4 Receivers and wiring

[eazyc10]

Hello,

I have a question about wiring and adding another receiver.

Currently I have 3 receivers and a superdish.

I have a 311, DVR 522 and an HD 811

When the installer came, I know he had to run a special cable for the dual tuner in the bedroom so it would have two feeds. He said something about if we ever added another TV we could run the second cable to the other outlet.

My concern is, we are finishing the basement and would like to add a 4th TV. I would prefer to have 4 receivers. My quetions are:

1. Can I (the installer) add a 4th receiver? I thought I read somewhere that you can only have 3 receivers. Not sure if this is true or not.

2. Since the 4th receiver will likely be an HD DVR receiver, can I have the electrican run to cable feeds to location I plan on putting the TV instead of having the installer do it? This way if I ever decide to go back to cable I can use the existing wiring?

When it comes down to cabling I am pretty much useless.

3. Must I upgrade my HD service to silver, gold, platinum etc if I get a new HD DVR? I would like to keep my package as is but am unsure if I add hardware that Dish will force me to change my current lineup.

Thanks for any input!!

 

[caam1]

You didn't say which multiswitch you have. Since the installer had to run two cables to the 522 the switch is probably a DP34. If you want to add another receiver such as a 622 HD DVR, they would have to add a second DP34 or change the switch to a DPP44. The advantage of the DPP44 is that it only requires a single cable with a separator for the dual tuner DVRs. You could connect all four receivers to a single switch with a DPP44. If you upgrade to a 622 DVR, the switch replacement will be included as part of the $298 upgrade fee. You will have to change to one of the "metallic" HD packages.

 

[eazyc10]

I believe the switch is the DP34 as I have seen that before in the configuration settings.

Let me get this straight, with a DPP44, the receivers can run off of existing home wiring?

So in my case, when I finish the basement I can have the electrician just run all the wiring to the main box in the basement. Then the feeds from the satellite will go through the DPP44 and into the main box in the basement and feed out through there?

 

[eazyc10]

any other thoughts?

 

[sprintcarcrazy]

I finished my basement when we built the house, now I wish I had put in a suspended ceiling, never again will I put up sheet rock in basement ceiling. Always a need to have floor access for some reason and the sheet rock makes it impossible. When we remodel years down the road, I may take out the sheet rock and put up a suspended ceiling.

 

[eazyc10]

How about any thoughts on the wiring aspect? Would it be correct to have the electrican to wire two cables to my outlet in the basement seeing that I want to have HD DVR capability but also want to leave it open to use regular cable if I ever decide to switch back?

 

[caam1]

The 622 or any other duel tuner receiver requires only one cable from the switch when connected to a DPP44, but you may need additional cables for other reasons. I have three coax (RG-6) cables going to where my 622 is located. One from the DPP44 switch; one from an outdoor OTA antenna; and one to feed the modulator output (TV1 and TV2) to TVs located in the bedrooms and kitchen. I also have A/V cables for both TV1 and TV2 that run from the den (where the 622 is located) to the living room, and a remote extender so that I can control both TV1 and TV2 from the living room.

The number of cables depends on how you want to use the 622 and if you have an antenna for OTA reception. For me one of the best features of the 622 is that it 2 stereo modulators so I can view both TV1 and TV2 on any television in the house. Any of the RG-6 coax cables could be used for cable TV if you decide to switch back to cable.

 

[bhelms]

Figure out the max. number of coax cables you could ever possibly need, then add 1 or 2 more to that total! Give thought to the possibility of surround sound speakers, etc. Cable and misc. wiring is relatively cheap when you pull them all at one time through the frame vs. fishing a finished wall later. Also consider the possibility you might want to move the TV/receiver location at some future point i.e., provide multiple outlet locations in that room now for the rearrangement later. (The cables/wires at the expansion location can be left buried in the wall as long as you remember where they are to put in a box later.) Home run all cables to your utility location vs. "daisy chaining" them...