Will Direct TV Install Cables for 2nd DVR?

[boneskrw]

Direct TV recently installed a HR20 to replace my HR10-250. The installer left the HR10 behind. Monday I called Direct TV about activating the HR10 as a second DVR. The CSR said I should plug it into the satellite and it should work. She said if it doesn't work, call Direct TV and have it activated. I asked about extra charges and she said there would be none. I thought there was a per month charge for a 2nd DVR.

So, do I install two more cables from the 5LNB dish to the HR10 or should I have Direct TV do it? I doubt if they would do this and still not receive any payment for the service call or per month. What do you think?

[rminsk]

You will have a receive mirroring fee for a second receiver. If you feel fine running the lines then feel free to do it yourself. You can always call DirecTV and ask them to do it and find out how much they will charge.

[cjandura]

Directv only charges a single fee for the DVR service it does not matter how many DVR's are installed.also there should be 4 lines already dropped from your KaKu slimline dish to a ground block if there is not i would call and have the system checked for QC failures(Grounding) DVR's are very senisitve to Voltage issues so make sure the system is grounded.and as with all DTV branded Tivo's&DVR's you need to have 2 inputs from the dish for the service to work correctly(record and watch function)

[TyroneShoes]

...What do you think?

I think that your smartest move might be to ask them.

[Scott D]

Make sure they're not going to do a two year commitment upon activation of the HR10.

[poppagene]

Make sure they're not going to do a two year commitment upon activation of the HR10.
They likely already put in the 2 year commitment when they replaced the HR10 with the HR20.

[HiDefGator]

Directv only charges a single fee for the DVR service it does not matter how many DVR's are installed.also there should be 4 lines already dropped from your KaKu slimline dish to a ground block if there is not i would call and have the system checked for QC failures(Grounding) DVR's are very senisitve to Voltage issues so make sure the system is grounded.and as with all DTV branded Tivo's&DVR's you need to have 2 inputs from the dish for the service to work correctly(record and watch function)

Just for grins, why would dish outputs that aren't being used need wires attached to them so they can be grounded? Seems a little silly to me.

[TyroneShoes]

Just for grins, why would dish outputs that aren't being used need wires attached to them so they can be grounded? Seems a little silly to me.

Well, I don't think they do. And silly seems an apt assessment.

If two are run to a GB, then the other two can be run whenever. If the first 2 go to a GB, then the next 2 (whenever run) should also, but then there is one rare scenario where it would make sense, which would be if there is a difficult run to the GB location it might make sense to pull 4 wires at once rather than 2 now and 2 later (just try convincing the installer to pull 4 for the price of 2, though, without slipping him at least a 20, and you might be looking at a second difficult pull later). And at that point it makes sense to attach them to a second GB rather than let them dangle.