Channel change from another room possible?

[Loflyby]

I am currently a Dish customer, but am disenchanted and contemplating the switch. The only thing I truly like is the ability to change the channel of the receiver that is ran to two tvs, with HD mirrored off the HDMI and component, from a different room using RF.

From all that I have gathered, the DTV receivers use IR. Is there any way to change the channel from another room using a remote eye or different method ?

 

[cfb]

You can change the directv remote to RF, or you could use an IR remote transmitter.

 

[dishrich]

All HD DVR's come standard with RF remotes that just need to be enabled in RF mode.

All HD receviers & SD DVR's have RF capability, but only come with IR remotes; you can buy RF remotes for about $20-$25.

The SD receivers are IR only.

 

[Loflyby]

Thanks, sounds like that may be the driving force behind the change!

 

[cfb]

One thing that might be different. I think the dish receivers can output two different shows at the same time to two different tv sets? Directv only outputs one.

One other thing you can do is that if you have an HD DVR and an HD receiver, the stuff recorded on the HD DVR can be streamed to the HD receiver and watched locally. Then you can watch separate stuff on each tv. If you opt for this setup, you'll also be more likely to get the very latest directv receivers/dvr's instead of an older model.

 

[Lem52]

I didn't know I could use my present remote for RF. I just enabled it for RF and have a HR22. It worked great but I don't see any place for an RF antenna, but it doesn't seem to affect it. Works great without an antenna.

lem52

 

[cfb]

Some of the HR's have an internal antenna but its not quite as sensitive. My HR20-100's have a coax jack on the back for the little stick antenna that came with it. For a while I had mine connected to an old rabbit ear style antenna. Had pretty darn good range with that....

 

[raoul5788]

I didn't know I could use my present remote for RF. I just enabled it for RF and have a HR22. It worked great but I don't see any place for an RF antenna, but it doesn't seem to affect it. Works great without an antenna.

lem52

Actually, it works great with the built in antenna!

 

[raoul5788]

One thing that might be different. I think the dish receivers can output two different shows at the same time to two different tv sets? Directv only outputs one.

One other thing you can do is that if you have an HD DVR and an HD receiver, the stuff recorded on the HD DVR can be streamed to the HD receiver and watched locally. Then you can watch separate stuff on each tv. If you opt for this setup, you'll also be more likely to get the very latest directv receivers/dvr's instead of an older model.

A twist on the outputs of Dish and Directv: The Dish dvr outputs two different signals but only one is in hd. The Directv dvr outputs only one, but both are can be hd if you use the component and hdmi.

 

[Lem52]

Some of the HR's have an internal antenna but its not quite as sensitive. My HR20-100's have a coax jack on the back for the little stick antenna that came with it. For a while I had mine connected to an old rabbit ear style antenna. Had pretty darn good range with that....

I do see an orange output labeled COAX on the back of my HR22/100. Maybe thats for the antenna. I have went all over the house testing the RF and its pretty good. Maybe it will wait until I go to bed and want to watch something and then won't work. However I got to get a composite cable to run from the living room to the rear bedroom TV first. I don't have a flat panel in there yet! That might not work if the composite signal is not outputted.

Lem52

 

[Dennis Brown]

I don't know if my issue is the same as the OP or not. I just switched from Dish to Directv this morning.On one of my receivers the signal is split with a powered HDMI switch, the other feed going into another bedroom. With my Dish remote I could change satellite channels in the bedroom even though the receiver is located in another room. The Directv remote won't work. I have to be right in front of the receiver (HR24) to change channels.

Is there anything I can do to the remote so that it reads signals thru walls like the Dish receiver. Or an I out of luck.

Thanks,

Dennis

 

[raoul5788]

I don't know if my issue is the same as the OP or not. I just switched from Dish to Directv this morning.On one of my receivers the signal is split with a powered HDMI switch, the other feed going into another bedroom. With my Dish remote I could change satellite channels in the bedroom even though the receiver is located in another room. The Directv remote won't work. I have to be right in front of the receiver (HR24) to change channels.

Is there anything I can do to the remote so that it reads signals thru walls like the Dish receiver. Or an I out of luck.

Thanks,

Dennis

You have to go through the menu and change the remote from IR to RF.

 

[RandallA]

If you change from IR to RF, don't you need to change the receiver # too? or is the remote address married to the receiver?

 

[dishrich]

When you follow the entire on-screen procedure, the remote is married to the receiver in RF mode by the last 6 digits of the RID#...

It worked great but I don't see any place for an RF antenna, but it doesn't seem to affect it. Works great without an antenna.

Except for the HR20-100's, all the other HR2x models just use an internal RF antenna

 

[RandallA]

When you follow the entire on-screen procedure, the remote is married to the receiver in RF mode by the last 6 digits of the RID#...



Except for the HR20-100's, all the other HR2x models just use an internal RF antenna

Thank you. Coming from E* so this is new to me.

 

[Dennis Brown]

You have to go through the menu and change the remote from IR to RF.

Thanks Chip. The remote is now set to RF and all is good.

Dennis

 

[raoul5788]

Thanks Chip. The remote is now set to RF and all is good.

Dennis

:up Woo hoo!

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

I do see an orange output labeled COAX on the back of my HR22/100. Maybe thats for the antenna.

Lem52

That's the coaxial digital audio output.

 

[joed32]

I do see an orange output labeled COAX on the back of my HR22/100. Maybe thats for the antenna. I have went all over the house testing the RF and its pretty good. Maybe it will wait until I go to bed and want to watch something and then won't work. However I got to get a composite cable to run from the living room to the rear bedroom TV first. I don't have a flat panel in there yet! That might not work if the composite signal is not outputted.

Lem52

That Coax is to send audio to a surround sound system. Your unit has the RF antenna built in.