Same cable for OTA and satellite?!? (1 Viewer)

[David_Schiller]

Dishmaster is installing a DirecTV system for me Saturday. I'm getting a 3-room, 2 receiver install (3rd will be imaged off one of the receivers). One of the receivers will be a Zenith DTV1080 which will arrive soon. The other will be a Hughes Exec Director Pack from Dishmaster. They are also installing an OTA antenna so I can get HD on local channels. If my reception is good with the OTA antenna, I might even cancel the $6/month I currently plan to pay for local channels off the satellite. Here's my question: the salesperson said they would tie the satellite cable and OTA cable to the same cable coming into the three rooms. This didn't pass the "smell right" test with me, as I envisioned having two separate inputs on the receiver boxes and perhaps an Ant A-B switch for the cables going directly into my 3rd TV. I thought having separate cables might be better for operating picture-in-picture and perhaps VCR recording. So I told Dishmaster to plan on routing a separate cable network off the OTA antenna. Am I doing the right thing? I don't see how only one cable input for both the Sat and the OTA antenna could work.

-David

 

[Eric S M]

Dave,
I don't know about your specific situation, but I just had a bad experience with multiplexing OTA and dish signals into one cable into the home.
I imagine they use a diplexer to combine the OTA and dish signals and then use another diplexer once the cable gets into the home to split the signal into two again.
However, if they do diplex the signals, be sure you can still receive the 119 sat for HDNET. For some reason on my setup, this diplexing made the sat receiver unable to switch the multi-switch on the oval dish to the 119 sat.
Strange, I know. I don't understand either, but that's what happened.
Please see my thread here on the issue.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=38629
Regards,
Eric

 

[David_Schiller]

Eric,

Thanks for sharing your bad experience with diplexing. Dishmaster probably just wants to save money by not having to supply a lot of cable or drill through walls. However, I believe they can run cable along the trim and gutters of my house, plus walls can be drilled in the bottom corner of the rooms so it will look fine.

In thinking about it some more, I'm realizing that having separate cables will not change the fact that I won't be able to have pics-in-pics without a second receiver in the room...too bad.

-David

 

[DarrellP]

On the other hand, Dave, lots of people use diplexers with no problem. Just make sure they install a hefty looking pair, not these cheapos that look like a 2/1 cable splitter. I bought mine at Rat Shack for $28/pr and they work great.