2nd tuner on dish VIP 722.

[moreira85]

In my bedroom I have a dish 600 series box, yamaha receiver and Panasonic DVD all hidden in the closet. I use the urc r50 remote and thankfully it controls these devices through the closet even thou its IR. downstairs in my living room I have a dish VIP 722 box which is a 2 tuner box. The second tuner of this 722 is being watched upstairs in our bedroom controlled by dish remote. How can I controll this 722 box on the second tuner from my bedroom with this r50 remote? Currently I have to use the dish remote in my bedroom if I want to watch the 722 2nd tuner.
I've heard of UFO IR extenders but I'm not sure if it will let me pull up the guide on the 722.

 

[moreira85]

I was looking into getting one of these.
Amazon.com: Next Generation Remote Control Extender: Electronics


The 722 is in the living room and tuner 1 is controlled by a urc r50 ir signal. The tuner 2 I control through my bedroom with the dish remote rf. if I use another one of my urc r50 remotes from the bedroom connected to this next generation extender will it control tuner 2 without changing tuner 1?

 

[BMXTRIX]

I was looking into getting one of these.
Amazon.com: Next Generation Remote Control Extender: Electronics


The 722 is in the living room and tuner 1 is controlled by a urc r50 ir signal. The tuner 2 I control through my bedroom with the dish remote rf. if I use another one of my urc r50 remotes from the bedroom connected to this next generation extender will it control tuner 2 without changing tuner 1?

You will have to program the 722 to accept a different IR command set in the two different rooms. I believe Dish has 10 completely different IR command sets available to their tuners, but I'm not 100% confident in which models offer which features. I did setup a box a year or so back which had the improper IR command set in it and through their remote, and a talk with customer service, I was able to reset the box to IR code set number 1. But, you will need one box as IR code set #1 and another box as code set #2. This way your one remote won't control both boxes at the same time.

I'm not sure the quality of the product you linked to, but something like that IR repeater is exactly what you should be using and if it works, should do what you want it to.

 

[Hi Ho]

Unless something has changed, I do not believe that the "TV2" section of the Dish receivers can be controlled by IR at all. Last time I attempted to set one up as such I discovered that it only worked with the RF Dish remote.

If someone knows of a way around this I would love to know.

 

[moreira85]

Unless something has changed, I do not believe that the "TV2" section of the Dish receivers can be controlled by IR at all. Last time I attempted to set one up as such I discovered that it only worked with the RF Dish remote.

If someone knows of a way around this I would love to know.

Wouldn't the device I listed above convert my urc to an rf signal?

 

[Hi Ho]

That device transmits remote commands from the remote via RF to the receiver with then blasts IR signals to the components. The problem is that the TV2 section of the Dish receivers is controllable only via their proprietary RF signals from their own remotes. I would love to be proven wrong but I know this was the case a couple years ago.

 

[moreira85]

That device transmits remote commands from the remote via RF to the receiver with then blasts IR signals to the components. The problem is that the TV2 section of the Dish receivers is controllable only via their proprietary RF signals from their own remotes. I would love to be proven wrong but I know this was the case a couple years ago.

Well if that device changes the remote signal to rf, then the IR repeater makes it an IR signal then it won't work. Because the tv2 has to be rf or it will just change tv1. I guess I am stuck using my URC remote for all my devices in my bedroom and will have to use a second remote (the original dish rf remote) to control tv2 on the 722. At least until I come up with a solution.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Deleting my entire post to just say you can't do it.

Here is why:

RC: Dish Network VIP 722 HDDVR

Zone 2 of the Dish 722 box is RF only.

 

[Hi Ho]

Which brings to mind a question I've pondered for years. Why can't universal remotes learn and transmit RF commands like they do IR? I've run into this problem multiple times with different products that use RF remotes and it makes it impossible to program them into universal remotes. Many RF devices use BlueTooth, a universal standard. Why can't URC or any other universal remotes use it?

 

[BMXTRIX]

Which brings to mind a question I've pondered for years. Why can't universal remotes learn and transmit RF commands like they do IR? I've run into this problem multiple times with different products that use RF remotes and it makes it impossible to program them into universal remotes. Many RF devices use BlueTooth, a universal standard. Why can't URC or any other universal remotes use it?

Open standards, such as Bluetooth, are excellent for cross platform control, but it also is open to interference issues and can be open to range issues. Bluetooth is typically 30 feet or so, which may not cover a large house.

URC, uses the 418mhz range for their remote, which they have some level of license for, and this range can allow for very good reliability at 100'+ in range. But, this is from their remote to their receiver. You want another RF frequency... more money. You want another? More money. Zigbee? More money! Bluetooth? More money!

And all that stuff needs to be built into the remote you are holding in your hand.

Do we want it? Darn straight I know I do! I would love a box I could hook up to my control system that could hit those RF frequencies on the fly. I just had Hunter Douglas motorized blinds installed. They use up to 4 different RF channels for up and down. BUT - how do I control them from my universal remote, or (more accurately) my control system? I want them all to go down at sunset, and come up at 11:00AM, but I still want my universal remotes (RF) to control them locally whenever I want to.

I'm not on the design side, but I think this is a huge engineering near impossibility or cost issue. Or both. But, I do still want it!