Okay, so I finally got my OTA antenna set up, and the HD broadcasts on my Toshiba 62HM196 look spectacular. I am, however, having a problem. The antenna coax comes into the house, where it goes into a diplexer, along with the DirecTV coax, combining the two into the existing DirecTV coax (there is no way to run another line in the finished basement without serious damage - I hate textured ceilings). In the TV room, the coax comes out of the wall, into another diplexer, which splits it back into the DirecTV coax (into the satellite receiver) and the antenna coax (into the TV). The antenna coax works great. The DirecTV coax will not give me a signal - the receiver gives me the "Searching for satellite signal" message. When I unplug the diplexer in the TV room and plug the coax from the wall into the satellite receiver, it comes in fine - even though it is still carrying the combined signal from the diplexer in the basement.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

I'd start off with replacing the diplexer, they go bad.

If you are using the new 5 LNB dish, then you cannot diplex the OTA and Sat signal, they both occupy the same frequency. You have no choice but to pull another RG-6 cable to the room if you want both.

If you are using the new 5 LNB dish, then you cannot diplex the OTA and Sat signal, they both occupy the same frequency. You have no choice but to pull another RG-6 cable to the room if you want both.

Currently, that is correct. With the SWM (single wire multiswitch) that D* has developed, which is supposed to be available late fall, you will need only 1 wire for both satellite inputs into a DVR, and you will be able to diplex onto that cable as well.

SMK

Or the diplexer at the TV end is passing DC voltage on both legs. It should be one that only passes DV on the sat leg. Otherwise, the switching voltages needed by the LNB/multiswitch are getting shorted by the OTA.

I was guessing it might be the diplexer. I realize it's not a big expense, but it was brand new out of the package - that just irritates me.

With regard to the dish, it's an old 2-LNB model, so that's not the issue. And this is a four year old RCA receiver - no DVR or anything fancy.

Make sure you have connected the sat and OTA into the correct ports of the diplexer - i made that mistake once when I was in a hurry. And your diplexer needs to be power-passing....