[stewart715]

I've had DirecTV for a long time and I am aware of the different type of coax cables, connectors, switches, dish types, etc -- but I'm not sure which is best.

We are buying a new house that is currently gutted to the studs. My question to all you experts is, what is the best way for a brand new DirecTV installation with virtually zero limitations?

Looking for guidance on todays standards for:
-Dish type
-Multiswitch*
-Coax cable type for both interior and exterior+
-Coax connector type

*Support for 5 DVRs, where two of the DVRs can record more than one program at once.

+I have 500 feet of this cable already, wondering if it is suitable:
Eagle Aspen Model 59B2
http://eagleaspen.com/products/links/59B2.pdf

However, I am aware that I might want to use quad shielded cable for outside.

Thanks for your help!

 

[spartanstew]

Just run that cable from every location (room) to a central wiring location (closet, garage, attic, basement, etc.), along with ethernet. Also run some coax (might as well do 4 runs) from the wiring location to wherever the sat signal will enter the house (i.e. attic). Worry about everything else (multi-switch, dish type) later.

 

[stewart715]

Just run that cable from every location (room) to a central wiring location (closet, garage, attic, basement, etc.), along with ethernet. Also run some coax (might as well do 4 runs) from the wiring location to wherever the sat signal will enter the house (i.e. attic). Worry about everything else (multi-switch, dish type) later.

Is that cable okay for dish to multiswitch or should I grab 4 lines of quad shielded outdoor stuff?

 

[carl6]

Quad shield is rarely needed, only if you are very close to a powerful transmitter (like a TV station transmitter).

I would double every wiring run you are considering. It is easy and cheap when the house is open to the studs. It is a royal pain once the walls are up. Plus, if you can do so, I would run conduit to every room so you can pull whatever is the current standard 5 or 10 years from now.

As a minimum though, I would pull two runs of coax (or one run of the dual you linked to), plus two cat5e or cat6 to opposite walls in every room you might put a tv in. All routed back to a central location. From the central location I would have conduit to the roof, or wherever you plan for the dish to be located. Big enough for 5 coax (that way you can support a conventional LNB plus an off-air antenna).

 

[stewart715]

Quad shield is rarely needed, only if you are very close to a powerful transmitter (like a TV station transmitter).

I would double every wiring run you are considering. It is easy and cheap when the house is open to the studs. It is a royal pain once the walls are up. Plus, if you can do so, I would run conduit to every room so you can pull whatever is the current standard 5 or 10 years from now.

As a minimum though, I would pull two runs of coax (or one run of the dual you linked to), plus two cat5e or cat6 to opposite walls in every room you might put a tv in. All routed back to a central location. From the central location I would have conduit to the roof, or wherever you plan for the dish to be located. Big enough for 5 coax (that way you can support a conventional LNB plus an off-air antenna).

Cool thanks -- should I plan on using SWM tech or just the standard 4x8 legacy multiswitch?

 

[vh45dez32]

I would definately run swm technology. Because if you dont you are going to have to run 2 lines to each dvr for it to operate correctly.

 

[carl6]

I would run SWM, but I would wire enough to support non SWM. Four coax from the dish lets you use either SWM or conventional LNB. If you ever want to go beyond 8 tuners you will need a conventional LNB with an external SWM16 which would go in your central location. So you would need the four coax to the dish to support that.

Running dual coax to each tv location lets you use either conventional or SWM, but also gives you a backup (or an OTA connection) if you are using SWM which only needs one coax (for dual tuner support).

By wiring to opposite walls of each room, you are planning ahead for when the wife decides it's time to rearrange the furniture.

 

[anopro]

I myself like that corrugated plastic tubing run as big as you can afford that way say 20 years from now when we all need that new laser transmission cable for the new 100 peta-byte per second transmission your good to go but it will probably be wireless by then so humm!

 

[palmgrower]

I myself like that corrugated plastic tubing run as big as you can afford that way say 20 years from now when we all need that new laser transmission cable for the new 100 peta-byte per second transmission your good to go but it will probably be wireless by then so humm!

Great Advice!
Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance...Now and in the Future.

 

[funnyfarm299]

Great Advice!
Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance...Now and in the Future.

I work for a custom installer. Usually we run coax and 3 cat5 runs to each TV, smurf pipe (the blue stuff) to the living room, and anything else we can fish in the future. I have only seen 1 house in my life with fiber pulled to it.

On another note, we use quad shield for all runs.

 

[funnyfarm299]

I've had DirecTV for a long time and I am aware of the different type of coax cables, connectors, switches, dish types, etc -- but I'm not sure which is best.

We are buying a new house that is currently gutted to the studs. My question to all you experts is, what is the best way for a brand new DirecTV installation with virtually zero limitations?

Looking for guidance on todays standards for:
-Dish type
-Multiswitch*
-Coax cable type for both interior and exterior+
-Coax connector type

*Support for 5 DVRs, where two of the DVRs can record more than one program at once.

+I have 500 feet of this cable already, wondering if it is suitable:
Eagle Aspen Model 59B2
http://eagleaspen.com/products/links/59B2.pdf

However, I am aware that I might want to use quad shielded cable for outside.

Thanks for your help!

I would be MUCH more concerned about running cat5e/6. 3 runs to each spot should futureproof you. Make sure to loop the cables for future wall mounting! We use baluns in most of our high end houses with HDMI matrix switches, and just leave all the DTV equipment in the wiring cabinet.

Nobody really uses legacy multiswitches for new installs anymore. You can't even feed an HR34 with one.

 

[Drucifer]

Plan now for future wiring needs. By that I mean, make sure you have conduit shaft(s) from the basement to the attic that can be access from all floors.

 

[dielray]

Be sure to allow for grounding. A new house will likely have an inter-system bonding termination near the power meter, which would be the only thing a tech can bond to. Cable from the dish to this location should include at least 4 coax and AWG 10 solid copper or AWG 17 Copper Clad steal. From the bonding location, run at least 5 coax(4 for satellite, 1 for cable) to your central wiring closet. Be aware dish placement by a tech is likely to be roof-edge. Some techs are not even allowed to get off the ladder.