Dual band for DirecTV systen: Which?

[olc]

I have two DirecTV HD DVR receivers connected wirelessly by plugging them into a pair of D-Link DAP1522 wireless bridges and using a Linksys WRT160NL router. This works fine for video-on-demand. But DirecTV has a new feature - allowing watching a program recorded on one receiver to be played back on another receiver.

This doesn't work so well. The connections are being made (receiver1 to router to receiver2) but the result is unwatchable. It freezes and jumps the image erratically.

The bridges can be used in 5 MHz mode but my router is wireless-N, 2.4 MHz only and I do have some other 2.4 MHz devices. I am thinking that a good dual radio wireless-N router might fix this.

What are the chances that it will? If it might, which router should I try? The latest Linksys and Netgear seem to get good reviews.

 

[thiggins]

Using the 5 GHz band could make matters worse, since it has reduced range vs. 2.4 GHz.

But if you're determined to try, I'd say go for the NETGEAR WNDR3700.

 

[olc]

Using the 5 GHz band could make matters worse, since it has reduced range vs. 2.4 GHz.

But if you're determined to try, I'd say go for the NETGEAR WNDR3700.

Thanks,

I was led to believe that using a different frequency for some things, like the DirecTV receivers, and another for everything else, would improve my chances by reducing wireless congestion. Range should not be a problem since both DirecTV receivers are within 50 feet of my router with only a single partial wall in between.

Under these circumstances, would it still be a waste of time and money to go dual radio?

 

[thiggins]

Ah. I just realized you are trying to stream between the two receivers with both connected wirelessly. This means you are splitting bandwidth because you are sharing one radio.

In this case, you might benefit from a dual-band router. You'd connect one receiver using 2.4 GHz and the other using 5 GHz. With two radios you won't be sharing bandwidth and causing your picture problems.

No guarantees that this will work, though. For that, you'd have to know what sort of bandwidth the DTV signal is using.

 

[halfhalo]

My Suggestion (And people always look at me crazy when I say I have these) is the Belkin Powerline HD adapters. I have three running right now connected to My Main router, a dedicated DirecTv HD Reciever (Not that any internet crap has ever been used besides testing to see if I could. I just didn't want to have to get ANOTHER powerline type thing for the phone line to get PPV crap so opted for ethernet), and one to my bedroom at the far side of the house (Which, due to the walls, gets NO wifi from main router and crap signal from the repeater). They Work Great. I can stream from one to another just fine, without impacting any other computers on the wireless network (which is a lot... But thats what I get for reviewing laptops). Oh, and going from DVR to PC streaming with the PC on wireless n is smooth as well.

 

[jam3ohio]

DTV Recommends DECA

DirecTV is recommending that users hold off buying networking equipment to support that service until the beta period expires. They are expected to recommend that you use their version of MoCA, called DECA, when the adaptors are available. Any other config will probably not be supported.

Here is a link to the DTV board that talks about MVR; you'll see lots of folks having trouble with wireless and MVR:

http://forums.directv.com/pe/action/forums/displayrootposts?msgBoardID=10644798

I intend to ignore DTV and set that service up with my Cat6 network over the weekend. I do not expect that streaming the HD signal over wireless, especially if you are using a bridge, to provide the required bandwidth, so I am opting for wired (plus I set up my wired network with enough drops at each TV...I planned it right for a change!).

If you have some extra powerline gear, you might want to try that too, but again that is expected to be an unsupported option when DECA ships and MVR moves out of beta in the next few months and DirecTV is suggesting that you not buy networking equipment just to support this service as they might not support non-DECA connections.

I hope this helps you and please let us know what you did.

Jim

 

[thiggins]

Thanks for the info, Jim. I'm surprised that the box-to-box streaming service would require so much bandwidth, given the high compression of the signal down from the satellite...

 

[jam3ohio]

DirecTV

My pleasure in helping, Tim. I have no data to support my contention, but based on reading testing done on HD streaming over N wireless on your site and elsewhere, I decided for my own purposes to rely on the ethernet network that I have deployed around my entertainment centers. I could easily be too conservative there, but since DirecTV is suggesting that customers not invest in networking equipment to run this product until its beta is over and they finalize networking specs, I thought it important to share that with the OP.

As far as DirecTV requiring DECA, I gather from reading that forum that they would prefer to have all customers using the same networking protocols in order to prevent their techs from becoming home networking experts. From their perspective, that makes sense as a cursory read of these forums reveals almost as many topographies as there are posters! Supporting only one certainly holds their support (and my subscription charges) down and guarantees that performance meets expectations.

I suspect that most of your readers will have the ability to configure alternative networking solutions without DirecTV's assistance, and so many will try to use ethernet or powerline or even wireless N that they already have rather than spend $150 for DECA. I intend to deploy ethernet and see how it goes myself. Those of us who do that will of course be on the hook to make it work without DirecTV support. I'll share my experiences here and hope that others will as well.

Jim

 

[thiggins]

Yeah, I'd imagine DTV would be pushing their own adapter. Actually, give that MoCA doesn't support DTV installations without users having to futz with diplexers, it would make sense to go with a DTV-supported product, if you don't have the Ethernet alternative.

I'm with you on Ethernet for HD streaming. MoCA and powerline can work, but Ethernet (even 10/100) always works.

I found another link with good info on the DECA adapter.

 

[jam3ohio]

Thanks for that link. Interesting thread to read there. I'm hoping that MVR works using ethernet and I won't need DECA but we'll have to wait and see.

Jim

 

[jam3ohio]

MVR Works on Ethernet

I can confirm that MVR works fine with just ethernet. My installer confirmed that DECA will be required and that the target launch in my area (central IL) is 13 May 2010, assuming that they can get stock of the DECA equipment. He thought that just using ethernet would work going forward but would not be supported. His training stressed that powerline and wireless are not always robust enough to handle the MVR stream. I suspect again that DirecTV wants to sell you their own equipment for support and revenue purposes...hope this helps someone.

Jim