Configuration and Newbie Questions

Taleriana

Member
Original poster
Mar 31, 2004
10
0
Big Island, Hawaii
Ok, we currently have DirecTv in 2 rooms without any recording or anything. We want to upgrade to digital video recording (DVR?) so instead of spending $300-$500 to upgrade our DirecTv system to TiVo, I'm thinking of just signing up with Dish (which would also allow us local channels which we do NOT have with DirecTv yet). I have a couple questions though...

1. When looking at Dish's website under DVR receivers they have Player DVR's (the 510, 522 and 921) and Standard DVR's (the 501/508 and 721)... whats the difference between the 2 categories?

2. When researching TiVo, we were told we had to have 2 cables from the satellite to the receiver for TiVo to work - period. Does the 510 need 2 cables? And if not, I'm guessing you can only record 1 thing at a time? Is the # of cables relevant to the # of recordings you can do at once? So the 522 would require 2 cables from the satellite to be able to record 2 programs at once (1 cable for each tuner)? (I think I answered this question myself but... )

3. My husband wants to know how the cable-out jack works on TV2. And about the macrovision problem... if he hooks that cable up to a VCR is he gonna get macrovision fade-outs (see below for question on configuration idea).

4. We have 4 rooms we want to be able to watch TV in... our bedroom, livingroom, computer room and my daughters room... so now I'm trying to figure out the best way to configure that, which receiver-setup to go with and what new cables we need to run this weekend. Here are the details (I hope they make sense!). The livingroom is above the computer room, daughter's room is above our bedroom and the Dish is located on the wall outside the livingroom near the roof.

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Our watching is probably split 50% bedroom, 35% living room, 15% computer room (my daughter just watches in her bedroom in the evenings). Computer room and daughter's room have no sound systems, but our livingroom has a fairly nice surround sound system (and we're replacing our bedroom hand-me-down with a new Zenith home theatre cheapie system). Another thing to consider is all new cable-runs would need to be done outside (our house is about 40 feet long and the standard height on the 2 floors).

We're planning to get the 522/510/301 promotion. So now my configuration questions. Our ideal setup at this point would be:

Replace the current dish with the new one, but leave it in the same location (against the upper wall of the living room).

Put the 522 in our bedroom, the 510 in the computer room and the 301 in our daughters room. Have 2 coax cables from dish to our bedroom, 1 coax from our bedroom into the livingroom, 1 coax from dish to daughters room, and 1 coax from dish to computer room.

TV1 from the 522 would go to the TV in our bedroom, TV2 from the 522 would go through Coax into the VCR in the livingroom (and then from there to the TV and sound system via RCA/AV cables). My husband is concerned we wouldn't be able to get the sound connections into the stereo receiver in the livingroom without doing it this way (advantage is we could watch our recorded stuff from either livingroom or bedroom).

A) If we ran coax from the 522/TV2 in the bedroom to the livingroom and then into a VCR and then from there into the sound system/TV via RCA/AV cables, would we get the good surround sound? How much picture quality would we lose?

B) Would we have to do anything special to run the new coax cables outside? We have one from our existing dish to the living room and from the dish to our bedroom (currently our only 2 TV locations, we want to add the other 2).

C) What exactly would we need to do to be able to use the UHF remote upstairs from the livingroom? Do we have to install some kind of antenna? or ?

Is this going to work? Do we need to run TV2 to somewhere that sound doesn't matter (where just a plain coax connection would work).

Computer room and daughters room seem to be pretty straight forward (any problem with switching the 510 and the 301 around if we wanted to move the DVR capability to her room?), 1 coax cable from the dish into each.

Is there a better solution for configuration? We like the idea of being able to watch recorded stuff on the 522 in either our bedroom or the livingroom but if we can't get the surround sound in both, we can put the 510 in the living room and use TV2 in the computer room or something where we just have a TV.

Anything else we need to be aware of? Loaded question, I know :) Any advice would be welcome!!
 
Umm, too hard of a question? doesn't make any sense? not even a "sure that should work fine" or "no, you have no clue and are completely off-base"? We're planning to run cables tomorrow and the installation is supposed to be here Monday afternoon.
 
Taleriana Call Directv you should be able to upgrade to a DirecTiVo for $99.00 including installation. The DirecTiVo will work with 1 line connected but offers maximum benefits when both tuners are connected. Stay away from DISH 322/522 & 811 receivers or expect a lot of bugs.
 
We have already made the decision to move to Dish (I want my local channels), and when we CALLED DirecTV (several times), they said we had to buy a $299+ receiver if we wanted TiVo because we were an existing customer.

The question isn't whether to switch, we ARE switching - the installers will be here on Monday. The question is will the configuration we have in mind work, will we get the surround sound in the livingroom by doing the connections as described above or should we put a receiver in the living room and run TV2 from the 522 to somewhere else where sound doesn't matter. We need to know which coax cables we need to run where - we're planning on running the new cables tomorrow.
 
First, the installer should be doing most/all of the coax runs for you - at least that's how it works for me - I get paid on a 'per-TV' basis.
Taleriana said:
Ok, we currently have DirecTv in 2 rooms without any recording or anything. We want to upgrade to digital video recording (DVR?) so instead of spending $300-$500 to upgrade our DirecTv system to TiVo, I'm thinking of just signing up with Dish (which would also allow us local channels which we do NOT have with DirecTv yet). I have a couple questions though...

1. When looking at Dish's website under DVR receivers they have Player DVR's (the 510, 522 and 921) and Standard DVR's (the 501/508 and 721)... whats the difference between the 2 categories?
510, 522 and 921 have bigger hard drives and carry a monthly fee.

Taleriana said:
2. When researching TiVo, we were told we had to have 2 cables from the satellite to the receiver for TiVo to work - period. Does the 510 need 2 cables? And if not, I'm guessing you can only record 1 thing at a time? )?
510 has only one tuner, therefore one recording, and only one satellite feed.

Taleriana said:
Is the # of cables relevant to the # of recordings you can do at once? So the 522 would require 2 cables from the satellite to be able to record 2 programs at once (1 cable for each tuner)? (I think I answered this question myself but... )?
Yes and yes. Each tuner requries a separate satellite feed from the dish (or at least from a dish switch (not a splitter). Note also the 'new' numbering system. x22 = 2 tuner, 2 TV output. x21 = 2 tuner, 1 TV output.

Taleriana said:
3. My husband wants to know how the cable-out jack works on TV2. And about the macrovision problem... if he hooks that cable up to a VCR is he gonna get macrovision fade-outs (see below for question on configuration idea).
It's just a VHF channel 3/4 feed. I've never had macrovision fadeout on any of the 3 different E* receivers I've had.

Taleriana said:
4. We have 4 rooms we want to be able to watch TV in... our bedroom, livingroom, computer room and my daughters room... so now I'm trying to figure out the best way to configure that, which receiver-setup to go with and what new cables we need to run this weekend. Here are the details (I hope they make sense!). The livingroom is above the computer room, daughter's room is above our bedroom and the Dish is located on the wall outside the livingroom near the roof.

Our watching is probably split 50% bedroom, 35% living room, 15% computer room (my daughter just watches in her bedroom in the evenings). Computer room and daughter's room have no sound systems, but our livingroom has a fairly nice surround sound system (and we're replacing our bedroom hand-me-down with a new Zenith home theatre cheapie system). Another thing to consider is all new cable-runs would need to be done outside (our house is about 40 feet long and the standard height on the 2 floors).

We're planning to get the 522/510/301 promotion. So now my configuration questions. Our ideal setup at this point would be:

Replace the current dish with the new one, but leave it in the same location (against the upper wall of the living room).
Yes.
Taleriana said:
Put the 522 in our bedroom, the 510 in the computer room and the 301 in our daughters room. Have 2 coax cables from dish to our bedroom, 1 coax from our bedroom into the livingroom, 1 coax from dish to daughters room, and 1 coax from dish to computer room.
Yes.

Taleriana said:
TV1 from the 522 would go to the TV in our bedroom, TV2 from the 522 would go through Coax into the VCR in the livingroom (and then from there to the TV and sound system via RCA/AV cables). My husband is concerned we wouldn't be able to get the sound connections into the stereo receiver in the livingroom without doing it this way (advantage is we could watch our recorded stuff from either livingroom or bedroom

A) If we ran coax from the 522/TV2 in the bedroom to the livingroom and then into a VCR and then from there into the sound system/TV via RCA/AV cables, would we get the good surround sound? How much picture quality would we lose?).
Yes - if the 522 has an MTS encoder on TV2. I think it does, but can't remember for sure. I know there's at least one receiver out there (721?) where the manual says 'no', but reality is 'yes'. You will lose some picture quality. Depends on how fussy you are. 522 has a second set of RCA outputs - maybe you should consider using them.

Taleriana said:
B) Would we have to do anything special to run the new coax cables outside? We have one from our existing dish to the living room and from the dish to our bedroom (currently our only 2 TV locations, we want to add the other 2).
No. Except any installer worth their salt would replace the old D* feed with a dual RG-6 feed for the 522. The old coax runs might be usable for the feed from the 522 to the living room.

Taleriana said:
C) What exactly would we need to do to be able to use the UHF remote upstairs from the livingroom? Do we have to install some kind of antenna? or ?
No. The 522 has a UHF antenna. The TV2 UHF remote in the living room will control the TV2 output of the 522 in the bedroom.

Taleriana said:
Is this going to work? Do we need to run TV2 to somewhere that sound doesn't matter (where just a plain coax connection would work).
Maybe - see above.

Taleriana said:
Computer room and daughters room seem to be pretty straight forward (any problem with switching the 510 and the 301 around if we wanted to move the DVR capability to her room?), 1 coax cable from the dish into each.
No problem.

Taleriana said:
Is there a better solution for configuration? We like the idea of being able to watch recorded stuff on the 522 in either our bedroom or the livingroom but if we can't get the surround sound in both, we can put the 510 in the living room and use TV2 in the computer room or something where we just have a TV.
You're thinking on the right lines. If you're just dead set on using coax to your best TV & sound system, quality will suffer. Putting the TV2 in the computer room might be the answer - unless you're doing video captures - then you want the best quality there. Again, the 522 does have RCA output on TV2. If this is really an issue for you, use them instead. Have I said this already? :rolleyes:
Taleriana said:
Anything else we need to be aware of? Loaded question, I know :) Any advice would be welcome!!
Yes - cross your fingers that you get a good installer.
 
Simple Simon covered it all pretty well - just one thing I can suggest:

Can you consider putting the 510 in the living room? It's got optical digital output. If your home theater receiver has optical input, that's where you'd get the best sound.
The TV2 could then feed your computer room?

I don't own a 522, don't know what "agile modulation on TV2" means. Maybe a 522 owner can explain this and verify that it is stereo output.

Dave
 
DRGingras said:
...Can you consider putting the 510 in the living room? It's got optical digital output. If your home theater receiver has optical input, that's where you'd get the best sound. Dave
Very good point! Another possibility is to put the 510 in the bedroom - thereby keeping the parent's stuff private. :) Especially considering their new surround sound system there and the 50% viewing is done from there.
 
Not sure if this has been answered already. But if you have the 522 plugged up to you bedroom, and the 2nd tuner plugged up to the living room. Then either tuner or tv can watch what BOTH tvs record. hope that makes sense.
 
SimpleSimon said:
Again, the 522 does have RCA output on TV2. If this is really an issue for you, use them instead.

Isn't there a limit to the length of RCA cables? Since the run is about 50-60 feet, I thought it was too long to use RCA cables from the 522/TV2 in our bedroom to the livingroom.
 
Taleriana said:
Isn't there a limit to the length of RCA cables? Since the run is about 50-60 feet, I thought it was too long to use RCA cables from the 522/TV2 in our bedroom to the livingroom.
There are solutions to that. I've had success with the X-10 video repeater - as long as you don't have too many other 2.4GHz devices around - especially certain types of wireless phone - but that's easy enough to work around - use 900MHz or the new 5GHz ones. I haven't had much trouble with WiFi interference - just change channels on the various things until you get best results.
 
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