If you could choose components all over again...

Im settling on a house were there is no cable Monday, and need to get satellite. Im leaning towards DirecTV because they offer ComcastSportsNet which carries the Philadelphia home sports games (I live within 40 miles of Philly).

I am becoming confused the more I study the different receivers and options. I know I shouldnt install the dish itself. The new house is new construction with a junction box in the basement with the coax lines all marked to each of the outlets around the house. The house was wired with the rg-6 or whatever satellite compatable coax.

I know I want the elliptical dish, and I have 3 tvs to hook up (although Id really like 4, and the ability to expand).

Here comes the questions:

1) Does the multi-satellite dish come with the switch for 4 tvs, or do I need to buy one (If it doesnt come with it, Ill probably buy a 6 or an 8 switch so I dont need to upgrade later).

2) I have a Sony Wega with component input and a surround system with optical inputs, Is the RCA 485 RG the smartest choice receiver for the main TV? That question would be based upon picture and sound quality, ease of use, and durablity into the future.

3) For the other receivers, I need something very basic, just easy to use, and with parent controls, no surround, no digi-picture. I was thinking RCA 430 RG.

4) In terms of installing the other TV's receivers, is it simply a matter of hooking the coax line into the switch box in the basement, plugging that coax into the receiver on the other end in the room, and hooking up the phone line (and adjusting the settings on the box too of course)? If so, I may be qualified :)

5) What mistakes did you make with your first DirecTV set up, that if you could do it all over again, you would avoid?

Any advice you have for me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Jeff

Hi Jeff, Welcome to DBSTalk. :)

Congratulations on your new home, If this is your first time you have ever had Satellite service your going to love it.

Sounds like you picked DirectTv based on programming, thats the way I would suggest anyone to pick a service. Personally I'm a Dish Network sub, so I'm gonna take a shot at some of your questions. Hopefully one of our Direct TV peeps around here can answer what I can't.

1) Not sure, you might consider a Quad LNB though.

2) I have a Sony Wega as well, with a Sony surround system just like yours. For the primary IRD, I would suggest a Direct TiVo....these things are wonderful.

3) sounds good

4) Its that easy, will you have a IRD for every TV or are you going to use 1 IRD for 2 TV's. My 2 kids share one IRD.
One IRD with a UHF remote works wonderful.

5) Well, I have Dish Network so I can't answer that.
One of my IRD's is a 501, a receiver with a PVR, kinda like a Direct Tivo. I wish now I would have bought 2 501's.

My only advice to you would be the Direct Tivo.

Keep in touch, let us know how your new home is going and your new Satellite service. :)

1) You’ll most likely need to buy a 5X8 multi-switch if you are going to be hooking up a DirecTivo or UltimateTV unit from a DirecTV Plus dish, a 3X8 if using a standard 18" dish. Three tv’s with standard receivers and one with a DirecTivo or UltimtateTV would use five outputs from the multi-switch. A good place to buy a multi-switch (I bought a 2X6 multi-switch and got it in two days) is www.minidishes.tv. I paid $54 for it. A place like your local electronics store or Ultimate Electronics, etc. may charge you over $100 for a multi-switch, so be careful not to waste your money. Two days of patience can be worth it.

2) I have a RCA UltimateTV receiver for my main receiver. It has the following outputs:

2 sets of RCA jacks
1 outgoing coax
1 S-Video output
1 digital audio output

I also have a Mitsubishi receiver that has the same outputs.

3) What I have for a basic receiver – which I no longer use as I purchased a second UltimateTV receiver for $39 is a RCA 420 receiver. It is basic – no dolby digital output, but has interactive functions. It originally cost me $49. As far as I know, all of the receivers have S-video output.

4) Once you have your cables from the dish into you multi-switch, you’ll run a cable to each receiver from the multi-switch. Very easy to do. UltimateTV and DirecTivo receivers each require two input cables from the multi-switch.

5) I installed mine about a year ago, and didn’t really make any mistakes. My only change would have been to purchase two basic RCA receivers. I originally bought a Mitsubishi SR-SD1 receiver and a basic RCA receiver. I thought I would want the digital outputs, but ended up not needing them, so I spent about $100 more than I should have. I bought a UTV receiver right after I installed my system, and bought a second UTV receiver in January, so my full-featured Mitsubishi is in my den hooked up to a 13” tv using only the coax output. Oh, well, at least I have the receiver if I ever upgrade my den system.

My system consists of the following:
2 UltimateTV receivers (each with two inputs)
1 Mitsubishi SR-SD1 receiver
1 RCA basic receiver (currently in storage)
Mitsubishi dual-lnb dish
Spaun 2X6 multi-switch
Lots and lots of RG-6 cable (I always tell my wife if we ever get termites that there is enough cable in the place to hold the house up)!

Good luck. You’ll love satellite. My only recommendation would be to purchase a PVR like UltimateTV or DirecTivo. It makes the satellite experience so much more enjoyable.

Karl

Im leaning towards DirecTV because they offer ComcastSportsNet which carries the Philadelphia home sports games (I live within 40 miles of Philly).

Jeff, I hate to burst your bubble but DirecTV doesnot carry Comcast Sports Net Philadelphia, they carry Comcast Sports Net Mid Atlantic, as Does Dish Network. CSN Mid Atlantic is an RSN that serves the Baltimore-DC area, it used to be called 'Home Team Sports' when it was a Fox Sports Net affilate but Comcast bought it from either News Corp. or Randiow Broadcasting and renamed it. CSN Philly will never be on DBS unless the FCC closes a legal loophole. The FCC requires that all channels delievered by satellite be offered to every cable/DBS provider, but it doesnt say anything about landbased channels, which is what Comcast Sports Net Philly is. Hopefully one day this will change and Philadelphia folks will be able to get their RSN over DBS.