Cable TV and Satellite

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benmin

Senior Member
Location
Maine
Occupation
Master Electrician
What is the best way to wire a home that will be using both cable and satellite TV? I am using a media center and am familiar with distributing the cable signal but how will I also distribute the satellite signal?
 

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
IMO... if it were MY house, I would run to each TV location, 4 RG6 and at least 2 cat5e... The problem with satellite is that they can use TIVO, which uses two tuners, so they need two RG6, and then catv, which would use 1 RG6, the 4th would be a spare in case you wanted to send the satellite signal to another TV with one set top box... hope this helps...
 

360Youth

Senior Member
Location
Newport, NC
stickboy1375 said:
IMO... if it were MY house, I would run to each TV location, 4 RG6 and at least 2 cat5e... The problem with satellite is that they can use TIVO, which uses two tuners, so they need two RG6, and then catv, which would use 1 RG6, the 4th would be a spare in case you wanted to send the satellite signal to another TV with one set top box... hope this helps...


I agree with running extra wires to each box. I am at the point now where all new homes will have a rg-6 abd cat-5 home run at each location. Too much mind-changing of what goes where. Cost is not significant enough. Check the sat. set-up. I have a dual tuner Dish Neiwork and the cables go from dish to tuner box and then from there to secondary tv. Also, that run will not feed both sat and CATV. Each CATV box must have its own run. Like said above, don't forget your telephone for the sat. tuner.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
stickboy1375 said:
FYI, a phone connection is NOT required for satellite, it's just another "BIG BROTHER" scenario ... I refuse to hook mine up...
Same here. My DTV dual-tuner TiVo's haven't had a phone connection since I installed them. The one here in my office says that it hasn't mad a successful call 468 days.
 

jacobsond

Member
dual tuner dish net only requires 1 rg6 but it is best to run at least 2 rg6 coax cables. 4 may be alittle overkill,however Direct tv still requires 2 rg6 so 3 may be best. Of course you have to run cat 5 because while its not needed for phone it is likley cheaper than "real" phone wire.No phone line on Dish net dual tuner pay $5 per month extra.
 

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
I believe Dish Network Dual Tuner models have a 75-ohm modulated output for a second TV. In other words, one person can watch the channel of one tuner on the nearby TV and another person can watch another channel off the second tuner on a TV in another room.

In all, the ViP622 DVR model for instance, has four F-type jacks in the context of this thread: (1) Antenna/CATV In, (2) Satellite In, and (1) Channel 21-69 Output, running the last to remote TV or back to distribution center. In most multi-room setups, i.e. multiple satellite receivers, only one has dual tuner capabilty. However, that is regarding advertised setups. I'm fairly certain if a HO wants dual-tuner capability on all receivers it can be arranged... ($$$) :grin:
 

jacobsond

Member
when there is not enough cables you can use combiners and diplexers to join the needed signals in and out. So with only 2 cables I could have a dual tuner reciever and antenna connections then send the signal for output 2 to the rest of the house. It gets to be alot of connections but can be done.Having 3 or 4 RG6s would be better. Less chance for interference that way. But if its already in the wall you sometimes have to work with what you got.HD to tv 2 is still and issue I dont think there is a dual reciever will do that yet. Cat 5 can be used for hd with the proper equipment so really a phone line and a cat5 for later HD use might be wise on a new install
 

jacobsond

Member
DISH NET is a different system. They might look the same but there are differences. I install Dish Net so I know most of the tricks.We are going to get into Direct also when the paperwork is done. So Ill learn the tricks of direct also. Diplexers work good for joining the TV2 output with the incomming sat signal. I think diplexers dont work with off air HD stuff. If I rember right they block some of the freq range that off air HD is in
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
For TIVO you should run a CAT5e back to your computer router. Using a phone line to download the programming is archaic and who wants their phone line tied up for 30 minutes at a time. Not only that you may have to pay for the call.
 

360Youth

Senior Member
Location
Newport, NC
I think phone lines are required for pay-per-view. At least it used to. I was told to hook up the phone line for the dual tuner to avoid the extra charge. It is somehow their way of knowing that you are not sharing between 2 households.:rolleyes:
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
one other thought is to plan for a flat panel TV.
These are becomming more and more popular these day's. I like to install them no higher than you would a tv in an entertainment center.
I install all the media stuff in a closet or in another convient out of the way place. This makes for a clean install. If you do it this way you need to run a lot more wires
5 RG6 per component source
1 coax for CATV or Overtheair HD
extra cat 5 for future stuff like live streaming video over the internet.
1 HDMI cable You dont need the most expensive one...
There are certainly wire and wireless devices available but they can get quite expensive. It's best to put in extra coax and a large conduit to feed future wires.

Hope that is not too much to digest...
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
I really don't get the question. Why would somebody get cable and satellite? :confused:

What kind of house is it? Tract home, custom?

About the max I ever installed was 2 x RG-6 and 2 x Cat-5e to each location.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
some cable companies don't offer what you can get through a Satellite.
In my area you can only get HDTV through sattelite. If you want the local broadcast channels you need to have Cable.
Some people are willing to pay for both.

If you run all home runs to a central Structured media Cabinet
You can get by with two Rg6 to each location You then can choose Cable or SAt from there.

As far a wiring for Media Center you should plan enough cables for Component HDTV or HDMI
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
Unless you want to make your own ends on the HDMI cable, a 2" conduit from the receiver location to the TV location would be a good idea. 2" is big enough to get a premanufactured cable end from point A to B.

In my area you can only get HDTV through sattelite.
I've heard there is a mandate out there for all companies to have HDTV available by...2010? Some time in the near future.

Broadcast TV has not had an upgrade in over 50 years, the LV guru in my area was all abuzz about the news.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
yea there supposed to go HD by 2009..
Most big cities are already HD
Small cable companies are un affected from what I 've been told.
they could delay past 2009..
It's the Broadcast over the air that the FCC want's HD.. FCC want to sell the unused frequencies for othe communications. Digital Broadcast can supply I think 3 channels in the same space as 1 Analog signal.
 

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
georgestolz said:
Unless you want to make your own ends on the HDMI cable, a 2" conduit from the receiver location to the TV location would be a good idea. 2" is big enough to get a premanufactured cable end from point A to B.


I've heard there is a mandate out there for all companies to have HDTV available by...2010? Some time in the near future.

Broadcast TV has not had an upgrade in over 50 years, the LV guru in my area was all abuzz about the news.


They are NOT mandating HD television, only DIGITAL television, they are completely different....
 

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
georgestolz said:
I really don't get the question. Why would somebody get cable and satellite? :confused:

What kind of house is it? Tract home, custom?

About the max I ever installed was 2 x RG-6 and 2 x Cat-5e to each location.


George you have dial up internet, of course you are confused... :grin: I have both... This is a picture of my basement Mech. Rm....

Picture001.jpg
 
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