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I have a directv system with 2 DVR's and 2 normal HD recievers. I wanted to add an addional reciever in my basement. Running wire on outside of the house is out of the question. After much research I found that I could use a SWM8, pull 1 wire off my DVR that is directly above where I want the reciever in the basement and use that one to run the new reciever. Taking things one step further I want to split that wire and run a second new reciever in the basement. I called DirecTV explain what I want and schedule an appointment. The installer calls me before he comes out, tells me the SWM will be an addional 139.00 when he gets to my house. I call back the 800 number and complain. Later DirecTV calls me back and tells me they are sending out a DirecTV employee rather than the contractor I spoke to ealier and there will be no charge for the SWM. The installer gets here. I explain what I want. He tells me it's not possible to split coax and make it go to multiple recievers, if I want the second new reciever in the basement he will have to run a wire on the outside of my house. I pull up this diagram http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/01/...side_of_t.html and show it to him. He tells me he has never seen a 1x2 splitter in his life. He also tells me that he has never installed a SWM8 (he calls it a legacy switch) It's obvious that the terminolgy Slimline SWM, SWM5 and SWM8 are foreign to him. Is this common among the installers? How do I get them to install the SWM8? I plan to upgrade all 7 of my recievers to DVR's and add 2 more. This guy is changing my LNB to a Slimline SWM instead of adding a SWM8!
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>Is this common among the installers<
I think it depends some on where in the country you are.
It was about two years ago that I purchased a SWM8 myself to do much the same as you. Before I actually did the install, I chickened out and decided to have someone who does this for a living do it. I called around to various Directv installers in the yellow pages to ask if they could do the work. The answer I got from everyone was "HUH, SWM8"?
I gave up worrying about it for a couple months.
Then something else came up and I was going to have to spend the day at home anyway for something else, so I decided to try again.
Bingo. The first guy I called this time turned out to be someone at a higher level than the average installer. In fact, it turns out he trains other installers.
So he came over. He recounted some issues with the SWM8 and said he prefers to use the SWM LNB. I told him, sure, go ahead and do that instead.
He did and I'm actually glad we made the change. I'm in the Phoenix area and when my house was remodeled, I put in a structured wiring package. I never anticipated the possible need for any more than two coax lines to be pulled to the outside location near the antenna so I like the idea of just having to use one of those coax lines.
I've seen where people have sited a benefit to the SWM8 as far as attaching an OTA antenna. Well, even with the SWM LNB, I bought a duplexer and have a small OTA/FM antenna bringing that single inside the house to the structured wiring panel before it gets split out to all the rooms. Works great and it has made for a very clean and easy to understand setup. I have sat, OTA, and FM all on the one line. -
Actually, it depends on if the recievers in your home are SWM compatible or not.
SWM compatible:
R16 thru R22 standard def DVRs
D12 standard def nonDVRs
HR20-700 thru HR24 HD DVRs
H20-100 - H23 HD NON DVRs
A SWM8 module takes the 4 cables from a hi-def ka/ku dish, adds the SWM technology, sends 8 SWM lines and 3 legacy (nonSWM) lines. If you have more than 3 tuners (as in 1 DVR and 1 standard receiver), then the SWM8 would not work for you because to properly utilize the 4 lines necessary for the proper satellite switching, the 3 legacy ports aren't going to carry the signals.
There is a difference between splitters and switches. The SWM8 is a switch.
What you CAN do is have a 6x8 wide band switch installed, OR install both a SWM8 AND a 6x8. This would give you up to 8 lines for dedicated SWM compatible receivers, and up to 11 nonSWM lines for Legacy receivers. (you would use the aforementioned SPLITTERS before these switches. I have installed these systems.
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