[patience]

We are an old MDU (40 yrs) that has a "loop" RF plant that supports our DirecTV delivery

We wish to get HDTV access, and are being told by DirectTV (and Comcast as a competitor to DirecTV) that we have to rewire the building, in favour of a home run plant.

I know what home run is, but how does a loop plant (from unit to unit to unit) prohibit direcTV HD.

Thx for any and all help

 

[BattleZone]

Generally, satellite systems require switching. This means that individual receivers send messages, or change voltage on the coax line, that tells a multiswitch what bank of transponders to send it. With one dish picking up a single satellite, and by using band-stacking with a "stacker", you eliminate all switching, allowing the identical signal to be sent to all receivers. This is why your loop works.

HD *requires* switching, because you go from two banks of transponders to 12 banks. It isn't possible to send that many banks through a single cable without switching; there isn't enough signal bandwidth. And switching requires direct lines.

 

[NYCEGUY01]

That is a good explanation.

I hadnt posted yet because I couldnt think of a good way to explain it so a normal person would understand it. Your post basically sums it up.