Dual Tuner, multiswitch, LNB question - newbie

[rfbluebird]

So, I have a pretty new dish, installed last year, I'm pretty sure it is the oval kind with 3 LNBs. I have an old SD TV and just got going with a R10 Directv receiver with the Tivo service.

This model is supposed to be dual tuner, but I only have the one cable from the dish down to where I have a coax nest that feeds the house. I only have one line connected to the dish.

Now, I read the FAQ's and figured I need a multi-switch, but do I need to have someone come and run another line from the dish? Any reason the installers would not have brought enough lines for me to do this?

I have bought a multi-switch from Radio Shack, they seemed to know what I needed, but it does not work right. I can get the model number, but it has 3 inputs, 2 for satellite (13 and 18?) and one for antenna, and four outputs.

The dish setup wizard has completed properly exactly once, and although I can see 3 satellites and most of the transponders on both tuners, usually it will give results like Sat B, can't see odd or sometimes it's even, sometimes one tuner can't see even, sometimes neither can see odd on A or C, it's just about random.

The one time it passed the setup I could actually record and see live tv on another channel, but soon enough I was seeing Searching for signal on Sat in 1 or 2 when I was on some channels.

I'm just confused now. I don't know what details would help figure this out, but I can get them.

[dishrich]

An ms is NOT going to help you at all - you need a separate line up to the dish to make the 2nd tuner work. (the dish ALREADY has one built in which has 4 outputs on itself, assuming you ARE correct about having the 3 LNB/oval dish)
Also, for a ms to work, it requires 4 lines from the dish to the ms, so you'd be better off just getting the 2nd line to the dish & taking the ms back.

[JimSpence]

As to why the installer only put in one line from the dish when the dish has four outputs? LAZY.

You need to have all four lines run from the dish to a common location. From there you run the lines to the receivers, two for the R10. If you don't need more than four lines, then you don't need a multiswitch. Then when you do, i needs to be the SW68.

[dishrich]

Then when you do, i needs to be the SW68.

He does NOT have HD, so any D* 4x8 switch in this case would suffice...

[JimSpence]

I was thinking of the future. Eventually, he'll want HD. :D

[dishrich]

I was thinking of the future. Eventually, he'll want HD. :D

Well, I was thinking of him being able to get a switch as cheap as possible. The legacy 4x8's have really come down in price & are about 1/2 of a WB68, & he could even "aquire" one that's being discarded... ;)
Since (most likely) if/when he upgrades to HD & DirecTV comes out, they'll have to replace his receivers, dish, AND switch, all for FREE. Let him get the more expensive stuff on DirecTV's dime... ;) ;)

BUT, since he ONLY has 1 Tivo, the switch is all a moot point anyway...

[beanbri]

Hi

OK I've read a few other posts, but still dont see/get what we need to do to get our DT Tivo to record 2 shows using Direct TV. We live in a 5th wheel. We have 2 cables going FROM the Satellite TO the outside panel where we have 3 inputs, 2 for Satellite and 1 for Cable.

So the 2 cables are going to each satellite input. We have 2 DT receivers, 1 for the LR and 1 for the BR.

Here's what we've done:
1. Hooked up without any splitter, we received all channels, but only one signal, then....
2. We went to Home Depot and bought a 2-way satellite digital cable splitter (5mhz-2.3ghz) because we heard this would solve the problem.
2. We ran the cable going from the wall in the LR to the Splitter > then one goin to the Tivo Box and the other going to the Direct TV receiver.

We now get ALL the channels (odd and even), but still only get one signal at a time, which means, if we're correct, we can't record 2 shows at once or record one and watch another.

Do we need a multiswitch?
If so, how/where do we hook it up? what combo?
What's the difference in a cable vs satellite input?

many thanks!!!

[classicsat]

Yes, you need a multiswitch.

Two or four lines from the dish to the multiswitch, multiswitch outputs to receiver inputs, two for the DVR.

[JimSpence]

Yes, you need a multiswitch in order to get all receivers working properly. But, if I read between the lines, you have standalone dual tuner TiVos. I believe these cannot control two DirecTV receivers to feed the dual inputs on the TiVo.

Please verify what equipment you have.