HDD/DVD Recorder with a 3100

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I love my PVRs but occasionally would like to record to DVDs instead.

Thinking of buying a HDD/DVD recorder to use with my 3100. My 3100 works well with a regular VCR (i.e. allowing the 3100's timer and IR blaster to control the VCR). Has anyone used the 3100 with Hdd/DVD recorder? Does the 3100's IR blaster works well with a HDD/DVD recorder.
 
My Pioneer 520 HS recorder works with my 2700 and 5900 receiver (same code as a Pioneer VCR)
 
I have Pioneer DVR533H-S DVD/Harddrive recorder and it works with the 4100 I have. It can be used with Pioneer VCR codes for Record and Stop functions only. I normally set the 533 on L1 input and record for 3-4 hours and then program the 4100 to do the channel changes.

CON: 4100 only has 8-9 timers, where as the pioneer has something like 32
 
I also just got a Pioneer DVR533H-S DVD/HDD Recorder and i have a 3100 box. It is *supposed* to be able to control the DVR with Pioneer VCR codes but I can't get it to work. None of the codes work...

Any ideas?
 
The 533 only accepts the Record and Stop functions, hence the DVR needs to be on and set to the Line Input or Channel 3/4
 
The signal from the 3100 is sometimes weak. You may have to deflect the IR signal coming out of the front right of the 3100 and/or position the 533 to best receive the IR signal. VCR Codes 573 and 575 work for the 533 dvr. It's working quite well for me with the 533 left on all the time.

Note that you will have to disable the TVGUIDE feature to keep the DVR on all the time. Otherwise it turns off to download nonexistant schedules and you'll miss timed recordings.

The 533 will also turn off a while after you copy from HDD to DVD unless you toggle the top menu button on the remote after the copy ends.

Andy...
 
Thanks folks...

Yeah it was just that the signal was weak. I ended up hanging a small piece of tin foil to deflect the signal from the BEV... Crude... but it works :P

But how do I disable the TV Guide? I said in the Tv Guide setup that I didn't have cable or an antenna. Is that all I needed to do?
 
That's all I did. If you turn the DVR off/on a couple of times it will remind you about the incomplete setup and eventually give you an option to turn the TVGUIDE off permanently.

Be carefull when you are playing back recordings or when you are in the menu of the DVR. If the 3100 tries to start a recording at that time, the DVR will ignore the record signal and you'll miss your recording. A good trick is to start the recording yourself before playing back something, if you know you have a recording coming up. You can always trim it later.
Andy...
 
I have a Pioneer DVR-533H and although I can get the 3100 remote to start recording on the DVR, I can't get the same code (or any other code I've tried) to trigger recording from the 3100 unit itself. I can get the remote to work when it's right in the same place as the 3100 unit. But no luck with the 3100.

I thought that the signal from the unit was stronger than from the remote. Am I wrong?

I could try sitting the units face-to-face and see if it works. If not I'm stumped.

Why would the same code work from the remote but not from the 3100 unit?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
i also have the 533 and a bev 3100. can i just hook up the glink thingy to and place that under the 3100?? What is the purpose of the glink anyways???
 
I am having the exact same problem as soccerfan. The 533 will record with the remote only but the 3100 receiver, for some reason, will not start the dvr recording. I am leaving the DVR on too and I've tried the foil thingy. Any help is welcomed!
 
Try it with the 2 units facing each other or stand in front of it and let the IR signal bounce off you to the DVR. If that fails, try it with a VCR to see if the signal is there at all. Use the 3100's "test VCR" (Menu - 6-1-7). If all fails maybe the 3100's IR is defective. There seem to be a lot of week ones around.

Also see http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=569134 for more info.
Andy..
 
It's a infrared cable as you suggested. It's for using the 533 to control a set top (cable) box from the TV Guide Online listings in the 533. But you can't get these listings the channels on a satelite dish. And I don't think the 533 has a code for controlling a 3100 anyway. Only cable box codes are listed in the manual. So it won't work for you.

Use the 3100 to control the 533 instead and disable the TVGUIDE feature to keep the 533 from turning off.
Andy...
 
It turns out that the signal from my 3100 must be a lot weaker than from the remote. I did get the 3100 to work with the DVR by placing the 3100 directly on top of the DVR.

With that issue fixed the DVR is great - I'm recording all the shows I want the same way I did before - using timers on the 3100.

however there is one more issue I'd like to resolve with this DVR - EPG updates.
All of us with this unit reading this forum can't use EPG. I've got it disabled -to a point, but it still comes back to haunt me.

For instance. If I'm not using the DVR for a period (I'm not recording programs 24-7) I like to turn it off. But if I do this it turns off briefly and then turns back on in EPG update mode. The hard drive still spins, and to me that's not going to be good in the long run. Also if I want to move the DVR for some reason I can't follow the instructions in the manual (which says turn off the power and wait 2 minutes) because if I do the unit goes into EPG mode and stays there forever. And your not supposed to move the unit when it's in EPG mode.

Does anyone know how to completely disable EPG so it doesn't update ever?

Thanks - and happy New Year!
 
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