Direcpath, HR21-700, NO HD!!!

[akdmks]

Hello forum,

New member here. I live in the metro Atlanta area. Im in an apartment complex (MDU). I have had Directv through Direcpath for about 3 months. No complaints about the SD receiver (D12-300). Was told by Direcpath that receiving HD was no problem. So last night i went and bought a HR21-700. Hooked it up...... NOTHING! Was on the phone back and forth with Directv from 8pm-12am last night. Called Direcpath about 1230am. Was told need to schedule a service all on Tuesday. NOT going to work with me! Direcpath supervisor said she would call this morning to comfirm a tech from 12-6 today. NOTHING again! Went back and forth with Direcpath today only to find out myself..... single lnb with single coax for my building!!! I am in the low voltage industry (home theater business) so i know that doesnt work....lol

Was told that i had to buy the HD receiver from Direcpath for $99 and that my $200 HR21-700 will not work. After another csr from Direcpath said it would work as long as it has the Directv program guide.

I am very irriated with Direcpath!!! I have taken this matter up with Hicks Holding LLC. owner of Direcpath. Left voicemails with a few people high up in this company! Also have filed a complaint with the FTC about Direcpath and their so called "customer service" Why tell customers they can do HD and then find out you cant?

What doesnt make any sense is that Directv has had HD out for what.... about almost 2 years roughly. Direcpath has been around since spring of 2006. Its now 2008 and they still have not upgraded to the proper dish and equipment for HD.

What else can i do or what needs to be done?
Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

[houskamp]

Put up a dish I'm afraid.. there is another thread from a guy with directpath.. from the sounds of it it's in no way compatible with any standard reciever..

[akdmks]

standard receiver?
I am trying to get HD with the HR21-700 receiver

[houskamp]

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=117993&highlight=directpath

[akdmks]

from 66stang351

This won't work because the Direcpath system that is installed in you complex does not send sat signals down the coax. It takes the sat signals into receivers at the "shack" and then modulates the output of those receivers and sends regular cable type signals to all the houses. If you connect a receiver in your house to that system you will get a searching for signal error.


So what does Direcpath need to do to upgrade me and us to HD?

[houskamp]

from 66stang351

This won't work because the Direcpath system that is installed in you complex does not send sat signals down the coax. It takes the sat signals into receivers at the "shack" and then modulates the output of those receivers and sends regular cable type signals to all the houses. If you connect a receiver in your house to that system you will get a searching for signal error.


So what does Direcpath need to do to upgrade me and us to HD?
from what I read in that thread, basicaly you would have to put up your own dish.. or your complex would have to upgrade their whole system..

[akdmks]

cant put up my own dish. porch is facing north.
so basically they need to install new dish and swm8's?

heres a question to think about......
how many people will or would it take to switch just 1 dish and equipment?
my answer would be one. so you would be looking at what a few hours worth of work?

sad thing is i could do it myself if only i could get into the "shack/closet"

[akdmks]

so new 5lnb dish what 50-100 bucks
swm8 if it is out what 400 or so... have seen on a few websites

[houskamp]

Just the joys of apartments.. glad I own my house.. sorry to be bearer of bad news..

[akdmks]

thats true....lol

how about this....
lets say each individual apartment unit cable run is home run to the "dish shack"
why not isolate my cable run, put up a 5lnb, and swm8 and i should have HD?
from what im reading and gathering

[houskamp]

thats true....lol

how about this....
lets say each individual apartment unit cable run is home run to the "dish shack"
why not isolate my cable run, put up a 5lnb, and swm8 and i should have HD?
from what im reading and gathering
That would work.. but you will need the complex to do it for you.. hope you have some "connections"

[akdmks]

now if they being direcpath would do that.... why cant they just take down the single lnb and old equipment and upgrade the whole building?
crazy!!!

as far as "connections" the whole leasing office is aware of this matter and was willing to help big time. they gave me a few personal cell numbers of people that work "high up" with direcpath.

[akdmks]

thanks for your enlightment...lol

now heres something for you

direcpath says that the hr21-700 will not work. they are claiming that their dish and equipment is proprietary.... i dont think so?

[houskamp]

thanks for your enlightment...lol

now heres something for you

direcpath says that the hr21-700 will not work. they are claiming that their dish and equipment is proprietary.... i dont think so?
that is correct.. that whole system is special to them...

[akdmks]

now is are you being sarcastic or is their equipment proprietary? i dont see how their equipment (dish and switches) are proprietary.
was told as long as the receiver i bought had directv program guide it would work no matter what

[houskamp]

directpath (from what I've read) actualy recieves directv signal for each channel and remodulates it.. it basicaly is "cable tv" with directv supllying all the channels..

[akdmks]

so if a 5lnb is put up with my cable run isolated and a swm is installed....
then i should get hd? correct? or am i wrong?
it is just a single rg6 run from the "dish shack" to my unit

[houskamp]

so if a 5lnb is put up with my cable run isolated and a swm is installed....
then i should get hd? correct? or am i wrong?
it is just a single rg6 run from the "dish shack" to my unit
would expect that to work.. the new mdu system for directv is basicaly that.. a 5lnb dish with a "backbone" that holds SWM8s..
http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=136

[akdmks]

so basically the apartment complex could either upgrade just my building with the mfh2 or i could get just a new dish and isolate my units cable run

[CJTE]

cant put up my own dish. porch is facing north.
so basically they need to install new dish and swm8's?

heres a question to think about......
how many people will or would it take to switch just 1 dish and equipment?
my answer would be one. so you would be looking at what a few hours worth of work?

sad thing is i could do it myself if only i could get into the "shack/closet"

In an MDU environment, its WAY more than switching the dish.

[akdmks]

i realize it more than just switching the dish but if they could isolate my cable run and put up a new dish and swm....
every building only has one dish but there is a building across from me that has 2 dishes and one from atleast my viewpoint (dark and far away) looks 5lnb.....

[houskamp]

i realize it more than just switching the dish but if they could isolate my cable run and put up a new dish and swm....
every building only has one dish but there is a building across from me that has 2 dishes and one from atleast my viewpoint (dark and far away) looks 5lnb.....
yes they could...

[akdmks]

now heres another question.....

apartment complex is just about 3 or so years old. in that case would they have ran each apartment unit home run or daisy chain?
i would think home run. now if its daisy chain thats a different story as far as just isolating my run correct?

[houskamp]

now heres another question.....

apartment complex is just about 3 or so years old. in that case would they have ran each apartment unit home run or daisy chain?
i would think home run. now if its daisy chain thats a different story as far as just isolating my run correct?
yep..

[akdmks]

so if it is daisy chain then we are talking of course no isolation of my unit and they would have to mfh2 the whole building?

does anybody happen to have an estimate on a mfh2 upgrade on a building with 16 units?

thanks

[akdmks]

so who would i need to talk to to get this in motion? leasing office and direcpath of course. but who at direcpath? management?

[BattleZone]

You need to be communicating with your apartment management, who should know who the vendor is they used to put in the DirecPath system. NOTE: DirecPath, as I understand it, is NOT a "satellite" system as far as tenants are concerend; it's a SMATV (Satellite Master Antenna Television) system, which is like a mini cable system installed at your apartment complex. It gets the channels from DirecTV's system, but only sends cable signals to the units.

What you are looking for is an MDU (Multiple Dwelling Unit) system, where there is a central satellite antenna system that feeds satellite signals that satellite receivers can use. This is something your apartment complex will have to look into and ultimately fund, if they choose to. The equipment and installation is expensive, and not common on smaller units due to the cost of equipment.

I'm not saying that it's impossible or even unlikely, but you need to realize that if this kind of thing was important to you, it would have made sense to look for it before you moved in. An analogy would be moving into an apartment complex that doesn't have a pool, and then demanding that the management install one. They might, but they very well might not.

Such is the life of the apartment dweller, I'm afraid.

[dms1]

You need to be communicating with your apartment management, who should know who the vendor is they used to put in the DirecPath system. NOTE: DirecPath, as I understand it, is NOT a "satellite" system as far as tenants are concerend; it's a SMATV (Satellite Master Antenna Television) system, which is like a mini cable system installed at your apartment complex. It gets the channels from DirecTV's system, but only sends cable signals to the units.
I'm not sure if the apartment complex where I live is typical, but we have a DirecPath system and it most certainly does support "real" DirecTV. It is currently an MFH-1 system which means that there is a single coax entering each apartment that carries a basic analog TV service (demodulated from the DirecTV signal at some central point) along with stacked dual-LNB outputs. (There is also a cable modem service on the cable but no one uses it because we get FiOS too.) I believe the actual signals are all piped in over fiber from a central dish that is not anywhere near the property. This configuration means that people wanting basic TV can just connect the cable directly to the TV, whereas those wanting DirecTV need one of the boxes that supports stacked LNBs (D11/D12 or R15/R16).

Unfortunately, MFH-1 only supports SD which is why DirecPath is currently updating such properties to MFH-2 which will allow HD too (using the standard H20/HR20 etc.). We've been given an update date within the next few weeks. Of course, for people who can't wait, the other option is to just have your own dish which some people have already done.

[BattleZone]

Okay, I wasn't familiar with "DirecPath", but I know what MFH-1 is. The upgrade to MFH-2 is expensive (estimate $15,000-50,000, depending on number of units), and the equipment itself is still in short supply as the SWM-8 is brand new and only in low-rate production.

So, again, the OP needs to persue this with his apartment management to see if they are willing to do the upgrade, and if they are, they can get in contact with the MDU installer to find out when the upgrade can be done.

[akdmks]

I'm not sure if the apartment complex where I live is typical, but we have a DirecPath system and it most certainly does support "real" DirecTV. It is currently an MFH-1 system which means that there is a single coax entering each apartment that carries a basic analog TV service (demodulated from the DirecTV signal at some central point) along with stacked dual-LNB outputs. (There is also a cable modem service on the cable but no one uses it because we get FiOS too.) I believe the actual signals are all piped in over fiber from a central dish that is not anywhere near the property. This configuration means that people wanting basic TV can just connect the cable directly to the TV, whereas those wanting DirecTV need one of the boxes that supports stacked LNBs (D11/D12 or R15/R16).

Unfortunately, MFH-1 only supports SD which is why DirecPath is currently updating such properties to MFH-2 which will allow HD too (using the standard H20/HR20 etc.). We've been given an update date within the next few weeks. Of course, for people who can't wait, the other option is to just have your own dish which some people have already done.

My complex has a single-LNB dish for each building. 16 unit per building.
I am now in the talks with Direcpath to come to upgrade just my unit. Putting up a 5-LNB and swm8 for my unit. The only thing is Direcpath says they cant get their hands on any swm8 at this time. That they are back ordered.....

[dms1]

My complex has a single-LNB dish for each building. 16 unit per building.
I am now in the talks with Direcpath to come to upgrade just my unit. Putting up a 5-LNB and swm8 for my unit. The only thing is Direcpath says they cant get their hands on any swm8 at this time. That they are back ordered.....It's pretty scary that even Direcpath can't get SWM8s since they are owned by DirecTV.