possible to combine D* and V* dishes into single line?

barth2k

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
May 14, 2004
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If V* doesn't add certain channels soon, I'll need to supplement V* with D*. For reasons I won't go into, it will be difficult/undesirable to run another line. So is there a way to combine the D* and V* dishes into a single line then split them at the other end, using some kind of diplexer? thanks
 
Don't think so. That's why your HOme Theater has 5 or more video inputs. I have mine set up as follows:

AV1 - DTV/Tivo
AV2- DVD
AV3- Home Video/VCR
AV4-DTV-HD
AV5-Voom

You need each settop box to decode the signal.Each has it's own unique system. But hey, I'm no technician.
 
I'm no techie either, but cable tv and internet and phone can all use the same cable. It is probably different with 2 sat signals, and I doubt that it is possible, but I would like to know the answer and why.
 
Basically the signals coming from the D* dish and and a V* dish are the same frequencies.

(the reason why Cable Internet and TV can co-exist on the same cable is that they are transmitted at different frequencies).

So, no you can't really have both going through one cable.

But I can envision a not too-complicated setup using a standard DirecTV multiswitch and a 22kHz tone inserter where you could manually switch between the two satellite providers coming through one cable (assuming you only want/need the 101 satellite for DirecTV).
You'd turn on the 22kHz tone to watch one provider, and turn it off to watch the other... You'd have to run two lines from the Voom dish and two lines from the 101 LNB of a DirecTV dish to the multiswitch, and then one output into your house.


But if you want/need the 110 or 119 satellites for DirecTV, or don't want to deal with this complicated setup - it just might be easier to bite the bullet and run that second line.
 
caduces_wild said:
Aren't D* and V* on different sats with different orbits, and totally different azimuths?

They are and they require separate dishes. The question was whether the cables from both (or 3 dishes) can be combined via a diplexer and only one cable running from the roof to your TV room with another diplexer/splitter separating the sat signals for separate receivers.