I've got some serious DTV questions.

[dewdude420]

Hi..

I feel I should do a little bit of history..I live in a somewhat rural area...and I live back in the woods...so far in fact the 3 cable companies (and comcast) have refused to install a line to our house because we wouldn't be able to support ANY of thier services (analog or digital). So, our choice for the last few years has been digital satellite, and i've bounced back and forth between them.

I've got trees all around...however, by some magic there's a clearing right in the direction of where i needed to point my old DTV dish (224 degrees SW), so, i never had an issue with the signal..even with rain. I went to E* a couple of years ago and while I had decent signal then..i had switch issues, so, i got back to DTV and was there for a while. When i got my HDTV and wanted HD programming, DTV wanted a whopping $200 for a new HD reciever...that's when E* promotion arrived offering free DVR and HD and service in 4 rooms...so..after calling them, waiting for the install guy (nothing persional, i hate install guys...they never do things to my standards and i just hate people screwing around in my house PERIOD) and arguing with him about how there's one room he's not going into and that i can hook the box up just fine thank you...he lazily installed my dish setup...hey, i did MOST of the work for him..thanks to my previous DTV install with a switch all my lines were drop-run to one location...anyway..i'll cut to the point.

I'm losing (and almost lost) the battle with the trees and E*..it's to the point now that when a breeze kicks up, i totally lose 119...if it rains..forget it, it doesn't even have to rain hard before 119 disappears. Now I suppose it could be bad alignment..considering the guy put an LNB on 110, skewed the dish and called it done, however, using GPS estimations, 119 is coming right through a pretty thick tree. This is not to mention that even though I got it for HD...I was sick of paying the premium and only being able to get the 4 channels off 119/110 because, well, you can't even see sunlight through the trees in the direction of 61.5, and even if 129 is a mirror...it too is going through a tree. in fact, no wind, no rain..some clouds...119 is completely MIA and 110 is down in the 20's.



Now..where do my DTV questions come in...well...I remeber back when I last had them (back in 05), i had an SD setup and everything came from the 101 location. Now, i know for some areas the locals are on other satellites, requiring a multiple LNB dish...but I have no idea where the HD channels are..and i could look it up..but i figured since i have another technical question maybe someone could answer it.

Currently, I'm set up with 4 indvidual tuners...my 811, a 322, and my dual-tuner DVR. Those are all hooked into a DP-34 switch, i've got two satellite lines going to the LNB on the dish because, well, i've only got two pieces of coax going through the wall to the outside. DirecTV is offering me HD or DVR (maybe i can convince them to give me both if i tell them i'm not switching) and 4 room installation....for starters..i don't want professional install...i know how to align a dish and can understand how to hook things up..i actually briefly did this for a living...however, i've not kept up on equipment.

I know my old DTV setup had a 2-in 4-out switch...i'm sure they still have these, but how are they working with the newer multiple LNB sats. The other thing I'm wondering is..since i know i'm gonna have to buy my own DVR from DirecTV...do they make it easy to run 5 tuners off one dish? becuase I plan on having two standard recievers, my HD, and a dual-tuner DVR and i really don't wanna drill through concrete again to run 16,000 cables (all my lines tie together in the basement...why...because all my sat runs are brand new RG6 and that was the easiest thing to do). I tried looking for sites that had DTV equipment for sale...but..all i found were recievers..i'm starting to get the feeling they no longer want consumers installing thier own stuff...which is a pity because i absolutely don't want someone screwing around with my home theater.

anyway, if anyone has some insight, i would appreciate it.

 

[jcrandall]

The majority of SD programming is from 101. Only thing that may not be is locals in some areas.

HD needs 5 locations, 99, 101, 101+change, 110, 119

If you can get it w/o an installer is really up to your negotiating skills - they usually won't do it.

THe new HD 5 lnb sats use a 6x8 multiswitch. It needs 4 lines from the dish to the switch.

BTW- they don't want consumers to install their own stuff

 

[dewdude420]

well then.....i'm just gonna have to fix my E* stuff because as i said, i refuse to have someone install a dish for me..the guy that did this last E* setup did such a horrible job (he broke my gutter then acted like he didn't care) and, as i said, i don't like people messing with my home theater, and..my personal space....well, it's my personal space...NO ONE enters it..period...if i could get the installer to let me handle that one box, i might consider it.

the needing 4 lines to the dish is going to be another issue..i've only got two lines...and it's almost physically impossible to put more cable in without having to tear my cieling in the basement down....and running new lines to the attic isn't an option....plus the fact HD uses 110 and 119, which are already two problem spots, probably isn't going to work to well..i just now had to wait 20 minutes for a storm cloud to move out to get 119.

 

[iwc5893]

well then.....i'm just gonna have to fix my E* stuff because as i said, i refuse to have someone install a dish for me..the guy that did this last E* setup did such a horrible job (he broke my gutter then acted like he didn't care) and, as i said, i don't like people messing with my home theater, and..my personal space....well, it's my personal space...NO ONE enters it..period...if i could get the installer to let me handle that one box, i might consider it.

the needing 4 lines to the dish is going to be another issue..i've only got two lines...and it's almost physically impossible to put more cable in without having to tear my cieling in the basement down....and running new lines to the attic isn't an option....plus the fact HD uses 110 and 119, which are already two problem spots, probably isn't going to work to well..i just now had to wait 20 minutes for a storm cloud to move out to get 119.

I understand about your personal space issue, but let's look at it from the installer perspective. He's sent there to install a certain number of receivers, and to ensure that they are all working. If any of them develop problems in the first 60 days, he has to come back out and fix it for no pay.

If it was me, the conversation would go something like this:

"You can't go into that room. I'll do the install there, just give me the box."

"Nope. Either I enter the room and install it, or I remove it from the work order. Your choice."

I am not going to set myself up for a possible call back just because you don't want me to go into a room.

 

[MLBurks]

Since I consider my technically savvy, when my installer came to install my R15 and other non-DVR boxes, I installed the boxes while he was installing the dish simply because my home theater area where the TV is, is a tight space and hard to maneuver around. When he came in the house, it was already hooked up and he didn't complain. He just wanted to make sure it received a signal. Actually he was relieved (he was behind schedule and that was less for him to do).

 

[bonscott87]

Same here. I had the installer replace the dish while I installed the multiswitch and the receiver. He then just came in to make sure the receiver was working but he didn't do too much once he found out I knew more about the receiver and the remote then he did. "Sign here please" and he was on his way.

To the original poster, if you live out in the woods on your own property, is not a chainsaw an option to trim or take down the trees in the way? Most people in the burbs usually can't do that because the tree in the way is not on their property. Just wondering.

 

[jcrandall]

OK, I'll give you a glimmer of hope that may pan out 2-3 months from now:

SWM Single wire multiswitch comes out very soon and would fix your wire limitations. You would put the switch on the dish, and could get by with just one feed into the house.

As for the 110/119, D* may move channels to the new satellite eventually, but not until most customers with HD are upgraded to the 5 lnb. That will be a while.

But in the mean time, you could get all the new HD channels (~90 new ones by years end) on the 103 location.

Something to think about...

 

[bonscott87]

I've read on DBSTalk that in new installs the SWM is starting to be used. So if you're getting a new install you might be able to ask for it.

 

[boba]

I've read on DBSTalk that in new installs the SWM is starting to be used. So if you're getting a new install you might be able to ask for it.

I believe the post was the SWM is now appearing on the work order but that is in preparation for them being released not that they were actually available for installs.

 

[bonscott87]

Could be.