You should be able to switch any of the Dish DVRs from UHF to IR mode by selecting an option from the on-screen menus. You may want to google for this. It's been discussed more times than I can count on RemoteCentral.com for instance.

UHF means you're forced to use the Dish remote. It's only useful if your DVR is not in the line of site (in a cabinet or in another room).

Bruno