So what's the *real* difference between DPP Separator and coax cable signal splitter?

[gixxer]

Unfortunately i wasn't able to find past thread on similar subject so here i go.

I'm really getting mixed inputs from folks (some supposedly DPP product experts) and essentially i need to get unconfused about people saying i can use ordinary cable signal splitter instead of the DPP Separator with my DPP 44 switch on my DISH SuperDISH. I see that DPP Separator is about ~$9 (anyone know cheaper anywhere???), not bad. But i just happen to have spare cable signal 2-to-1 splitter handy. Maybe i should give this an experiment, but i have my suspicion that this won't work. Reason for my suspicion is that satellite signals use RG6 cables and ordinary coax cable wires are RG59 (or RG58).

Anyway if anyone has some knowledge in this and can share, thanks for advance.

 

[Altaman]

Think of the DPP separator as smart splitter of sorts....meaning that the receiver can basically talk to the separator. A splitter is just that, it takes the signal and splits it to the two outputs (sorta a dumb splitter). You can not use a regular splitter with your dish. Also note you can only use the separator with a dual tuner receiver, not to feed two separate receivers.

Alt

 

[bbtkd]

Unfortunately i wasn't able to find past thread on similar subject so here i go.

I'm really getting mixed inputs from folks (some supposedly DPP product experts) and essentially i need to get unconfused about people saying i can use ordinary cable signal splitter instead of the DPP Separator with my DPP 44 switch on my DISH SuperDISH. I see that DPP Separator is about ~$9 (anyone know cheaper anywhere???), not bad. But i just happen to have spare cable signal 2-to-1 splitter handy. Maybe i should give this an experiment, but i have my suspicion that this won't work. Reason for my suspicion is that satellite signals use RG6 cables and ordinary coax cable wires are RG59 (or RG58).

Anyway if anyone has some knowledge in this and can share, thanks for advance.

If satellite TV technology did not use vertical and horizontal polarization to double the bandwidth of a satellite, we would not need switches and separators. But since each transponder has both a vertically and horizontally polarized signal, the receiver sends a polarity control signal up the cable to either the LNB or the switch. The LNB/switch then switches the requesting receivers signal feed to the requested polarity. Note that the switch does not just provide a single channel signal, it sends all of the signals from all of the transponders on that satellite - of the requested polarity. In the case of multiple satellite feeds as with Dish and DirecTV, the receiver also sends the LNB/switch a signal to select the satellite. So - when you flip through channels, the receiver uses a downloaded table to identify the satellite and polarity to request from the LNB/switch. The receiver then selects the desired transponder from the signal provided - and since compression is used it must select from several channels per transponder.

The DPP44 adds yet another dimension to this. It diplexes two receiver feeds on one cable. In order to use the second feed on a cable, you need a separator. The separator allows two sets of control signals (to request a polarity and satellite) as well as the resulting signal. Most diplexors will only diplex the satellite signals, but the DPP44/separator also must allow two sets of control signals coming from the receiver.

So anyone telling you that you can just use a cable splitter should be ignored, they are clueless. You could potentially cause damage to the receiver or the DPP44. The cable type is important from the standpoint of signal loss over longer runs, as well as frequency rating. RG6 is the type specified for satellite use since it has relatively low loss and can handle higher frequencies.

 

[Smith P.]

You mistankenly assume the switching function of DPP technology incorporate into the separator. I would remark the separator have nothing to deal with commands sending to DPP44. The DPP44 mixing ( bandstacking ) signals of odd/even transponders from different satellites requested by DVR. The separator just provide same signals to both satellite tuners of DVR, then the DVR select right band. I would say no 'brain' in the separators. One word of precaution of using cheap splitter - the device should properly handle DC feeding from both tuners and avoid making DC loop.

 

[n0qcu]

The separator is a modified diplexer. It separates the band stacked signals by allowing the lower band to go only to tuner #1 and the upper band to go only to tuner #2. I also passes the control signal from tuner #1 only to go to the switch blocking any control signal from tuner 2.

 

[Smith P.]

I'm doubt in your description. If you watching two separate channels what reside on same odd or even transponder from same or different satellites ( worst case scenario ), then you suggestion doesn't work at all.

 

[SimpleSimon]

GIXXER: Ignore "bbtkd" and "Smith, P." entirely. n0qcu is closest to correct.

A cable splitter will NOT work - it can only handle up to around 900MHz, while DishPro uses 950-2150MHz.

P. SMITH: You don't understand what DPPlus does. While using the same band layout and tuner hardware, it totally separates the transponder band from transmission location. It allows ANY band to be either 'low' (950-1450) or 'high' (1650-2150) on the cable. In fact, you can even have two copies of the SAME TP set.

 

[n0qcu]

NO, not at all if both tuners 'need' to see the same band the switch is going to send it as both a 'low' band signal for tuner 1 and a high band signal for tuner 2. That is how it can send diferent satellites and transponders on the same cable, it uses band stacking and conversion.

 

[Smith P.]

Geez, the subject is about the DPP separator. I know how DPP bandstacking works.

 

[bcshields]

A DPP Seperator is essentually, a higher frequency diplexor. Where a diplexor seperates and combines 0-950 and 950+, A DPP Seperator splits the frequencies between what can be considered legacy, and DishPro frequencies. DishProPlus LNBF's put one tuner on each frequency.

Basically... what Simon said.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Geez, the subject is about the DPP separator. I know how DPP bandstacking works.

Your post #6:

I'm doubt in your description. If you watching two separate channels what reside on same odd or even transponder from same or different satellites ( worst case scenario ), then you suggestion doesn't work at all.

definitely indicates that you did NOT know how DPPlus works.