Install Issues - Need Advice

[unislick]

Scheduled install today to switch from Dish. Issue with install was location of dish and volume of feeds from dish to house wasn't adequate based on equipment requested. I currently have ONLY 2 RG6 feeds from DISH to the house and ordered the following Directv equipment:

1. HR34 (5 tuners)
2. HR24 (2 tuners)
3. H25 (1 tuner)
4. H25 (1 tuner)

Where the dish is located is the ONLY spot where the installer can have it for clear line of sight, distance, and grounding needs (need to go to power source). Problem - can't run any more lines from Dish to house because of a 900 sq. ft. concrete patio in the way. As a result, I am limited to only using the SWM8 (not sure if I am saying this correctly). Basically he can only use one feed coming into the house enabling up to 8 tuners.

What equipment would you get with this limitation? Driving factors for me are ability to pause live TV in most rooms, avoid recording conflicts, access recordings from any HD box, limit up front fees as much as possible, ability to watch 4 different TVs at once.

Options I see:
1. Forget about Directv and live with DISH (BTN the kicker here)
2. HR34 (5 tuners), H25 (3 tuners)...problem not able to pause live TV except for one TV.
3. HR24, HR24, HR24, HR24 (ability to pause live TV, record up to 4 shows at once and still watch TV on 4 different TVs...problem is the upfront fees..I would have to fork over another $300 from my previous configuration. Any other benefits I am missing if I don't get the HR34 (HMC)?
4. HR34, HR24, C31, C31 - is this feasible with only 8 tuners available? Also, I would have to wait until after 10/5 when they start to ship these to Illinois
5. What other options???

Appreciate your thoughts!!

 

[TigerpounceTN]

I'd either go with the HR34, HR24 and C31s or a 34, 24 and a combination of C31 and H25.

 

[unislick]

Thanks.

Installer hadn't worked with C31s, but he thought I couldn't have a HR34, HR24, and 2 C31s on one SWM 8 switch...do the C31s take a tuner from the switch?

Any feedback on the C31?

 

[raoul5788]

The C31 doesn't have a tuner, so it can't take one. The swm8 is a swm switch. You mean the sws8, a splitter. Option #5 looks like your best bet.

 

[unislick]

Thanks. Did you mean option #4 vs #5?

 

[raoul5788]

Sorry, yes I meant #4.

 

[Jimbo]

I'd go with the HR34 and a HR24, thats 7 tuners, how many do you really need running at one time,
you can watch 2 separate TV's while recording 5 things ....

This set up you can pause Live TV anywhere.

Also, I would see if they will work with you on the price, if so get the HR34 and 2 HR24's on a SWM set up of course.

 

[BobStokesbary]

Word of caution. It seems the C31s are only available in selected markets. OP may have to wait for this option.

 

[raoul5788]

I'd go with the HR34 and a HR24, thats 7 tuners, how many do you really need running at one time,
you can watch 2 separate TV's while recording 5 things ....

This set up you can pause Live TV anywhere.

Also, I would see if they will work with you on the price, if so get the HR34 and 2 HR24's on a SWM set up of course.

He needs to stay at 8 tuners, a swm16 isn't an option.

 

[unislick]

Excellent info and dialogue. I think the best setup would be #4 in which the installer didn't think he could do, but openly admitted he was just trained with them on Monday and needed to ask for additional help. I will probably stick with option #4. Now with my headache. I have the order placed and the install is on HOLD. Do I simply just move my install date until after 10/5 (when the installer said he would start receiving C31's) or do I mess with trying to change the order?

Would they treat the 2 C31s that I want in replace of the 2 H25s just like the H25s in my current order? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

On a side note...I have spent several hours educating myself about Directv via this site and this site only asking questions along the way. I can't tell you how annoyed the sales reps (and supervisors) were at me because I was educated by the knowledgeable folks at this site and how appreciative the installer was with poignant questions i was able to ask by being educated here. The one item I overlooked was my outside setup which in all honesty didn't think would be an issue, but I learned the hard way .

 

[raoul5788]

I'm glad we can be of help, that's what we are here for! I have no idea how the C31 vs H25 issue would play out.

 

[Jimbo]

He needs to stay at 8 tuners, a swm16 isn't an option.

So, then a HR34 and a HR24 would be his best options from what I can see.

 

[raoul5788]

So, then a HR34 and a HR24 would be his best options from what I can see.

Yes, unless he can get the C31s. If not, he could substitute an H25 for one of them and stay at 8 tuners.

 

[Jimbo]

Excellent info and dialogue. I think the best setup would be #4 in which the installer didn't think he could do, but openly admitted he was just trained with them on Monday and needed to ask for additional help. I will probably stick with option #4. Now with my headache. I have the order placed and the install is on HOLD. Do I simply just move my install date until after 10/5 (when the installer said he would start receiving C31's) or do I mess with trying to change the order?

Would they treat the 2 C31s that I want in replace of the 2 H25s just like the H25s in my current order? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

On a side note...I have spent several hours educating myself about Directv via this site and this site only asking questions along the way. I can't tell you how annoyed the sales reps (and supervisors) were at me because I was educated by the knowledgeable folks at this site and how appreciative the installer was with poignant questions i was able to ask by being educated here. The one item I overlooked was my outside setup which in all honesty didn't think would be an issue, but I learned the hard way .

What about the Outside set up ?
You'll have a SL3 or 5 dish regardless, those are the only ones that handle the equipment your using and HD as well !

 

[unislick]

Jimbo

I am not educated enough about the outside. The one thing I took from the conversation with the installer was this....I can get by with 8 tuners with only 1 coax feed from the dish to the house (in which I have 2 with my current DISH setup), BUT anything over 8 tuners (which my equip ordered equalled 9 tuners) I would need 4 coax feeds from dish to house in which is currently not possible unless I remove 900 sq ft concrete patio. As a result, I am trying to see what my options are for only leveraging one coax feed into house which supports 8 tuners. Now my simple mind wonders why 1 coax can support 8 tuners, but the 16 tuner switch needs 4 coax lines? The math doesn't add up .

 

[raoul5788]

The swm lnb can support up to 8 tuners. If you need more, then you have to use a swm multiswitch. It needs four feeds from the lnb to work.

 

[Jimbo]

Yes, unless he can get the C31s. If not, he could substitute an H25 for one of them and stay at 8 tuners.

Theres really no comparison, if he goes with the HR24, he's got another RECORDER without having to use the HR34 tuners up and can do all the things the HR34 can in both set ups.

 

[Jimbo]

The swm lnb can support up to 8 tuners. If you need more, then you have to use a swm multiswitch. It needs four feeds from the lnb to work.

then what, 1 feeds from the MS to each recvr, right ?
I was afraid that was gonna be the answer after I thought about it.

Q. to OP, do you really need the 9th tuner ?

 

[unislick]

No, I don't need 9th tuner...but I need to be able to watch tv on 4 different tvs. Here is where I am leaning:

1 hmc (HR34)
1 HD DVR (HR24)
2 C31s

This will give me 7 tuners....plenty to enable me to record 3 shows while watching 4 tvs (my fam will rarely be watching 4 shows at same time). Now I just need to determine how best to deal with sales staff to adjust the order and wait until the c31s.

Any better ideas will be entertained?

 

[raoul5788]

As long as you are willing to wait for the C31s, then that's probably your best setup. You could get an H25 for one of the C31s and add a C31 later when they are available. That would keep you at 8 tuners.