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  1. Member
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    The saga continues. BulkTV is here (after two days with no TV) but not for internet. They stayed with Comcast. But I haven't been able to connect since Saturday. Tonight I got on with my iPad but my Windows laptop can't connect. Their computer tech is supposed to show up tomorrow to check me plus some office computer issues. He set me up when I first came here and knows computers so my fingers are crossed.

    As far as video, the Magnavox arrived today and is in the corner, still sealed. Tomorrow the good maintenance guy will hook it up while I go out for lunch. Any hints or tips on using it would be appreciated. This Tv system has no onscreen guide so I'll have to find an online guide and write down when I want series to record.

    My fingers are crossed, hoping I'll come back to my DVR hooked up and working after a nice lunch out. I did buy the three-year warranty so if this new toy acts up, I can get it fixed at no charge
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    Originally Posted by SickSquirrel View Post
    The saga continues. BulkTV is here (after two days with no TV) but not for internet. They stayed with Comcast. But I haven't been able to connect since Saturday. Tonight I got on with my iPad but my Windows laptop can't connect. Their computer tech is supposed to show up tomorrow to check me plus some office computer issues. He set me up when I first came here and knows computers so my fingers are crossed.

    As far as video, the Magnavox arrived today and is in the corner, still sealed. Tomorrow the good maintenance guy will hook it up while I go out for lunch. Any hints or tips on using it would be appreciated. This Tv system has no onscreen guide so I'll have to find an online guide and write down when I want series to record.

    My fingers are crossed, hoping I'll come back to my DVR hooked up and working after a nice lunch out. I did buy the three-year warranty so if this new toy acts up, I can get it fixed at no charge
    If you are still using the same TV as before, the Magnavox DVD recorder will probably be able to successfully perform a channel scan to create its internal list of the channel numbers in the new BulkTV system. If you can figure out what networks you have (probably local broadcasters for the most part) tvguide.com or titantv.com can provide a basic schedule which you can view with a browser. You will of course have to note the channel assignments BulkTV uses and match them to the listings on these websites. After you set the Magnavox recorder's clock, you will be able to program the Magnavox's timers for recording programming like you used to do with a VCR (channel, day/date , start time and stop time).
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    Update: he finally came in late this morning. Hooked it up but it wouldn't work. He checked connections ten times. The unit wouldn't talk to the tv he said. The tv is 8-10 years old but flat screen. $400 for a19" flat screen which tells the age.

    He left to do work but said he'd think it over away from it then return. He never came back. I'll wait until Monday afternoon. If he still has issues I'll ask for specifics then come here. Oh he took my Shrek DVD but it wouldn't play either. I was thinking the remote was defective but didn't mention that.
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    Originally Posted by SickSquirrel View Post
    Update: he finally came in late this morning. Hooked it up but it wouldn't work. He checked connections ten times. The unit wouldn't talk to the tv he said. The tv is 8-10 years old but flat screen. $400 for a19" flat screen which tells the age.

    He left to do work but said he'd think it over away from it then return. He never came back. I'll wait until Monday afternoon. If he still has issues I'll ask for specifics then come here. Oh he took my Shrek DVD but it wouldn't play either. I was thinking the remote was defective but didn't mention that.
    If the Magnavox recorder can be turned on and off with the remote, but there is no picture, then the problem probably is not the remote. It is more likely a problem with the connection. The recorder has two sets of incoming red+white+yellow composite connections, and the maintenance guy might have used one of them by mistake. Make sure the composite A/V cable included with the DVD recorder is plugged into the DVD recorder's outgoing red+white+yellow composite connections, not those for input. The other possibility is that the TV input selection isn't set to use the right connection.
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    Thank you . I can't reach the remote to check but will in three hours. Would be great if I could fix it err you could fix it with my help 😏
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    Remote works fine. Tomorrow I'll tell maintenance guy what you said and he can check all connections. I'm sure it's something simple he overlooked. It's frustrating me as I'm sooooooo close to being able to record.
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    Maintenance guy shows up with head maintenance guy. They spent 90 minutes hooking it up. They tried every way there is to connect. The DVR plays my disc. TV plays TV Channels. But "record" doesn't work as TV doesn't talk to the DVD box. They attempted with HDMI cord, new set of yellow/red/white wires, with remote and without.

    They talked it over and said try TiVo. I looked around but what I read is TiVo Mini is available but needs Internet connection. *sigh*

    So ... if I can't hook up the TV to the Internet and my TV isn't compatible with the Magnavox ... what can I do if I want to record shows while I watch other channels? I'm pretty bummed as I thought this would work. Then he got my hopes up with TiVo.
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  8. There is something seriously amiss here, and honestly SickSquirrel it is going to be difficult or impossible for your VideoHelp friends to solve this puzzle without actually being there in your room. There is still too much we don't know, and since you have physical limitations that prevent you getting access to that info, we're all just guessing at solutions. In order to even TRY to help you fix this, let alone figure out if a fix is even possible, we must get absolute confirmation of a couple key facts:

    1. We need the exact brand name and model of your TV. Since you claim it is 8-10 years old, it could be anything. Knowing what connections and tuning are available on this TV would narrow down the issues considerably.

    2. We need to know very clearly how BulkTV was initially connected to your TV. Are we absolutely certain there is no little box hidden somewhere behind the TV? BulkTV is a weird, proprietary service that takes a feed from DirecTV satellite, converts it into a different signal, and sends it around your multiroom residence. The BulkTV signal may need to pass thru a tiny little filter or converter box taped to the back of the TV during installation. If there is ANYTHING at all attached between the wire coming from the wall and the cable socket on your TV, it could be the cause of your problems: the Magnavox would need to have the same little box connected in order to tune the channels correctly.

    Note that any problems you're having now with the Magnavox would carry over to a TiVO as well: BulkTV is a non-standard signal system that isn't particularly designed for use with recorders. The cheapest version of the system, which most customers sign up for, is strictly for casual TV viewing. BulkTV does make a vague reference to recorder options on its website, but nothing specific: if the TiVO mentioned by your maintenance staff is sourced from BulkTV itself, then it would be a customized version and worth getting. But if they're just grasping at straws and throwing out the word "TiVO" as a random possibility, you will encounter the same problems as with the Magnavox.

    With all that out of the way, here in a nutshell is how the Magnavox (or a TiVO) is SUPPOSED to be connected. Assuming your personal TV is absolutely normal (not a special TV model made for hotels and hospitals), this connection always works:

    Unscrew the incoming coax TV signal cable from the TV and attach it to the "Antenna Input" on the back of the Magnavox.

    Get another coax cable, and connect the "TV Out" of the Magnavox to the "Antenna Input" of your TV.

    The triple-plug cable (yellow video, red audio+white audio) connects the AUDIO/VIDEO LINE OUTPUTS of the Magnavox to the AUDIO/VIDEO LINE INPUT #1 of your TV. (This is the ONLY way you can see the Magnavox on your TV: the Magnavox will NOT show up on the TV as channel 3 or 4 like an old VCR).

    To watch channels directly on the TV, turn it on and (if necessary) go into the TV setup menu and have it scan for all available channels. Whatever comes thru BulkTV should now show up on your TV, and you can change channels with the TV remote.

    To watch the Magnavox, you MUST switch the TV away from "Tuner" to "Line Input 1" - with some TVs you reach Line Input 1 by flipping thru the channels, while some TVs have a dedicated "Input" button on their remote.

    Turn on the Magnavox with the Magnavox remote. It should display something like "Welcome! Begin Initial Setup?" on your TV. If not, you'll need to press the "Menu" button on the Magnavox remote, to get into the Setup screens, and tell the unit to scan for channels. It will take some minutes to scan the channels, then eventually stop and play a channel on screen. Exit the setup menu, and flip thru the channels with the Magnavox remote. If there is a DVD loaded, press the DVD button and Play to watch it. To record or play videos on the hard drive, press HDD button then Title button. To return to live TV, press the Return button.

    The way you watch one program while recording another is to set the timer on the Magnavox, then switch your TV back to Tuner and use the TV remote to watch whatever you want "live." Later on, you can watch the recorded program by switching the TV to Line Input 1 and playing the Magnavox. Note, you can also play a DVD or earlier-recorded HDD program while a new recording is in progress, like you did with ComCast. However the Magnavox is limited to recording one show at a time (unlike the ComCast which could record two or three different shows on different channels at the same time).

    Common Magnavox functions like setting the timer etc can be found in the instruction manual or the online user guide posted here. Scroll down to the heading "Quick Answers" - the blue topic names will lead you to those particular instructions.

    Be aware of a couple "gotchas" that are confusing: first, the Magnavox needs to be set to "Tuner" with its remote "Source" button to view TV channels. Second, the Magnavox has a dual-band tuner for analog and digital channels (kind of like a radio with AM and FM). Depending which band BulkTV uses, you might need to switch bands with the Magnavox remote "DTV/TV" button (top row, next to "Source" button). Each press of the DTV/TV button alternates between DTV (digital) and TV (analog) channel bands. So if you aren't seeing any channels when pressing the up/down channel buttons on the Magnavox remote, be sure to press the "Source" button until you see Tuner on the TV, then press the "DTV/TV" button to prompt the Magnavox to look for both types of channel.

    *****************

    Note the above hookup only applies if there is no additional wires, box or dongle from BulkTV attached to the back of your TV set. If there <is> a hidden box or dongle with multiple wires, the entire connection (including the dongle) must be disconnected from the TV and attached to the same inputs of the Magnavox. There may be other complications depending on what precisely BulkTV does to the channels as they are sent around your building.
    Last edited by orsetto; 7th Apr 2014 at 21:09.
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  9. Member
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    Originally Posted by SickSquirrel View Post

    They talked it over and said try TiVo. I looked around but what I read is TiVo Mini is available but needs Internet connection. *sigh*

    So ... if I can't hook up the TV to the Internet and my TV isn't compatible with the Magnavox ... what can I do if I want to record shows while I watch other channels? I'm pretty bummed as I thought this would work. Then he got my hopes up with TiVo.
    I agree with what orsetto said. If the Magnavox has problems tuning BulkTV signals it is likely a Tivo would too.

    Also, a TiVo Mini will not work by itself. You also need a TiVo Roamio to use a TiVo Mini. ...and the TiVo Roamio definitely won't tune analog signals, if that is what BulkTV supplies. The TiVo Roamio requires an ATSC signal (over-the-air/antenna), or clear QAM (unencrypted digital cable), or it uses a CableCARD to tune encrypted digital cable. Only Comcast or other traditional cable operators supply CableCARDs. BulkTV's system does not use CableCARDs since their TV source is satellite (DirectTV).
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 7th Apr 2014 at 19:27.
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    Orsetto, thank you very much for the informative post. I showed it to the maintenance guy who has a clue. He logged on and read more about the Magnavox to confirm his hunch. It, like so many others, won't record from a satellite. Apparently this BulkTV is from a satellite.

    BulkTV offers a dvr option. You need to go through Zap2It, have HDMI and don't need an internet connection TiVo will work with it. I still have a few questions for them but going through BulkTv is best as they support their product. The monthly fees are reasonable

    That really is my only choice other than getting a VCR and clunky VHS tapes.
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    Originally Posted by SickSquirrel View Post
    That really is my only choice other than getting a VCR and clunky VHS tapes.
    If the Magnavox recorder could not be made to work, then a VCR won't work either. Both have the same limitations with respect to satellite.
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    Originally Posted by usually_quiet View Post
    Originally Posted by SickSquirrel View Post
    That really is my only choice other than getting a VCR and clunky VHS tapes.
    If the Magnavox recorder could not be made to work, then a VCR won't work either. Both have the same limitations with respect to satellite.
    Oy vey. So my only option is DVR from BulkTV with TiVo. BulkTV says one thing, TiVo says something else. And I say BulkTV needs the internet to get Zap2It on the screen so you can use their guide.

    Three opinions/facts. Which to follow ...?
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    While the Magnavox DVDR(and anything other than a official satellite receiver) may not be able to directly tune satellite signals, it along with a VCR would be able to tune the analog signal that BulkTV should be providing to you. The BulkTV receiver tunes the satellite signals and converts them to a analog signal which any device with a analog tuner can handle.
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    Originally Posted by jjeff View Post
    While the Magnavox DVDR(and anything other than a official satellite receiver) may not be able to directly tune satellite signals, it along with a VCR would be able to tune the analog signal that BulkTV should be providing to you. The BulkTV receiver tunes the satellite signals and converts them to a analog signal which any device with a analog tuner can handle.
    In theory it can handle it. In practice, no. Magnavox statues it can't do satellite. I watched the guys try to set it up. They tried an HDMI cable, reversing connections, changing settings on the tv screen. The tv and DVR just would not communicate with each other.

    This is why they were so frustrated. In theory it's simple to set up. I talked with one of the guys today and he's still ticked off that something so simple didn't work.

    Every possible device (but for TiVo) states it can't record satellite. With TiVo I apparently need a specific model with a phone cord in a jack. Analog jack.

    On Monday I'm going to talk to administration about bringing Comcast with DVR back to my room. BulkTV is fine if you watch a few channels. Sure it's free but it sucks. Four news channels and they cover Rhode Island, not Boston. We still can't figure out why they went to BulkTV. Comcast was paid for by the residents. BulkTV is free for us. But they kept Comcast Internet for their ISP. I wonder how much they save by changing tv providers. I can't imagine it being thousands of dollars a month, for the tv service, in savings.

    It's too bad there aren't other options available. Believe it or not, I pay $10k a month to live here yet I have to pay an additional $106 a month for Comcast. They let me on their wifi at no charge. But they can't give me one percent in tv costs.
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