this has probably been covered before so apologies if so - the new required digital converter boxes (required for purely antenna analog TV equipment) - those things do work with the e85 machines (& similar I assume) - you just have to run them through channel 3 or 4 of the dmr machine.
PS and just to absolutely complete the thought, set up your e85 machine recording on channel 3 or 4, whichever one you selected (the TRUE channel you are recording is selected on the converter box).
Just out of curiousity, does the DMR-E85 IR blaster control your digital converter, or are you required to manually change the converter's channel in order for the DVR to record properly as scheduled? I'll be in the market soon for one of the converter boxes, and earlier this year (prior to going overseas where I am now) posted a query to the Panasonic tech guys with this specific question. Here's how they replied at the beginning of February: "Thank you for your inquiry. We are not able to provide a definite response to your inquiry. We are in the process of testing units to confirm what will and will not work properly. Any changes necessary to allow compatibility with the change will be posted on our website." So far, I've seen nothing further on their website, but admittedly haven't been too diligent in that regard because of other priorities. If anyone does know whether the IR blaster will control a particular model or models of these converter boxes, I'd be keenly interested to learn the details.
It appears that the DISH DTVPal converter is the only one capable of interacting with the E85 IR Blaster, and thus it should be able to take instructions from the E85's recording schedule to switch to the desired channel(s). I got one of the initial DTVPal models, but did not have time to get it hooked up and tested before I returned to work on a project overseas -- this is among the priority New Year's resolutions after I get back to my home, though. Seems that DISH has also now produced a somewhat upgraded model that's a bit more expensive, so the government coupon won't cover as much of the cost, but both get good reviews and pass-through low-power analog signals that will continue to be broadcast after the February transition.
Dear jhvance, or anyone else dealing with getting a DMR-E85H to work with a TR-40 or DTV Pal converter. (Both models are identical except for the outside box, the screen-printed logo on top and the $20 price difference.) I have a perfect working analog DMR-E85H DVD Recorder. DISH Network promised the $40, TR-40 converter to be available at the beginning of 2008. After 8 months DISH Network finally fulfilled their promise to provide a converter with a channel timer for under $40. Their lengthy delay in releasing the TR-40 for $40 caused my first set of Government discount cards to expire. I managed to get a second set from a neighbor with cable who didn't need his. Buy a fluke DISH Network sent me one DTV Pal which they had been selling for $60 since at least February of 2008 and one TR-40 which they said was not available until the end of 2008. Both units are identical, which proves that DISH Network lied so they could sell the DTV Pal version at the higher $60 price for most of the year. I have now spent a month attempting to get the either unit to allow my TV Guide on my DMR-E85H DVD Recorder to download the current program information, or for the G-link cable to change the channel on the converter box so that it can record without me getting up in the middle of the night to change the converter channel to the correct one for recording off that particular channel. After setting up the converter box exactly as per instructions, it will not allow the download of the current TV programming to the EPG on the converter box or the TV Guide on my DMR-E85H. The instructions also state that by using the G-link cable my DMR-E85H will cause the converter box to change to the correct channel for recording a program. Neither the programming nor the channel changing feature work, and the instructions are actually contradictory. They say to disable all the digital features on the converter box to allow for the TV Guide to download to the DMR-E85H. When the digital features are disable the only thing the converter remote control will do when ANY button is pressed it to show a screen asking if I wish to enable the digital features. This means that the channel cannot be changed by the remote or the G-link cable until the digital features are first enabled. The G-link is supposed to communicate with the converter box exactly like the remote so when it attempts to tell the converter box to change a channel, it is impossible to do so. Even with this configuration the TV Guide will not download. Dish Network knows nothing more than how to connect cables. Has anyone figured out how to get the TV Guide and the G-link to work?
