Splitting satellite signal

[tim_rattay]

Hello. I have a question about splitting the satellite signal for DirecTV so I can use two receivers in one room. So far, it looks like it's going to be a lost cause, but I'm hoping that there is a way I can do this.

I live in a 3-bedroom apartment that's already wired with DirecTV. Each apartment has two different signals entering into it. Both signals can be accessed through what looks like two standard cable outlets in the living room, and one of the lines is shared in one bedroom, the other line is shared in two bedrooms. We already have one receiver in the living room, and the other receiver is in my room, so we are using both signals for our apartment.

We have already tried splitting the signal in my room, but I can't get any channel I want at any time. Apparently this has something to do with the transponders. We thought about using a multiswitch, but those are for the satellite dish and we don't have access to a dish. I was wondering if there was a special kind of splitter that is available, although I haven't seen anything out there that can without running into the transponder problem. If there's nothing available now, does anyone know if there will be any new technology coming for it down the road, like any special receivers?

Thanks in advance, and if you need any more information I will try and get it for you.

 

[BluegrassGuy1976]

Big question.... when you say the building is already wired for DirecTv, do you mean it is an MDU? As in is there one centralized dish for the entire building? Or does each individual apartment have it's own dish?
If there is one central dish that feeds the entire building, you may have to contact your landlord and ask about it. Under normal circumstances a satellite signal cannot be split with run-of-the-mill splitter, because as you found out you'll lose every other transponder.

If it IS an MDU unit those dishs use a "stacked" LNB, similar in nature to E*'s DishPro LNB, which in essence uses the coax itself as the multiswitch, and it can be split.

I would contact your Bldg manager and ask how they have it set up.

 

[jdspencer]

And then, if more than one receiver is used a destacker is required.

 

[tim_rattay]

Thank you for the responses. I don't know exactly if I do have an MDU, and unfortunately there's no one in the offices to ask until Monday.

I think there is just one centralized dish for our entire building. We have a 4-way digital splitter in our laundry room, and we have an unused 2-way digital splitter in there as well. This makes me wonder...are we able to have 4 different signals in our apartment rather than just the original 2 I was told when I moved in?

 

[jdspencer]

What receiver models are being used by those in the complex? Knowing this we can determine if a stacked signal is being used. Some DirecTV receivers have internal destackers to allow access to both odd and even transponders.

I'm going to assume that it is a standard stacked signal and all that is being received by the dish is the sat at 101.

 

[tim_rattay]

Sorry for the delay on all of this. School, work, and the Australian Open have got the best of me.

We have what's called a "digital bulk" option from DirecTV, meaning that we have one satellite dish for our whole unit. So it seems fit that I ran into my problems as you noted, BluegrassGuy1976. However, I saw on our support site: "ICS specializes in providing multiple satellite options for multi-dwelling units." Doesn't MDU stand for Multi-Dwelling Unit? That must mean there's some way to do this, right?

jdspencer, we get the standard receivers I believe. We have two D12-300's currently, and our opting to get an HD receiver. I guess a side question is if anyone knows if DirecTV is having a special deal on HD receivers. My parents have had DirecTV for about 5 years now, do you think DirecTV would give my folks a discount on an HD receiver?

Thanks again for all the help.