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Newbie to HD help...

979 Views 12 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  polbit, 
P
I know this is a basic question, but I'm so frustrated right now, hopefully somebody can explain it to me :)

Just moved to Texas from Illinois a month ago. Got my DirecTV moved (1 R15, 2 D10s). Brand new home, have a new 2 LNB dish, R15 DVR downstairs, and two D10s upstairs.

Now, we decided to get an HDTV. Got it home, called DirectTV to get the HD DVR. Install was for today. Well, the installer showed up, and after checking some stuff out, told me that I need to put two additional lines (total of 4) for an HD DVR, or I could ask for SWM-compatible equipment (R16 and D12) and get it done that way. He left, I got a hold of a CSR, and the fun started. First, she told me that the tech should not have mentioned the SWM, because that is not a standard install. Then she told me to go to Circuit City to get the R16 and D12. Needless to say, I got to talk to retention, for the 2nd time in 6 years, and they told me that they will escalate it to the top tech to come out and assess my home...

Now, I thought that all I need is two cables from the dish into the house. Do I really need 4? And what exactly is SWM? I would really appreciate someone explaining this to me...

Thanks for any help!

Polbit
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krock918316
You'll need 4 lines from a Slimline (the 2 LNB Dish won't work for HD) to a Multiswitch. The HD DVR needs two lines (from the multiswitch), the R15 needs 2 lines, and the D10's need one line each.

If you want SWM, you can get one from dave29...just PM him. I think they are running about $150. They are not standard install from DirecTV. Only certain areas are getting them. Hope this helps!
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krock918316
Check out my mad Photoshop skills.... :)

Here's a setup with a regular multiswitch (WB68)
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P
Hey krock918316, thanks a ton, that really clears it up! I guess I never realized that I needed so many lines from the dish... What sucks is that our box where all the cables are (and the multiswitch) is on an inside wall of the laundry room, with no easy attic access. So running 2 extra wires would probably be pretty cost-prohibitive...

So my only real choice is SWM. Now, how can I get that done with DirecTV? The CSR person made it sound like I was trying to get away with murder. Is it really that much more expensive for them to install over a slimline dish?? I just want my HD channels!!

Thanks again,

Polbit
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NR4P
Since you have a wiring limitation, a better solution is a SWM-LNB.
They look the the standard HD dish but there's only one wire coming in your house from the dish. Then standard small splitters are used, much smaller than a regular SWM.

Search SWM-line, SWM-LNB, its a good choice.
They go for about $100 complete. All you add are splitters.
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BattleZone
The problem with the SWM is that DirecTV isn't going to want to replace his non-SWM-enabled receivers (which is why the policy is that SWM equipment goes to NEW customers ONLY). There may be additional costs involved beyond the SWM LNB or switch for that reason, and since DirecTV knows that those costs make many customers upset, installers aren't supposed to bring that up as an option for existing customers.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but the OP does *not* qualify for SWM equipment from DirecTV as an existing customer, so if he wants it, he's going to have to do all of the leg work and bear all of the costs, which might include upgrade fees for his current receivers.
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Well, I spent an hour talking to DirecTV's retention rep today, and still have a sour taste in my mouth. I was offered a free upgrade to two HD receivers to replace my D10 and R15 DVR, but nothing in the way of the install. The rep just kept reading the script. We even called the tech that was at my house the day earlier, but the SWM LNB is a no go. So after 6 years of service, DirecTV decided they apparently have too many customers, because I really do not think I should be required to be putting an outdated, 4-line connection in a brand new home that I just moved into a month ago, and spending money on it.

Oh well, I feel like I just broke up with a long-time girlfriend :) I do have a hard time understanding though why DirecTV would allow a 3 receiver, $100/month customer go...
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BattleZone
polbit said:
Oh well, I feel like I just broke up with a long-time girlfriend :) I do have a hard time understanding though why DirecTV would allow a 3 receiver, $100/month customer go...
Click to expand...
It's simple: the parts you want are brand new, have limited availability, limited distribution, and in many areas, the techs are not trained in their use. For those reasons, business rules were created that limited that equipment to very specific circumstances: NEW customers with HD and at least FIVE tuners. The order processing system was thus programmed to only authorize SWM equipment in that scenario, so CSRs have no way to override it. If they try, the system usually cancels the offending work order.

Here's the bottom line: if SWM equipment didn't exist at all, what would you do? The answer is that you likely would have installed the other lines with relatively little resistance. So why not do that? Or, take DirecTVs offer to upgrade your receivers and purchase SWM equipment yourself. The installer will be more than happy to use your supplied SWM-8 or SWM-LNB instead of running more lines.
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P
IIP, I understand that this is a newer equipment, and harder to come by. Heck, before the tech mentioned it, I never even heard of it.

If the only way to get HD into my house was to have 4 lines, then yes, I would have had to bite the bullet and spend the money and do it. Fortunately there are a lot more choices these days, and none of them require so many cables. DirecTVs inability/inflexibility lost them a customer. I guess it's not a big deal in a big scheme of things.
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K
Since the SWMLine came out there's been plenty of jobs that techs came out to and said to the customer, "This should be a SWM install", because of difficulty or impossibility of running lines. Then the customer calls DTV and they won't do it for the reasons given above (New installs 5+ tuners). I know of 1 case where a customer had a large 2 story house on the water and wanted quite a few HDDVR's but did not qualify for SWM for one reason or another (there must be more rules then the 5+ tuners to flag an SWM), and after hours on the phone with our supervisor, DTV still wouldn't do it. They lost the customer.
We've been told pretty much to act like SWMLine doesn't exist with customers not flagged for it.

Ok I just read this:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=136507
I beleive the case above was an international dish too, that must have been why.
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kevinm34232 said:
Since the SWMLine came out there's been plenty of jobs that techs came out to and said to the customer, "This should be a SWM install", because of difficulty or impossibility of running lines. Then the customer calls DTV and they won't do it for the reasons given above (New installs 5+ tuners). I know of 1 case where a customer had a large 2 story house on the water and wanted quite a few HDDVR's but did not qualify for SWM for one reason or another (there must be more rules then the 5+ tuners to flag an SWM), and after hours on the phone with our supervisor, DTV still wouldn't do it. They lost the customer.
We've been told pretty much to act like SWMLine doesn't exist with customers not flagged for it.

Kevinm, that is exactly my point! Why would DirecTV be so strict with the existing customer installs is beyond me. I really do not think I am asking for anything crazy - I just want HD with no extra lines that are next to impossible to install in my current two story house. Now I am "stuck" with getting U-verse, which I have heard is not the greatest with HD signal, so we will see.... But they run no new wiring, I get 1st month free, plus $200 after 30 days... Who knows though, if I keep reading about HD on the internet, I might be bankrupt before HD ever works in my house!! I started with the Vizio 47" VO47L TV at Costco, but after reading reviews, etc., I exchanged it for a 46" Samsung 7-series, which cost me almost $2,000 more... And the scary thing is, I can see the difference :)
Click to expand...
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BattleZone
polbit said:
Why would DirecTV be so strict with the existing customer installs is beyond me.
Click to expand...
I told you why: DirecTV isn't ready to deal with upgrading existing customers with non-SWM-supporting receiverss to SWM systems at this time. They have to make rules that apply to everyone, nationally. If they start making exceptions before they have processes in place to support those exceptions, there will be even more unhappy people.

I really do not think I am asking for anything crazy - I just want HD with no extra lines that are next to impossible to install in my current two story house.
Click to expand...
...and you aren't willing to wait until DirecTV approves wider use of the new SWM technology (likely a month or two), and you aren't willing to pay for it yourself to get it now, both of which are options.

Now I am "stuck" with getting U-verse, which I have heard is not the greatest with HD signal, so we will see...
Click to expand...
Now you are *choosing* Uverse, which of course you have every right to do. But be warned, Uverse is limited to 3 tuners, only one of which is HD, and crummy DVRs, not to mention limited HD programming. All that to save $140 on a SWM8? Okay, that's your call.
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P
IIP, obviously we have a different view of customer service. As a customer, I don't want to hear why a company CAN'T do something. It is not MY problem that their systems don't support something, or that their techs aren't trained on something. Since every other company in the market can, it's DirecTVs loss. I am not going to be buying my own parts, figuring out what I need, etc., etc. It is not just savings of $140 - it is savings of $140 + $200 money back + $90 for 1st month free service, plus $20-25 cheaper a month, not to mention my free time, of which I have very little these days.

As far as U-Verse, I am getting 3 DVRs (4 SD or 2 HD signals at once - most markets now have that), and I could've picked up to 5 receivers. Crummy DVR is in the eye of the beholder of course, I spent a good half hour playing with my neighbor's, and it's just fine, with a lot of interesting futures. Also, don't forget that I as well as many others have had to be the unofficial beta tester of the R15 since the day one... Talk about crummy DVR, going from Tivo to that crap...

Anyway, this thread is getting off-topic, so I'll just leave it at that.
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