Need MDU/MFH-2 Help Please

[mattpol]

Hey everyone,

So I need some basic (I think basic) help....

My setup: I live in a 150-unit condo building in New York City, and we have had DirecTV for quite some time. We had been using a Triple LNB dish, and our SysOp just installed a new 5-LNB dish and SWM boxes so that we can get the new HD programming. I am almost certain that he upgraded our building to MFH-2.

My situation: Now, our installer (who has a history of AWFUL service and being the WORST person in the world, but he pays our building manager a hefty fee to keep his exclusive) wants to charge us a significant fee to upgrade our individual apartments.

Needless to say, I would rather do this for free since I have a new DirecTV HD-DVR+ (HR21) that D* sent me for free.

My question: Once the new dish is installed, and the wiring is installed OUTSIDE of my apartment, are there any wiring/setup changes that need to be made INSIDE my apartment? Do I really need an "professional" to change my setup so that I can see the new satellites? Or once everything OUTSIDE my unit is setup, is it just as simple as swapping in my new receiver?

I hope I have made myself clear, but please do let me know if you need me to explain anything else, and I will be more than happy to. I thank you greatly in advance for any help/insight y'all can offer me!

Cheers!

[Wally20]

Hey everyone,

So I need some basic (I think basic) help....

My setup: I live in a 150-unit condo building in New York City, and we have had DirecTV for quite some time. We had been using a Triple LNB dish, and our SysOp just installed a new 5-LNB dish and SWM boxes so that we can get the new HD programming. I am almost certain that he upgraded our building to MFH-2.

My situation: Now, our installer (who has a history of AWFUL service and being the WORST person in the world, but he pays our building manager a hefty fee to keep his exclusive) wants to charge us a significant fee to upgrade our individual apartments.

Needless to say, I would rather do this for free since I have a new DirecTV HD-DVR+ (HR21) that D* sent me for free.

My question: Once the new dish is installed, and the wiring is installed OUTSIDE of my apartment, are there any wiring/setup changes that need to be made INSIDE my apartment? Do I really need an "professional" to change my setup so that I can see the new satellites? Or once everything OUTSIDE my unit is setup, is it just as simple as swapping in my new receiver?

I hope I have made myself clear, but please do let me know if you need me to explain anything else, and I will be more than happy to. I thank you greatly in advance for any help/insight y'all can offer me!

Cheers!

There's a chance your SysOp won't connect the line coming from your apartment to the SWM until you pay for the upgrade in which case you'd be SOL unless the box is accessible to you and you could just hook your line into the SWM on your own. However, the SysOp could disconnect you at any time since you didn't pay the upgrade fee.

I'm assuming rather than having the HOA pay for the upgrade they're charging individual residents a fee for upgrading to the new system. The equipment isn't free and they need to recoup their costs somehow. You may be able to work around it but you're sticking other residents with the bill and reaping the benefits.

[mattpol]

There's a chance your SysOp won't connect the line coming from your apartment to the SWM until you pay for the upgrade in which case you'd be SOL unless the box is accessible to you and you could just hook your line into the SWM on your own. However, the SysOp could disconnect you at any time since you didn't pay the upgrade fee.

I'm assuming rather than having the HOA pay for the upgrade they're charging individual residents a fee for upgrading to the new system. The equipment isn't free and they need to recoup their costs somehow. You may be able to work around it but you're sticking other residents with the bill and reaping the benefits.

Thanks for the response.

To clarify a few things: Our HOA did in fact pay for the equipment and labor for upgrading our wiring and dishes. We paid handsomely for it, actually.

Our SysOp now wants to sell us new boxes (most residents don't know they can get the equipment for free from D*) and come in and install everything for us. Most of the residents are pretty ignorant about how the whole system works, and will gladly pay a few hundred bucks for this schmo to come and take care of everything. I, on the other hand, cringe at the thought of paying him any more money than I need to!

I was thinking about getting access to my utility closet and connecting it myself, I was just wanting to see if I had to change any of the wiring and switches that lie within my own walls (which the SysOp originally installed for me, back when I knew absolutely nothing about DirecTV!).

PS: This site is such a tremendous resource!

[DirecTv Chicago]

Thanks for the response.

To clarify a few things: Our HOA did in fact pay for the equipment and labor for upgrading our wiring and dishes. We paid handsomely for it, actually.

Our SysOp now wants to sell us new boxes (most residents don't know they can get the equipment for free from D*) and come in and install everything for us. Most of the residents are pretty ignorant about how the whole system works, and will gladly pay a few hundred bucks for this schmo to come and take care of everything. I, on the other hand, cringe at the thought of paying him any more money than I need to!

I was thinking about getting access to my utility closet and connecting it myself, I was just wanting to see if I had to change any of the wiring and switches that lie within my own walls (which the SysOp originally installed for me, back when I knew absolutely nothing about DirecTV!).

PS: This site is such a tremendous resource!


What is the System Operator charging for installation alone assuming you own a 20 or 21 receiver?

It is not unreasonable for a SO to charge $50.00, maybe as high as $100.00 (but thats pushing it) to install/ Move Over to the new MFH2 system.

Installation for an existing compatible DTV receiver consists of:
1.) Removing any devices that were used to make HD compatible on a 101/110/119 system. This would included multiswitches, destakers, diplexers and splitters. Total time 10 - 15 minutes.

2.) Install SWM-8 Switch on the backend. Tone out cable from your unit, add the SWM-8, make sure there are not to many tuners on the SWM. Total time 10 - 15 minutes.

3.) Reconfigure box and ensure receiver is now receiving new HD programming. This is very simple but with the time it takes an HR21 receiver to reset its another 15 minutes.

4.) Contact DTV for any channels that are not coming in. This is hit or miss as it depends on when you setup service. But many of the customers I am moving over to MFH2 miss many of the HD channels after the switch. Primarily the premium channels like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, etc. They will receive HBO East and Showtime East (MPEG2) but not Showtime West and HBO West (MPEG4). The issue is that each premium channel package internally requires its own HD code. This part can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour.

[yogi]

Thanks for the response.

To clarify a few things: Our HOA did in fact pay for the equipment and labor for upgrading our wiring and dishes. We paid handsomely for it, actually.

Our SysOp now wants to sell us new boxes (most residents don't know they can get the equipment for free from D*) and come in and install everything for us. Most of the residents are pretty ignorant about how the whole system works, and will gladly pay a few hundred bucks for this schmo to come and take care of everything. I, on the other hand, cringe at the thought of paying him any more money than I need to!

I was thinking about getting access to my utility closet and connecting it myself, I was just wanting to see if I had to change any of the wiring and switches that lie within my own walls (which the SysOp originally installed for me, back when I knew absolutely nothing about DirecTV!).

PS: This site is such a tremendous resource!

He's selling new receiver( receiver's that work with MFH-2). Because he's buying them from DirecTV. He doesn't get them for free.
Plus, a residential DirecTV installer( the one's who install the free ones) can't install a MDU.( they are not suppose to)

[Incog-Neato]

Big problem with mdu's and mfh2 installs is that customers are adding their own equipment via splitters exceeding the # of tuners allowed on a SWM rack causing other customers to lose their programming.