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Okay, so I am finally ready to move into the world of HD satellite. Thing is, I have a "novel" SD installation. I started out with a 10-foot black mesh C-Band dish on a pole outside my back fence (I have a 5 acre lot out in the country). When C-Band got too hard to keep working, I got a Direct Tv dish and mounted it on the same pole as the C-Band. I used the two RG6U cables running into the house, put a 8-port multiswitch where the C-Band receiver originally sat and used the same single-wire RG6 distribution system to feed four TVs around the house. The system works fine on all four TVs and I don't intend to add any more in the future. I now have 2 HDTV receivers, one in the MB and one in the den. Two SDTV receivers in the kids' bedrooms. My OTA antenna is in the attic and does not work well since I installed a metal roof with radiant barrier. I want to put a new OTA antenna on the pole next to the Direct TV dish, upgrade my dish and service to include HD. From reading this board, I assume that I can put a SWM8 out on the pole, connect the new HD dish and OTA antenna to the SWM, install the PI in the house where the cables come in, hook up a splitter and connect my four receivers. Is this correct? I want to be sure before I order the upgrade and I want to buy the SWM and splitter and have the system laid out because the installers I had before were not real bright and wouldn't hook things up like I wanted them. Thanks.
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That sounds right. You will also need diplexers to split the off-air and satellite.
I'm assuming you have an HD dish now. -
Nope - the dish I have is the old SD model, so I will have to get a new 5LNB Slimline to make this work. I have diplexers in my system now. Do I need to purchase new ones to be SWM-compatible? Could I hook up the SWM to the old dish and OTA and feed the current multiswitch from a legacy port in order to make sure everything works prior to having the new dish installed? That way, all I need Direct to do is install the new dish and set two HD receivers.Comment
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Yes,. you will need new, SWM-compatible diplexers. There really is no point in using the legacy ports of the SWM with your old dish...you wouldn't be doing anything differently than you are now with that setup. The legacy ports bypass the SWM technology completely, and those ports also do not pass off-air.Comment
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I have been known to do some pointless things in my life... Do you have any pointers for getting the upgrade to the dish and service? I suppose I could buy all the hardware from Weaknees and put the whole thing togehter myself, bypassing the DTV installation process completely. I still have the signal strength meter and associated tools from the C-Band days. But would I be costing myself unnecessary expense that way, since I still have to deal with DTV for the HD service? I am probably going to go ahead and purchase the SWM, splitter, and diplexers from Weaknees anyway, since I doubt that the installer will have the right stuff to make my setup work. Does Direct equip their contractors with the SWM or just the ODU?Comment
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IF you already have HD receivers from DIRECTV, they should install the dish for you. Did you call them?Comment
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Nothing in my current Direct system is HD, I'm stuck back in the single-LNB stone age. I need two HD DVR receivers, along with a new 5 LNB dish and the SWM module with accessories. I haven't called Direct yet because I need to finish removing the old C-Band dish from the pole and install the OTA antenna. I was hoping to find a local installer I could make direct contact (no pun intended) with and discuss the installation beforehand.Comment
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Sorry to say, we really don't have a list of local installers.Been here a long time . . .Comment
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I didn't figure you would know anybody way down here in Texas. I was just wondering if you had an opinion on the advisability of finding a local guy or just calling up DTV and telling them I want to upgrade, or should I go ahead and buy everything on the web, hook it up myself and then call DTV and tell them I need to activate two new receivers and sign up for HD service.Comment
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If you can handle the installation yourself, then that's the way to go, as far as I'm concerned. The DTV guys are plenty good, but they're so rushed due to the way their contracts work that projects are just not done the same way you'd do them yourself, if you have the ability.Been here a long time . . .Comment
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Okay, I have two RG6 cables from the dish location into the house where my current multiswitch and distribution coax are located. I use 1 RG6 from the SWM8 to the PI, which will be located where the mutliswitch is now. The other RG6 from the dish location connects to one of the legacy ports on the SWM8. Once I get the legacy signal inside, can I split it to feed two legacy receivers?Comment
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Nope - the legacy cable can't be split. Those need to be home-run cables.Been here a long time . . .Comment
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Actually, that can work okay since I am only planning on keeping one legacy box. Do I need one cable or two from the legacy port into the house? Also, if I decide to ditch the legacy box and get an HD receiver for the room with the analog (SD) TV, can I just continue to use the S-video output from the HD receiver, and will I be able to display the HD channels on the old TV (although obviously not in HD)?Comment
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Yes, you can use S-Video on an HD box, and yes, you'll get HD channels down-rezed to 480i.
You just need one legacy cable if you've got a receiver; two is better (but not required) for a legacy DVR.Been here a long time . . .Comment
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