Questions about getting Dish ( currently fed up with Comcast )

[navychop]

Because it doesn't work that way. You could use a splitter on the output, if it's ok for everyone to watch the same thing. The coax going to the dish carries signals in both directions, telling the. LNB what signals to send down the coax. It's not like OTA at all, where it's all signals all the time.

There may be reasons to go with DirecTV, such as the need for the Sunday Ticket, but better equipment sure isn't one of them. NOTHING beats a Hopper.

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[SheilaM]

Navychop, not sure if you were responding to my post or not, but as it is now, I have the ability to have different channels on 2 tvs with only 1 Dishnetwork box, so why not be able to just carry the remote to the various tvs and use that? I am an old 62 year old widow, so I have no tech savvy skills, so it has to be very plain so that I understand it. Whatever a OTA is, or a Hopper, or Jimmy, or a Joey, I have no idea. All I know is that I have one box, 2 tvs are currently working with separate stations, and I want my other tvs to work the same way. I can't afford to pay $35 a month just for a bunch of different boxes sitting around in the way when I already have a DVD and a VCR both sitting on top of the shelf above the tv. So I still need to know what 6 way splitter to buy, and if I have to buy another box, I will, but I darned sure won't pay rent for one! I think this is a bunch of hype the companies are using to rip us all off. All I want is a simple fix so I can watch tv on all my tvs.

 

[navychop]

OK, I got it now. You probably want a Distribution Amplifier. This is like a splitter, but it boosts the signal. Splitters decrease the signal. Put it on the output of whatever sat (or cable) box you have. Run the coax (presumably) to each TV. There are wireless solutions but we're talking big money here. Then a single RF remote will likely work.

BTW I've never seen a six way. Probably have to go with an eight way and just put 75 ohm terminators on two of the outputs.

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[navychop]

Which receiver do you have? You may be able to do a simpler implementation, home distribution. MIGHT just use your coax as set up by the cableco and each TV can pick from two channels. You might get by with feeding one TV and then outputting via a 4 way splitter or distro amp for a total of 5 TVs.

Need more information.

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[osu1991]

Navychop, not sure if you were responding to my post or not, but as it is now, I have the ability to have different channels on 2 tvs with only 1 Dishnetwork box, so why not be able to just carry the remote to the various tvs and use that? I am an old 62 year old widow, so I have no tech savvy skills, so it has to be very plain so that I understand it. Whatever a OTA is, or a Hopper, or Jimmy, or a Joey, I have no idea. All I know is that I have one box, 2 tvs are currently working with separate stations, and I want my other tvs to work the same way. I can't afford to pay $35 a month just for a bunch of different boxes sitting around in the way when I already have a DVD and a VCR both sitting on top of the shelf above the tv. So I still need to know what 6 way splitter to buy, and if I have to buy another box, I will, but I darned sure won't pay rent for one! I think this is a bunch of hype the companies are using to rip us all off. All I want is a simple fix so I can watch tv on all my tvs.

If you don't have HD, I would assume you have 322 (a 222 if you have HD) which supports 2 tv's with separate signals from one box. There should be a coax connector on the back of the box labeled Home Distribution. That connection is going to your 2nd tv that is in location away from box. That connection you can put a distribution amp on and send that signal to more than one tv. Your second tv (TV2) should be tuned to a certain channel, you will tune the other tv's to that channel and then all tv's on that TV2 distribution will be able to watch the same satellite channel and you can either order extra Dish TV 2 RF remotes or take the TV 2 RF Remote around the house with you. The TV 1 remote is IR and only works on TV1.

I (and many others) do this with my 722. The 2nd tuner is distributed around the house to different tv's that only have occasional use.

 

[SheilaM]

If you don't have HD, I would assume you have 322 (a 222 if you have HD) which supports 2 tv's with separate signals from one box. There should be a coax connector on the back of the box labeled Home Distribution. That connection is going to your 2nd tv that is in location away from box. That connection you can put a distribution amp on and send that signal to more than one tv. Your second tv (TV2) should be tuned to a certain channel, you will tune the other tv's to that channel and then all tv's on that TV2 distribution will be able to watch the same satellite channel and you can either order extra Dish TV 2 RF remotes or take the TV 2 RF Remote around the house with you. The TV 1 remote is IR and only works on TV1.

I (and many others) do this with my 722. The 2nd tuner is distributed around the house to different tv's that only have occasional use.

I do have a VIP222k, and I'm still not sure how to do this. While I appreciate the help from navychop, he is too technical for me to understand. So what is a distribution amp, where can I get it, what brand is it, etc. The way my current coax is run throughout my house, one line comes in. It came to a 8 way splitter used by Charter (which Dish Network says is not compatible with Dish), then ran to the separate bedrooms/offices. The Dish guy unhooked 2 of those lines, put in a Holland GHS-2 2way splitter, ran it to one room upstairs (my office), and the other to the box in my daughter's bedroom. My thinking was that if I removed that GHS-2 way splitter and put in a 6 or 8 way splitter, it would do the same thing as the two way splitter, but maybe I'm wrong. I would like to use the 8-way splitter because it is already run to the various bedrooms/offices. On the back of the box is 2 ports, which has a short coax hooked up to the 2 ports, which then forms a V, with a little cap on the end. I am NOT tech savvy, so initials instead of words, and big words like diodes and transformers leave me in the dark. I am an old lady. Please be kind and make it simple enough a 1 year old can understand. lol

 

[navychop]

YOU AIN'T OLD! You're not much older than me.

Yes, you should be able to use that splitter. If the signal loss is too great, can always replace it later with a distro amp.

Later I will draw out something for you, if nobody beats me to the punch.

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[SheilaM]

For some reason, Navychop, I keep trying to post to you, and it keeps telling me I'm one letter too short, to make my post longer. Thank you for your help and for your compliment. Anyway, my line coming in goes to an 8 way splitter installed by Charter. The DishNW guy told me it won't work with their equipment (probably a bunch of hype). So he unscrewed 2 lines, put in a 2 way GHS-2 splitter, ran it to the box in my daughter's room downstairs. The other line ran to my office upstairs. I still need her office, my bedroom, and my two other bedrooms still hooked up. I have a VIP222K box, whatever that means, and no additional box, even though they told me they'd give me a 3 tv hook up...but you know sales reps...they say one thing and do another.

 

[bwexler]

First, you are not an old lady, anyone younger than me can't be old.
Next you probably need someone tech savy to set this up for you. Where abouts do you live? maybe someone here could set your system up or recomend a competant local tech. Who know you may live a block away from Navychop.

 

[SheilaM]

First, you are not an old lady, anyone younger than me can't be old.
Next you probably need someone tech savy to set this up for you. Where abouts do you live? maybe someone here could set your system up or recomend a competant local tech. Who know you may live a block away from Navychop.

I have a son who knows all this stuff, but he's so busy proving his genius that I don't understand a word he says! I am in Eastern Missouri. Thank you for your compliment as well. lol I should have joined this forum years ago. You all are making me feel good about myself. lol

 

[navychop]

I can't saunter over that far!

Will be at my PC soon.

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[osu1991]

I do have a VIP222k, and I'm still not sure how to do this. While I appreciate the help from navychop, he is too technical for me to understand. So what is a distribution amp, where can I get it, what brand is it, etc. The way my current coax is run throughout my house, one line comes in. It came to a 8 way splitter used by Charter (which Dish Network says is not compatible with Dish), then ran to the separate bedrooms/offices. The Dish guy unhooked 2 of those lines, put in a Holland GHS-2 2way splitter, ran it to one room upstairs (my office), and the other to the box in my daughter's bedroom. My thinking was that if I removed that GHS-2 way splitter and put in a 6 or 8 way splitter, it would do the same thing as the two way splitter, but maybe I'm wrong. I would like to use the 8-way splitter because it is already run to the various bedrooms/offices. On the back of the box is 2 ports, which has a short coax hooked up to the 2 ports, which then forms a V, with a little cap on the end. I am NOT tech savvy, so initials instead of words, and big words like diodes and transformers leave me in the dark. I am an old lady. Please be kind and make it simple enough a 1 year old can understand. lol

Disconnect the wire going to your office and connect it back to your 8 way splitter and connect a short piece of coax between the input on your 8way splitter and the output on the Holland where your office line was connected. Then you will have to tune all the other tv's to whatever channel your office tv is set to for watching Dish.

The Holland splitter is a power passing splitter than passes power on one side to power the Dish lnb outside from the receiver, that line is the one going to your sat receiver in you daughters room,( don't mess with that one).

 

[SheilaM]

Disconnect the wire going to your office and connect it back to your 8 way splitter and connect a short piece of coax between the input on your 8way splitter and the output on the Holland where your office line was connected. Then you will have to tune all the other tv's to whatever channel your office tv is set to for watching Dish.

The Holland splitter is a power passing splitter than passes power on one side to power the Dish lnb outside from the receiver, that line is the one going to your sat receiver in you daughters room,( don't mess with that one).

Thank you so much, Osu1991. That's what I was trying to ask, and since Dish said I couldn't use the Charter 8 way splitter, I was looking to buy a new one, but if this will work without burning up my box, or dropping the signal strength, then that's what I want. after all, the most tvs anyone can watch at once is 3, so it's not like there will ever be a great pull on the signal strength. So will I still need any type of amp or anything?

 

[osu1991]

maybe, (most likely). You are working with different technology (sat and cable). With that many tv's connected to the tv 2 ouptut the picture is very likely to be snowy on the other tv's. You will probably need a 6 or 8 way distribution amp

 

[SheilaM]

maybe, (most likely). You are working with different technology (sat and cable). With that many tv's connected to the tv 2 ouptut the picture is very likely to be snowy on the other tv's. You will probably need a 6 or 8 way distribution amp

Where would I buy one, what brand do I need, what kind/size do I need, where do I hook it up, and oh, my, I'm Dorothy in Kansas and totally lost!

 

[SheilaM]

Where would I buy one, what brand do I need, what kind/size do I need, where do I hook it up, and oh, my, I'm Dorothy in Kansas and totally lost!

I'm so sorry to be such a pain! I have no idea where to look to even go buy one. Everytime I go to the store, some guy assumes I'm an ignorant old lady (which in this case I am!), and they try to take advantage of me. If I'm getting the car worked on, they assume I know nothing (which there they are totally wrong), and try to sell me stuff I don't need, or fix what isn't broken, of if I need repairs on the house, they try to sell me things I don't need, or things that aren't broken, so I don't want to be snowed by some 18 year old kid at Best Buy or some other electronics store simply because I don't know what I need to look for/buy.

 

[osu1991]

Channel Master CM 3418 8-Port Distribution Amplifier (CM3418)

http://www.channelmasterstore.com/Antenna_Cable_TV_Amplifier_p/cm-3418.htm

 

[SheilaM]

Channel Master CM 3418 8-Port Distribution Amplifier (CM3418)

http://www.channelmasterstore.com/Antenna_Cable_TV_Amplifier_p/cm-3418.htm

Thank you. Now one more stupid question. Where do I hook this up? Do I replace the 8 way connector I currently have, or does this connect to the box somehow, or to the tv somewhere? Do I eliminate the 2 way splitter, or do I eliminate the Charter 8 way splitter? I'm still a little lost.

 

[bwexler]

Here is a source to buy it at a discount

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=CM3418&ss=34225

This would replace the existing 8 port spliter. If you only have 6 TVs to connect you will need termination caps for each unused connector.

 

[navychop]

OK, it seems he did a backfeed. We can do this. But it would be simpler to go direct, if your wiring supports.

I am going to make some assumptions. Correct me where I am wrong. I believe you said all your TVs are "analog" which I take to mean SD. But I don't know why you would have a ViP222K receiver if all your TVs are SD. And there are only 5 locations you are really interested in feeding. I assume your primary TV is connected by coax to the "CH 3-4 TV1 output" - left click on the below to make it bigger and you can see.




Next to that is a "Channel 21-69" output. To this, you can connect a coax which is in turn run to the input of your 8 way splitter. Then, from each output of that splitter, you have a coax run straight to various TVs. You will have to do some menu work to establish channels, but we can go over that later. If this works, each of the TVs fed from the splitter will have two channels to choose from. You simply use the TV tuner as if it were an OTA signal. Perhaps channel 25 & 60, for example. If this does NOT work, you can get a 4 way distribution amp, similar to what was posted above, but cheaper. Put it in place of the 8 way splitter and plug it in. If you really want to feed more than 4 remote TVs, then move to the 8 way distro amp.

If your primary TV is in fact an HDTV, then it is likely connected to the HDMI/HDTV output rather than the "CH 3-4 TV1 output." All else remains the same, assuming SDTVs elsewhere.

It is possible your main TV, especially if it is an SDTV, is connected to the composite or S-Video outputs. Point is, we need not fool with how this primary TV is connected, assuming it is working. You need only use the Home Distribution option for the other TVs.

Is this making any sense? We can discuss building upon the back feed setup, but that is just a tad more complicated. A lot depends upon how easily you can get to these components and coax.