New house. How do I get SWM?

[Richard Chalk]

We are about to move into a new house, and I called DirecTV to ask about relocation. I asked specifically about SWM (Single Wire MultiSwitch) and the response was that this is being offered to some customers, and the decision is made by the installer as to whether this is the "Right" system for the house.
The rep said the installer would have both types of system on his truck.

Can anyone tell me whether this is true, and if so, what do I have to say/do to get the SWM system? I have 3 HR20 HD DVRs, which will require six inputs, six B-Band converters, etc., and I would like to avoid all that complexity.

[Earl Bonovich]

Right now... the SWM is only available in a few trial/test markets.

Untill it is fully available to all markets, there is no "magic" word you could use to get it.

[glennb]

SWM is still be tested.
I wouldn't be excited to get it now.
Running 2 lines to each DVR is the best way to do it now.

[Joe Schmuck]

I talked to Technical Support last week and discussed SWM with them. They told me that the installer in my are should have the equipment but like everyone else has been told, the installer will make the decision when coming out. I informed them that if they did not install SWM (my house is brand spanking new) that I will switch over to Dish network who does support dual tuners through a single cable. I've been with DirecTv for a very long time and maybe they will loose a customer next week when the installer comes out to hook it up. We shall see.

Joe

[Earl Bonovich]

I talked to Technical Support last week and discussed SWM with them. They told me that the installer in my are should have the equipment but like everyone else has been told, the installer will make the decision when coming out. I informed them that if they did not install SWM (my house is brand spanking new) that I will switch over to Dish network who does support dual tuners through a single cable. I've been with DirecTv for a very long time and maybe they will loose a customer next week when the installer comes out to hook it up. We shall see.

Joe

Call DishNetwork now then... and cancel the install.

99.999% chance the installers in your area don't even have SWM as an option to install right now.

[Ext 721]

I talked to Technical Support last week and discussed SWM with them. They told me that the installer in my are should have the equipment but like everyone else has been told, the installer will make the decision when coming out. I informed them that if they did not install SWM (my house is brand spanking new) that I will switch over to Dish network who does support dual tuners through a single cable. I've been with DirecTv for a very long time and maybe they will loose a customer next week when the installer comes out to hook it up. We shall see.

Joe

dishnet has dual tuners, single cable? My mind's back in the old days when half their single-tuner units had 2 inputs. Are you certain?

I'll agree with earl on this one. Don't go through the whole retention thing, retention who may promise you something that cannot be delivered.

Just call up and tell them you can't run a second cable into your home, so you have to quit.

Besides...are you sure you want EXPERIMENTAL equipment?

Update: looking at the back of E* receivers, they STILL have 2 satellite inputs....do they still use SW21's? I thought they "quit" that.

The only advantage I've seen is that E* has the ability to run 2 cables into one room, then run a third cable from that room to another room. I've seen funky E* multiswitches that act like a backfed diplex, but you still need 2 cables to the multi-room unit.

[CCarncross]

I talked to Technical Support last week and discussed SWM with them. They told me that the installer in my are should have the equipment but like everyone else has been told, the installer will make the decision when coming out. I informed them that if they did not install SWM (my house is brand spanking new) that I will switch over to Dish network who does support dual tuners through a single cable. I've been with DirecTv for a very long time and maybe they will loose a customer next week when the installer comes out to hook it up. We shall see.

Joe

If your house is brand spanking new, there should be multiple cable runs everywhere making this a non-issue.

[RClarkofNC]

CCarncross,
Most new homes in my area are wired for cable (single internal runs), not satellite, unless the buyer explicitly requests (and pays for) extra lines for satellite.

Richard Chalk,
My house was wired for cable and it would be prohibitively complex, if not impossible, to run the additional wires for satellite. So, having SWM available is a prerequisite for me.

In early October, I was told by D* customer service before I ordered that SWM was available in my area. So I placed my order. I called the day before my installation and made sure a note was added to let the installer know that my installation would require an SWM. When the installer came out, he said he had seen the note but just ignored it and came out anyways even though he didn't have any SWMs. He looked over my house and agreed that an SWM was the way to go. He left without doing anything.

I called customer service again and requested a manager. The manager put me on hold for a good while while she researched it. She finally came back and said that she had arranged to have an SWM sent to my local installer so he could complete the job. A new installation date was set for a week out.

The second date came and the installer called on his way out to the house. I asked if he had the SWM. He said he did not, although he too saw the note on my installation instructions.

I called customer service again and they got a representative from the installation company (Mastec) on the line. They agreed to call me when the SWM was available in my area and would leave the installation date open until then.

Two weeks later, I received a call from D* to schedule the installation date. I asked if the SWM was available and the rep said yet. I asked her to conference in Mastec to confirm that, given the prior two wasted trips. She did and Mastec confirmed they would have one for my install. The installation date arrive and a local Mastec rep called me to say he saw the note on my account but they didn't actually have any SWMs. Trying to remain calm, I explained my frustrations at being lied to so many times. He called around to see what he could find out, then called me back that afternoon telling me to just cancel my order since he couldn't find out when they were going to be getting any SWMs. I told him that if I did that I would lose several hundred dollars in rebates and special officer I received because I ordered before they dropped all of those special deals. The kicker is that I have to have service activated by 12/31 in order to get those rebates.

So, Richard Chalk, no, I wouldn't believe what they said about the installer having both types available on the truck until you actually talk to the person driving the truck. The morale of my story is that you can't believe anything D* customer service or the installers tell you. The only thing they've done right so far is to immediately charge my credit card hundreds of dollars for equipment they can't yet install. If I weren't so dissatisfied with my local cable company's HD offerings, I would stick with cable. In the meantime, the only reliable source of information I have on SWM deployment is this forum. I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping I can get it installed by 12/31.

[CJTE]

... We told you already, Its not available!
I dont care what the CSR, or the manager said at either company!

And, btw, it really isnt hard to drop an additional line right down the hole thats already setup for the first one, but if you ask the tech to do it, he may charge you a fee for custom work, because wall fishing is custom work.

[chrpai]

If your house is brand spanking new, there should be multiple cable runs everywhere making this a non-issue.


Not always. I have a new house ( Lennar ) and they did a pretty good job but not per D* needs. I have 1 RG6 and 2 Cat 5e coming in from the demarc to the structured wiring box and star topology to 7 rooms.

I bought the house back in March and heard bout SWM back then. I really hoped to get it but forget about it. Fortunatly I have a service attic along the back side of the house that has really good access to all of the rooms that I care to watch TV in. We put a Zinwell multiswitch in there and dropped some lines and problem solved.

Still this meant not using the structured wiring which would have been nicer and more flexible.

[Kevin2735]

... We told you already, Its not available!
I dont care what the CSR, or the manager said at either company!

And, btw, it really isnt hard to drop an additional line right down the hole thats already setup for the first one, but if you ask the tech to do it, he may charge you a fee for custom work, because wall fishing is custom work.

I think that is kind of a broad and short sighted statement. Have you been to his house? I haven't, but I can tell you in my situation I have three stories and am using exising cable tv runs that were pre-installed when the house was built. As you could imagine, the dish is at the exact opposite end of the house and three floors down. I have had DTV installers out and two custom installers I was willing to pay. The DTV guy wanted to run the cable on the outside of the house and drill through the walls from the outside wall into the living room while running bare wire down the side of my house. Well, that is not an option for me or my HOA. The custom installers wanted about $800 because they said it would take two guys all day to make the runs complete and be tested. The cost isn't worth the upgrade right now.

I will wait for the SWM to come in.... I will say that I join the many others with the frustration in waiting. Looking in the forums I think it was January 07 when Earl posted the "First Look" for this product. It sure seems like it is taking a long time to get this thing out.

[CJTE]

I think that is kind of a broad and short sighted statement. Have you been to his house? I haven't, but I can tell you in my situation I have three stories and am using exising cable tv runs that were pre-installed when the house was built. As you could imagine, the dish is at the exact opposite end of the house and three floors down. I have had DTV installers out and two custom installers I was willing to pay. The DTV guy wanted to run the cable on the outside of the house and drill through the walls from the outside wall into the living room while running bare wire down the side of my house. Well, that is not an option for me or my HOA. The custom installers wanted about $800 because they said it would take two guys all day to make the runs complete and be tested. The cost isn't worth the upgrade right now.

I will wait for the SWM to come in.... I will say that I join the many others with the frustration in waiting. Looking in the forums I think it was January 07 when Earl posted the "First Look" for this product. It sure seems like it is taking a long time to get this thing out.

Without seeing your house, I cant say much. In regards to your HOA, Im sorry about your situation but Ive always had the same feeling... SCREW 'em.
I've been in 2 different HOA's, One of them had a little security guard that drove around and ticketed my truck every few nights (they didnt like me parking in the street.), The other one didnt like my toybox parked in front of my house on thursdays.
Point is, look into amplifiers. Run the cable underneath the eve, and then down the corner.
I dont know where the room is, but try to bring the cable down where it is least visible, and most effective.

[Ext 721]

Without seeing your house, I cant say much. In regards to your HOA, Im sorry about your situation but Ive always had the same feeling... SCREW 'em.
I've been in 2 different HOA's, One of them had a little security guard that drove around and ticketed my truck every few nights (they didnt like me parking in the street.), The other one didnt like my toybox parked in front of my house on thursdays.
Point is, look into amplifiers. Run the cable underneath the eve, and then down the corner.
I dont know where the room is, but try to bring the cable down where it is least visible, and most effective.

Or: buy rain downspouts (super cheap) and run cables through them. I've seen rain downspouts (vertical gutters) used to hide everything from central air conditioner lines, to cable lines, to solar panel lines.

Will your HOA complain that 2-3 of your rain downspouts don't attatch to your gutter? Will they notice and scream bloody murder that there are cables invisibly run through them and out a cutout in the back?

I had several customers point to rain downspouts, tell me to use them for the cable runs, and that I could tear the crap out of the house-facing side because they weren't actually there as part of the gutter system...the customer had specifically added rain spouts to hide roof drops.

[Kevin2735]

Thanks for the advice, it is appreciated. I guess if there was no option for the SWM on the horizon I would consider those ideas. I still may, I like the idea of the rain downspouts, but I just hate the idea of drilling through the side of my house. What can I say I am a little anal retentive when it comes to look of my home. Right now I have the dish just outside the attic vent and the cables from the transponders go right into the vent. From there they feed the whole house. I'll give it a few more months and re-evaluate it.

Thanks!

[CJTE]

Or: buy rain downspouts (super cheap) and run cables through them. I've seen rain downspouts (vertical gutters) used to hide everything from central air conditioner lines, to cable lines, to solar panel lines.

Will your HOA complain that 2-3 of your rain downspouts don't attatch to your gutter? Will they notice and scream bloody murder that there are cables invisibly run through them and out a cutout in the back?

I had several customers point to rain downspouts, tell me to use them for the cable runs, and that I could tear the crap out of the house-facing side because they weren't actually there as part of the gutter system...the customer had specifically added rain spouts to hide roof drops.

Niiiiiiiiiice! I'd never even thought of that. (Though I think I've seen it, but its been a long time so I may just be imagining things).

[Joe Schmuck]

If your house is brand spanking new, there should be multiple cable runs everywhere making this a non-issue.

Yea, I wish it did have dual runs but the drywall was up by the time we placed an offer on the house. Well I got DirecTv installed, no SWM and the installed said there was not such thing, that I'd been lied to. He was clueless. I ran a pair of coax cables from the wall to the basement where the installer ran the antenna lines. The installer would not run all four lines because I was only activating the HR21-700 and one standard IRD. He asked me how much money Id' give him to run it and the he suggested $55.00. That was only to drop a 40 foot line from the roof to the basement, no running through walls, etc... I promptly said I wasn't paying him a dime.

So, no SWM but I really don't need it yet, until I buy DVRs for two bedrooms or just use as a single antenna input, still not a bad idea for now.

I have to fish electrical wire through a few walls this week, if it's not too painful I may run a few extra coax cables to the bedrooms, just two of those will be very long runs.

Happy Holidays,
Joe

[kschaper]

From what I have heard the SWM will run about $200 and probably only be available to VIP customers.

[hokie93]

When I upgraded my dish network reciever in August from a single tuner to a duel tuner they installed a SWM.

[davring]

From what I have heard the SWM will run about $200 and probably only be available to VIP customers.

I would be surprised if that would be the case. I have always been under the assumption it was being developed for ease of installation. Time saved by installers and less material needed. No Multi-switches, no BBC's , less coax and connecters and a big savings in labor.

[roadrnnr]

Do what I am going to do.

Place the receiver in the cellar (or wherever your coax terminates) where they can run two cables to the inputs then run your output through your house wiring to the TV and use a RF remote to run the reciever from the room the TV is in.

[davring]

Do what I am going to do.

Place the receiver in the cellar (or wherever your coax terminates) where they can run two cables to the inputs then run your output through your house wiring to the TV and use a RF remote to run the reciever from the room the TV is in.

That would be fine if you don't want HD.

[Tom Robertson]

From what I have heard the SWM will run about $200 and probably only be available to VIP customers.Most VIP customers have more receivers than a SWM installation supplies. :)

The medium to short-term goal is for SWM to be the standard install, not the exception. As pointed out, the hope is for far easier and simpler installs where no new cables will be necessary for most people.

Happy Holidays!
Tom

[Earl Bonovich]

From what I have heard the SWM will run about $200 and probably only be available to VIP customers.


Where did you hear that?

As that is multiple times higher then costs I have been hearing for the unit...
Like almost 3-4 times the amount.

And SWM will be available eventually to any customer that wants it.

[Earl Bonovich]

When I upgraded my dish network reciever in August from a single tuner to a duel tuner they installed a SWM.

DishNetwork doesn't have SWM.

They have a single wire solution, but it is not the same as SWM.

[Tom Robertson]

Dish Network has a dish unit that will for some receivers get some channels (but not all) on a single wire. I'm not sure of their plans for stacking/consolidation in the future.

Happy Holidays!
Tom

[Stuart Sweet]

what do I have to say/do to get the SWM system? I have 3 HR20 HD DVRs, which will require six inputs, six B-Band converters, etc., and I would like to avoid all that complexity.

If I may suggest, send your receivers forward in time, get the SWM, and bring it back :)

[kschaper]

Where did you hear that?

As that is multiple times higher then costs I have been hearing for the unit...
Like almost 3-4 times the amount.

And SWM will be available eventually to any customer that wants it.

From the guy who buys gear for our shop from Directv

[harsh]

Dish Network has a dish unit that will for some receivers get some channels (but not all) on a single wire.Dish's solution carries all channels (plus OTA and Sirius if desired) from the dish or switch to a single receiver. It isn't as neat as running a single wire towards multiple receivers, but then again, it has been available for some time now and all of Dish's dual tuner models are compatible.

The nice part about the DISH solution is that it doesn't substantially forsake legacy receivers.

I think the interest in the SWM comes more from a single wire to the receiver with approved diplexing standpoint than the multiple receivers on a splitter angle. Many of the new constructing cable systems are home-runned anyway.