Upgrading to HD.....couple questions

[Mr Tony]

well I decided to upgrade to HD...now waiting for the install date Minneapolis must have a lot of D* installs as the earliest I can get is the 14th.

Gonna get just a HD receiver. I figured since I already have 2 R22's once the HD receiver is activated the R22's will get the HD added automatically. So why pay $200 for a HD DVR when I pay $100 and get 2 HD DVR's in the process.

But I had a couple questions
1. Since I have 5 "tuners" (2 DVR 1 HD) I assume I'll get a SWM setup?
2. If I ask the tech do you think he'll install a SWM 5LNB? Minneapolis is mainly a SWM 3LNB but there are a couple channels on 119 I'd like to keep.
3. How many cables come from the dish to the SWM splitter? 1 or 2?
4. Since the 2 DVR's are hooked to the HDTV I'll hook the HD receiver in the computer room. The TV isnt HD. I assume no issues?
5. I have the multi-sports pack so I'll get all those in HD too right?

on a side note the installer will enjoy this install as all the wiring is done. All he has to do is put up the new dish and hook up the cabling

 

[dishrich]

1. most likely, as I don't think they keep too many WB68's on their trucks (if any)
2. highly unlikely - you're best bet, call up & add the spanish add-on pkg en espanol f/$15, then cancel it the next month
3. 1
4. nope
5. yep

 

[Mr Tony]

dang I get to remove some cabling then since right now I have 4 lines from the roof (well 8 lines total but the other 4 are for FTA setups)

 

[Mr Tony]

OK thought of something else

The R22's I know have about 200 hours SD and 35 hours HD MPEG2 programming if I use the OTA tuner (a 3 hour football game recorded off air takes up 10% of the drive)

but since HD on D* is MEPG4 how will that change the amount of HD recording I can do? Since almost all my locals are MPEG4 HD on D* I'll use the AM21 for the stations D* doesnt carry (subchannels).

How many hours of MPEG4 HD can the R22 hold?

 

[bayoubrut]

I wouldn't assume that they will use the SWM setup. Since you already have 4 lines coming from ODU then a KAKU with a 6x8 multiswitch isn't much harder to set-up.. Also, make sure the tech (or you) repeat the system setup for your R22's and change to the appropriate LNB.

 

[dishrich]

I wouldn't assume that they will use the SWM setup. Since you already have 4 lines coming from ODU then a KAKU with a 6x8 multiswitch isn't much harder to set-up..

But as I already pointed out - they simply do NOT use, or even keep very many of the WB68's around, since D* IS pretty much doing all SWM installs/upgrades...but he could always be the exception. If I was Ice & the tech had either one, I'd still want the SWM...

How many hours of MPEG4 HD can the R22 hold?

Assuming it's ALL MPEG4 HD, about 50 hours - same as the HR21's...

 

[Mr Tony]

I hope they do a SWM setup which would make it cleaner

Now if I look at the SWM setup they would run one line to a "8 way splitter"...Does it use a power inserter and if so is that hooked in line of a receiver or does it have to be hooked to the splitter somewhere. Reason I ask is the cable to run to the computer room (where the new receiver will go) is in the drop ceiling in the basement. If it was say 5 feet longer I could push it up through the floor behind the entertainment center in the living room where the rest of the cables are If the power inserter doesnt have to be hooked directly to the splitter then that can go in the drop ceiling in the basement then 2 short cables up the floor into the Living room where the 2 R22's are.

Eh maybe I'll just run a new cable beforehand....and yes I'll do that instead of the tech as it has to run through the drop ceiling into the laundry room out the wall into the garage, bolted to the ceiling in the garage then up the hole into the computer room (the bedrooms are on top of the garage)

 

[Mr Tony]

Assuming it's ALL MPEG4 HD, about 50 hours - same as the HR21's...

oh ok...

 

[dishrich]

Now if I look at the SWM setup they would run one line to a "8 way splitter"...Does it use a power inserter and if so is that hooked in line of a receiver or does it have to be hooked to the splitter somewhere.

Either way - there is really no advantage to NOT just putting it on one of your receiver runs - as long as you understand if you ever move or change receivers to other cable runs, the receiver run w/the PI, MUST connect to the power pass output on the SWM splitter, which is marked RED.
The other advantage of putting it on a receiver run - if you are using UPS's on any of your receivers, you obviously need the PI on an UPS as well - since if the PI looses power for any reason, all the receivers will loose signal anyway.

And, NO need to make it harder on yourself or the tech...

 

[Mr Tony]

Either way - there is really no advantage to NOT just putting it on one of your receiver runs - as long as you understand if you ever move or change receivers to other cable runs, the receiver run w/the PI, MUST connect to the power pass output on the SWM splitter, which is marked RED.
The other advantage of putting it on a receiver run - if you are using UPS's on any of your receivers, you obviously need the PI on an UPS as well - since if the PI looses power for any reason, all the receivers will loose signal anyway

good lord my head is spinning right now with the green and red spots....maybe the 6x8 multiswitch might be easier

No I'm not going to make it hard on the tech. When I got D* installed the tech was so happy with the install. All he had to do is ground the unit (I didnt have ground wire around) and hook up the receiver. He checked signals and said "no reason to touch that" and liked I used compression connectors (same ones he used...PPX6)

 

[bayoubrut]

what dishrich said. I had a service call this morning for a SWM job that either the customer moved the DVR from the bedroom to the living room or the tech crossed the wires on the splitter. (it was 1 hd/dvr and 1 hd/receiver) I figure the customer moved the dvr and then moved the 21v inverter with it. It basically burnt up the reg IRD in the process.

BTW- I have at least 3 WB6x8's on my van right now. We commonly put those in here instead of SWM. If I was you though I would request a SWM setup. Perhaps the connected home for multi-room viewing...that way they would have to use SWM

 

[Mr Tony]

yeah when the tech arrives that day (the 14th) maybe talking with him will help and see what he is going to do. After all he should be happy that most everything will be done
I know my neighbor got setup maybe 2-3 weeks ago and they put up a SWM and on the side of the house is a 2 way splitter....so I assume the PI is hooked up right by the one receiver then?

edit: after looking at some pics of SWM setups and splitters I am starting to get it. ON the splitters there is one connection that the power inserter HAS to be hooked to and JUST THAT ONE connection....any other it wouldn't work. So lets say they hook it to DVR1 in the house. I cant hook the PI to DVR2 or the HD receiver unless its hooked to the cable that has the "RED" connection....ok now I get it

 

[Jables]

If I was you though I would request a SWM setup. Perhaps the connected home for multi-room viewing...that way they would have to use SWM

He can't get whole-home now; you need at least one "real" HD-DVR on the account (HRXX) which he does not have. But I'd still request SWM for future-proofing.

 

[Mr Tony]

Dont need MRV

 

[bayoubrut]

yeah when the tech arrives that day (the 14th) maybe talking with him will help and see what he is going to do. After all he should be happy that most everything will be done
I know my neighbor got setup maybe 2-3 weeks ago and they put up a SWM and on the side of the house is a 2 way splitter....so I assume the PI is hooked up right by the one receiver then?

edit: after looking at some pics of SWM setups and splitters I am starting to get it. ON the splitters there is one connection that the power inserter HAS to be hooked to and JUST THAT ONE connection....any other it wouldn't work. So lets say they hook it to DVR1 in the house. I cant hook the PI to DVR2 or the HD receiver unless its hooked to the cable that has the "RED" connection....ok now I get it

That is correct. Most ppl assume that since the inverter is kinda connected to the box that it must stay with that box. Whatever room the tech decides to put it in, is the room it needs to stay in.

 

[bayoubrut]

He can't get whole-home now; you need at least one "real" HD-DVR on the account (HRXX) which he does not have. But I'd still request SWM for future-proofing.

My bad. I didn't know that a HD HR-xx DVR was required but it makes perfect sense.

 

[Mr Tony]

well I got the new cable run today. Got rid of some old crappy Rat Shack cable I got a few years ago that was in the old RCA Directv install kit (remember them)?
Anywho the cable was written as good to 1800mhz...the new stuff is swept to 3GHz with compression ends on

 

[Mr Tony]

well today is install/upgrade day

tech just called and he will be here in 20 minutes or so

 

[Mr Tony]

WOO HOO! All up and running...well been up and running an hour+ ago. Was playing with it.

Dispatch called me at 9:45 that the tech was almost there. I said he just pulled in. 7 year installer. Showed him the roof (which was cleaned off already) and the existing stuff. He said they are told to use the "old setup" (aka the 6x8 switch) if they can but he saw the R22's and said "I use a swim setup"
I had to laugh as he said he never seen the dish I had up there and he had been an installer for 7 years. I had an old Phase II with a single LNB in the middle. 2 lines into the house to a 3x4 multiswitch right behind the 2 R22's

With it being -2 out he already had the dish installed and roughed to the right elevation and skew. Got the pole up and level. He used an old LNB to aim the dish which took him all of about 3 minutes. He put the dish up and locked the bolts right away. Then used those "fine tune" knobs to finish. Swapped LNB's and hooked up the SWM in the house and reran the sat setup on the R22's. He was confused as to why I'd keep the R22's on the HDTV and I mentioned that the HD gets turned on automatically once HD is on the account. He had heard of it but didn't know how that worked. Hooked up a H23-600 in the computer room and that worked. He had to call it in but got it working.

Signed paperwork, thanked him for coming out in the cold (and tipped him). He thanked me for helping him with the minor details and he was on his way.
Total time...about an hour. Checked the R22's and they now say "R22 (with HD)-100 as model #.

I think the signals are good

all and all I happy I called D* to verify my free HD which I have now

 

[bayoubrut]

Congrats on getting the SWM set-up and everything working correctly. Its amazing how much faster I can get a dish peaked out when its below freezing outside...