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grizzly
11-11-07, 08:59 AM
I'm moving into a new condo soon probably and have a few questions.

I'm a mixed family. I have a couple hr-10 250s, a SD tivo, a HR20 and some h20s.

I've seen discussion of several types of ways to wire on some of the boards. I'm moving into a 3 unit condo building. I have directv for cable/tv and RCN for cable modem.

From what I read of the new MH2, I have to have swm capable units (The HR20 and H20s) and I;d be out of luck with the HD and SD tivo.

I remember seeing something on their annual report about something else where you had a central distribution and then you had boxes(units) that plugged into the single wire coming into the unit too..

Inquiring minds.


Kevin
carl6
11-11-07, 09:35 AM
It depends on what the condo has available for you. Contact them and ask.

If they do not have any existing DirecTV service, then you will have to arrange for your own dish and wiring. How that is done will depend on the condo rules and other factors.

SWM is just barely starting to become available. Not sure if you could get one installed or not.

Carl
grizzly
11-11-07, 09:51 AM
It depends on what the condo has available for you. Contact them and ask.

If they do not have any existing DirecTV service, then you will have to arrange for your own dish and wiring. How that is done will depend on the condo rules and other factors.

SWM is just barely starting to become available. Not sure if you could get one installed or not.

Carl

Its a new gut rehab condo. There is no condo association at this point and I can pretty well do what I want.

Mostly, I want to do it as clean as possible and don't want to have to drill holes in the walls. I want to use existing wiring as much as possible.

My question was to what options are available.

Kevin
doctor j
11-11-07, 02:03 PM
SWM will work but to use only exsisting wiring you will have to ditch the TIVO's HD and SD. Upgrades should be available to D-12's, SWM capable SD DVR's (not sure which model this is) , H-20/21 ,and HR-20/21 that will work with SWM.

Doctor j
CJTE
11-11-07, 03:33 PM
SWM capable SD DVR's (not sure which model this is)

Doctor j

R16
carl6
11-11-07, 07:43 PM
R16

Which is not yet available, and no announced date.

Carl
carl6
11-11-07, 07:47 PM
Its a new gut rehab condo. There is no condo association at this point and I can pretty well do what I want.

Mostly, I want to do it as clean as possible and don't want to have to drill holes in the walls. I want to use existing wiring as much as possible.

My question was to what options are available.

Kevin

If the place is gutted and you really have the option of doing what needs to be done, then I would strongly recommend you wire for what is available today. Put a 5-LNB dish on the roof. Parallel a couple of WB616 multiswitches, and run four lines to a central point in each condo. That gives each unit full capability of doing what they need. Wire each condo back to that central point.

Add another coax for cable, and another coax for OTA if you want that option.

However, SWM will be available, and it would sure be cheaper and easier to wire for that. As was noted though, that will not support any legacy equipment (Tivo for example). Only the newer receivers/dvr's.

Carl
grizzly
11-11-07, 10:37 PM
If the place is gutted and you really have the option of doing what needs to be done, then I would strongly recommend you wire for what is available today. Put a 5-LNB dish on the roof. Parallel a couple of WB616 multiswitches, and run four lines to a central point in each condo. That gives each unit full capability of doing what they need. Wire each condo back to that central point.

Add another coax for cable, and another coax for OTA if you want that option.

However, SWM will be available, and it would sure be cheaper and easier to wire for that. As was noted though, that will not support any legacy equipment (Tivo for example). Only the newer receivers/dvr's.

Carl

The swm part I understand, but I remember seeing wiring diagrams ( I think it was in some sort of DTV annual report) that had single wire to a box that connected up to legacy equipment...am I imagining that?


Kevin
bobnielsen
11-11-07, 10:58 PM
The swm part I understand, but I remember seeing wiring diagrams ( I think it was in some sort of DTV annual report) that had single wire to a box that connected up to legacy equipment...am I imagining that?


Kevin

That might have been a MFH-1 MDU system, which I think uses stacking technology. It is not compatible with the Ka-band satellites at 99 and 103.
grizzly
11-11-07, 11:32 PM
That might have been a MFH-1 MDU system, which I think uses stacking technology. It is not compatible with the Ka-band satellites at 99 and 103.

Great. :mad:

I hate the DTV dvr units. I love my HD and SD tivos.

I don't want to have to run all that wiring through the wall like I have at my apt now, but it looks like I'm going to have to.


I don't suppose you could do a hybrid setup? Legacy stuff on the MH1 and new equipment on the MH2. Should there be lots of used MH1 equipment coming available as the transition happens?

:mad:

Kevin
yogi
11-12-07, 07:53 AM
Great. :mad:

I hate the DTV dvr units. I love my HD and SD tivos.

I don't want to have to run all that wiring through the wall like I have at my apt now, but it looks like I'm going to have to.


I don't suppose you could do a hybrid setup? Legacy stuff on the MH1 and new equipment on the MH2. Should there be lots of used MH1 equipment coming available as the transition happens?

:mad:

Kevin

If you have two cable going to your condo. You could put a stacked 101 system on one and a MFH-2 on the other. The stacked 101 will give you programing for your TIVO's and SD and the MFH-2 for your HD.:)
carl6
11-12-07, 09:52 AM
I hate the DTV dvr units. I love my HD and SD tivos.



Keep in mind that most likely within the year there will be no mpeg2 HD. Your HD Tivo will be an SD Tivo (other than OTA). If HD via satellite is important, and you want a DVR, you won't have an option. You will have to use the DirecTV DVR.

That could have an impact on how you decide to wire your condos.

Carl
veryoldschool
11-12-07, 12:17 PM
Older "legacy" units can be connected to a SWM, but not the FTM [SWM] ports. The SWM5 has two & the SWM8 has three legacy ports, for older receivers. You would still need to have a coax from each to your older receivers.
gadgetfreaky
11-12-07, 02:23 PM
Keep in mind that most likely within the year there will be no mpeg2 HD. Your HD Tivo will be an SD Tivo (other than OTA). If HD via satellite is important, and you want a DVR, you won't have an option. You will have to use the DirecTV DVR.

That could have an impact on how you decide to wire your condos.

Carl
That's very unlikely to be true given the large number of MDU's. MFH-2 isn't ready yet and it keeps getting delayed. Given how slow they are moving, I'd say 2 years maybe...
yogi
11-12-07, 03:14 PM
Older "legacy" units can be connected to a SWM, but not the FTM [SWM] ports. The SWM5 has two & the SWM8 has three legacy ports, for older receivers. You would still need to have a coax from each to your older receivers.

Can you get 103 off of the legacy port???
yogi
11-12-07, 03:15 PM
That's very unlikely to be true given the large number of MDU's. MFH-2 isn't ready yet and it keeps getting delayed. Given how slow they are moving, I'd say 2 years maybe...

Some MFH-2 is out now.Some MDU install have it.
veryoldschool
11-12-07, 03:55 PM
Can you get 103 off of the legacy port???
Legacy ports are for MPEG-2 [only] receivers, but 99 & 103 HD locals [Ka-Hi] come through the legacy ports, but not the Ka-Lo [so no national HD channels].
grizzly
11-12-07, 04:40 PM
Legacy ports are for MPEG-2 [only] receivers, but 99 & 103 HD locals [Ka-Hi] come through the legacy ports, but not the Ka-Lo [so no national HD channels].

I don't care about the HD locals. Chicago has very good OTA and I get better access than DTV gives me.

I really like being able to extract the video off of the TIVO.

Kevin
gadgetfreaky
11-13-07, 03:44 PM
Some MFH-2 is out now.Some MDU install have it.
Mostly test deployments. I read 3 weeks ago one company was selling it on these boards, then I heard the gear was still stuck in Belgium. At this rate, it will not be widely deployed let alone 100% deployed for quite some time.
danielb6752
11-27-07, 07:53 PM
for a 3-unit building I wouldn't bother with any MDU type system. Lots of expense, zero benefit. Heck, even if all 3 units were to use D*, it would be a miracle for you to all agree to even share 1 dish instead of installing 3. :)

To "futureproof" you can buy a WB616 and budget 4 runs to each unit... and then in each unit, each owner would install a WB68 or SWM as appropriate to connect the equipment in their unit.

For today, maybe just run the 4 connections to a common location, then into your unit so the WB616 could be added later if appropriate.
grizzly
12-05-07, 06:47 PM
Anyone seeing any of the new units in the Chicago area?

Or anywhere for that matter (besides Belgium :D )


Kevin
doctor j
12-05-07, 08:38 PM
Supposedly shipping now from PDI

Doctor j
litzdog911
12-05-07, 10:14 PM
Supposedly shipping now from PDI

Doctor j

I don't think so. Do you have link?

I contacted them a few weeks ago and they only sell to multi-family installers. And they said that no SWMs were yet available. Has something changed?
doctor j
12-06-07, 10:44 AM
MFH-2 components are shipping to independent commercial installers this week.

Doctor j
DirecTv Chicago
12-07-07, 08:59 AM
Neither Pace nor PDI have enough stock to openly ship to anyone. The requested orders were put in the 2nd week of October to DirecTV and they will determine which buildings get priority. New buildings, who are in contract for a certain date will probably get first shot. Upgrades for existing buildings will not be until '08.

It is still going to be a while until there is enough stock to just call up and openly order. System operators have been waiting months to a year now for this equipment and many have buildings that are already expecting it per their contracts.