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ArtShapiro
Just looking around
Joined: 27 Dec 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Lake Forest, CA
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 Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 2:25 pm Post subject: Help: DVR Beginner |
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Hello. New member here.
I've never owned a DVR, not being a huge TV watcher. But the wife is having more and more trouble with our VCR.
So I went out and found a used 5000 for a good price. I cabled it in, going cable TV line (no box) to the 5000 to the TV. Thus channels would be changed on the Replay box, not the TV.
The issue is that it takes five or six seconds to change channels! That just strikes me as ridiculous - it makes it essentially impossible to flip through channels to find something "interesting" to watch. I've currently just removed the 5000 from the system.
So first question: is that the way the 5000 works?
Second question: as I said, I've never owned, used, or even seen a DVR before. I'm not sure how to even get started - say a simple task like "start recording the program I'm currently watching" or "record channel xx for a half hour starting at 9 PM". I realize this is the ultimate beginner's question, but I'd be grateful for any advice on how to get started with this device.
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hdonzis
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Joined: 05 Jan 2005
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Location: San Antonio, TX
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 10:45 pm Post subject: Re: Help: DVR Beginner |
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| ArtShapiro wrote: | I cabled it in, going cable TV line (no box) to the 5000 to the TV. Thus channels would be changed on the Replay box, not the TV.
The issue is that it takes five or six seconds to change channels! That just strikes me as ridiculous - it makes it essentially impossible to flip through channels to find something "interesting" to watch. I've currently just removed the 5000 from the system.
So first question: is that the way the 5000 works? |
Yep, this is how it works when going through the RTV. The 4000 has an option to bypass going through the recorder so that things like this don't happen...
Probably the best way to deal with this is two different ways. Number one, when you want to watch TV, simply turn off the Replay, and it will feed cable directly into your TV much like a VCR does. Then you can change channels on your TV as you normally would. This assume you are watching the Replay on channel 3 or 4 on your TV. The second way would be to connect your Replay to your TV using composite, S-Video, or component connections, and split your cable so that it feeds both your Replay and TV. Then you simply select the input that you have connected when you want to watch Replay or select TV and watch any channel. For the most part, there really isn't any reason that you can't simply use turning the Replay on and off for whether you want to watch recorded shows or TV. However, if you want to be able to watch recorded shows with stereo sound, for example, then you really want to hook the Replay to your TV using one of the other methods (watching on channel 3 or 4 doesn't produce stereo sound, just like with a VCR), so you might want to at least hook it up that way as well as daisy chaining the cable so you can watch recorded shows with better picture quality and stereo sound...
| ArtShapiro wrote: | | Second question: as I said, I've never owned, used, or even seen a DVR before. I'm not sure how to even get started - say a simple task like "start recording the program I'm currently watching" or "record channel xx for a half hour starting at 9 PM". I realize this is the ultimate beginner's question, but I'd be grateful for any advice on how to get started with this device. |
The User's Guide can be found on the ReplayTV website: http://www.rioaudio.com/support/replaytv/manuals_downloads.asp, or from the ReplayTV upgrade site (which has a lot of useful information): http://www.replaytvupgrade.com/userguides.htm...
The User's Guide also has good information on how to connect your Replay to your TV to get the best of the benefits...
Henry
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ArtShapiro
Just looking around
Joined: 27 Dec 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Lake Forest, CA
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 11:44 am Post subject: Re: Help: DVR Beginner |
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Thank you, Henry - much appreciated. Your hookup suggestions make sense. I hadn't noticed that powering off the unit restored normal TV channel selection, so I'll confirm that. But splitting seems to be a more comprehensive solution. I'll tackle the issue after work tonight.
Last question for now: is it desirable for me to connect the unit to my home network for simple use of the Replay? I thought the official service was to terminate a few months back, but scanning this forum it looks like there's been at least a temporary reprieve. I'd either have to run an Ethernet line to that area of the house or purchase and configure a wireless bridge - right?
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hdonzis
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Joined: 05 Jan 2005
Posts: 7826
Location: San Antonio, TX
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:15 pm Post subject: Re: Help: DVR Beginner |
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| ArtShapiro wrote: | | Last question for now: is it desirable for me to connect the unit to my home network for simple use of the Replay? I thought the official service was to terminate a few months back, but scanning this forum it looks like there's been at least a temporary reprieve. I'd either have to run an Ethernet line to that area of the house or purchase and configure a wireless bridge - right? |
It depends what you want to do, but the ReplayTV really needs to connect to "something" somewhat regularly just to keep its clock set properly (there is no way to manually set the clock as there is with a VCR). Yes, the ReplayTV guide service is still running, so it would probably be in your best interest to connect to that for however long it lasts, and then you can decide what you want to do after that. Having a DVR will likely change your whole TV watching experience, so after you use it, your desire for guide data will likely change. A DVR records shows rather than time slots like a VCR. It can record time slots, but that really isn't it's main benefit. You tell it you want to record a show around a certain time on a certain channel, and it will do its best to record that show for you, even if it airs at a slightly different time or length of time, as is so common...
Anyway, you can connect it to guide service either using Ethernet as you described, or using dial-up service. The dial-up service phone numbers seem to be getting smaller, so some people are having problems using that service...
Using Ethernet allows you to also access the ReplayTV from your PC, and will also allow you to feed custom guide data to it if you want, or when the ReplayTV service goes away, so it would probably be worthwhile in the long run. However, if you just want to get the unit up and running to test it out, then you might want to start with dial-up service if it is the easiest thing for you to do...
Henry
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ArtShapiro
Just looking around
Joined: 27 Dec 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Lake Forest, CA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 8:45 am Post subject: Not Looking Good |
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I put it back into the system in pass-through mode, as it was easiest. The TV in question has traditional coax and exactly one component - 3 wire - connection, so I hooked up both.
Sure enough, when the RTV is off, I can change channels on the TV. BUT: the picture is so snowy as to be unwatchable. Could the unit be defective?
With RTV turned on, the picture is beautiful through both of the TV's input modes, but of course then we're back to the six-second-channel-change rut.
There are already two splitters plus a Mondial MAGIC in the system, so I want to simplify things before I try anything else.
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hdonzis
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Location: San Antonio, TX
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 9:03 am Post subject: Re: Not Looking Good |
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| ArtShapiro wrote: | | I put it back into the system in pass-through mode, as it was easiest. The TV in question has traditional coax and exactly one component - 3 wire - connection, so I hooked up both. |
Do you mean composite (yellow, red, white)? You're better off with composite anyways because you can't see the RTV boot up using coax, it doesn't display on the TV until it boots up. You'll also probably get a little bit better picture using composite...
| ArtShapiro wrote: | | Sure enough, when the RTV is off, I can change channels on the TV. BUT: the picture is so snowy as to be unwatchable. Could the unit be defective? |
Yeah, that doesn't sound good. Try unplugging the RTV and see how the pass through is. If it's snowy then as well, then there's probably something wrong with the tuner pass through (pin diode)...
| ArtShapiro wrote: | With RTV turned on, the picture is beautiful through both of the TV's input modes, but of course then we're back to the six-second-channel-change rut.
There are already two splitters plus a Mondial MAGIC in the system, so I want to simplify things before I try anything else. |
Yeah, that all makes sense. Well, if the tuner has a problem, then splitting may be the only way to go if you want to get rid of the tuning problem. You might have to use an amplifier to get the signal level that you need. The 5000 needs pretty good signal, by the way...
Henry
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ArtShapiro
Just looking around
Joined: 27 Dec 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Lake Forest, CA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:03 am Post subject: Not Looking Good |
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Whoops - meant "composite"...sorry! I'm an audiophile and don't speak video fluently.
I think I have an old Radio Shack amplified coaxial switching box in the garage, so that might prove useful here. There are two splitters, as I said: one that splits the cable company's input line to the cable modem and to the TV, and then one of mine to split the latter for the two TVs in opposite portions of the house. I'd like to replace the first one with a high-quality three way for the internet and the two TVs respectively.
If the picture is still snowy with your totally-unplugged test, it will take some time to diddle things for the splitter configuration, so I'll disappear for a while. But I'm quite grateful for the beginner's assistance! |
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hdonzis
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Joined: 05 Jan 2005
Posts: 7826
Location: San Antonio, TX
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:18 am Post subject: Re: Not Looking Good |
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| ArtShapiro wrote: | | I think I have an old Radio Shack amplified coaxial switching box in the garage, so that might prove useful here. There are two splitters, as I said: one that splits the cable company's input line to the cable modem and to the TV, and then one of mine to split the latter for the two TVs in opposite portions of the house. I'd like to replace the first one with a high-quality three way for the internet and the two TVs respectively. |
I have mine with a tap going to the cable modem and then go into a 4-way applified splitter. In the four locations, I have splitters running the ReplayTV and TV (and sometimes cable box using a three-way splitter). I haven't had trouble this way, but you'll have to experiment for yourself with your cable. I think most providers say that they support running 4 devices normally...
By the way, using a three way splitter is exactly the same as what you have currently. One tap is a two-way splitter and the other two are another two-way splitter (internally it is a two-way splitter going to one output and to another two-way splitter going to the other two outputs). Given what you have, you might not have any problem adding a splitter at the TV to go between the ReplayTV and the TV, so you might want to try it. The ReplayTV requires the stronger signal, so if the ReplayTV still looks good after splitting at the TV, then you should be fine...
Henry
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