greynolds
01-28-08, 08:10 PM
I guess I've fallen a bit behind the curve since I got my dish installed around 6 years ago. I've been reading threads here and seem to be getting conflicting info from them...
I currently have a phase II Plus dish (integrated multiswitch, with the addon Sat C kit). The 4 outputs go to Channel Vision SAT-BS2 splitters (power passing on both sides) which are located in the basement. The splitter outputs drive 2 multiswitches in parallel. The first multiswitch is a Spaun SMS 51202 NF (5x12) located in the basement near the splitters. The other multiswitch is a Terk BMS-58 5x8 located in the family room. The Spaun multiswitch is also getting an OTA antenna feed.
The outputs from the Spaun go to various rooms in the house (including a few to the family room to get access to the OTA antenna) and are driving a mix of HDVR2's and OTA tuners (obviously with diplexors). The outputs from the Terk multiswitch drive 4 DirecTivos in my main system in the family room (2 HDVR2's and 2 HR10-250's).
I'm at the point where I want to replace at least 1 of my DVR's with a HR21 so I can get the new HD channels and finally watch the Bruins lose :( in HD on NESN. This means, at a minimum, replacing the Terk multiswitch in the family room with a new wideband switch, getting a new MPEG-4 compatible dish, and getting a new DVR.
Unfortunately, I also discovered this past weekend that my Spaun multiswitch has a problem. If I connect feeds to the V/HIGH and H/HIGH inputs on the Spaun, I lose the 110 and 119 transponders in the entire house (including receivers connect to the Terk in the family room). If I disconnect the V/HIGH and H/HIGH inputs on the Spaun, the 110 and 119 transponders come back in the family room (and are obviously still missing in the rest of the house). Without any HD receivers in the rest of the house, I believe I could limp along for a while with the partially disabled Spaun but I'd rather replace it before the other inputs decide to give up the ghost too. So....
Fortunately, I have enough coax runs to the various rooms (or have access to run more) that I can send an OTA feed separate from the satellite feeds. This means that I can simply switch to the new wideband multiswitches and not have to deal with trying to diplex an OTA feed into the outputs from the multiswitches. So I've ordered a Channel Vision CVT-2/8PIA-II 8 way amplified splitter to handle OTA distribution.
So on to the new multiswitches. When I bought my Spaun multiswitch around 6 years ago, it seemed to be a smart purchase - expensive, but built like a tank and would never die... I'm now convinced that it probably wasn't worth it. Do the Spaun wideband multiswitches do anything that the Zinwell's don't (other than cost a lot more $$$)?
I'm kind of a fan of going with powered multiswitches, so I'm leaning towards getting 2 of the Zinwell WB616's, but in all honesty I think it's unlikely that I would need more than 8 satellite feeds in the family room. My plan is to get a single HR21 for now to replace a dying HDVR2 and to replace the other DVR's with a PC and 2-3 of the new USB DirecTV tuners when they come out later this year (hopefully). Is there any downside to having the 2nd WB616 where I'm only using half of the outputs (other than cost)?
Will my splitters, which pass power on both outputs, be adequate no matter which multiswitch combination I go with? The multiswitch combinations I'm considering are:
WB616 + WB616 hooked up in parallel
WB616 + WB68 hooked up in parallel
Once I get this sorted out, I need to contact DirecTV and see if I can get a free upgrade to the MPEG-4 compatible dish (I have no interest in trying to install this myself) and if I can negotiate a good deal on a HR21. Hopefully with a dying HDVR2 they'll show me a little bit of sympathy :).
I currently have a phase II Plus dish (integrated multiswitch, with the addon Sat C kit). The 4 outputs go to Channel Vision SAT-BS2 splitters (power passing on both sides) which are located in the basement. The splitter outputs drive 2 multiswitches in parallel. The first multiswitch is a Spaun SMS 51202 NF (5x12) located in the basement near the splitters. The other multiswitch is a Terk BMS-58 5x8 located in the family room. The Spaun multiswitch is also getting an OTA antenna feed.
The outputs from the Spaun go to various rooms in the house (including a few to the family room to get access to the OTA antenna) and are driving a mix of HDVR2's and OTA tuners (obviously with diplexors). The outputs from the Terk multiswitch drive 4 DirecTivos in my main system in the family room (2 HDVR2's and 2 HR10-250's).
I'm at the point where I want to replace at least 1 of my DVR's with a HR21 so I can get the new HD channels and finally watch the Bruins lose :( in HD on NESN. This means, at a minimum, replacing the Terk multiswitch in the family room with a new wideband switch, getting a new MPEG-4 compatible dish, and getting a new DVR.
Unfortunately, I also discovered this past weekend that my Spaun multiswitch has a problem. If I connect feeds to the V/HIGH and H/HIGH inputs on the Spaun, I lose the 110 and 119 transponders in the entire house (including receivers connect to the Terk in the family room). If I disconnect the V/HIGH and H/HIGH inputs on the Spaun, the 110 and 119 transponders come back in the family room (and are obviously still missing in the rest of the house). Without any HD receivers in the rest of the house, I believe I could limp along for a while with the partially disabled Spaun but I'd rather replace it before the other inputs decide to give up the ghost too. So....
Fortunately, I have enough coax runs to the various rooms (or have access to run more) that I can send an OTA feed separate from the satellite feeds. This means that I can simply switch to the new wideband multiswitches and not have to deal with trying to diplex an OTA feed into the outputs from the multiswitches. So I've ordered a Channel Vision CVT-2/8PIA-II 8 way amplified splitter to handle OTA distribution.
So on to the new multiswitches. When I bought my Spaun multiswitch around 6 years ago, it seemed to be a smart purchase - expensive, but built like a tank and would never die... I'm now convinced that it probably wasn't worth it. Do the Spaun wideband multiswitches do anything that the Zinwell's don't (other than cost a lot more $$$)?
I'm kind of a fan of going with powered multiswitches, so I'm leaning towards getting 2 of the Zinwell WB616's, but in all honesty I think it's unlikely that I would need more than 8 satellite feeds in the family room. My plan is to get a single HR21 for now to replace a dying HDVR2 and to replace the other DVR's with a PC and 2-3 of the new USB DirecTV tuners when they come out later this year (hopefully). Is there any downside to having the 2nd WB616 where I'm only using half of the outputs (other than cost)?
Will my splitters, which pass power on both outputs, be adequate no matter which multiswitch combination I go with? The multiswitch combinations I'm considering are:
WB616 + WB616 hooked up in parallel
WB616 + WB68 hooked up in parallel
Once I get this sorted out, I need to contact DirecTV and see if I can get a free upgrade to the MPEG-4 compatible dish (I have no interest in trying to install this myself) and if I can negotiate a good deal on a HR21. Hopefully with a dying HDVR2 they'll show me a little bit of sympathy :).