Author: Jeff

Quite some time ago, DIRECTV stopped including serial ports on the back of its standard definition receivers. The last receiver to include one, the D10, hasn’t been manufactured in years. No subsequent receiver (D11, D12, D13, etc.) has included the port.

Why does this matter? The serial port allows a hard-wired connection between a TiVo and a receiver. It minimizes communication problems that can sometimes occur when using IR blaster cables.  Serial control also reduces the time it takes for the TiVo to change channels.

Unfortunately, DIRECTV still does not include serial ports on the back of it’s receivers. However, we have obtained a small quantity of older-model RCA receivers that have low-speed data ports that work perfectly with standard definition, standalone TiVo units. You can find those TiVo-Compatible DIRECTV receivers here. The receivers come bundled with the specialized home-control cable that you will need to connect the TiVo to the receiver.

As we indicate on the website, these units are refurbished, and they currently get all of the standard definition stations coming down from DIRECTV. However, they do not include a remote that can control the “Mix” stations that DIRECTV has launched. For TiVo owners, however, this shouldn’t matter, as TiVo units cannot control these stations even on receivers that are compatible with them.

This post is targeted to those who have many DIRECTV HD receivers (HD DVRs or standard HD receivers) stacked up in a single cabinet or in a space in which infrared signals could conflict.  We encounter this situation with customers doing installations in sports bars or in large residences with a central media room.

As we have previously written, if you have just two receivers, you can use different infrared (IR) codes to control two different DIRECTV receivers independently. Alternatively, DIRECTV HD receivers can be controlled using RF (which works through walls and has a longer range than IR), but you will need to purchase an RF remote (RC64R or RC64RB) to do the trick.

As it turns out, our earlier post about using RF was inaccurate. We provided instructions that referred to a specific code to enter to enable RF. As it turns out, that code is uniquely generated based on the last six digits of the unit’s receiver identification number (RID) . The communication between an RF-enabled remote and a DIRECTV receiver is thus based upon the receiver’s unique RID.  As a result, it is possible to have a near limitless number of HD receivers stacked up, all using unique RF frequencies to ensure that there is no remote conflict.  Pretty slick.

Keep in mind that RF doesn’t have a limitless range, so if you are doing an installation in a massive bar or residence, you’ll want to be sure that the RF range is acceptable given the size of the location and ambient interference. If it is acceptable, then you can rely on DIRECTV RF remotes to do the trick. In fact, a single DIRECTV remote can control up to 3 specific receivers.

If this solution doesn’t work, there is a much more expensive option: The HR21-PRO, which has an IR input for direct hard-wired control, as well as an RS-232 input.

We have previously written about the benefits of DIRECTV’s single-wire multiswitch (SWM). Using a SWM, you can power multiple receivers from a single line, and you can power two tuners on a DIRECTV HD DVR using only one line.

The SWM now comes in multiple varieties. The two primary flavors are (1) the single-wire multiswitch, which is used together with a standard 5LNB dish, and (2) the new SWM Dish, which is a 5LNB dish with an integrated single-wire multiswitch.

The SWM dish has one single-wire multiswitch built into it, and can handle a total of 8 tuners (eg. up to 4 DVRs). It has NO expansion capability, so it is a bad solution for anyone expecting to have or need more than 8 tuners, now or in the future. (By comparison, the 5LNB dish without a SWM has 4 lines coming out, which can feed receivers, a SWM or a different mulitiswitch.)

The SWM (mutiswitch, not DISH) can be used with other SWMs to feed 10, 20, 50 or hundreds of receivers. The single-wire mutiswitch + standard 5LNB dish is a much more versatile solution and is ideal for anyone who already has a 5LNB (non-SWM) dish or who needs to power more than 8 tuners.

If you have a simple installation with just a few receivers, you might consider the SWM Dish instead.