I currently have 4 UTV's on one 8 port multiswitch, I am trying to add two more UTV's. Can I take two lines from the 8 port switch and bring those to another 8 port switch? for a total of 14 ports between the two multiswitches? Or do I need to buy a 16 port switch fed directly from the dual LNB.
Multi Multiswitches?
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Hi, nomax,
I did the same thing you did. I had a 5x8 multiswitch feeding four UTVs. I wanted to add another, as well as a feed for an HDTV antenna. At the same time, I was changing my dish to an 18x24 elliptical with three LNBs. The choice was to add another 5x8 and cascade it using SAT splitters capable of passing the required 22kHz tone, or get an expensive 5x16 switch.
What I did was take advantage of a DirecTV promotion. Since I had TC Premier, I could add a DirecTivo without having to pay the Tivo subscription fee (normally 4.99 a month). DTV had, and still has, a promotion to buy a DirecTivo unit directly from them for $199 plus $25 shipping, and they will install the unit for you, including any needed lines AND multiswitch. IOW, whatever it takes to get it running is included in the $199. It took the installer quite a while to get this all installed, and all I paid was the $199+.
Here's the link for the above deal.
For more information on multiswitches, etc., unixadm, one of the Tivo community moderator, has an excellent tutorial about this here .
I still like my UTVs better than the DirecTivo, but for $200 installed, I couldn't pass up the deal. Since I'm not crazy about the Tivo interface, I mostly use it to record movies. I leave the everyday recording to my UTVs.
Kevin
I did the same thing you did. I had a 5x8 multiswitch feeding four UTVs. I wanted to add another, as well as a feed for an HDTV antenna. At the same time, I was changing my dish to an 18x24 elliptical with three LNBs. The choice was to add another 5x8 and cascade it using SAT splitters capable of passing the required 22kHz tone, or get an expensive 5x16 switch.
What I did was take advantage of a DirecTV promotion. Since I had TC Premier, I could add a DirecTivo without having to pay the Tivo subscription fee (normally 4.99 a month). DTV had, and still has, a promotion to buy a DirecTivo unit directly from them for $199 plus $25 shipping, and they will install the unit for you, including any needed lines AND multiswitch. IOW, whatever it takes to get it running is included in the $199. It took the installer quite a while to get this all installed, and all I paid was the $199+.
Here's the link for the above deal.
For more information on multiswitches, etc., unixadm, one of the Tivo community moderator, has an excellent tutorial about this here .
I still like my UTVs better than the DirecTivo, but for $200 installed, I couldn't pass up the deal. Since I'm not crazy about the Tivo interface, I mostly use it to record movies. I leave the everyday recording to my UTVs.
Kevin
The one in the bathroom is indespensible! 
I actually just bought a third unit for my daughter for her birthday. I was getting tired of her filling up my unit with her stuff. It won't be upgraded, though, and will only have one tuner activated as I don't feel like running a second coax to her room yet. She will still love it.
I actually just bought a third unit for my daughter for her birthday. I was getting tired of her filling up my unit with her stuff. It won't be upgraded, though, and will only have one tuner activated as I don't feel like running a second coax to her room yet. She will still love it.Hi Nomex,
You can also split the incoming satellite feeds to the mutiswitches to parrellel two multiswitches. You can use a satellite splitter that passes DC from only one multiswitch. Thus you take the four incoming feeds from the twin (or triple) LNB dish, and split to 8 to feed the two multiswitches. You can find the splitters at:
http://www.hometech.com/video/dssacc.html#VZF4F
The part number is PI-HFS2
This way you'd preserve all outputs of the multiswitches.
Hope this helps,
Bob
You can also split the incoming satellite feeds to the mutiswitches to parrellel two multiswitches. You can use a satellite splitter that passes DC from only one multiswitch. Thus you take the four incoming feeds from the twin (or triple) LNB dish, and split to 8 to feed the two multiswitches. You can find the splitters at:
http://www.hometech.com/video/dssacc.html#VZF4F
The part number is PI-HFS2
This way you'd preserve all outputs of the multiswitches.
Hope this helps,
Bob
Rsandor,
So basically you are saying to take the two leads from the dual LNB and get two of the PI-HFS2's, hook those up and run the 4 cables to the two 8 port multiswitches? Is that correct?
Kevin, I appreciate your TIVO idea, but I had allready bought two more UTV's this past weekend.
Nomax
So basically you are saying to take the two leads from the dual LNB and get two of the PI-HFS2's, hook those up and run the 4 cables to the two 8 port multiswitches? Is that correct?
Kevin, I appreciate your TIVO idea, but I had allready bought two more UTV's this past weekend.
Nomax
Yes nomax,
Sorry, in previous post I though you were running a 24" dish with the two/three satellite option. If you are only running a single, dual output LNB then all you need are the two splitters. You run each output of the LNB into a splitter and get the four outputs for the mutiswitches.
The splitter will only pass DC from one multiswitch, so I would tend to use the same multiswtich to power each splitter (there is a label on the splitter which shows which unit is providing the DC power).
-Bob
Sorry, in previous post I though you were running a 24" dish with the two/three satellite option. If you are only running a single, dual output LNB then all you need are the two splitters. You run each output of the LNB into a splitter and get the four outputs for the mutiswitches.
The splitter will only pass DC from one multiswitch, so I would tend to use the same multiswtich to power each splitter (there is a label on the splitter which shows which unit is providing the DC power).
-Bob
I'm using that exact setup (dual lnb with output split to two multi-switches) and have not had any problems. It allowed me to upgrade and add UTVs without having to toss my existing multi-switch or having to purchase an expensive 12 or 16 output multi-switch.
As far as "do we need all of these" the obvious answer is "no".
I don't really need 5 UTVs anymore than I need more than one computer, or need to modulate and distribute the feeds all over the house. Sometimes I do it just to see if I can.
That's what makes this stuff so fun, and makes this forum such a great place!
Chas.
As far as "do we need all of these" the obvious answer is "no".
I don't really need 5 UTVs anymore than I need more than one computer, or need to modulate and distribute the feeds all over the house. Sometimes I do it just to see if I can.
That's what makes this stuff so fun, and makes this forum such a great place!
Chas.
Quote:
I have one in the den, one in my son's room, two UTVs and a DirecTivo (and a Samsung HDTV receiver) in the home theater room. If they ever allow networking of these devices, I won't need as many. In the HT room, I really don't need six inputs to record at once. However, I have found many times where two inputs isn't enough.
One of the units (in the den) has about 50 hours of Golf Academy archived on it. This way I can review lessons for different parts of my game whenever I need it.
Kevin
| Originally posted by clip Why do you guys have so many UTVs? Clip |
One of the units (in the den) has about 50 hours of Golf Academy archived on it. This way I can review lessons for different parts of my game whenever I need it.
Kevin
Quote:
It's still not a bad idea, since a powered multi-switch is about a $100+, the splitters are around $8 or so, plus the cable. You get all this, installation, and a DirecTivo for $200 plus shipping. You could activate the DirecTivo for a day, deactivate a day later, and sell it on eBay for $200 to $300.
Kevin
P.S. One point to consider. Taking advantage of this deal requires an additional one-year committment to TotalChoice or better.
| Originally posted by nomax Kevin, I appreciate your TIVO idea, but I had allready bought two more UTV's this past weekend. Nomax |
Kevin
P.S. One point to consider. Taking advantage of this deal requires an additional one-year committment to TotalChoice or better.
Kevin,
I thought whenever we added an additional unit, that particular unit required a one year commitment. I ask because when I added the two additional UTV's I bought this weekend, a web page opened that specifically stated that I was requred to keep that unit "activated" for 1 year. But it seems you are saying that you just have to keep your "account" active for an additional year, not the specific unit?
I thought whenever we added an additional unit, that particular unit required a one year commitment. I ask because when I added the two additional UTV's I bought this weekend, a web page opened that specifically stated that I was requred to keep that unit "activated" for 1 year. But it seems you are saying that you just have to keep your "account" active for an additional year, not the specific unit?
It's not exactly what the agreement says. Right from their web site:
By activating your receiver, you are committing to a one-year subscription (12 consecutive months) of any TOTAL CHOICE® package or OPCIÓN EXTRA ESPECIAL® package (valued at $33.99 per month or above) or Phoenix TV package. If your account is downgraded below TOTAL CHOICE, OPCÃON EXTRA ESPECIAL® or Phoenix TV programming, disconnected or terminated before you meet your one-year service commitment, you agree that DIRECTV may charge you a pro-rated fee of up to $150 depending upon the timing of such action.
As you can see, it's only necessary to maintain a certain level of programming, not a given number of receivers. I've added and deleted a lot of receivers over the last year and a half and have never had a problem. In fact, I added a new HDVR2 DirecTivo that I received under the DTV Protection Plan to replace my T60 that died. I activated the new unit online last night, and since I haven't found a way to deactivate a unit online, I just called DTV to delete the defective unit. The CSR did it 1-2-3 and made no mention of the one-year commitment.
Kevin
By activating your receiver, you are committing to a one-year subscription (12 consecutive months) of any TOTAL CHOICE® package or OPCIÓN EXTRA ESPECIAL® package (valued at $33.99 per month or above) or Phoenix TV package. If your account is downgraded below TOTAL CHOICE, OPCÃON EXTRA ESPECIAL® or Phoenix TV programming, disconnected or terminated before you meet your one-year service commitment, you agree that DIRECTV may charge you a pro-rated fee of up to $150 depending upon the timing of such action.
As you can see, it's only necessary to maintain a certain level of programming, not a given number of receivers. I've added and deleted a lot of receivers over the last year and a half and have never had a problem. In fact, I added a new HDVR2 DirecTivo that I received under the DTV Protection Plan to replace my T60 that died. I activated the new unit online last night, and since I haven't found a way to deactivate a unit online, I just called DTV to delete the defective unit. The CSR did it 1-2-3 and made no mention of the one-year commitment.
Kevin
Sounds good to me, maybe I read more into the 1 year commitment than was in writing. I also have the DTV Protection Plan, are you saying that if our UTV receivers die they wont replace them but offer a substitute? Did they give you an option as to the substitute? In this case it sounds like you mentioned a TIVO unit as a replacement, how do the handle the monthly charges, do you have to pay both the UTV and TIVO charges since you no have a mixed bag of receivers?
The new Tivo I received replaced the one Tivo I had. I don't know what will happen if one of my UTVs die. If they don't have any to cross-ship, I may have to send it in for repair.
One of the reasons I added the Tivo is because of the $199 deal I told you about that included installation. Also, since I have Total Choice Premier, the Tivo DVR service is free.
BTW, an even better offer on the DirecTivo is now available to existing customers. Check it out here and type in code FFDVR. You can now get the deal for $159.00 plus tax and $24.95 shipping. This includes installation and any multiswitch needed.
Kevin
One of the reasons I added the Tivo is because of the $199 deal I told you about that included installation. Also, since I have Total Choice Premier, the Tivo DVR service is free.
BTW, an even better offer on the DirecTivo is now available to existing customers. Check it out here and type in code FFDVR. You can now get the deal for $159.00 plus tax and $24.95 shipping. This includes installation and any multiswitch needed.
Kevin
So KevinL what exactly did the installer give you with this deal from DTV?. An expensive 5/12 or 16 multiswitch or two 5/8s in parallel?. Also when you upgrade to the elliptical dish and need more than four outputs for your receivers do you bypass the integrated 4X4 multiswitch that comes with these dishes?.
The installer ran two new leads from the roof (actually 3, I had him run one for the HDTV OTA antenna), one 5x8 switch (I had one already) and the splitters needed to combine the two multiswitches.
When I ordered the elliptical dish, I made sure I got the old one that has the separate SAT C LNB. The old dish allows you to bypass the 4x4. The new ones have it built in. I think there's a way to use it, but it's more complicated.
I tried to get them to give me a 5x16, but they wouldn't go for it.
When I ordered the elliptical dish, I made sure I got the old one that has the separate SAT C LNB. The old dish allows you to bypass the 4x4. The new ones have it built in. I think there's a way to use it, but it's more complicated.
I tried to get them to give me a 5x16, but they wouldn't go for it.
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