[bbexperience]

I've searched and read about new home cabling, but apparently I'm a little thick in the head. I'm currently building a house. The cabling has already been done, so I know it's a bit late to change that, but I'm trying to prepare for what the Dish installer is going to tell me when he comes. When they installed the coax they used RG-6 and ran 2 cables to almost every room. All of these cables (as near as I can tell) meet near a wall in the basement. Right now they're just sort of bundled together there. They haven't come out to do the finish work yet but when they do I'm assuming they'll enclose them somehow.

Anyway, right now I'm planning on getting 1 ViP622, 1 ViP211, 1 non-HD DVR (don't know the model of that) and 1 non-HD standard receiver, each in seperate rooms. My question is on what cabling requirements will be needed when they come to install. Obviously there needs to be cables from the dish itself into the house but...then what? Are they going to have to run new cables to each of the 4 rooms? That seems a bit ridiculous as there's already RG-6 going there, but some of what I've read just seems to give me that impression.

Thanks for any assistance to this novice and talk...slow...!

 

[Jim5506]

Has the sheet rock been put up. I would put at least 3 RG-6 lines to each room if I could. Especially the room where the 622 goes (1 Satellite in; 1 OTA in, 1 RF out to other rooms from TV2 modulator).

 

[Rob Glasser]

More is always better with cabling if you ask me, so if you can run additional lines great, if not you can get away with 2 fine. You can always use dixplexers to combine the OTA signal, if your even going to use it, onto another cable.

As far as RG6 that is fine too. Sounds like everything is home runs to the basement. If you haven't already I'd suggest running at least 4 runs from this basement location to the location the Dish is going to sit.

 

[CABill]

Anyway, right now I'm planning on getting 1 ViP622, 1 ViP211, 1 non-HD DVR (don't know the model of that) and 1 non-HD standard receiver, each in seperate rooms. My question is on what cabling requirements will be needed when they come to install.

I just wanted to mention that there is a limit of 4 leased TUNERS and you listed 5. You can purchase that last "Std receiver".

You should at least consider sending the 622's TV2 output to the rest of the house, or at least to where you were going to put the "Std receiver".
That may or may not impact your cabling.

 

[bbexperience]

Has the sheet rock been put up. I would put at least 3 RG-6 lines to each room if I could. Especially the room where the 622 goes (1 Satellite in; 1 OTA in, 1 RF out to other rooms from TV2 modulator).

For OTA I'm just going to use a simple indoor antenna that will sit by the 622, so I shouldn't need that third line right?

 

[bbexperience]

I just wanted to mention that there is a limit of 4 leased TUNERS and you listed 5. You can purchase that last "Std receiver".

You should at least consider sending the 622's TV2 output to the rest of the house, or at least to where you were going to put the "Std receiver".
That may or may not impact your cabling.

I didn't know that about the 5 tuner limit. I guess I could just get another 622 for the second HDTV and use diplexers to send SD signals to the other two TVs.

I guess that brings me to another question about the 622. I know it can record two shows at once and that it has one SD tuner for a "TV2". But, can it record two HD shows at once? And, can it still do this if I'm sending an SD feed out to another room or would it then only record one HD show and one SD show?

 

[PeggyD]

I guess that brings me to another question about the 622. I know it can record two shows at once and that it has one SD tuner for a "TV2". But, can it record two HD shows at once? And, can it still do this if I'm sending an SD feed out to another room or would it then only record one HD show and one SD show?

The 622 has three HD tuners, 2 satellite & 1 OTA. It's the outputs that are one HD & one SD. Actually, TV1 has HDMI, component (HD) & & composite/S-video (SD) all active at the same time. There is TV2 composite out as well as the home distribution coax output.

 

[CABill]

Peggy covered the 622 tuner/output setup. If you want to use it in Single mode (PIP support, two sat tuners dedicated to "common" TV1 & TV2 outputs, ...), there would be reason for having a receiver/tuner dedicated to a remote room. If you use the 622 in Dual mode, the remote room(s) may get stuck watching what the HD TV1 is recording in the background or something from the list of existing recordings. No matter what, there are advatages to pausing the current show/recording there at TV1 and just hitting Play when you get to the Master BR. It does save $5/month to not pay for the receiver dedicated to a remote room.

In addition to a 4 Tuner limit, they won't lease two 622s on an initial install. There are apparently ways to get two 622s as your 4 leased tuners, but it violates the rules that a regular CSR has to go by. The Terms and Conditions are found at http://www.dishtv.com/terms_dha04.jsp and have an Eligibility section:

Maximum of four total tuners per account. Maximum of two model ViP211 receivers per account. Maximum of two model 522 or 625 receivers per account. Maximum of one model ViP622 DVR receiver per account. Maximum of one model HomeZone 1022 receiver per account (available only to customers billed by AT&T for services provided under this Agreement).​

Some people have been able to order one 622 and then upgrade and get a 2nd with its own install date some time after the bill for the 1st one. Some have been able to email CEO (at) Echostar.com saying they want to sign up, but only if they can get two 622's, ... that sort of thing. No guarantee that you can get a 2nd 622 without buying it ($450-$499). You would have paid $200 for the 2nd Lease upgrade anyhow.

More research is needed into the tradeoffs, but you'll find people with two 622s here that can watch TV1 and TV2 from both receivers on the Home Dist coax. A single coax is plenty if you only take "Home Distribution RF" to that room. With a Diplexer, you can also carry the LNB signal for both tuners of a dual tuner receiver. It would SEEM that you have enough coax already. An outdoor/attic antenna might work better than an indoor, but you'd need more than a single coax to bring "in" the LNB and OTA antenna AND carry the 622 RF output to the distribution bundle in the basement. Two coax runs would be sufficient for at least the 622 receiver location(s). Your original setup would also work if you just purchase the (< $100) Std Receiver.

 

[gilunionhall]

hello bbexperience -

i was looking at the dish equipment that you were going to have in your home and was wondering how many people will be watching tv's throughout the house at any one time?

gil

 

[bbexperience]

hello bbexperience -

i was looking at the dish equipment that you were going to have in your home and was wondering how many people will be watching tv's throughout the house at any one time?

gil

Two. Why do you ask?

 

[Calvin Carrigan]

Two. Why do you ask?

We mirrored 2 aditional rooms because we only have 3 people that watch TV at one time in 6 rooms. We mirrored the office off the master bedroom and my daughters room off the front living room know no one would be in both places at any one time.

 

[MN Wild Fan]

More is always better with cabling if you ask me, so if you can run additional lines great, if not you can get away with 2 fine.

I agree. If I had to do it over again I would have ran at least three if not four.

 

[gilunionhall]

Two. Why do you ask?

my wife and i might be in the same type of situation as you are.

we currently have a cable company providing our signals, but they do not have HD service. we have 7 tv's throughout the house - but only 2 people to watch them.

recently we added Dish and are getting rid of the cable.

we are using a single 622 to provide 2 distinct signals anywhere in the house, using the built in modulator in the 622 and a IR to UHF remote system (available from dish or ebay) so you can tune in the signal for tv1 anywhere in the house.

but a caveat has come up - santa gave us a 2nd HD tv, so we will have to get another 622.

i dont know if this info might help you cut down on the equipment you will be buying/leasing or not?

gil