# TV2 control options?



## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

Will the TV2 output be able to be controlled via IR on a different address than TV1?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Why would you want to? When the 942 is in Dual User mode, TV2 will be controlling something in another room almost all of the time, if not all of the time. What possible use would you need to have for IR control of TV2?


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Why would you want to? When the 942 is in Dual User mode, TV2 will be controlling something in another room almost all of the time, if not all of the time. What possible use would you need to have for IR control of TV2?


My own personal need is for feeding my Windows Media Center PC.

But all the multi room distributed audio/video systems control the source equipment via IR.


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Yes, you can control TV2 with IR. This was confirmed by kspeters in the TV2 remote problems thread when he switched his TV2 remote blue key over to the black side....wait...maybe not. Let me check.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Hmm...that didn't work. I'll ask the engineers, but right now I don't see a way to.


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

I would settle for a Dish pci HD tuner card receiver for Media Center. I would buy 8.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Just got confirmation that TV2 control is only via UHF Pro.


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

Any possibility of a change in the future or a hack?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Nope. It wasn't incorporated in the design. If both TV1 and TV2 IR signals hit the 942 at the same time, they'd block each other.


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

Thank you for the timely feedback. Anything on PCI HD receivers for Media Center?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

You're joking, right?


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

No, I see Media Center as the answer to home entertainment for the mid to upper level homes. I would hope Dish will be involved. And yes I am aware of the previous dealings with Microsoft.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

I see no way that Dish will ever release plug-in computer modules. Not gonna happen, no way, no how. They'd be giving up too much control.


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> I see no way that Dish will ever release plug-in computer modules. Not gonna happen, no way, no how. They'd be giving up too much control.


Well the cable companies are getting ready to do it.

"Windows Vista Home Premium Edition will include everything from Home Basic, as well as Media Center and Media Center Extender functionality (including Cable Card support)"

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/47665/47665.html?Ad=1

I am one of the first 500,000 dish subscribers and have paid them over $100/month for years.

I have preached the features and benefits of satellite since Skypix.

If Charlie can not get together with Bill on this one cable will become the goto.


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## Neil Derryberry (Mar 23, 2002)

There's just too much chance for signal theft with a pc-based card. I don't think you would ever see it from either sat company.


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## jetskier (Jun 11, 2005)

Dualtriamp said:


> Any possibility of a change in the future or a hack?


Getting back to the topic, I'd like to see Dish make a IR to UHF Pro RF converter that would take DISH's IR codes on any remote address and convert it to Dish's RF frequency. As dumb as it sounds there are a lot of us who can control our Dish products through the walls with IR. It would be the inverse of this Dish product IR-to-UHF Pro Upgrade Kit This product converts RF to IR, but they titled it backwords in all the literature.

I think it would be a swell idea as a standalone and it would resolve the compatibility issues on the 942. Not to mention working on other dual tuner boxes.

Mark, what do you think? Could this get anywhere in the near future? I'm not letting this one die.

I wonder if a standard RF Dish remote can be butchered for the RF module and tied to a IR signal and achieve the same results. I'm not a EE major, but there's got to be someone out there that can dream up a circuit.


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## Holst (Sep 1, 2004)

I have it on good authority that the UHF Pro and IR signals are very different protocols, so a simple modification won't work. If you take apart an IR to UHF Pro Converter, you'll see that there is a microcontroller that is used for the protocol conversion.

Doing an inverse of the current IR to UHF Pro Converter should be possible (since it is already being done one way) but there would need to be enough of a demand. 

I'm not sure if very many IR to UHF Pro Converters are being sold currenly, so doing something with a lower possible sales volume would be a tough sell. 

The IR to UHF Pro Converter essentially replaced the older and lower range "Pyramid" accessory which was based on the original UHF remote (platinum), so there was some evolution there. The "anti" converter would be a new product competing with other new projects for resources.


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> I see no way that Dish will ever release plug-in computer modules. Not gonna happen, no way, no how. They'd be giving up too much control.





Dualtriamp said:


> Well the cable companies are getting ready to do it.
> 
> "Windows Vista Home Premium Edition will include everything from Home Basic, as well as Media Center and Media Center Extender functionality (including Cable Card support)"
> 
> ...


And now Directv:

Highlighting key consumer products such as Xbox 360™ and offering the first broad demonstration of the consumer features of Windows Vista™, Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates showed how the company is delivering on its vision for a digital lifestyle where devices, services and applications work together seamlessly. In his 10th annual keynote address at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Gates demonstrated how Microsoft® Windows Vista, Xbox 360, new mobile devices and the emerging wave of software-based services will deliver more connected and richly personalized experiences for consumers.

"Microsoft announced a broad agreement with DIRECTV Inc. that will open up new ways for consumers to enjoy their digital media in the networked home and on portable devices. Microsoft and DIRECTV will work together to enable digital content to flow between Windows-based PCs, DIRECTV devices, PlaysForSure™-based portable media devices and Xbox 360."


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

Dish has always been on the cutting edge but:



Mark Lamutt said:


> I see no way that Dish will ever release plug-in computer modules. Not gonna happen, no way, no how. They'd be giving up too much control.





Dualtriamp said:


> Well the cable companies are getting ready to do it.
> 
> "Windows Vista Home Premium Edition will include everything from Home Basic, as well as Media Center and Media Center Extender functionality (including Cable Card support)"
> 
> ...





Dualtriamp said:


> And now Directv:
> 
> Highlighting key consumer products such as Xbox 360™ and offering the first broad demonstration of the consumer features of Windows Vista™, Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates showed how the company is delivering on its vision for a digital lifestyle where devices, services and applications work together seamlessly. In his 10th annual keynote address at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Gates demonstrated how Microsoft® Windows Vista, Xbox 360, new mobile devices and the emerging wave of software-based services will deliver more connected and richly personalized experiences for consumers.
> 
> "Microsoft announced a broad agreement with DIRECTV Inc. that will open up new ways for consumers to enjoy their digital media in the networked home and on portable devices. Microsoft and DIRECTV will work together to enable digital content to flow between Windows-based PCs, DIRECTV devices, PlaysForSure™-based portable media devices and Xbox 360."


Any News out of Dish yet?


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## lsdavinci (Feb 2, 2006)

DualTriamp, did you get any further in your search on the TV2 IR deal? I have exactly the same need. I'd love to just record HD on the 622 on TV1 and have MCE change and record SD programming on TV2. I would even sacrifice IR on TV1 for TV2 and vice versa...


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

lsdavinci said:


> DualTriamp, did you get any further in your search on the TV2 IR deal? I have exactly the same need. I'd love to just record HD on the 622 on TV1 and have MCE change and record SD programming on TV2. I would even sacrifice IR on TV1 for TV2 and vice versa...


I have been told no it will not happen.

I still want to know if I will need to switch to DTV to get my MCE cards that will solve all the problems.

Hello! Knock! Knock! Is anybody listening?


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## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

Only time will tell. Dish has not really said one way or the other.


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## jetskier (Jun 11, 2005)

Here's a message I received from Dish on January 26, 2006 regarding TV2 IR. He was listed at the FCC for the Dish UHF remotes.



> I am sorry for the delay in replying to your inquiry. Unfortunately, at this time there is not a way to control TV2 via IR - we are looking into ways to operate TV2 via IR, but there is no ETA.
> ***Edited to remove Dish Staff Name***


At least they are considering it. We need to stage a demostration at the Echostar offices to voice our concerns! :lol:


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## yellowdog (Dec 29, 2005)

jetskier said:


> Here's a message I received from Dish on January 26, 2006 regarding TV2 IR. He was listed at the FCC for the Dish UHF remotes.
> 
> At least they are considering it. We need to stage a demostration at the Echostar offices to voice our concerns! :lol:


It is really hard to integrate the 942 into a whole home video system. I'm using Control4 and basically cannot use the TV2 for what it was intended. I have had to ressurect an old PVR box to distribute throughout the house.

The HD output is local to the theatre, and the TV2 output was to drive multiple "bedroom outlets" in different rooms for just SD PVR viewing. The range on the UHF remotes is too poor to cover large houses, as well as the inconvenience of multiple remotes. Using an integrated control system like Control 4 (or other) is really a big improvement.

Ostensibly Dish intended the 942 for high end customers, but they have struck out on a major functionality. Hopefully Dish will come through....


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## masman (Nov 20, 2004)

The range on the UHF remotes is too poor to cover large houses, as well as the inconvenience of multiple remotes. Using an integrated control system like Control 4 (or other) is really a big improvement. 

I remote mounted the Dish antenna between my floors in a relatively central location (just made up a piece of RG6 for the connection) and cover a bit over 4,200 square feet without a problem. I use Dishpro 8.0 remotes for the RF coverage and they work fine. Earlier Dish Rf remotes did not have the strength of the 8.0


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## yellowdog (Dec 29, 2005)

Unfortunately, the house is well over 7000 sqft with lots of rock walls and such. It takes 4 WAPs to get reasonable WIFI coverage. I had to install a pico cell based phone system to get decent cordless phone coverage. It sounds like your antenna extension idea is really good though - very inventive. On the other hand, the convenience of integrated control is just too alluring. I will only use half the 942 and complain about it until, hopefully, DISH corrects their glaring design flaw or something else comes along. Thanks for the tip!


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## LtMunst (Aug 24, 2005)

yellowdog said:


> Unfortunately, the house is well over 7000 sqft with lots of rock walls and such. It takes 4 WAPs to get reasonable WIFI coverage. I had to install a pico cell based phone system to get decent cordless phone coverage. It sounds like your antenna extension idea is really good though - very inventive. On the other hand, the convenience of integrated control is just too alluring. I will only use half the 942 and complain about it until, hopefully, DISH corrects their glaring design flaw or something else comes along. Thanks for the tip!


It is possible to mount the remote antenna at the TV2 location. Basically, at TV2 you mount the antenna on one side of a standard splitter. The TV2 coax goes into the single side and another small piece of coax is run from the other half of the splitter to the TV2 IN. At the receiver, another splitter is connected with short cable to the TV2 OUT and Remote Antenna IN with the distribution coax on the single side.

This can be done to as many TV2s as you want. Extra antennas can be found online for about $10.


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## garyhesq (Nov 5, 2004)

jetskier said:


> At least they are considering it. We need to stage a demostration at the Echostar offices to voice our concerns! :lol:


I would love to have this feature also. I want to put my Slingbox on TV2 but cannot till there is a way for it's IR to control the reciever.


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## Dualtriamp (Jan 22, 2004)

garyhesq said:


> I would love to have this feature also. I want to put my Slingbox on TV2 but cannot till there is a way for it's IR to control the reciever.


If Dish would start talking to Microsoft and develop an HD tuner card for the new Windows Vista Media Center Edition then we could use portable players that way. Because it would be digital there would be no quality lost in transmission, storage, or distribution within the Media Center certified environment. In addition to the portability you could take an outboard VPN module and plug in an Xbox 360 anywhere in the world and watch High Definition from your system, live or recordings.


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