I'm a current DISH customer, with a single 622 DVR. I'm currently piping the TV2 output from that through a video distribution system to 2 other TVs in the house.
I'm considering a switch to DirecTV, and I'm specifically interested in the Whole Home DVR service as well as the TV Internet Connection. I'm not sure if my setup will make this possible, so let me offer details.
First: All satellite connections that I mention are RG6 direct runs to where the dish mounts on the outside of the house. All "coax" that I mention is RG58, direct to a powered video distribution switch.
Second: Nobody has a phone line. We don't have landline service. We have lovely Internet, though, and it's accessible to all of the TV locations I'll mention. Hopefully DirecTV can handle "calling the mothership" via the Intertubes.
TV 1:
Serviced by 2 satellite connections and one coax connection, as well as a CAT5 network connection. This is where the main DVR will go; it's connected by HDMI to a projector. This is the furthest sat run in the house - literally on the opposite corner from the dish. That said, it's worked flawlessly with DISH for 6 years.
TV 2:
Also serviced by 2 sat connections and one coax, along with multiple CAT5 connections. This is a secondary location and I'd likely put an HD receiver here. The sat and coax connections are across the room from the TV, so I'd prefer to run as few cables as possible around the perimeter of the room since they'd have to cross two door thresholds. The TV here accepts HDMI and component.
TV 3:
I suspect this is the tricky one. The TV accepts only component input, but is only serviced by a coax - there is no direct satellite run. I have sat runs going to another room in the house, and it's a vague possibility that I could intercept one (two?) of those in the attic and redirect them to this TV if needed. Providing a CAT5 network connection to this location would be no problem.
TV 4:
This is in a guest room. It has a sat and coax connection, as well as network, but I don't need it to be part of the whole-home service. Frankly, I was thinking of just sticking an SD receiver in there. It's rarely used.
So... what are my options? Is TV 3 a sticking point? If DISH would get their Sling story straight and provider a networked Catcher I could use on TV 3, I feel I'd be awesome. But their story (and the new 922 receiver) is pretty buggy right now.
Is having a sat connection, home-run to the dish, a must-have for TV3? If it is a must-have, and I'm able to divert a sat connection to that location, what-all will DirecTV need to sell me to make this work?
I realize this isn't a DIY project and that DirecTV will send an installer - but I also know those guys aren't always super-experts, especially here in Las Vegas. So I'd like to know what the general gist is, so that I can at least prod them in the right direction if needed. I'm extremely tech-savvy myself (I'm a freelance tech journalist and consultant), so fire off the acronyms and I'll be fine
.
The goal, incidentally, is to be able to play back from DVR and watch live TV at all locations. I toyed with the idea of putting a small-form-factor PC with TV3 and only using it to run the DIRECTV2PC app, but the family has nixed that. Must have live programming. TV3 is probably the most-used in the house, being located in the kitchen. Stupid for not running sat there in the first place, I know, but it was my first time building a house.
If DISH had their Sling story straight, I could put a 'Catcher with TV3 and Sling live TV to it easily. Sadly, their only SlingCatcher-capable hardware right now are also sat receivers and require a sat connection - which that one TV bloody doesn't have.
I appreciate any advice you can offer.
I'm considering a switch to DirecTV, and I'm specifically interested in the Whole Home DVR service as well as the TV Internet Connection. I'm not sure if my setup will make this possible, so let me offer details.
First: All satellite connections that I mention are RG6 direct runs to where the dish mounts on the outside of the house. All "coax" that I mention is RG58, direct to a powered video distribution switch.
Second: Nobody has a phone line. We don't have landline service. We have lovely Internet, though, and it's accessible to all of the TV locations I'll mention. Hopefully DirecTV can handle "calling the mothership" via the Intertubes.
TV 1:
Serviced by 2 satellite connections and one coax connection, as well as a CAT5 network connection. This is where the main DVR will go; it's connected by HDMI to a projector. This is the furthest sat run in the house - literally on the opposite corner from the dish. That said, it's worked flawlessly with DISH for 6 years.
TV 2:
Also serviced by 2 sat connections and one coax, along with multiple CAT5 connections. This is a secondary location and I'd likely put an HD receiver here. The sat and coax connections are across the room from the TV, so I'd prefer to run as few cables as possible around the perimeter of the room since they'd have to cross two door thresholds. The TV here accepts HDMI and component.
TV 3:
I suspect this is the tricky one. The TV accepts only component input, but is only serviced by a coax - there is no direct satellite run. I have sat runs going to another room in the house, and it's a vague possibility that I could intercept one (two?) of those in the attic and redirect them to this TV if needed. Providing a CAT5 network connection to this location would be no problem.
TV 4:
This is in a guest room. It has a sat and coax connection, as well as network, but I don't need it to be part of the whole-home service. Frankly, I was thinking of just sticking an SD receiver in there. It's rarely used.
So... what are my options? Is TV 3 a sticking point? If DISH would get their Sling story straight and provider a networked Catcher I could use on TV 3, I feel I'd be awesome. But their story (and the new 922 receiver) is pretty buggy right now.
Is having a sat connection, home-run to the dish, a must-have for TV3? If it is a must-have, and I'm able to divert a sat connection to that location, what-all will DirecTV need to sell me to make this work?
I realize this isn't a DIY project and that DirecTV will send an installer - but I also know those guys aren't always super-experts, especially here in Las Vegas. So I'd like to know what the general gist is, so that I can at least prod them in the right direction if needed. I'm extremely tech-savvy myself (I'm a freelance tech journalist and consultant), so fire off the acronyms and I'll be fine
.The goal, incidentally, is to be able to play back from DVR and watch live TV at all locations. I toyed with the idea of putting a small-form-factor PC with TV3 and only using it to run the DIRECTV2PC app, but the family has nixed that. Must have live programming. TV3 is probably the most-used in the house, being located in the kitchen. Stupid for not running sat there in the first place, I know, but it was my first time building a house
.If DISH had their Sling story straight, I could put a 'Catcher with TV3 and Sling live TV to it easily. Sadly, their only SlingCatcher-capable hardware right now are also sat receivers and require a sat connection - which that one TV bloody doesn't have.
I appreciate any advice you can offer.
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