SWMs by City, by Installer

[JacktheRipper]

I've read a lot in various threads about the "roll out" of SWMs, but nothing specific about where they are available. So here's the questions:

(1) What cities currently are getting them?

(2) What installers have them in those cities?

I'll start by saying that the contract installer that showed up this morning here in Seattle was totally ignorant of the product and said it didn't exist. I sent him packing and cancelled my D* order. I have a new house with extensive RG6 throughout, but only one line from the homerun closet to each drop. Comcast sucks, but D* is dropping the ball, here.:mad:

[Earl Bonovich]

1) I don't have an exact list... but Seattle isn't one of them... it is only like 4 cities/regions right now.

2) Only certain HSPs have (which generally cover the entire area).

Not sure why you think DirecTV is dropping the ball... the product is basically in it's third (and pretty much the last) phase of trials (aka.. actuall installer based field trials)

[Tonedeaf]

:eek2: :sure: :lol:

Not DirecTV's fault at all. They have never announced the product as being available yet.

[Birdman79]

We have them here in Michigan. I did a 2 box hd install and used SWM-5 yesterday.

[JacktheRipper]

This is a product that apparently existed in early 2006, according to other threads. It's good enough to be routinely used in four cities. The big push to hi-def is generating tremendous interest in my extended neighborhood, based on our HOA website blogs (225 new houses with excellent behind-the-wall wiring, but mostly poor Comcast service). I can't get an installation that doesn't involve stapling coax around the outside of my house to the two drops that I want DVRs for, because there are no SWMs available in Seattle. I call that dropping the ball. This is the most glacial roll-out of a essential component that I've ever seen.

Telestar12, or anyone else: do you have a source for me? :confused:

[Earl Bonovich]

Not early 2006... Maybe as a proto-type.
It did not start any public field trials till early 2007.

And in late September, it entered into Installer Field trials in two cities/areas... In October it has spread to two more areas.

It is not dropping the ball... should they rush it out there... before they are sure they have worked out any/all criticall issues with it?

Especially with something that is pretty much a solid state device, that would be difficult to upgrade after it's installation.

SWM is a FUNDIMENTAL change in the way they distribute the SAT signal from the dish to the box.

[packfan909]

This is a product that apparently existed in early 2006, according to other threads. It's good enough to be routinely used in four cities. The big push to hi-def is generating tremendous interest in my extended neighborhood, based on our HOA website blogs (225 new houses with excellent behind-the-wall wiring, but mostly poor Comcast service). I can't get an installation that doesn't involve stapling coax around the outside of my house to the two drops that I want DVRs for, because there are no SWMs available in Seattle. I call that dropping the ball. This is the most glacial roll-out of a essential component that I've ever seen.

Telestar12, or anyone else: do you have a source for me? :confused:

I have family and friends that are also waiting for SWM. They have seen how it works at my house and NEED the hardware to dual tune to all locations in their houses. You can bring in the existing runs via the two cables and then single tune those receivers in the interim.

Also, can you have the SWM module installed outside on the building? Your HOA's seem pretty restrictive and I hope that the module can be installed outside as that will be necessary to bring in SWM with just the one or two cables.

pf

[JacktheRipper]

Erin...You're right, I meant to say early 2007, sorry.

My irritation is that D* now has a game-changing service that I really want, and they obviously have an SWM product that works, since they are using it in four cities. That's more than a "trial". What they haven't done is ramp up production on the SWM for the rest of us. This should have been a bonzo year for them, but their stock price started the year at $25.00, and it closed today at $25.70. That's telling, and as a stockholder, I'm P*ed. They have totally missed the opportunity to exploit their superior offering from a HD standpoint, for those of us who want to record shows and already have perfectly acceptable in-wall wiring for cable.

My HOA will allow me to string coax anywhere--I don't like the way it looks on the outside of my house. It's unnecessary if you have the SWM available for mounting in the homerun box or at the antenna. Well, maybe next year...