Weird Installation Question

[cfox]

I recently upgraded to HD with a used HR10-250 and a new Samsung LN-T4061 LCD. I had DirecTv replace my dish with a 3LNB to take advantage of the HD sat channel. Although everything works I can't believe the dish was wired correctly as the installers looked as though they'd have a tough time figuring out which side of the ladder to climb. At first they installed a single pair of coax cables to the dish and then to a powered multiswitch ( I am adding the HR10-250 to my existing non-HD DVR and a single channel DirecTv box). This set up did not work. It was at this point the installer "remembered" that the HD DVR box needed a direct feed from the dish. So they ran another pair of coax from the dish direct to the HR10-250 leaving the other two lines going to the multiswitch. Is this really the way the 3LNB dish is supposed to be wired or did the installers just have the wrong multiswitch in the truck and this was a workaround? I can't complain too much as things work, but if I don't need the extra cables running down the side of my house. Any real installers out there?

[rminsk]

If you need a multiswitch all four lines from the dish need to go to the multiswitch. You only need the multiswitch if you need more than four lines. How do installers get away with this? Call up DirecTV and report the installation company.

[Matt L]

Most of the old 3 LNB dishes, except for the very early ones, had a switch built in. That would have to be the case for you. The HD TiVos would not be able to receive the signal from all SATs if they did not have a switch combining the separate LNB feeds. Your other receivers should be connect directly to the dish.

Now, it sounds like you need 5 feeds, 2 HD TiVo, 2 SD tivo, 1 receiver, in that case you do need a switch, but as rminsk stated all four feeds must go to that switch. Look at the switch, does it have inputs for the 4 feeds? If so then it's just a matter of rerouting the feeds and connections.