First, I think you technically don't have an SL3 if your dish is the old-style 3LNB. The SL3 sees different satellites.

Next, I don't really get how your 4x8 can only have two lines going to it, and yet it works. I guess if you have no HD currently, that might work, but I wouldn't have expected it to.

As to your question, if the two lines to the 4x8 work now, then the legacy ports should be no different. DirecTV doesn't approve of using a switch off a SWM like this, but I've seen it work.

But the larger issue is that your 3LNB dish doesn't get the newer satellites that have most of the HD channels for the H20. So you'll likely need a new dish.

I'd say, get a new dish (SL3 or SL5). Connect all four outputs to a SWM8. Connect two legacy outputs to your 4x8 - again, technically unsupported, but seems to work in reality. Then connect a SWM cable to the H20.

I made myself as clear as mud...I'll clear those points up first.

First off...no, I don't have an SL3..I have a Phase III that's only getting 101 since everything I have right now is "legacy" SD equipment; an R15 and 3 D11s. I was well aware my current dish wasn't capable of receiving HD content, i did about as much research as I could before getting stuck and asking....it might helped that i briefly worked for an e* installer and have a strong basic understanding about this stuff as it is.

3-LNB phase III dish which is pointed in the direction to get all 3, but probably due to only the two coax lines doesn't. 101 signal is pretty much maxed out (my lowest non-spotbeam is 92/94 with several signals maxing at 100). I'm not sure what exact model/make my 4x8 switch is...I know they wanted to put one in that required a power-outlet...but since that wasn't possible they put a different one in...I'd have to remove ceiling tiles to see although I might have the box it came in, if you really need that information. From the multiswitch everything has a dedicated coax line (2 for the R15 naturally). All the drops run to that one central point and for the most part are all direct RG6 with no splices...except one DVR line. It originally used some of the original house wiring and ran from the basement to the attic and back down through RG-59...the "temporary" solution lasted 8 years before it failed and I euventually replaced it, but I used two shorter pieces of RG6 with an connector in the middle....it doesn't affect signal to any noticeable degree.

My intentions if it was possible (which you confirmed for me, thanks)...was to purchase a standard SL3 dish and mount the SWM8 switch outside near the dish so I could directly run the required 4 lines in to the switch. Then, using the two RG6 lines that were originally installed in 99 for a DSS system (the same two I've used for EVERY sat system the last 10 years), plug those in to the legacy ports to feed the multiswitch...then using antother piece of existing RG6 (previous cable install, cable was checked and still good) run that to the SWM for the H20, putting the power-inserters in the proper place. I know they said in the SWM8 manual not to split the legacy signals...however, I wasn't sure if they put that in for dim-witted people who might try to split the legacy signal like an SWM for multiple recievers or if they meant a multiswitch. Aside from that, I understand the rest of the SWM8 connection diagrams just fine.

My original thought were to get a SL5 with built in SWM, however, I was told that all I really needed as 99 101 and 103 - no one has still answered me as to what is on 110 or 119 and if it'd give me any advantages to having them as well...however problems with seeing 119 prevented me from getting HD 2 years ago. The other problem is from what I could tell, if I used a dish with SWM already in it, there was no way I could hook the legacy boxes up to it.

So, I think when I get the money I'll be picking up a H20, SL3 and a SWM8.

thanks for the advice. If anyone has anything else to add that might help me figure out a way to do it cheaper (that doesn't require another lease, switching out all my boxes or having more installers come to my house), I'll keep an eye on the thread for a couple of days.

Right - if you get a SWM dish, you'll need to upgrade the older R15 and D11s. They can't handle the SWM signal, and the SWM dish doesn't have legacy ports. So it probably makes more sense in your situation to get an SL3 or SL5 and a SWM8 separately.

Not sure that I can really tell you that this site has all of the correct info since I don't refer to it on a regular basis, but there's info about what is on the 110 and 119 here:

http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/directvusa110.html

http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/directvusa119.html

Looks like there's almost nothing on the 110 at this point.

Yeah, it appears all the mpeg4 content is on 99 and 103...lyngsat packages isn't listing what's there except the fact it's mpeg4-hd...110 looks like it's all the older mpeg-2 HD and 119 looks like it's got a couple of old HD signals...but mostly locals...so I don't need 110 or 119 and will likely go ahead and just get the SL3 and the seperate swm8.

thanks for the advice.

Definitely 99 and 103 are key these days. Once upon a time, 110 and 119 were the ones . . . soon to be space trash, I suppose.