DirecTv vs. Cable

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

I'll toss you another advantage for local cable companies - They don't charge you extra to subscribe to HDTV (over what the cost of each HD box costs). With DTV it's $10/mo + the cost of any additional HD boxes.

FYI here's the cable HD pricing:

You have to pay $9.95 month in Iowa City to get the HD pack, on top of $7.50/month HD box (non-recording) or $2/month for a cable card. The HD pack is Below: ESPN ESPN2 Universal HD Discovery HD HDNET HDNET movies INHD INHD2

[jchiso]

Mike:

I guess the point I am attempting to make is that you can use serial ports (onboard, add-ins, or usb-to-serial) to control certain set-top boxes but some boxes are not (as) compatible.

The same applies to the USB-UIRT and myBlaster, though with the USB-UIRT you can blast to mutiple zones. Several boxes allow you to select different IR code sets for different boxes, so you also have that measure or flexibility.

So with a USB-UIRT you should be able to control four boxes fairly easily using IR alone. If the box is controllable via serial you can control an additional box (or two) with onboard serial ports, though at that point you'll likely run out of pci ports for encoders unless you opt for usb encoders.

[mike1961]

Do I need just one USB-UIRT to control four boxes or do I need four separate USB-UIRTs?

Thanks,
Mike

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by mike1961

Do I need just one USB-UIRT to control four boxes or do I need four separate USB-UIRTs?

If you are talking about for DTV, I would strongly suggest going the Serial route. The D10 STB that DTV is giving out now for SDTV works perfectly fine via serial control. Also at $50 for a UIRT it would also be a less expensive route. I believe the UIRT can handle 3 boxes.

[stanger89]

I thought/assumed they were giving away D11's ?

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by stanger89

I thought/assumed they were giving away D11's ?

You may actually be right with that. If that is the case then you could be SOL as the D11 doesn't have Serial, just usb. Someone using MythTV claims to have it working using a usb to serial converter but said that while channel changing worked ok, most other features were flakey at best. Good thing the D10s can be had for $10-15 on ebay!

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php...TV_D11_via_USB

Makes me wonder what would happen if it was plugged in just with an A-A usb cable.

[mike1961]

Hello - Okay I have a question - I got DirecTv with 3 non-HD boxes and one HD box. The 3 non HD boxes do not seem to have a serial control in the back to change the channels. There is a USB in the back of the STB but the instructions say reserved for future use. So, now I'm wondering, do I need to call direcTv and ask for a different STB or what do I need to do to make these things work? If I use a USB-UIRT I'm thinking I can control only one box with each because the 3 boxes all use the same IR frequency. In other words - the remote control actually works on all four boxes (the HD as well as the 3 non-HD boxes).

What is the best way to get sage to change the channels on the individual STB's?

Thanks
Mike

[dbfresh23]

The usb port is probably labled as future use because DirecTV doesn't advertise anything to use it with right now. If you wanted to try the USB it'd probably be a $15-20 gamble (Link I posted above). If you could talk them into exchanging them for D10-100s then you could just do serial control. If not, D10s can be had for about the cost of that USB-Serial adapter on ebay. Once you've gone serial you just can't go back!

[mike1961]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

The usb port is probably labled as future use because DirecTV doesn't advertise anything to use it with right now. If you wanted to try the USB it'd probably be a $15-20 gamble (Link I posted above). If you could talk them into exchanging them for D10-100s then you could just do serial control. If not, D10s can be had for about the cost of that USB-Serial adapter on ebay. Once you've gone serial you just can't go back!

Where can I buy D10s? Also, will the quality be just as good as the new STB's I got? Also - why do you like the serial so much - is it faster to change the channels, more reliable, easier to configure or other advantages?

By the way - I was also wondering one other thing; when you hook up the computer's tuner card(s) to the STB, what gives the best quality into the tuner card? Is it the coax connection, the RCA jacks or the SVideo? I'm assuming the best quality I want the best quality possible into the file server.

Thanks,
Mike

[mike1961]

Why is the Direct TV person tech support telling me that the D10-100 does not have a serial connection in the back to change the channel?

Is there another receiver I need to check into?

Thanks,
Mike

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by mike1961

Where can I buy D10s?

Ebay - if DTV won't give em to you.

Also, will the quality be just as good as the new STB's I got?

I haven't seen the D11, but it's all digital, quality should be the same. The D10 series isn't exactly old, DirecTV just moved on to the D11 pretty quickly.

Also - why do you like the serial so much - is it faster to change the channels, more reliable, easier to configure or other advantages?

Faster, More Reliable and Easier to configure!

By the way - I was also wondering one other thing; when you hook up the computer's tuner card(s) to the STB, what gives the best quality into the tuner card? Is it the coax connection, the RCA jacks or the SVideo? I'm assuming the best quality I want the best quality possible into the file server.

You will want to use the Svideo cable to get the best quality. I'm not even sure you can use the coax as you'd need to have the PVR card in the pc always set to either channel 3 or 4.

[mike1961]

I guess I have just two questions then:

1. Was the directv tech wrong perhaps about D10's not having a com port and is there somewhere I can just but a STB local around here perhaps a bestbuy, circuit city, costco or somewhere that may have them.

2. How do I change the tuner to channel 3 in the computer anyway? I'm assuming I can't do that with Sage since Sage would try to change it using the STB?

Thanks again for all the help,
Mike

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by mike1961

1. Was the directv tech wrong perhaps about D10's not having a com port and is there somewhere I can just but a STB local around here perhaps a bestbuy, circuit city, costco or somewhere that may have them.

Will I've got 2 D10-100s that both have serial control. OHH - they don't have DB9 Serial ports, they have what DTV likes to call home control. They look like the plug that your telephone handset uses. I use D10s and control via serial.

2. How do I change the tuner to channel 3 in the computer anyway? I'm assuming I can't do that with Sage since Sage would try to change it using the STB?

I have no idea how you could have it set to channel 3 and change the channel on the STB, it may be possible, maybe an Opus question...

[mike1961]

I'm seeing other models also on Ebay like a d10-300. Are will that work also or must it be the d10-100? Why are they selling them? Are they going to HD?

Thanks again,
Mike

[mike1961]

I wish I could see a picture of the back of the D10. What does it say by what looks like a phone jack? Mine is a D11 and it says Phone Jack and I think DTV said it is used for ordering PPV. So, I was wondering what it says on yours and if you know if the D10-300 will also work? I'm guessing I must order this on Ebay. By the way - would you say the quality of DTV is definitely a lot better than cable?

Thanks again for the help.

Mike

[dbfresh23]

I think a lot of people were DTV dealers that were getting rid of stock. I cannot vouch for the D10-300. I have 2 D10-100s and I know initially that there were problems getting the D10-200 and D10-300 models working, I'd stick with D10-100. Basically it's just the MFGR code. Differen't manufacturers made them.

[mike1961]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

I have no idea how you could have it set to channel 3 and change the channel on the STB, it may be possible, maybe an Opus question...

Perhaps I'm not being clear. In your prior quote you said

"I'm not even sure you can use the coax as you'd need to have the PVR card in the pc always set to either channel 3 or 4."

So, in other words - you are saying the tuner in my computer must be set to channel 3 or 4 and the com ports then control the channel on the STB. I was wondering how I get all the tuners to that channel (3 or 4). I think as I recall in the setup you tell Sage to use channel 3 (now that I'm remembering correctly - maybe that is how).

Thanks again,
Mike

[mike1961]

Another question - some d10-100 on ebay say "does not include Access Card." What is an access card and do I need one?

Thanks again for the help,
Mike

[dbfresh23]

NO, I'm saying that when a STB outputs via Coax you normally need to to have the TV set to channel 3 or 4 - so basically the TV would always be tuned to channel 3 or 4 while the channel is changed on the STB. Using the SVideo connection, the tuner isn't used on a tv - same goes for a PC Tuner card.

Basically - you're going to want to use Svideo so this is all moot. The channel number on the PVR Card isn't going to matter at all.

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by mike1961

Another question - some d10-100 on ebay say "does not include Access Card." What is an access card and do I need one?

Doesn't matter, you just call DTV and have them switch the access card from your D11s to the D10s. It's funny, it wouldn't matter if it did or didn't come with it because if it's been used then DTV won't activate it on your account anyway. The access card that is - not the reciever, that they'll activate.