zsr22
Atlanta, GA
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Joined: 11/20/2007
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Alright, as it is now I have a single receiver with a normal dual LNB dish with DirecTV. I have about 40' of RG6 cable coming out of the dish/tripod that I hook up to the cable input in the RV electrical compartment. This has been sufficient for the past few years but I am really getting tired of going through the ropes of setting the dish up every time. So the thought of an automatic dish on the roof sounds appealing.
Now, here's the setup at the RV (I'm fine with every TV watching the same thing). The small CRT bedroom TV is very rarely used. The 20" living room CRT is used frequently but isn't the primary TV. The TV that is used the most is the 32" LCD that I use outside for tailgating. Right now, it just hooks up to a cable output that is in a nearby compartment. I'm obviously only getting standard definition on this TV (as well as all the others in the RV). However, with HD channels being added all the time, I'd like to get HD on the outside LCD as the picture is a bit grainy. Especially for the football games that are the sole purpose of why we're using the RV to begin with.
So my dilemma is this... Should I go for the convenience of an automatic roof dome dish to free me from having to set up a tripod dish every time? Or go for HD? I don't want to spend a lot of money on an HD roof dish since I'd have to rewire the whole RV. So I guess basically it comes down to how this configuration would work since I only need HD on the outside TV. What kind of dish would I need to receive HD? (3 LNB, 4 LNB, 5 LNB?) Would all the cables have to hook to the HD receiver or can I get away with hooking 1 into the RV for the SD TVs inside, and hooking the other 2,3, or 4 to the outside HD receiver?
Excuse my ignorance on the subject, the basic satellite setup I have with the RV is my only experience with dishes. I've never even had the opportunity to see what all is involved when it comes to HD programming and satellite service. Thanks!
Zack
1998 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 36WGS
Front Row Talladega Infield | ol' Kegerator | Our UGA Tailgate
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Tenn Stud
Northeast, TN
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Joined: 11/16/2004
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You can have as many LNB's as you want but, you will have to have a DTV receiver for each TV, If you want to watch different channels. Any of the tv's will receive the signal if the TV is HD equipped then you will get an HD signal. If they are not equipped for HD you will still be able to see the same picture just not in HD. I doubt if 1 receiver can be split off to 3 or 4 times due to the output signal and audio driver within the receiver
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fpresto
Maryland
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Joined: 08/01/2007
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1st to get HD you will need the 5 LNB dish there are a few HD channels than can be received with the older 3 LNB but they will soon be phased out.
2nd with the new DVR receivers, HR-20 or HR-21, you can get two outputs from the receiver. The HDMI and Component Video are both active in HD at the same time. In my unit I run the component video to my main tv and ran a 30 ft HDMI cable to the bedroom TV. Of course both TVs get the same channel.
The Slimline (5 lnb) dish is considerably bigger than the older oval DLNB dish that you use now and is harder to align and store. Additionally your tripod takes a 1 5/8 inch pipe while the slimline needs 2 inch pipe so you existing tripod may not work. You will need two RG 6 cable if you go with the DVR. You can run one cable inside for the SD and another one or two, if a DVR, outside for the HD. You can run a total of 4 cables from the Slimline which will get you up to 4 tuners, any combination of SD or HD.
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zsr22
Atlanta, GA
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So even HD receivers only need one cable (RG6) input from the satellite dish?
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zsr22
Atlanta, GA
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fpresto wrote:1st to get HD you will need the 5 LNB dish there are a few HD channels than can be received with the older 3 LNB but they will soon be phased out.
2nd with the new DVR receivers, HR-20 or HR-21, you can get two outputs from the receiver. The HDMI and Component Video are both active in HD at the same time. In my unit I run the component video to my main tv and ran a 30 ft HDMI cable to the bedroom TV. Of course both TVs get the same channel.
The Slimline (5 lnb) dish is considerably bigger than the older oval DLNB dish that you use now and is harder to align and store. Additionally your tripod takes a 1 5/8 inch pipe while the slimline needs 2 inch pipe so you existing tripod may not work. You will need two RG 6 cable if you go with the DVR. You can run one cable inside for the SD and another one or two, if a DVR, outside for the HD. You can run a total of 4 cables from the Slimline which will get you up to 4 tuners, any combination of SD or HD. So I could get the 5 LNB dish, run one cable to the RV input for the 2 inside TVs (connected to the basic receiver) and run one cable directly from the dish to the HD receiver I would have to get for the outside?
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samert
Rockford, MI
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Joined: 03/02/2003
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zsr22 wrote:So I could get the 5 LNB dish, run one cable to the RV input for the 2 inside TVs (connected to the basic receiver) and run one cable directly from the dish to the HD receiver I would have to get for the outside?
This is exactly how my stick house is setup. I have one regular receiver upstairs to the old CRT TV and downstairs in the rec room is the HD receiver for the 54" flat screen projection TV.
My RV is setup exactly like yours is now but all my TV's are new LCD's with built in HD receivers. I don't get HD thru the dish but I get great local HD reception thru the RV batwing antenna.
Steve
1996 American Tradition
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mpmeisch
Aurora, IL
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Just a quick add-on to Hr20 & HR21 HD DVRs, You can output to 4 TVs with one box. All connections on the back are active. You have HDMI, Component, S-Video, and composite also, if you use a RF convertor you can output to a coax to send through your video selector to output to the 2 other TVs. Another nice thing on the HR20 & HR21 is they include an RF remote so your box can be in the rig and you can change the channels outside. Its too bad that the 5 LNB auto roof dish is so expensive, $1600-$1900. But if you can swing it, its the only way to go. The 5 LNB on a tripod would require way too many adjustments to be worth setting up unless you were parking for over a week. Definitely not worth it for a tailgate.
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zsr22
Atlanta, GA
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mpmeisch wrote:Just a quick add-on to Hr20 & HR21 HD DVRs, You can output to 4 TVs with one box. All connections on the back are active. You have HDMI, Component, S-Video, and composite also, if you use a RF convertor you can output to a coax to send through your video selector to output to the 2 other TVs. Another nice thing on the HR20 & HR21 is they include an RF remote so your box can be in the rig and you can change the channels outside. Its too bad that the 5 LNB auto roof dish is so expensive, $1600-$1900. But if you can swing it, its the only way to go. The 5 LNB on a tripod would require way too many adjustments to be worth setting up unless you were parking for over a week. Definitely not worth it for a tailgate. That's what I was afraid of. Even though I complain about having to set up my current dish, it's really not that hard to find the signal. It's more of a convenience factor of not having to drag it out and put it away every time.
Also, dumb question but what are all these people doing with their basic auto dishes when they upgrade to an HD dish?
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HSIKES
Wilmington,NC
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Joined: 12/02/2007
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Don't forget the most important part.
You have to pay the piper in order to receive HD from Direct TV. Another $9.95 a month.
Horace & Bobbi
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fpresto
Maryland
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zsr22 wrote:Also, dumb question but what are all these people doing with their basic auto dishes when they upgrade to an HD dish?
I personally have a couple old dishes in my basement and probably at least one other in my garage. I know of no real use for an old dish. I did read once that a guy made one into a WiFi antenna. I may play around with that sometime.
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