Wiring / Installation Question

[FailedExistence]

We just had DirecTV installed for the first time today into our new two story house. We went with the HD DVR unit thinking the wiring would be acceptable, but found out the builder only installed 2 wires into the house, one of which is providing our cable internet connection. The other is now being used for one input on the HD DVR. The installer told us that because of the way the wiring was done (between the second and first floors, and not into the attic) and because there were only two feeds coming in from outside that we wouldn't be able to have any other receivers, nor would we be able to use the second tuner on the HD DVR. Is this correct? Is there anything we can do aside from drilling into the house, or running more cable to resolve this problem?

Thanks for any and all input/advice.

 

[iwc5893]

We just had DirecTV installed for the first time today into our new two story house. We went with the HD DVR unit thinking the wiring would be acceptable, but found out the builder only installed 2 wires into the house, one of which is providing our cable internet connection. The other is now being used for one input on the HD DVR. The installer told us that because of the way the wiring was done (between the second and first floors, and not into the attic) and because there were only two feeds coming in from outside that we wouldn't be able to have any other receivers, nor would we be able to use the second tuner on the HD DVR. Is this correct? Is there anything we can do aside from drilling into the house, or running more cable to resolve this problem?

Thanks for any and all input/advice.

Pending the national release of the Single Wire Mutliswitch (SWM), there is nothing you can do without drilling more holes and running additional wiring. The SWM will allow you to have a second feed to your HD-DVR, but you will still need to run additional cabling for any other TV's/Receivers you plan on having.

 

[Jimbo]

In your case, would it be easier to run a new line to the Cable Modem ?
You mentioned that the connections are between the floors, Do you have no access to them, they would not/ should not have buried it incase the splitters for the cable go bad, they would need access
Is there no central location that these cables are connected ?

Jimbo

 

[FailedExistence]

They all run from the outside of the house on the side into the laundry room in the middle of the house on the first floor. We bought the house as a spec home so I never saw the cabling being completed - but according to the installer they are all run between the floors and not through the attic like normal. I am going to call the builder on Monday and see if that's true.

Just to be clear, if I were to run more cable, I would have to run 3 more from outside in order to run 2 to the main dvr, and then 2 more to another DVR if we wanted one?

 

[Mdvalenz]

I would use both lines for the Sat and just run another for the modem. It is easier that way since then you can place the modem where you want and set up a wireless router if you don't want to run cat'5 everywhere for any devices that need it.

Edit: Just re-read your post. So you have one line from the drop in the street for your internet and another somewhere in your house that you are now using for the Sat. In that case the drop has to be for internet since using it for something else will cause you to lose your internet. So you would have to run another line for the Sat if you want to use both tuners. I don't know how Direct does their boxes, but for us, dish, we have one coax into the back of the box for both tuners and the same coax leaving the box to go to the second tv. Both in and out signals run on the same line and use a special splitter down the line to separate the signals. In our case, if we wanted another box we would have to run another line from the sat to the box, or maybe split the coax coming from the Sat before it goes into the box and run that to the second box. You might lose signal doing that though.

 

[Mike500]

Not a job for a novice. I've run cable lines between floors, when the house is built with vinyl siding. Access holes and extension poles are used to pull cables to floor outlets at the base of second floor walls. Flexible fiber glass rods were used to push cables to first fllor outlets in the wall.

It requires an experienced installer, but it can be done.

 

[FailedExistence]

Could I use the second line that is currently being used for the cable modem and instead attach a mutliswitch to accomplish the task at hand?

 

[Jimbo]

I would use both lines for the Sat and just run another for the modem. It is easier that way since then you can place the modem where you want and set up a wireless router if you don't want to run cat'5 everywhere for any devices that need it.

Edit: Just re-read your post. So you have one line from the drop in the street for your internet and another somewhere in your house that you are now using for the Sat. In that case the drop has to be for internet since using it for something else will cause you to lose your internet. So you would have to run another line for the Sat if you want to use both tuners. I don't know how Direct does their boxes, but for us, dish, we have one coax into the back of the box for both tuners and the same coax leaving the box to go to the second tv. Both in and out signals run on the same line and use a special splitter down the line to separate the signals. In our case, if we wanted another box we would have to run another line from the sat to the box, or maybe split the coax coming from the Sat before it goes into the box and run that to the second box. You might lose signal doing that though.

FailedExistence,
You CANNOT split a D* line before it gets to the rec. unless it goes into a multiswitch.

 

[iwc5893]

FailedExistence,
You CANNOT split a D* line before it gets to the rec. unless it goes into a multiswitch.

You sure about that? I was under the impression it could be split only if you're going to two multiswitches, and the input legs were the same (i.e. 13VDC to 13VDC, 13VDC/22kHz to 13VDC/22kHz, etc...) Any other splitting wouldn't work.

 

[Jimbo]

You sure about that? I was under the impression it could be split only if you're going to two multiswitches, and the input legs were the same (i.e. 13VDC to 13VDC, 13VDC/22kHz to 13VDC/22kHz, etc...) Any other splitting wouldn't work.

IF your using a Multiswitch , thats not the same a using a splitter.
NO splitters can be used (and have the set up work correctly) before it gets to the rec.
Most splitter will not pass the different frequencies required, tone as well.

Jimbo

 

[iwc5893]

IF your using a Multiswitch , thats not the same a using a splitter.
NO splitters can be used (and have the set up work correctly) before it gets to the rec.
Most splitter will not pass the different frequencies required, tone as well.

Jimbo

That's what I thought...I just wanted to make sure we were thinking the same thing.

 

[Jimbo]

That's what I thought...I just wanted to make sure we were thinking the same thing.

NP ... :up

Jimbo

 

[bjthadj]

Pending the national release of the Single Wire Mutliswitch (SWM), there is nothing you can do without drilling more holes and running additional wiring. The SWM will allow you to have a second feed to your HD-DVR, but you will still need to run additional cabling for any other TV's/Receivers you plan on having.

When will this be released? I'm thinking about getting the HR-20 to replace my H-20 in the living room. I already have three cables coming in(1 for D*, 1 for E*, 1 for OTA) and I don't really want to add a fourth.

On my 522 from E* I have one cable coming in with a Dish Separator then splitting the feed to both tuners. Is this SWM the only similar device for D*, or is there something else that would do the trick?

 

[Jimbo]

When will this be released? I'm thinking about getting the HR-20 to replace my H-20 in the living room. I already have three cables coming in(1 for D*, 1 for E*, 1 for OTA) and I don't really want to add a fourth.

On my 522 from E* I have one cable coming in with a Dish Separator then splitting the feed to both tuners. Is this SWM the only similar device for D*, or is there something else that would do the trick?

There is no word as to when it will be released yet.
Yes the SWM does the same thing your E Seperator does.

Jimbo

 

[stevelite]

If I understood you correctly.. since you have two cables going into your house, you can use two receivers.

I think you need to use diplex. Note that you need to use diplex before and after.
Diplex satellite input and cable input so that you can receive a single cable to carry both satellite and cable signals.

Now one thing to keep in mine is that, if you do use diplex and have HD programming then you need to put B-band converter before first diplex. This is not supported configuration, but worth a try without having to run another wire to your house.

So in this example, with this approach, you could get high speed internet cable modem and HD receiver on 2nd floor, and get another HD receiver 1st floor.

 

[shmeff]

When will this be released? I'm thinking about getting the HR-20 to replace my H-20 in the living room. I already have three cables coming in(1 for D*, 1 for E*, 1 for OTA) and I don't really want to add a fourth.

On my 522 from E* I have one cable coming in with a Dish Separator then splitting the feed to both tuners. Is this SWM the only similar device for D*, or is there something else that would do the trick?

If you’re not back feeding to another TV with your E* receiver, I think you can just use the diplexers on their line to free up a line.

 

[boba]

Could I use the second line that is currently being used for the cable modem and instead attach a mutliswitch to accomplish the task at hand?

NO the HD Dish requires 4 lines from the dish to the multiswitch. Your builder may have wired you for cable but totally blew it for satellite.