# Directv - found old Hughes HIRD-E1 boxes - questions



## Emanresu (Aug 22, 2009)

I have a couple of old Hughes HIRD-E1 satellite receivers from Directv. (I couldn't find where to post this). I was told that you can use the old box as a, I believe they called it, OTA (Over The Air Antennae). Would anyone know how you do this?


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## Mertzen (Dec 8, 2006)

I doubt you can still do this. Those boxes only had an OTA passthrough AFAIK.


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## Emanresu (Aug 22, 2009)

I'm not technical at all, so you have to explain to me what you mean by OTA passthrough. Sorry.


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## moghedien (Dec 3, 2007)

Emanresu said:


> I'm not technical at all, so you have to explain to me what you mean by OTA passthrough. Sorry.


Passthrough means there is no OTA tuner in the Directv receiver itself. The signal is passed through to the tuner in the TV, VCR, etc. which then tunes to the appropriate channel. This is mainly for TVs that only have one coax input but have more than one source of programming(Directv, OTA antenna).


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

IIRC, those are not HD receivers, so what good would it do to hook up an antenna feed? I don't believe that any tuner in that unit can receive ATSC signals, which for the most part is all that is left with a few exceptions spread around the country.


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## arxaw (Jul 13, 2003)

DOH! I misread the post and was thought the OP had an E86.


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## Emanresu (Aug 22, 2009)

Can these old Hughes HIRD-E1 satellite receivers that we purchased from Directv be used for anything. We left Directv and when we we went back to them they would not let us use these receivers. Can they be used for anything associated with watching TV? I already know they would make great paperweights.


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## Mertzen (Dec 8, 2006)

If you are a customer you might get them reactivated with new cards. I believe they just wouldn't let you use them to open an account.


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## arxaw (Jul 13, 2003)

Emanresu said:


> ...Can they be used for anything associated with watching TV?


Without a subscription, they are basically good door stops.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Mertzen said:


> If you are a customer you might get them reactivated with new cards. I believe they just wouldn't let you use them to open an account.


Nope. DirecTV is no longer activating those older receivers, as they don't have enough memory to handle all of the channels and the current size of the guide. They are offering free leased replacements for them using modern receivers (D11/D12), but they don't want new receivers being added to the system that aren't fully capable of handling the current system capacity.

Folks with existing pre-DirecTV-branded basic receivers can call and get modern replacements sent out as well.


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## HAMMER77777 (Oct 1, 2011)

BattleZone said:


> Nope. DirecTV is no longer activating those older receivers, as they don't have enough memory to handle all of the channels and the current size of the guide. They are offering free leased replacements for them using modern receivers (D11/D12), but they don't want new receivers being added to the system that aren't fully capable of handling the current system capacity.
> 
> Folks with existing pre-DirecTV-branded basic receivers can call and get modern replacements sent out as well.


Not true at all, son. I still use my HIRD-E1 Hughes receiver as well as an old Samsung 1 I have. I can use them all i want, as i own them...i am not interested in their leased receivers. No they're not HD but i don't have a HD tv anyway so i dont care


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

HAMMER77777 said:


> Not true at all, son. I still use my HIRD-E1 Hughes receiver as well as an old Samsung 1 I have. I can use them all i want, as i own them...i am not interested in their leased receivers. No they're not HD but i don't have a HD tv anyway so i dont care


Yes, if they are still active you can use them. But if they go inactive, they can not be activated by anyone else. And someday you might not be able to activate them on your own account.

Cheers,
Tom


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

HAMMER77777 said:


> Not true at all, son. I still use my HIRD-E1 Hughes receiver as well as an old Samsung 1 I have. I can use them all i want, as i own them...i am not interested in their leased receivers. No they're not HD but i don't have a HD tv anyway so i dont care


Note that you're responding to a two year old thread. Also, these old Receivers have limited Guide Data capacity and can't display all available channels in their Guide.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

They shouldn't do that and don't need to process ALL available channels - they are still working with *MPG* type of system info, what is correct subset of APG eg minus Ka channels.
You are misunderstand how the system works.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Litzdog, thanks for pointing that out.

I think I'll just close this one. 

Cheers,
Tom


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