# OTA Reception on HR10-250 Without DirecTv Service



## mmmm (Aug 9, 2008)

Can someone provide a step-by-step instruction on how to get OTA on an HR10-250 without DirecTv Service. I have searched this forum and others and cannot find the information that my pea brain needs. I have removed the card (which someone on another thread suggested) but cannot figure out how to get to the live TV produced by the OTA. I do not care about the recording function, I just want to watch live TV (the Olympics). The screen continues saying that it is trying to acquire satellite. I can get out of this screen by pushing the DirecTv logo button but do not see any other logical options to view the OTA channels.


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

See following replies
Is this the thread you alluded to?
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=400742


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

That's not quite true. You can use it as an OTA digital receiver and use the 30-minute buffer. That is all. I have tested this.


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## mmmm (Aug 9, 2008)

Steve, can you give me the details on how to do this?


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## Da Goon (Oct 22, 2006)

you need a dish hooked up to get past the "aquiring satellite" screen. hook up a dish and it'll work.


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## mmmm (Aug 9, 2008)

I do not have a dish because I just moved. Are you saying that it has to be hooked to a dish, even without DirecTv service active, and then OTA will work? Without active service, why is the connection to the dish even necessary?


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## codespy (Jan 7, 2006)

When you get the screen- acquiring satellite signal- press the DirecTV Button to get into the menu, then get into settings, satellite, and hit repeat guided setup. Change the parameter to off-air antenna, and you'll be good to go. You will not get any guide data unless you have a dish and indicate satellite and off air antennae in the guided setup option.

I just set up a HR10 for a friend who has basic cable, as he has a Mits 1080i diamond TV. It works fine as a HDTV tuner. No dish was required.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

codespy has it right.


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## reubenray (Mar 4, 2002)

Will any of the other receivers do this also? I keep getting requests to upgrade all of my HD equipment. Buy I do not want to lose my OTA capabilities. I have the HR10, Sony HD200 and a H10.

If so I could all of them for just the OTA signals.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

You won't lose OTA capabilities with the new DirecTV DVRs. The HR20 has OTA and the HR21 has an optional AM21 tuner which is better than the one in the HR10. You can probably get the AM21 free since you're replacing an HR10. I don't know anything about the HD200 and H10.


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## mmmm (Aug 9, 2008)

Thanks to Steve and Codespy. I got my OTA!


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## cborjon (Nov 10, 2004)

I was trying to do the same thing. When I repeated the "Guided Setup", I get to the "Program Source" page. There I change the setting from "Satellite and off-air antenna" to "Off-Air Antenna only". When I press select the next page is "Steps to Activate"; I get stuck here. The page says:
1. Call DirecTV customer support...to activate DirecTV service. 
2. When you get off the phone, press the DirecTv button...to complet setup."

Did you have to call DirecTV? 

The only choice to leave this screen is "Press Live TV when instructed". If I press Live TV, I get out but there is not OTA reception??


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## mmmm (Aug 9, 2008)

cborjon, Go to Settings, Channels, Off-Air Channels, Scan for Off-Air Channels. After you do that, you should be able to press Live TV and see you OTA channels. I did not have to call DirecTv and I do not have the HR10-250 hooked up to a satellite or phone feed. The only input is the external antenna.


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## cborjon (Nov 10, 2004)

Thanks. What you say makes sense. I will give it a shot!


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## cborjon (Nov 10, 2004)

It worked as expected. Thanks mmmm


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## vickhirani (Oct 4, 2002)

codespy said:


> When you get the screen- acquiring satellite signal- press the DirecTV Button to get into the menu, then get into settings, satellite, and hit repeat guided setup. Change the parameter to off-air antenna, and you'll be good to go. You will not get any guide data unless you have a dish and indicate satellite and off air antennae in the guided setup option.
> 
> I just set up a HR10 for a friend who has basic cable, as he has a Mits 1080i diamond TV. It works fine as a HDTV tuner. No dish was required.


Does it do QAM?

Can I activate it as a tivo box w/o directv


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## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

vickhirani said:


> Does it do QAM?
> 
> Can I activate it as a tivo box w/o directv


1. No, the HR10-250 HD Tivo's off-air tuners can only handle ATSC digital TV, not QAM.

2. No, Tivo won't activate a DirecTV Tivo DVR. But you can use the HR10-250's ATSC tuners without any DirecTV subscription. You just won't have much Tivo functionality (no Guide data, etc).


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## vickhirani (Oct 4, 2002)

thanks

Any inexpensive unencrypted QAM DVR solutions? Cheapest TIVO i found is $199


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## gastrof (Oct 31, 2003)

vickhirani said:


> thanks
> 
> Any inexpensive unencrypted QAM DVR solutions? Cheapest TIVO i found is $199


http://www.centronics.com/product.php?id=48

Supposedly coming in at the end of the month, but currently not available.


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## vickhirani (Oct 4, 2002)

does the samsung ts360 tuner work w/o directv as a ota/qam tuner?


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## vickhirani (Oct 4, 2002)

gastrof said:


> Supposedly coming in at the end of the month, but currently not available.


Thanks but it says Terrestrial Digital ATSC Receiver  Allows Over the Air HDTV Reception

Is it a QAM DVR?


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

Unencrypted QAM is disappearing from cable systems all over the country. Don't expect to keep using it for long.


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

Well most are cutting back but I believe they are still required to have locals available.

You can read more here.


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## WaldorfSalad (Nov 28, 2008)

vickhirani said:


> does the samsung ts360 tuner work w/o directv as a ota/qam tuner?


No. It can do OTA but not QAM.


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## FriscoJoe (Jan 12, 2005)

Instructions in this thread helped me get setup with my old HR10 for OTA only. However I can only get two main channels to work (ABC and CBS) and a few indies/Spanish stations. But I have good signal strength on each of the frequencies for the other channels.

I only have the antenna connected, no sat line and no phone line.

Any ideas?

One clue is that it seems that the only stations that work are the ones whose frequency is the same as the channel (i.e. CBS is channel 11-1 and freq 11).

This is the DFW area.


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