DISH without a receiver - how is this possible?

afterdark

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Mar 23, 2013
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I have a relative who lives in a rest home. The facility uses DISH as their satellite provider. The TV in my relative's room does not have a satellite receiver connected to it. There is simply a coaxial cable coming from the wall that connects directly to the TV's RF input. The channels are controlled via the TV's built-in tuner. I didn't even know this was possible. I was under the impression that with satellite, every TV needs some kind of satellite tuner to receive any channels.

I would like to configure a few TVs in my home the same way as mentioned above. What type of hardware would I need to do this?
 

boba

SatelliteGuys Master
Dec 12, 2003
11,350
1,035
Dorchester, TX.
It sounds like you are describing a Master Antenna System. That type of system has a Head End where the satellite receivers are located. Each receiver is tuned to one channel the output goes to a modulator and is then combined onto a single cable that goes to each TV. It would be very expensive for you to set up a system in your house.
 

AZ.

SatelliteGuys Master
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Mar 26, 2011
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I have a relative who lives in a rest home. The facility uses DISH as their satellite provider. The TV in my relative's room does not have a satellite receiver connected to it. There is simply a coaxial cable coming from the wall that connects directly to the TV's RF input. The channels are controlled via the TV's built-in tuner. I didn't even know this was possible. I was under the impression that with satellite, every TV needs some kind of satellite tuner to receive any channels.

I would like to configure a few TVs in my home the same way as mentioned above. What type of hardware would I need to do this?

Absolutely not possible.....Look into it farther there will be a simple explanation! Not only is it digital, it has a very high teck scrambled signal...
 

AZ.

SatelliteGuys Master
Pub Member / Supporter
Mar 26, 2011
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I have a relative who lives in a rest home. The facility uses DISH as their satellite provider. The TV in my relative's room does not have a satellite receiver connected to it. There is simply a coaxial cable coming from the wall that connects directly to the TV's RF input. The channels are controlled via the TV's built-in tuner. I didn't even know this was possible. I was under the impression that with satellite, every TV needs some kind of satellite tuner to receive any channels.

I would like to configure a few TVs in my home the same way as mentioned above. What type of hardware would I need to do this?

Absolutely not possible.....Look into it farther there will be a simple explanation! Not only is it digital, it has a very high teck scrambled signal...
 

osu1991

SatelliteGuys Master
Sep 4, 2004
10,192
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Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
There is a head end somewhere in the place with a rack of receivers. One receiver for each channel on the satellite being used. They are then muxed into a qam signal like a cable company signal and sent through out the complex.
 

jerryez

Supporting Founder
Supporting Founder
Sep 8, 2003
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So, for every channel that your relative can receive, somewhere there is a room with 60 or more receivers in it.
 

afterdark

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Mar 23, 2013
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What I find interesting is that the facility made the switch to DISH within the last 6 months. They did it because they claimed that cable was too expensive. To me, it would seem the current setup would even be more costly than cable.
 

Scherrman

SatelliteGuys Master
Supporting Founder
Mar 14, 2008
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Eastern Iowa
This is pretty normal. There are plenty of hotels and retirement homes that have Dish or DirecTV. It's called a head end system and we've quoted some jobs to some places in our area over the years. Like stated before, there is basically a receiver for each channel that you want to provide to your tenants. Each receiver is tuned to a receiver and that receiver sends a modulated signal out as a specific channel.
 

afterdark

Member
Mar 23, 2013
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So it's basically done like this I assume:

cm_headend.gif
 

cee

SatelliteGuys Family
Jan 1, 2012
70
69
Hamden Ny
I have 12 channel processors NTSC channels 2-10 are my FTA receiver's channel 11 DirecTV receiver,channel 12 WD live TV,channel 13 PC I even use a blonder tongue amp with a vhf antenna for potable tv and laptop with tv tuner USB to adjust dishes or watch on deck.I'm no where near anyone to interfere there's only 3 homes in a 3 mile radius. Channel processors where given to me for free,from a hospital where I work,there very cheap to buy .I use them for bedroom, kitchen and guest room.some of my FTA receiver's have a RF out so I don't need a modulator.
 

empiretc

SatelliteGuys Pro
Mar 4, 2008
1,657
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There is a head end somewhere in the place with a rack of receivers. One receiver for each channel on the satellite being used. They are then muxed into a qam signal like a cable company signal and sent through out the complex.

the free cable in our area is setup this way. they use both dish and dtv to provide their channels. they actually have a few of the channels in ATSC which provides decent hd. Hopefully, they will provide more this way in the future.

it is always funny to see the "satellite signal lost" message when we get a little shower, lol.
 

harshness

SatelliteGuys Master
May 5, 2007
18,890
4,065
Salem, OR
Absolutely not possible.....Look into it farther there will be a simple explanation! Not only is it digital, it has a very high teck scrambled signal...
It is absolutely possible. It is absolutely not feasible (especially if you want it in HD).

ATSC modulators cost around $400 per channel these days and there would have to be a receiver and a modulator for each and every channel that you want to make available.
 

AZ.

SatelliteGuys Master
Pub Member / Supporter
Mar 26, 2011
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It is absolutely possible. It is absolutely not feasible (especially if you want it in HD).

ATSC modulators cost around $400 per channel these days and there would have to be a receiver and a modulator for each and every channel that you want to make available.


Again......Please read the original post......sigh.....
 

harshness

SatelliteGuys Master
May 5, 2007
18,890
4,065
Salem, OR
Again......Please read the original post......sigh.....
We did. Did you?

The TS asked for a hardware configuration that would approximate what the eldercare home had. While the DISH solution that PATECO linked to is very slick, it is wicked expensive.

Part of advising on such a configuration is advising on whether or not it is worth pursuing. In the case of a residential account, it is not worth pursuing.
 
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