaps more of an issue.

 

[Dlycious]

I think Dish is the only company that offers dual tv dvrs.

I don't have it, and I don't know the particulars, but Verizon FIOS has Whole-House DVR functionality.

Dying for D* to get that.

 

[harshness]

I don't have it, and I don't know the particulars, but Verizon FIOS has Whole-House DVR functionality.

The current FIOS solution is far from ideal. Here's a list of some of the limitations from a PDF on their website:

Important information:
• Programs recorded in Hi-Def cannot be played back on remote
Set Top Boxes.
• Remote Set Top Boxes cannot pause or rewind live TV.
• Remote Set Top Boxes do not support remote scheduling of
program recordings. Program recordings can ONLY be
scheduled through the DVR.
• HD Set Top Boxes (model 6200) cannot be used as part of a
Multi-Room network.
• Your Multi-Room DVR will support up to six additional
Set Top Boxes.
• No more than two remote Set Top Boxes can simultaneously
access recorded content from the DVR. An error message will
be displayed if more than two Set Top Boxes try to access
recorded content simultaneously.
• You cannot delete content from the DVR if another Set Top Box
is concurrently accessing that content.

Some of those really put a wet blanket on the deal.

 

[Dlycious]

The current FIOS solution is far from ideal. Here's a list of some of the limitations from a PDF on their website:Some of those really put a wet blanket on the deal.

Wow, you're right. Still , it's better than nothing, but it's certainly not what I envisioned hearing about a whole-house DVR. I should have known it was too good to be true.

 

[harshness]

Wow, you're right. Still , it's better than nothing, but it's certainly not what I envisioned hearing about a whole-house DVR.

I'm not sure how they can call it a "whole house" DVR when it can only deliver two recordings at once.