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Warlock!
02-20-04, 12:19 PM
I have a DirecTV dish (dual LBN, LNB - whatever it's called). I have a regular DirecTV receiver and a dual-tuner DirecTivo receiver. When I picked up the DirecTivo receiver a couple weeks ago I thought, "Heck... I don't need no stinking multi-switch! It won't be very often I'll wanna record something at the same time I'm watching something else!"

Well, now it seems that it happens all the fekking time. So, since one of the cables off the dish goes to my regular DirecTV receiver, I guess I'll have to get a multi-switch for the line coming in to the DirecTivo to activate both tuners in the receiver. Now, I'm already paying $4.99/mo for one extra reciever. Does DirecTV charge another $4.99/mo for a line split by a multi-switch to feed the dual-tuner DirecTivo receiver?

I'm a cheap bastard by trade... another $4.99 (that's a six-pack in Layman's terms) takes my TV bill above $50/month (I don't care how much you pay each month for TV... $50 is my cutoff point for at least a few years yet).

So... am I screwed?

(I guess that wasn't such a quick question after all)

Winter Warlock!

WickerBill
02-20-04, 12:24 PM
No, DTV charges per access card, not per line. Therefore, your DTivo has two cable inputs but only one card; therefore it is one charge.

Multiswitches for DTV are typically 2x4 or 2x8 -- your dual LNB has two cables coming from it. They would go into the 2 part of the multiswitch, and then each output is a standard 1:1 ratio with the tuners in your house. So 2 outputs for your Tivo, and one per standard receiver.

Just got my second Tivo yesterday. Tivo in the bedroom. Remind me to tell you all my horror story from yesterday. Ugh.

WB

Foxman
02-20-04, 12:27 PM
Hey brutha, they don't charge you any more money for running a multiswitch.. Honestly they have no way of knowing whether or not you are running one..

Warlock!
02-20-04, 01:06 PM
Ya see? This is what I thought. Stone-headed punk at Best Buy, anyhow... [whiney voice] "No... they're gonna charge you for how many lines you have coming in."

Now, 'Bill...


Multiswitches for DTV are typically 2x4 or 2x8 -- your dual LNB has two cables coming from it. They would go into the 2 part of the multiswitch, and then each output is a standard 1:1 ratio with the tuners in your house. So 2 outputs for your Tivo, and one per standard receiver.
Do you have to run both cables from the dish into the multi-switch? I'd have a helluva lot of extra cable to run (some of it in-wall) if I had to do that. I was hopin' I could just slap it on where it comes out of the wall jack right before the DirecTivo tuner.


Just got my second Tivo yesterday. Tivo in the bedroom. Remind me to tell you all my horror story from yesterday. Ugh.

WB
Do tell. If you do, I'll direct you to a thread at Crapwagon pointing out my stupidity...

KLang
02-20-04, 01:15 PM
I'll direct you to a thread at Crapwagon pointing out my stupidity...

Something to do with a smoke detector?? :laugh:

RacinM3
02-20-04, 01:51 PM
Do you have to run both cables from the dish into the multi-switch?

No.

Shoot.

Well, I'll look at mine tonight and get back to you.

I forget.

Turn7
02-20-04, 02:15 PM
You should be able to put a satsimm 1402 multiplexor at the dish end run a rg-8 A type 207.48 rated cable to another satsimm 1402 at the box end.

:p

tllips
02-20-04, 02:51 PM
[QUOTE=Warlock!]\

Do you have to run both cables from the dish into the multi-switch? I'd have a helluva lot of extra cable to run (some of it in-wall) if I had to do that. I was hopin' I could just slap it on where it comes out of the wall jack right before the DirecTivo tuner.

\QUOTE]

Both cables out of the LNB need to go into the inputs of the multiswitch. Mine is on my chimney right next to the dish. The switch locks one LNB on the odd channels and the other on the even channels. Then, each individual tuner can select (from the output side of the switch) either LNB. (It does this by sending a voltage on the line) This is also why each tuner must have its own line to the multiswitch output. I hope this helps.

tllips

Warlock!
02-20-04, 04:49 PM
I hope this helps.

Yes, it does, dammit. Even if it's not what I wanna hear...

Thx

Winter Warlock!