721 instalation question.

[chadman]

Ok I really need some help on installing a Dish 721 with a dish 500pro. I am having a new house built and currently have just one 721. I would like to prewire my house for a 721 in the family room and have 4-5 other outlets in the house for standard one tuner receivers. I would like to run my attic antenna to all of the outlets in the house.

1. Can I use diplexers to share one wire with the dish and the antenna for all the outlets?
2. What type of switch (distribution box) would I need in my basement? I would like to run my attic antenna and the 2 wires from my dish 500 to a switch, and then go to the other outlets in my house.
3. Do I need to wire anything extra if I would like to add HD from Dish? Currently I receive HD from MyHD card on a computer so I can record it.
4. If I switch to Directv would I have to run any new wires?

Any help would be greatly appreciated:)


Thanks,
Chad

[mjschuyler]

Chadman, I am no expert but I have installed a few dishes. As you know to add tv's to an over the air antenna is pretty easy. All you need is a splitter/ amplifier.

But DBS satellite signals are different they use a very sophisticated system to compress the signal on the ground and then send it to the satellite back to your receiver.

Dish network's main programming is on satellite's at 110 @ 119 degrees. The Dish 500 can focus both satellites at one time. The dish uses two LNB's (low noise block units) on the dish to do this.

A PRO DUAL has two outputs and a PRO QUAD has four outputs.

I don't know the technical terms but the channels are on a plus or a minus signal. The receiver reads a plus or minus voltage signal from the LNB on the dish to determine which channel you want to watch. If you use a spitter on a satellite feed one receiver will get the proper voltage signal but another receiver will not be able to read the voltage signal so most channels will not be able to be decoded by the second receiver. I know I've done this.

This means that each receiver must have it's own RG6 wire feed. So if you use a PRO QUAD with four outputs you could have a 721 and two other receivers fo a total of four feeds. Two feeds for the 721 which has two turners and one feed each for the other receivers.

The good news is yes you could use a diplexer to combine the OTA antenna to one of the dish feeds so no additional wire will have to go to the rooms the receiver is in.

So what if you want more receivers or HDTV? Dish has switches that will allow you to add more receivers. You still have to run four wires to the switch but the switch could be in your basement.

HDTV is another story altogether currently programming is on two other satellites at 48 and 121 degrees. You only need one of these satellites 48 in east and 121 in the west. A Dish 500 can not "see" all three satellites so you need another dish and switches. Also the only current receiver that can decode HDTV is the 6000. This will change when is not known maybe by this Fall. Dish is working on a one Dish solution called the "Super Dish" and is coming out with new HDTV receivers.

What about the cost of this system? Dish will normally install one or two receivers at no charge. If your installation requires more than one Dish that is no charge. If you are buying all your receivers at once they will usually also cover the cost of the switches. Also each additional receiver will cost $5.00 per month. Even though a 721 has two inputs it only counts as one receiver.

Hope this helps.

Murray

[chadman]

Thanks for the nice post Murray:)

I guess I do not understand why I would have to have 4 wires from the dish. I understand that I could run 4 wires from the dish and send 2 to my 721 and the other 2 to one tuner boxes.

Could I not run just 2 wires from the dish to a switch (multiplexer I think its called). Then run my attic antenna to this switch. The run just 2 wires from the switch...one will have the antenna via a diplexor...to the 721. Then run a single cable from the switch to another box in the house using diplexors so I can just run one wire. Then do the same for adding more boxes. I remember when I used to sell Direct TV that a multiplexer would work this way, I am not sure about Dish. I am trying to draw up a diagram on how I want the phone, antenna, sat, and cat5 cable run and I am going crazy!!!!! At least I have a few more months to mess around with this before I have to give the sub contractor the diagram. I am trying to run as few wires as possible. I will have a unfinished basement, so adding another wire is not out of the question....I just prefer to get this right the first time.

Thanks,

Chad

[Claude Greiner]

If I was building a brand new house, I would run 3 coaxial cables to each room and then terminate everything at a central point in the basement. The first cable would be for your satellite reciever, the second cable for your OTA antenna, and the 3rd cable as a spare if you wanted to add a Duel Tuner PVR, do a backfeed to another Tv or add a cable modem Etc.

I would not dioplex your OTA antenna on the same line as the satellite since its going to degrade the picture quality on your analog Tv channels. Don't get me wrong, Dioplexing works, but if you have your walls open and can run new wire, run new wire! I would only consider dioplexing an antenna signal if running new cable was not an option.

As far as running cables to the Dish, the rule used to be (2) cables per orbital location, however with Dishpro Technology, you can get away only using (1) Cable. However I would still run (2) cables incase you decided to switch to Directv.

With that said, your looking at a total of 3 seperate runs to the roof....

#1 (1) Cable for your OTA Antenna
#2 (2) Cables for 61.5 or 148 to get HDTV.
#3 (4) Cables for Dish500

You might even want to consider having 6-8 cables to the roof if you decided to get Dish and Directv, or wanted to upgrade to SuperDish. I have a feeling SuperDish may be a 3 or 4 cable solution depending on if they support 105 and 121 at the same time on a single Dish.

[Claude Greiner]

As far as Cat5, I find usually 3 runs to each room work very well. The first one is used for the phone, 2nd and 3rd are for eithernet.

Just like with satellite wiring, run everything to a central point in the basement!

[mjschuyler]

Chadman, you said you have a 721. Starting on page 114 of your owners manual you will see E*'s wiring diagrams. E* shows only two inputs from the DISH PRO LNB's are needed. I wonder if you used a DISH PRO QUAD if you could use two switches to get 8 outputs? Remember only 6 receivers are allowed per account.

I had a Dish 300 with a 3 to 4 switch (not a Dish product it is not the SW34). It had two input connections for the two LNB's and an antenna output and four outputs for receivers. You could run one wire to a single input receiver then use a diplexer to separate the satellite and antenna signals. I did not have an antenna so I don't know how well it worked. I don't think E* has a DISH PRO switch like this. I also do not believe you can use any switches with the DISH PRO LNB's as they are specific to E*.

I put up an antenna several months ago and I used a diplexer. I am having vinyl siding put on my house so I will be running a new wire and eliminating the diplexer this week. I will let you know if I see a improvement in the picture. I have very poor over the air reception.

You probably think that Claude's ideas or overkill but I would follow his suggestions. You never know what the future will bring.