RedSkull - The Ethernet port , according to Bell, is for "future use" and has no function at this time.

ScaryBob - Couldn't agree with you more. With most companies pushing the "greener" hard drives, being obligated to use an HD that cannot power down is a great shortcoming. That absolutely should be addressed.

Personally, I tried a Seagate FreeAgent Xtreme 1TB external hard drive that I haven't used for awhile, and it works perfectly on my 6131.

For analogue audio, i use the output from my TV set and the audio with an old but fairly high quality stereo system is excellent, I suspect (but do not really know) that it is better the CD quality sound. Of course if your TV does not have audio out you are out of luck.
WRT the 6131, one other thing I noticed was the amount of organic solvent off gassing it did for the first 2 months of use. I also got the TV at the same time and it may have been the combination of the 2 but I did not feel dizzy and head achy until I got the 6131. I literally could not run it for more than an hour or so and just had to shut it completely off. So if your are bothered by organic solvent smells get one of these things in the summer when you can leave the windows open.

Thank you for the reply. Wow that really sucks. I unplug my TV/receiver when I go to sleep at night so that sucks if I can't turn off the hard drive.

If the 6131 is completely powered down (by a power bar or by unplugging) then the drive can be powered down as well. This is not recommended with Bell satellite receivers. For one, recordings will be missed.

WRT the 6131, one other thing I noticed was the amount of organic solvent off gassing it did for the first 2 months of use.
I would guess that E*'s production methods are pretty archaic, as far as modern electronics is concerned. When RoHS and energy use standards are enforced, they will be in big trouble. Their PVRs currently use about 35w in standby mode. Upcoming standards call for less than 7w initially and 3w at a later date.

Has anyone tried the Ultra Speed drives sold at Wal-Mart with the 6131, I'm looking at the 640GB (on for $50) model now but I cannot find out anywhere if it is 5400 or 7200 rpm? Has anyone tried this drive?

I just bought the 6131. So far works great for me. Now I want to look at getting an EHD for it. Can an EXD that is powered by the USB port be used with the reciever or do I have to look for an EHD case with seperate power? Thanks for any info.

Edited my second question, found some info on Bell's site.

All your info can be found here. http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=100773

Thanks man, don't know why I didn't see it before, must have just been having an off day.

I have a 6131 Connected via HDMI to my HTS. Is there any advantage in connecting the optical sound cable as well ?
thanks!

Not in my book but I guess it depends on what your HTS can handle.

I just received my Bell June billing and was shocked to learn that Bell had billed me for several PPVs that my wife and I didn't watch. Our 6131 receivers are definitely not plugged into any phone or Internet lines and we would only verbally order a PPV by calling in the event # through Bell's automated phone system. When I confronted my daughter about the several PPVs in question, she admitted that she ordered them through the receiver with the remote following the screen prompts only but she fiercely denied connecting the receiver to any phone line. So I tried it myself and was flabbergasted to find out that PPV would come through without a phone connection!

Does anyone know how our 6131 receiver was able to communicate with Bell without a hard line connection or have any theories?

Has anyone else experienced the same?

I don't think it's a 6131 problem, I did the same thing on our 9300 awhile ago. My 9300 was plugged into the phone line for awhile via those phone jack over electic outlet plugs, but I removed it and we were still able to order PPV without the line.

If there's a way to bill you, Bell will find the way. I would imagine the authorization takes places via satalite using your sim card # of the receiver.

My understanding is that the Smart Cards will allow purchasing of PPV etc up to a pre set amount, then it must communicate with Bell to pass that info along. This used to be around $50 but could well have changed.

I know of no way the receiver can contact Bell, without either a phone line or Ethernet connection. It is impossible for it to transmit back to Bell via the Satellite.

I can only imagine that a phone line has been connected at some time, after the PPV's were ordered and it was during that period that it told Bell of your PPV's.

Thanks for your input Pinza. However, I can absolutely assure you that no hard connections have ever been made to any of our receivers since there are no phone jacks nearby...hence why we would call in our PPV orders. Also, my PPV bill this month was a whopping $175 higher! I believe my daughter when she came clean on the remote order issue and no phone connection...she thought she found a way around not paying for PPV and feels real bad about the billing.

I'll contact Bell tech and ask them to explain and report back.

Yeah, that's really weird. You should only be able to be charged with your setup as described if you ordered online or touchtone phone. If they tell you it transmits on the satellite then as per the last posters they are right, it's impossible.

I just spoke with a Bell tech and after a lot of questions, he finally admitted that the 6131 is a TRANSCEIVER! He said that the cleanest connection is a hard line telephone connection but the system WILL BILL YOU through the remote/on screen menu via a data uplink through the dish if the 6131 is not hardwired.

Watch out for unauthorized use if you thought you were safe by not having a hard connection to any of your receivers on the same billing account!

That is total BS.

There is NOT a chance the Receiver can Transmit back up to the Sat.

I just spoke with a Bell tech and after a lot of questions, he finally admitted that the 6131 is a TRANSCEIVER! He said that the cleanest connection is a hard line telephone connection but the system WILL BILL YOU through the remote/on screen menu via a data uplink through the dish if the 6131 is not hardwired.

Watch out for unauthorized use if you thought you were safe by not having a hard connection to any of your receivers on the same billing account!
I don't know if that is true. I don't think a small in home receiver would ever have the power let alone capability to upload data to the satellite. If they could do that then why would they ever bother with the phone connections?

Infact, a quick look in WIKIPEDIA...
The dish
A satellite dish is just a special kind of antenna designed to focus on a specific broadcast source. The standard dish consists of a parabolic (bowl-shaped) surface and a central feed horn. To transmit a signal, a controller sends it through the horn, and the dish focuses the signal into a relatively narrow beam. The dish on the receiving end can’t transmit information; it can only receive it. The receiving dish works in the exact opposite way of the transmitter. When a beam hits the curved dish, the parabola shape reflects the radio signal inward onto a particular point, just like a concave mirror focuses light onto a particular point
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_TV#The_receiver


Soo.. bell lies???? there's a surprise!!

With the greatest repect Pinza, I don't appreciate you writing "BS" about my post. Absolutely everything that I have posted is my 1st hand observation...no one else's. I find it impossible too but this information came to me by directly phoning Bell and querying a Bell service rep named Kirk. Unless he is being evasive to my direct questions, how else can one explain the billing with no phone line connected? If you have a better explanation or theory, I'm all ears. I purchased my 6131 units this past February and they're configured to both 91 and 82. No phone or ethernet lines HAVE EVER BEEN CONNECTED. Also, I believe my daughter concerning any temporary connection issue and as I said in my 1st post, I tried it myself. I hope that someone else will try it out by leaving their hard line disconnected and order PPV via the remote/on line screen prompts and report their findings.

The Bell serv rep did say that the phone line makes the cleanest connection and when that connection is not available an alternate connection is made to Bell billing via the satellite co-ax cable. An abstract thought that I had to that comment is wondering whether the connection is somehow being made through the grounded co-ax cable through terrestrial lines.

Any thoughts to this?

There've been a few threads over the years about info. somehow being transmitted to Bell by a receiver, N/W/S no hard connection (phone line or ethernet) and no uplink capability. I'm wondering if perhaps if it can occur via internet, i.e. the receiver sends a signal via some secret wifi transmitter and/or through coax cable (if said cable carries both sat and internet signal via diplexer) or via phone lines, perhaps in households with cordless phones. Clearly, when one uses a receiver to order a PPV, the receiver tries to send an order confirmation signal out via phoneline. The logical assumption is that if no phoneline is attached to the receiver, the order confirmation signal can't be transmitted, but perhaps the signal can be picked up by a cordless phone and transmitted to Bell.

I have no clue whether such theories are technically possible, but can't think of any other explanation, so flame away ;)