How many DTV lines to run??

375 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by greywolf, Feb 25, 2005

howiem98

Discussion Starter · Feb 25, 2005

I am getting the DTV new customer install. It's a condo where the install is very difficult (running the lines on the side of the building in molding, because the antenna'd go on the roof but the unit is several floors below), so I don't want to have to add lines later. I want to install HD in the living room, and have two other rooms wired (for a total of 3 receivers). I also want an OTA antenna. The DTV deal is 4 lines for $299. Extra lines are $175 each from the installer. Should I get 5 or 6 lines? The installer was telling me it's a waste of $ to get more than 4 lines, but if I want to get a tivo on two of the receivers, don't I need 5 lines?? I really don't want to have to add lines at a later date. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!

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greywolf

· #2 · Feb 25, 2005

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...37#post5228837

The convention here is to use DTV for OTA digital television.

Echostar(Dish Network)=E*

DirecTV=D*

Voom=V*

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Rick_R

· #3 · Feb 25, 2005

I was looking at new houses recently in the $900,000 range. They listed the family room as TiVo ready (for $500 extra). for this they had 3 RG6 cables going to the family room and wiring for 5 speakers. I presumed the 3 RG6 cables were 2 for dual tuner satellite and one OTA cable.

So this is what an entertainment room needs. Add this to your other rooms.

Rick R

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howiem98

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 25, 2005

Thanks to all the responders. Upon further investigation it seems like I need seven lines. Three lines will go to the living room, where I'll have an HD receiver (1 line) and for $99, a non-HD Tivo (2 lines). Each of the two bedrooms will have two lines each, so I can have a non-HD receiver and a separate Tivo in each. At some point I'd upgrade the 2 non-HD receivers to HD. At that point if I wanted Tivo on those two sets, I'd guess I'd have to get an integrated HD receiver that records Tivo in HD in each bedroom (in order to use only two lines per bedroom), but by that time the price of the HD Tivo would I assume be much lower than the current $999 price.... Ideally, right now I'd like to get 7 lines installed but only hook up the Tivo in the living room, instead of paying $99 a piece for 2 extra Tivos in the bedrooms. Maybe later I'd get the 2 extra Tivos. But D* won't pay for a 7 line install (only 5 lines), unless I order the two extra Tivos at $99 each. (My installer would charge $175 each for lines 6 and 7 if I didn't get the Tivos.) So I guess I need to order all 3 Tivos now in order to get the 7 lines included in the cost of the install. Thanks for your help, and if you have further suggestions, please let me know.

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Karyk

· #5 · Feb 25, 2005

I'd say at least 6 lines, three of which will be of a material not yet invented. This will future-proof your setup when DirecTV adds new channels and requires that you add your 4th, 5th and 6th dishes to continue to receive all the channels.

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greywolf

· #6 · Feb 25, 2005

If you go to 7 lines, be aware that they won't go to the dish. The dish only has four outputs. You'll need to add a 4x8 multiswitch for Sat only or a 5x8 for Sat and OTA. The multiswitch will get four lines from the dish and one from the antenna for OTA. The multiswitch would be installed in the condo and the seven lines would connect to the multiswitch's outputs. It's looking like the new dishes for will only require one line instead of the present four so 4 or 5 with OTA from the dish to an indoor multiswitch ought to do the trick.

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