HDtv - Equipment for Commercial Buildings

**DrNo** · 12-15-2009 04:50 PM

I have always been familiar with the setup of a DirecTV system in a large multi-room building, such as hotels and retirement homes, where there is a centrally located system that splits the dish signal between multiple receivers, then runs the signal through multiple modulators that correspond with channel numbers, and finally combines the signal to be distributed through out the building.

My guess is this has been the most common setup for many commercial dish installs, but recently I noticed a hotel that was offering HD channels and had receiver units in each room. With a receiver in each room, does this cut down the cost off the modulators and such that would normally be used?

Also, does DirecTV offer these receivers for free when a company signs up for a multi-year agreement?

My main goal is to get a ballpark number of how much one of these new setups should cost and what the best way to control such costs for these types of properties. Any comments are always appreciated.

**jdspencer** · 12-16-2009 07:37 PM

You might be better off asking in the Technical forum.
DIRECTV Technical Discussions - SatelliteGuys.US

And if I may be so bold, this forum.

http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=113

**boba** · 12-16-2009 08:08 PM

Have you tried pricing ATSC modulators to create the headend system you are used to?

**AntAltMike** · 12-16-2009 11:49 PM

DirecTV will not allow its equipment to be used to develop unencrypted QAM in a hotel. At present, the only way to have a DirecTV HDTV headend in a hotel is with Pro:Idiom encryption, which requires that the hotel have TVs that can accept a Pro:Idiom card in them. Last I knew, the list price for these cards was $80 each. I have a 270 unit hotel that has LG TVs that can take the Pro:Idiom cards, but even at the best price ofr those cards I have been quoted,, we are talking well over $12, grand for the cards, plus the headend costs over $2,000 per channel.

**DrNo** · 12-17-2009 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by AntAltMike

DirecTV will not allow its equipment to be used to develop unencrypted QAM in a hotel. At present, the only way to have a DirecTV HDTV headend in a hotel is with Pro:Idiom encryption, which requires that the hotel have TVs that can accept a Pro:Idiom card in them. Last I knew, the list price for these cards was $80 each. I have a 270 unit hotel that has LG TVs that can take the Pro:Idiom cards, but even at the best price ofr those cards I have been quoted,, we are talking well over $12, grand for the cards, plus the headend costs over $2,000 per channel.

Thanks for the reply. I didn't really understand the whole setup of the system, but now I am getting a clearer of what is required.

I know of a hotel property that has ~100 channels and ~50 of those are in HD. The televisions are cheap and do not have support for Pro:Idiom, so each room of the hotel has a Pro:Idiom capable receiver. The total cost of the system was roughly $1500, so there is no way there could be a modulator for each channel at that cost.
What do you think is being used in the equipment room where the satellite signal comes into?

**jdspencer** · 12-17-2009 08:53 PM

Again, you should ask in the other forums I linked.

**AntAltMike** · 12-22-2009 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by DrNo

Thanks for the reply. I didn't really understand the whole setup of the system, but now I am getting a clearer of what is required.

I know of a hotel property that has ~100 channels and ~50 of those are in HD. The televisions are cheap and do not have support for Pro:Idiom, so each room of the hotel has a Pro:Idiom capable receiver. The total cost of the system was roughly $1500, so there is no way there could be a modulator for each channel at that cost.
What do you think is being used in the equipment room where the satellite signal comes into?

As far as I know, there is no such thing as a Pro:Idiom capable receiver. The only way a system architecture could match your description of it is if they are using "wideband (250- 2,150) Ka/Ku distribution and have a DirecTV HD receiver in each room, but DirecTV will NOT subsidize those for hotel use. I don't know the price that they charge as the up front lease portion for such receivers in hotel use but it must be at least $300 each and may be a good deal more than that. If DirecTV billed any less than that, then these must be receivers that are "stacked" on residential accounts