# New DVR!



## Eatsleepdrivesc (May 13, 2008)

Hey there,

As you might of saw on my thread on the install part of the forum I got my mom for mothers day a new DVR. Its a R15.


This unit replaced her old regular receiver (the one with a blue light and a silver box).

We are getting used to the newness of this new DVR. But I do have a couple of questions that I was hoping some one could help me on!

This receiver seems to lag a-lot. Is that normal? 

Also is it normal of them to get warm on the bottom and top?

Can someone also expain to me how to use the Email/Text thing to my DVR to set a recording? 

Lastly if anyone has any cool shortcuts or any tricks to teach a newbie I would really appreciate it!

Thanks
Esd


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## SDizzle (Jan 1, 2007)

Eatsleepdrivesc said:


> Hey there,
> 
> As you might of saw on my thread on the install part of the forum I got my mom for mothers day a new DVR. Its a R15.
> 
> ...


The R15 is a bit sluggish. Being warm.....yes...not HOT....but warm. If you use a handheld PDA....blackberry, etc. go to m.directv.com to schedule remote bookings, or log in to your account on directv.com and click on "TV listings"....chose a program and record to DVR will be there..


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## Eatsleepdrivesc (May 13, 2008)

SDizzle said:


> The R15 is a bit sluggish. Being warm.....yes...not HOT....but warm. If you use a handheld PDA....blackberry, etc. go to m.directv.com to schedule remote bookings, or log in to your account on directv.com and click on "TV listings"....chose a program and record to DVR will be there..


Yea, its warm. I wouldn't call it hot, but its not too far away. Just warmer than the old receiver.

Cool! Thanks for the info on the recording, the Ipaq now has a new use!


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

Happy Mothers Day to your mom.


Regarding it running warm ... you can check the internal temperature (I think you press menu, and then go to System Info and Test and press select. Then scroll down until you see the temperature.)

The internal temperature is normally in the range of 125-135 F. If you are seeing much higher numbers (150+) then you have a problem.


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## LameLefty (Sep 29, 2006)

My R15 units are not sluggish at all. Perhaps some of the apparent sluggishness is due to the box downloading Guide data and integrating it into the prioritizer to schedule recordings, resolve recording conflicts, and such? In terms of just responding the button presses and displaying the Guide, etc., both my R15's are noticeably faster than my HR20-700 and HR21-700.

Query: what model do you have? You can tell by looking on the labels for the unit itself, or in the System Information screens through the menu. Mine are both R15-500 units (the suffix indicates the manufacturer, not which model may be earlier or later or somehow "better" than any other). The reason I ask is that perhaps there are some known issues with the latest software on that particular model.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

LameLefty said:


> My R15 units are not sluggish at all. Perhaps some of the apparent sluggishness is due to the box downloading Guide data and integrating it into the prioritizer to schedule recordings, resolve recording conflicts, and such? In terms of just responding the button presses and displaying the Guide, etc., both my R15's are noticeably faster than my HR20-700 and HR21-700.
> 
> Query: what model do you have? You can tell by looking on the labels for the unit itself, or in the System Information screens through the menu. Mine are both R15-500 units (the suffix indicates the manufacturer, not which model may be earlier or later or somehow "better" than any other). The reason I ask is that perhaps there are some known issues with the latest software on that particular model.


All of us here, of course, know though that the R15-300 is the King of the R15's. Woohoo!

- Merg


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## LameLefty (Sep 29, 2006)

The Merg said:


> All of us here, of course, know though that the R15-300 is the King of the R15's. Woohoo!
> 
> - Merg


Hah! Tell that to my pair of -500s!


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## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

Eatsleepdrivesc said:


> Hey there,
> 
> As you might of saw on my thread on the install part of the forum I got my mom for mothers day a new DVR. Its a R15.
> 
> ...


Glad you like it and welcome to the forum...


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

LameLefty said:


> My R15 units are not sluggish at all. Perhaps some of the apparent sluggishness is due to the box downloading Guide data and integrating it into the prioritizer to schedule recordings, resolve recording conflicts, and such? In terms of just responding the button presses and displaying the Guide, etc., both my R15's are noticeably faster than my HR20-700 and HR21-700.


Yes, but he went from a D11 to an R15. This is like comparing a Corvette to a bicycle. I know, because I upgraded from a D11-300 to several R15-300's. Since the D11 has everything in memory (no HDD) guide scrolling and channel changing is almost instantaneous. I NEVER used that "jump to date and time" when browsing around the guide since it was so fast. Now I use it all the time!! Of course, the D11 only stores 3.5 days of guide data also.

Welcome to the world of HDD-based DirecTV receivers!!!


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## xmguy (Mar 27, 2008)

Hello Eatsleepdrivesc. Welcome. My R15-100 runs cool. Be sure to make sure the fan on the back of the DVR is working. If not you need to replace it. Simply call DirecTV and they will get you a free replacement. But I'll warn you. I started out with only 2 DVR's but had to buy another TiVo DIRECTV box for my Kitchen. DVR's are VERY ATTICTIVE!


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## Eatsleepdrivesc (May 13, 2008)

Ok I went under system info and found out that its a 500. ( Is that a good or bad thing? )


My internal temp is at 125.*F So according to some of the previous posts that is good! 

Thanks for all the welcomes!


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## zuf (May 25, 2007)

Eatsleepdrivesc said:


> Ok I went under system info and found out that its a 500. ( Is that a good or bad thing? )
> 
> My internal temp is at 125.*F So according to some of the previous posts that is good!
> 
> Thanks for all the welcomes!


I have two R15-500s and have been very pleased with both. And 125.*F is very normal for the R15.


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## Eatsleepdrivesc (May 13, 2008)

zuf said:


> I have two R15-500s and have been very pleased with both. And 125.*F is very normal for the R15.


Cool. Thanks.


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## Eatsleepdrivesc (May 13, 2008)

Question: are there any settings or preferences that you guys would recommend changing?


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## zuf (May 25, 2007)

Eatsleepdrivesc said:


> Question: are there any settings or preferences that you guys would recommend changing?


I prefer having it go to the guide grid first (instead of categories) when pressing the guide button on the remote control. That may be the default behavior now, though. (It wasn't when I got my first R15).


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## xmguy (Mar 27, 2008)

Eatsleepdrivesc said:


> Question: are there any settings or preferences that you guys would recommend changing?


I hated the sound effects. I turned them off on my R15.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

xmguy said:


> I hated the sound effects. I turned them off on my R15.


WHAT?? You don't like that clever "bonk" sound? Why, sometimes I press the wrong key over and over just to get myself in step with the beat.. :lol:


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## xmguy (Mar 27, 2008)

ThomasM said:


> WHAT?? You don't like that clever "bonk" sound? Why, sometimes I press the wrong key over and over just to get myself in step with the beat.. :lol:


I even turned the sounds off on my TiVo. (I know it's almost a crime) :lol:


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## Eatsleepdrivesc (May 13, 2008)

zuf said:


> I prefer having it go to the guide grid first (instead of categories) when pressing the guide button on the remote control. That may be the default behavior now, though. (It wasn't when I got my first R15).


Yea it does. I have to get used to that because the old receiver went to the category menu.


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## Eatsleepdrivesc (May 13, 2008)

xmguy said:


> I hated the sound effects. I turned them off on my R15.


I havent heard one sound yet since having it!


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## Eatsleepdrivesc (May 13, 2008)

I just tired and cant figure this one out.


Can you/ how do you autotune on this R-15?


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## LameLefty (Sep 29, 2006)

Eatsleepdrivesc said:


> I just tired and cant figure this one out.
> 
> Can you/ how do you autotune on this R-15?


Just set a recording - at the end of the show, delete it. Same functionality as an autotune, with the added benefit that you can keep the show if you like.


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

LameLefty said:


> Just set a recording - at the end of the show, delete it. Same functionality as an autotune, with the added benefit that you can keep the show if you like.


Not really. It won't necessarily tune the active tuner to that channel at the start time, which is the purpose of autotune.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

qwerty said:


> Not really. It won't necessarily tune the active tuner to that channel at the start time, which is the purpose of autotune.


Well, if you INSIST on using a DirecTV DVR as a front end for a VCR or DVD recorder (or you are too lazy to tune the channel when it needs changing), just use it with one tuner connected and tell it to record whatever you also want to record on your "other device" and it will obviously tune to that channel at the proper time.


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

ThomasM said:


> Well, if you INSIST on using a DirecTV DVR as a front end for a VCR or DVD recorder (or you are too lazy to tune the channel when it needs changing), just use it with one tuner connected and tell it to record whatever you also want to record on your "other device" and it will obviously tune to that channel at the proper time.


Your assumptions a wrong. I don't insist on using it as a front end for a VCR or DVD recorder, and I'm not to lazy to change the channel. In fact, I really don't care if they ever implement it.
I do however, understand that many people have requested autotune (for whatever reason) and was merely pointing out that recording a show and deleting it is not the same functionality.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

qwerty said:


> Your assumptions a wrong. I don't insist on using it as a front end for a VCR or DVD recorder, and I'm not to lazy to change the channel. In fact, I really don't care if they ever implement it.
> I do however, understand that many people have requested autotune (for whatever reason) and was merely pointing out that recording a show and deleting it is not the same functionality.


I know YOU don't. Your message just happened to be the one that ended up being quoted when I posted a reply with quote!!


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

Several reasons I would want autotune:

* Occassionally, I do use my R15 receiver as a front-end to a DVD recorder, especially to record a movie that I know I want to save to DVD. Might as well record it when it airs, versus having to save in on the DVR and then later play the movie again so I can record it to DVD.

* Sometimes I really am too lazy to change the channel. More specifically, I am too lazy to redecide what I want to watch and figure out what channel it is on. Sometimes, I just like to plan my evening's television watching early in the evening, and have the receiver automatically change channels to the shows I previously decided I wanted to watch. That way the television airs the shows I want, even though I got distracted or are otherwise too lazy to switch channels.

* Sometimes I am unable to change channels. An example of this is when I go to sleep. My wife and I will often watch a show when we go to sleep. If I fall asleep and my wife is still awake, she likes to watch Letterman. I don't like when she wakes me up, reaching across me to get the remote control to change the channel. Our old standard DirecTV receivers changed the channel automatically. That was much better.

* Sometimes I just want to watch what I want to watch. For example, I use my bedroom television as an alarm clock. When it turns on in the morning, I see whatever the DirecTV receiver is tuned to. That is usually the CBS Early Show (since my wife likes to watch Letterman). But I want to watch Good Morning America on ABC. My old DirecTV receivers used to let me wake up to what I wanted to watch, regardless of what my wife wanted to watch the night before.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Upstream said:


> Several reasons I would want autotune:
> 
> * Occassionally, I do use my R15 receiver as a front-end to a DVD recorder, especially to record a movie that I know I want to save to DVD. Might as well record it when it airs, versus having to save in on the DVR and then later play the movie again so I can record it to DVD.
> 
> ...


I have the same arguments for Auto-Tune, except for the first since I don't have a DVD recorded. Great explanation. I think the biggest for me was the idea of planning out an evening of shows to watch and then having it change to those channels for me. I also used it a lot when there was a show I wanted to watch and in the mean time I might be watching a ball game. Since the ball game is scheduled to continue past the start time of my desired show, I would sometimes get caught up in the show and then miss the beginning of the desired show. With Auto-Tune, I didn't need to worry about thatl.

- Merg


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

The Merg said:


> I have the same arguments for Auto-Tune, except for the first since I don't have a DVD recorded. Great explanation. I think the biggest for me was the idea of planning out an evening of shows to watch and then having it change to those channels for me. I also used it a lot when there was a show I wanted to watch and in the mean time I might be watching a ball game. Since the ball game is scheduled to continue past the start time of my desired show, I would sometimes get caught up in the show and then miss the beginning of the desired show. With Auto-Tune, I didn't need to worry about thatl.
> 
> - Merg


I agree I use to do the same thing!.

It makes no sense to me why DirecTV would leave such a cool feature as AutoTune off their DVRs as the DVR is supposed to be the Cadillac of receivers!.


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## zuf (May 25, 2007)

I'll add one more reason: I used to use autotune on my D11-100 receiver to tune AWAY from a channel. I used this with my kids: they would be watching a show, but I didn't want them to watch the show that was on next on the same channel. Of course the obvious answer is to just turn off the TV, but sometimes I don't get there to do it until a minute or two into the next show.

To avoid that problem I used autotune so that when the current show is over, it tunes away from the show that I didn't want them to see. (Incidentally, I now use one of the work arounds earlier in this thread to accomplish the same thing: I have only one line connected to the R15-500 that the kids use, so I can set a program to record and have the same results. I just have to cleanup the recorded program list from time to time.)

Of interest, the manual that came with both of my R15-500 units mentions autotune and how to use it, as though D* intended to support it. Why they never did is something that we don't know, and that's fine. But, it's still on my list of things I would like to see added (on my R22-100 as well as the R15-500s).


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## Eatsleepdrivesc (May 13, 2008)

You can use a DVD recorder or VHS with the DVR?

how?


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## Michael D'Angelo (Oct 21, 2006)

Eatsleepdrivesc said:


> You can use a DVD recorder or VHS with the DVR?
> 
> how?


Just run a set of RCA's cable from the DVR to the DVD recorder or VHS.

All outputs are active at the same time and with an HD DVR when viewing HD program the picture will be down-converted to 480i when leaving the composite video output.


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