Any DirecTV customers here? Got HDTV with it?

[mobobuff]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: mobobuff

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: mobobuff
You pay for the upgrade (unless there's a deal going on) and pay a lease for the receiver they bring out to do the upgrade with. Best Buy is partnered with DirecTV, you could buy your receiver from them, and the technician will activate the access card after the installation. If you're a current DirecTV customer with a standard triple-sat dish, they'll also replace the dish with the 5-LNB model. Obviously you'll also pay a little more for your programming.

I used to work for DirecTV, if you have any other questions, feel free.

Right now I have Premier package that already includes the DVR service included. I pay $106 a month.
So the HD package is an extra $9.99. I guess if they have to replace the dish then so be it. Just hope they don't have to run extra cable line, i don't need more holes in the house.

They will need to run either 4 or 5 cables from the dish in to the multiswitch but they should be able to use the existing hole as long as your current dish is mounted in a place that will support the larger dish. I hear the new slimline dishes are not nearly as heavy as the one they gave me last year (+/- 45lbs) so that may not be as much of an issue as it used to be.

This is the dish that i have now and the location.
Pic 1

Pic 2

So I'm guessing you have two receivers right now, the DVR and a standard receiver probably in a bedroom. Unless you want the HD receiver to go in a new location, no new holes need to be drilled. The technician will just run 4 cables from the LNB to a 4x8 multiswitch, and use currently existing wire for everything after that. Yes the dish will be replaced with a 5-LNB model.

Actually I have three receivers. The living room receiver is the current Tivo DVR with two cable lines into that room. Then two single lines to two bedrooms.

I would like ad the HD DVR to the living room and move the current Tivo DVR to another room and hopefully get later on a regular HD receiver in the last room.

Oh okay, I see the fourth cable now. The technician just didn't follow code.

What you want will require more holes and at least one more run of cable from the groundblock (in this case, the multiswitch) to the receiver. If you request to replace one of your current standard receivers with your TiVo, the technician will probably try to get away without running a second line, and telling your TiVo to ignore the second tuner. Make sure he runs the second line. It'll be a pain in the ass for him, and he'll be getting paid chump change because upgrade work orders are a joke for technicians. Depending on who does the installations in your area, you might be charged additional labor for having receivers moved around and additional lines ran. $50-$75 usually. Also tell the technician that comes out to ground the new satellite dish. Your current one is not grounded, and it's hazardous for the receivers (and a violation of the NEC).

 

[mobobuff]

Originally posted by: Insomniac

Originally posted by: mobobuff
So I'm guessing you have two receivers right now, the DVR and a standard receiver probably in a bedroom. Unless you want the HD receiver to go in a new location, no new holes need to be drilled. The technician will just run 4 cables from the LNB to a 4x8 multiswitch, and use currently existing wire for everything after that. Yes the dish will be replaced with a 5-LNB model.

Do you know if the 5-LNB ones have a built in multi-switch? The idiot who installed my 3-LNB dish ran 2 wires upstairs and 2 downstairs (2 holes through the house).

I'm not too sure what you're asking. All DirecTV dishes have built-in multiswitches in the LNB. Without an additional multiswitch (4x6, 4x8, or 4x12/4x16 (usually for businesses)) the dish can support up to 4 lines on its own multiswitch.

A 4x8 has 4 connections on one side, all of them must be used. 4 connections coming from the LNB and that gives you 8 possible connections for receivers on the other side. This simply allows for more receiver connections. It doesn't mean any less holes must be drilled, because the multiswitch is the groundblock, therefore never far away from the dish and rarely inside the house.

Most contractors will automatically install a 4x8 if your installation requires the use of all 4 connectors on the dish. It makes any future upgrades a breeze. They may even install a 6x8, which gives you 2 additional flex-ports if you ever want international programming.

Dish Network DVRs have multiswitches built into the receiver itself, so you can "bridge" receivers. This reduces the need for more external holes to be drilled. But I'll be damned if I ever saw a decent Dish Network installation that made good use of this.

 

[Insomniac]

Originally posted by: mobobuff

Originally posted by: Insomniac

Originally posted by: mobobuff
So I'm guessing you have two receivers right now, the DVR and a standard receiver probably in a bedroom. Unless you want the HD receiver to go in a new location, no new holes need to be drilled. The technician will just run 4 cables from the LNB to a 4x8 multiswitch, and use currently existing wire for everything after that. Yes the dish will be replaced with a 5-LNB model.

Do you know if the 5-LNB ones have a built in multi-switch? The idiot who installed my 3-LNB dish ran 2 wires upstairs and 2 downstairs (2 holes through the house).

I'm not too sure what you're asking. All DirecTV dishes have built-in multiswitches in the LNB. Without an additional multiswitch (4x6, 4x8, or 4x12/4x16 (usually for businesses)) the dish can support up to 4 lines on its own multiswitch.

A 4x8 has 4 connections on one side, all of them must be used. 4 connections coming from the LNB and that gives you 8 possible connections for receivers on the other side. This simply allows for more receiver connections. It doesn't mean any less holes must be drilled, because the multiswitch is the groundblock, therefore never far away from the dish and rarely inside the house.

Most contractors will automatically install a 4x8 if your installation requires the use of all 4 connectors on the dish. It makes any future upgrades a breeze. They may even install a 6x8, which gives you 2 additional flex-ports if you ever want international programming.

Dish Network DVRs have multiswitches built into the receiver itself, so you can "bridge" receivers. This reduces the need for more external holes to be drilled. But I'll be damned if I ever saw a decent Dish Network installation that made good use of this.

I was asking if the multiswitch is still integrated into the 5-LNB dish, and you are indicating it is. The installer just ran the 4 lines from the dish straight into the house. He did not install an additional multi-switch. He was a terrible installer and when I complained to the people I bought it from and DirecTV they just sent the same guy out.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: mobobuff


Oh okay, I see the fourth cable now. The technician just didn't follow code.

What you want will require more holes and at least one more run of cable from the groundblock (in this case, the multiswitch) to the receiver. If you request to replace one of your current standard receivers with your TiVo, the technician will probably try to get away without running a second line, and telling your TiVo to ignore the second tuner. Make sure he runs the second line. It'll be a pain in the ass for him, and he'll be getting paid chump change because upgrade work orders are a joke for technicians. Depending on who does the installations in your area, you might be charged additional labor for having receivers moved around and additional lines ran. $50-$75 usually. Also tell the technician that comes out to ground the new satellite dish. Your current one is not grounded, and it's hazardous for the receivers (and a violation of the NEC).

I believe the lines from the satellite dish are grounded. The lines come out and then go to the multiswitch and somewhere in between also go down to the side of the house to a water faucet. Now if you are referring to the fourth line as the white cable line you see, that line was installed by me. Here is the original story: I used to have Primestar back in like 94-96 with two rooms and for some reason that setup required two cable lines for each room into one box. Eventually Primestar got acquired by DirecTV they came out and used the current lines and setup two boxes and a new single LNB dish; DirecTV techs just cut the other lines off. Eventually I added the third room and the techs installed the 3 LNB switch and reconfigured the current lines and added a new line to the third room. I then decided to add the Tivo DVR in the living room and I just went ahead (after asking online advice) and added the fourth line myself from the dish and connected to the old second Primestar line that Directv just cut off (but the line was still running into the room). This is where I?m at the moment.

If the techs come out and replace the dish that?s fine. Also my current plan would be to move the Tivo DVR to my room but use it only with a single tuner; no need to run another line to the other side of the house. I will also probably will not tell the installer about the moving of the Tivo receiver and just do it myself later. It should be as easy as just disconnecting old box and putting the other one and calling DirecTV to activate the moved box. The box is mine, I paid for it $100.
You also said that the dish is not grounded? I though the lines just needed to be ground?

Well now it?s been almost 4 days since I sent the email to DirecTV and they have responded.