Keying in local HD channel

[EricG]

On my HR10-250, I get to my local OTA feed for ABC by keying in 5 - 1. On the HR20, where the local HD channel is on the sat, how do I get to that?

Thanks

[ebonovic]

On my HR10-250, I get to my local OTA feed for ABC by keying in 5 - 1. On the HR20, where the local HD channel is on the sat, how do I get to that?

Thanks

Channel 5.

If you have a 5LNB, and your area has LiL-HD..
And that particular channel is available (not all areas, have all channels due to contracts)

[EricG]

Thanks Earl. That sounds like two less keystrokes for me.

[TyroneShoes]

That's great.

Now, how do we "key in" the SD LIL channel 5?

[TonyD79]

If you have both the HD and SD LIL channel 5, you can't directly keyin the SD channel. The HD channel gets precedence.

To get to the SD channel (other than in the guide), you have to have the SD channel in whatever favorites you are currently using and you have to have hide SD equivalents off, then key in the 5 followed by a channel up.

And, of course, if there is no HD LIL of 5, then keying in 5 will get you the SD version.

Don't mind me asking but why would you want to?

[EricG]

I just picked up an x10 iconremote. It has an LCD screen for channel icons, but the "-" button does not work in that one button setup with my HR10-250. I'm looking to see iif upgrading to the HR20/21 would have the same issue.

[TyroneShoes]

...Don't mind me asking but why would you want to?

I certainly don't mind.

It does seem somewhat obvious that if a program is available in HD that you would want that version. But I record SD backups so that I can play them back simultaneously with the HD version, one on my 60" main screen, and the other on a second 36" screen right next to it.

I hate having CC (or PIP or network bugs or anything else for that matter) covering the screen I am watching, but years of playing in rock bands without ear protection took its toll, and although I don't have what would be considered major hearing loss, I have a hard time on occasion with a word or two of dialog.

The solution is, I run the backup a few seconds behind the main, and with CC on all the time (CC always up on the backup, never up on the main). If I miss a line, I merely glance to the right and pick it up, which allows me to avoid rewinding or turning CC on and off (up to 20 button presses on a HR10, BTW) all of the time (drives girlfriends nuts).

Although I have over 220 hours of HD space, I normally record the SD stream for backup, as the HD stream really would not be of any advantage unless the main feed got skunked. Only if I have space or really don't want to risk missing part of a particular program in HD will I record both in HD (if I know I will be watching it that day or the next I typically get both in HD).

It means twice as many button-presses to skip CMs, but it really is a very elegant solution that has served me well for the last 4 years. Now I can't watch recorded shows any other way, and wouldn't want to.

Now, aren't you glad you asked? :)

[newsposter]

I'm amazed by the stuff that goes on in some peoples lives. Id be too distracted by a 2nd tv next to my main one but i guess with practice one could get used to it. Plus sometimes all 6 of my tuners are filled up and i wouldnt be able to record the dup anyway :)

[joed32]

I certainly don't mind.

It does seem somewhat obvious that if a program is available in HD that you would want that version. But I record SD backups so that I can play them back simultaneously with the HD version, one on my 60" main screen, and the other on a second 36" screen right next to it.

I hate having CC (or PIP or network bugs or anything else for that matter) covering the screen I am watching, but years of playing in rock bands without ear protection took its toll, and although I don't have what would be considered major hearing loss, I have a hard time on occasion with a word or two of dialog.

The solution is, I run the backup a few seconds behind the main, and with CC on all the time (CC always up on the backup, never up on the main). If I miss a line, I merely glance to the right and pick it up, which allows me to avoid rewinding or turning CC on and off (up to 20 button presses on a HR10, BTW) all of the time (drives girlfriends nuts).

Although I have over 220 hours of HD space, I normally record the SD stream for backup, as the HD stream really would not be of any advantage unless the main feed got skunked. Only if I have space or really don't want to risk missing part of a particular program in HD will I record both in HD (if I know I will be watching it that day or the next I typically get both in HD).

It means twice as many button-presses to skip CMs, but it really is a very elegant solution that has served me well for the last 4 years. Now I can't watch recorded shows any other way, and wouldn't want to.

Now, aren't you glad you asked? :)

I wish I would have thought of that. I usually just switch to the smaller TV if the big screen has no CC which happens frequently. I will be trying it your way, thanks.

[TyroneShoes]

I'm amazed by the stuff that goes on in some peoples lives. Id be too distracted by a 2nd tv next to my main one but i guess with practice one could get used to it. Plus sometimes all 6 of my tuners are filled up and i wouldnt be able to record the dup anyway :)

Yer dealin' with a professional couch potato here, newsie.

You get used to it very quickly. Not so much "used" to as "addicted" to it. I only do backups when I have tuners open and only on most but not all programs (ones that need strict attention to dialog). I even will sometimes push a copy of a single recording to DVDR as a backup just before I otherwise turn things off for the night.

Backups for CC only started once CC became common, but I started the 2nd TV thing back in 1983 when I bought a 25" Sony to replace my trusty 19" Zenith (with "Zoom" and "Space Command"). I figured I'd move the old set to the bedroom, but leave it next to the new set just for the weekend for comparison. Long story short, there was a Cubs game and a Braves game on at the same time the next day, and the light bulb went off over my head. The 2nd set has been there ever since.

I began to discover other advantages; I could monitor and set recordings without changing from the game I was watching on the "big" (a 25-incher, no less) screen, and check EPGs (once those became ubiquitous) and other scores on "SportsCenter".

It soon became obvious that there were a lot of programs that you didn't need audio for, and a lot you didn't need video for, so it was quite often I could "watch" (watch/listen to) both at once, such as "Baywatch" with no audio (really improved that program) on the big screen with maybe Letterman with audio on the little screen. It also gave a wider panorama feeling than just the "porthole" feeling of watching one screen, and even does today in the era of big wide displays.

I also noticed that if you turned all of the lights off in the room, typically one TV would begin to hurt your eyes without ambient light, but it was always a compromise as to how much ambient light would work best; typically what was too much for dark scenes was not enough for bright scenes. With both on the same channel, the secondary set controlled the ambient light level perfectly and automatically, because it always tracked the large screen.

Nothing like thinking outside the box (or at least outside of just one "box" complemeted by a second "box"). You might think me crazy, but there's a lot of method to my madness.

But now I worry a little bit. My 36" Sony is going on 10 years, and might not last much longer. The only real replacement possibility would be a 42" LCD for the location I have and to keep it in proper ratio to the 60". So I hope the old girl lasts long enough for the prices to drop a lot more.

[Fezmid]

I certainly don't mind.
Although I have over 220 hours of HD space, I normally record the SD stream for backup, as the HD stream really would not be of any advantage unless the main feed got skunked.

How do you get 220 hours of HD?

[TyroneShoes]

How do you get 220 hours of HD?

Two HR10's are rated for 83 hours each (a 250 + a 400 in each), the HR20 is rated for 50. I have pushed the limit on the HR10's, and they will actually hold more than 83 hours (although I get pretty nervous by about 75), so I rounded 2 x 83 (166) up to 170, +50. That's considered low by many on this forum.

No matter how you slice it it's not enough. I wish I had a good 300. :)

[tucsonbill]

Don't mind me asking but why would you want to?Simple, I distribute video throughout my house in 480i. My wife wants to know why the channel she tuned to is tall and squished. It isn't when she tunes to it on the Tivo. I understand that we're not normal, but I can't believe that I don't have the option--particularly when some of the "HD" channels that are tuned automatically are stretched SD.

[TyroneShoes]

Simple, I distribute video throughout my house in 480i. My wife wants to know why the channel she tuned to is tall and squished. It isn't when she tunes to it on the Tivo. I understand that we're not normal, but I can't believe that I don't have the option--particularly when some of the "HD" channels that are tuned automatically are stretched SD.

I'm confused, Bill. What do you mean you "don't have the option"? Are you talking about the HR2x which double-feeds HD and SD outputs at the same time? If so, there is one format option (I can check for you if you PM me) that allows for 1080i HD out (on the HD outputs) with simultaneous SD out (on the SD outputs) where both aspect ratios are correct (usually one is squished or stretched on the other output; there is probably a 720 setting that works also). You might have to enable it and change the setting for "what kind of TV are you connected to" from 16:9 to 4:3 (or vice versa) to get that to appear, but it definitely works, even though you might occasionally have to "bump" the format button to "unsquish" it after FFW.

[Fezmid]

Two HR10's are rated for 83 hours each (a 250 + a 400 in each), the HR20 is rated for 50. I have pushed the limit on the HR10's, and they will actually hold more than 83 hours (although I get pretty nervous by about 75), so I rounded 2 x 83 (166) up to 170, +50. That's considered low by many on this forum.

No matter how you slice it it's not enough. I wish I had a good 300. :)

Ahh, I thought you had that all in one box so that's what I was curious about. :)

I upgraded my series 1 DirecTiVo to 250 hours last year -- and now we have a ton of stuff on it to watch. I'd love to do the same with a single box for the HD stuff. :) I tihnk a 1TB eSATA drive would get me close with the HR21-700 if I upgrade. :)

[tucsonbill]

I'm confused, Bill. What do you mean you "don't have the option"? Well, you probably are right to be confused, since my complaint is kind of the other side of the OP's complaint. The option that we don't have is to directly enter either the HD or the SD channel. My HR21 defaults to HD. (I guess you would say that's understandable -- after all it is an HD DVR.) Unfortunately for me it's mostly only used for MPEG4 HD from Directv. I don't have any problem feeding the video to the rest of the house -- My wife doesn't understand why when she enters a channel, (202 for instance) that she gets a funny picture. That's her level of understanding. My complaint is the same as the OP's. Why don't I have the option to choose which I'll get when I key it in? Heck, They don't even tell me which one is which in the guide. Two channel 4"s, 9's etc. How does that help me? I have to remember which one is which.

[pmturcotte]

On the HR20 do you still have the option on the guide to select 5-1 as you do on the HR10-250? Most nights in the summer here when it rains we lose DTV for periods of time (even with 90+ on all sats) and our rooftop antenna easily picks up all the local network feeds. I would hate to lose that option.

[JimSpence]

If you setup the HR20 for OTA, then yes you can select 5-1.
Unfortunately, the HR20 doesn't have a manual scan for channels. It relies on the OTA antenna setup.

[tucsonbill]

If you setup the HR20 for OTA, then yes you can select 5-1.
Unfortunately, the HR20 doesn't have a manual scan for channels. It relies on the OTA antenna setup. You are absolutely right. Unfortunately, I have only an HR-21. Sorry. Didn't read carefully (again). Damn. Gotta start reading before the evening cocktail.

[tjperez]

What does LIL stand for?

[incog-neato]

Local Into Local (which doesn't make much sense to me): http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=118262What does LIL stand for?

[tjperez]

Thanks. So its like DMA locals (or shall I say, DMAL?), another result of SHiVA Act (Shiva, being the God of Destruction).

[TyroneShoes]

... My wife doesn't understand why when she enters a channel, (202 for instance) that she gets a funny picture. That's her level of understanding. My complaint is the same as the OP's. Why don't I have the option to choose which I'll get when I key it in?...
Gotcha.

That should be a setup preferences option (but isn't, at least yet).

I guess you probably know that if you set up the EPG properly you can select the SD channel from the guide? There may be a setting to get that to work, too. If so, the gurus at DBSTalk probably could point you there quickly.

[tucsonbill]

Gotcha.

That should be a setup preferences option (but isn't, at least yet).
Why? My HR10 still tunes to channel 4 when I enter "4" and channel 4-1 when I enter "4-1'. It just doesn't seem particularly complicated.