The iView 3500STBII Revisited
In April 2014, I wrote a short, quick review of the iView 3500STBII in iView 3500STBII Quick Review. Since that time I’ve picked up a second iView 3500STBII and have been using it on a different…
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SECRET USE for the DIRECTV GENIEGO 2
If you have the new generation GenieGO 2 there’s one trick you probably didn’t know it would do. You can put the GenieGO 2 in place of your DECA Broadband or Cinema Connection Kit and it will…
No stop button on your new DIRECTV remote? Here’s what you do
Let’s say for a minute you’ve been with DIRECTV for a long time but you just upgraded to that sweet new HR44 Genie. The only problem is they gave you that new Genie Remote to go with it. You…
DISH DOES IT SO… Why can’t you turn a DIRECTV receiver into a DVR just by plugging in a hard drive?
DIRECTV fans aren’t jealous of a lot of DISH’s hardware, but there’s something special about its 211z HD receivers. See, they’re really DVRs in disguise: Plug in an external hard drive and boom, instant DVR. It’s that…
Thinking of putting a SWM32 into your home? Think again!
Ah, the poor maligned SWM32. Sure, it’s still the favorite multiswitch for high-end commercial installs, but it just doesn’t get any love from single-family homeowners. Why? The answer is quite simple: it doesn’t deserve any. Folks, I have…
The history of DIRECTV DVRs, part 3: The Genie is out of the bottle
By 2010, DIRECTV had a pretty good idea what it was doing with DVRs. In order to understand what happens next, you have to go almost back to the beginning. In 2006, DIRECTV was working…
The history of DIRECTV DVRs, part 2: From Zero to Hero
The world of DIRECTV changed in the summer of 2006 when DIRECTV released its first HD DVR developed in-house. DIRECTV had used TiVo hardware and software, and for the most part people were happy, but there…
The history of DIRECTV DVRs part 1: Prehistory
It all began fourteen years ago. The DVR was an incredibly new concept at the time and DIRECTV was one of the first pay-TV providers to offer one. While DIRECTV’s DVRs are smooth, slick and powerful…
Farewell 3net, we hardly knew ye
You know that full-time 3D channel on DIRECTV? Well, you probably weren’t watching it and to be fair neither was anyone else. 3net launched in 2011 to modest fanfare as part of DIRECTV’s 3D stable which…
How to get your iView, Blu Ray/DVD, and an Internet Video Player on Two TVs
When we had DISH, they installed it on two TVs for us, controlled by one box. This allowed us to watch either two different programs or record two different programs and watch a third on…
NICE AND EASY: Closed Captioning on DIRECTV
OK it’s not THAT nice OR easy. But believe me, it’s easier than it used to be. DIRECTV receivers have built-in closed captioning in order to meet government rules, but of course you can also use…
NICE AND EASY: Find out where you are in a recording
Ever wonder how much time was left in that awful movie? Or just wonder what time it was and didn’t want to drag out your phone? The answer is easy and all it takes is one…
COLD HARD DATA: How much power do DIRECTV Receivers use?
Thanks to Signal Labs member RAD for this testing! Your neighbor’s cable box may be a power hog… but you can sleep easy knowing that your DIRECTV receivers are cool as cucumbers… and we have the…
MYTHS BUSTED: How does the C41W Wireless Genie Mini connect?
If you’ve been jonesing for that new C41W Wireless Genie Mini you might have been wondering how it all works. The good news is that once the Wireless Genie Mini is hooked up it’s pretty much hands-off,…
NICE AND EASY: Different receivers, different channels?
If you’ve ever been bored and looked at the system info screens on a DIRECTV receiver, you’ll see that there are about 900 channels, and depending on your package you might get 500, 600, 700 or…