Directv and Ethernet (1 Viewer)

superchuck500

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I am trying to find some information about the Directv DVR that you can connect to your home CAT5 network.

Is anyone familiar with these? What additional capabilities do you get? What issues are there? Do you like this feature?

I have been reading info online but it's all from several years ago.

Thanks!!
 
Yes, PPV and on demand spools over ethernet. You DTV box will also act as a media player from shared media servers on your network (WMP et al).

I'm pretty familiar with it. Feel free to ask questions.
 
My DTV box doesn't connect to the Internet, even with a cable plugged in from my router. It did at one point, but something happened where I had to change the DNS address on all of my comptuers to connect to the Internet. Since then, I haven't been able to connect through my DTV box .. and I'd really like to.
 
My DTV box doesn't connect to the Internet, even with a cable plugged in from my router. It did at one point, but something happened where I had to change the DNS address on all of my comptuers to connect to the Internet. Since then, I haven't been able to connect through my DTV box .. and I'd really like to.

If you had to change the DNS address on your computers, you would have to change it on your DTV box too.

The easiest way to set things up is to have your router act as a DHCP server - so it will hand out addresses and network settings to all the machines on your network. If you are manually assigning DNS addresses, then at least part of it is not automated.

One thing to check would be to check the IP address of the DTV box, and see if you can ping it from another computer on the network. If you can - then the problem is probably ONLY DNS. If not, then it's not getting an address at all, and you will want to look at setting up DHCP properly, or manually configuring the network settings on your DTV box.
 
I've tried to change the DNS on my DTV box, but it hasn't kept the address I enter.

I'll fool around with it some more when I get home in a bit. A lot of the stuff you mentioned at the end of the post is a little bit over my head, but I'll see what I can do, without going too deep into it (don't want to mess anything up because of lack of knowledge).

Thanks for the suggestions though, and any help. It's definitely appreciated.

I feel like I'm missing out with the OnDemand stuff, and now the new apps they've added.
 
as buzd mentioned, about he router handling it.. most routers can be set manually on the dns. and then hand it out over dhcp.. so your pc's and dtv can get it from router.
only reason i'd set manually on the router, is if your isp isn't providing it. That, or you're using another DNS that works better.
 
There was a time when the only way to update the tv listings on your receiver was through the phone lines. Pay-per-view was mentioned. Sunday Ticket and other subscriptions required phone lines at one time. Receiver activation required it. The use of a DVR also required it.

Now you just need ethernet which is much easier to run than a phone line thanks to power-line adapters and wireless bridges.
 
Thanks for the info.

Do you get expanded PPV and OnDemand offerings?
 
Thanks for the info.

Do you get expanded PPV and OnDemand offerings?

Honestly, I don't remember what was available before. But with download, you select it (start the download), then y bou're in a 24 hour window to watch your PPV. So you can watch it on your schedule (like an On Demand) which I don't think you can do with just satellite.

Since it's a download, there's a lag between your order and when you can actually start watching, and this lag is directly dependent on your internet/network speed. In my experience, that lag has never been more than 30 minutes, and usually less.
 
I guess the bottom line question is: is it something to get excited about? I'm going to have it networked in my new house, and it seems like it could be cool, but I haven't really read anything that indicates that you get any more functionality than you would otherwise.


Thanks Buzd.
 
The biggest use/feature you'll get out it are the on-demand channels. All on-demand channels have a number "1" in front of them. For example, the discovery channel is 278, so its on-demand channel is 1278.

The number of HD programming availabe on-demand is scare. Overall, the on-demand listings are neat to go into when there isn't anything on TV, but in my experience, you'll rarely access it.

The on-demand programming is more oriented towards legacy programming. Say you missed last night's daily show on comeday central, it's not like it will be listed the next day for on-demand viewing (I could be wrong, haven't checked it recently). You get stuff more like South Park Season 1 instead.
 

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