Considering switch to Dishnetwork, please help...?

[PGPfan]

Hi Guys,

My Sage server is a 2.2G Celeron, 200G hardrive, etc. I have a USB-UIRT (multi-zone enabled) that I can use. No viewing is done through the server (I can hide it away in a closet).

My question is: What is the maximum number of Dishnetwork recievers that I can run with the hardware I have?

I have 5 tuners but, I'm concerned about the IR control of the Dish recievers.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

-PGPfan

[aperry]

Assuming you could figure out how to do it, I believe the Dish Network receivers support up to 16 addresses, so in theory, you could have 16 units in your house.

[SHS]

Yup up 16 adress and you don't need to worry about zone support.

[insomniac]

Just stack your boxes on top of each other , slap the UIRT in front of them, and assign different remote codes to them. Thats it!

Only caveat is that its much slower than Serial control..

Originally Posted by PGPfan

Hi Guys,

My Sage server is a 2.2G Celeron, 200G hardrive, etc. I have a USB-UIRT (multi-zone enabled) that I can use. No viewing is done through the server (I can hide it away in a closet).

My question is: What is the maximum number of Dishnetwork recievers that I can run with the hardware I have?

I have 5 tuners but, I'm concerned about the IR control of the Dish recievers.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

-PGPfan

[PGPfan]

Thanks Guys,

Looks like I'm heading for Dish!

-PGPfan

[zz5]

Doesn't Dish Network limit you to 4 receivers??

I don't have Dish Network, but I've read a lot about DirecTV and Dish Network, and there are many forum discussions in which people say they use DirecTV over Dish Network because you can have more than 4 receivers. And Dish Network itself says you can only have 4.

[insomniac]

i cannot see why that would be. You can cascade as many dp34 switches as you want. As far as them only installing 4 or less, i can see that. Dont just take my word on it, do some research..

I.

[SHS]

The the max per dish is 4 if you get basic Dish 500 kit after that you have start add-on switches and what ever do don't let them talk in to thoses dran DP322 dual tuner box's be sure you get Basic DP301 or DP311 Receiver.

DP34 switches just allow combines 3 orbital locations or DP44 switches just allow combines 4 orbital locations and both to power 4 Receiver Outputs and the if add more Box's you just need a second switches to feed up to 8 tuners or a 3rd to feed up to 12 tuners (max.).

[zz5]

My understanding of the problem is that Dish Network simply doesn't allow you to have more than 4 receivers on one account. It's not that you couldn't physically connect more if they'd let you.

Take at look at this page:
http://www.dishtv.com/terms_dha04.jsp

Its says: "Maximum of four total tuners per account."

Are sure that they will really let you get more than 4? Has anyone tried to get more than 4?

One of the big reasons I'd get DirecTV would so that I could get more receivers. Otherwise, I'd probably get Dish Network because they have the superstations (WB and UPN affiliates).

[insomniac]

would you really need more than 4 tuners if you had your entire house networked w/ sage and you had all 4 boxes hooked up to your sever streaming to your clients?

you can get MVP's dirt cheap these days!

Just a thought..

[zz5]

Yes, I would. If it was just me living alone, I wouldn't, but if you have other people who want to watch TV when something happens to be recording, 4 would go pretty fast. Let's say you have two rooms where someone might happen to be watching TV. That'd leave only 2 left to record. I would use the DVR's from Dish if I got Dish so I wouldn't have the loss in quality, and they can't stream. The 4-tuner limit isn't that big of deal to most people because, even with the proliferation of DVR's, most people watch everything live.

[stanger89]

Could you get 4 322's? (The second "zone" being RF would probably make that a problem.)

Just curious Dish users, is a phone connection required? I'm seriously considering getting Dish at my new place, but I don't plan on getting a local phone (cell only).

[SHS]

No a phone connection is not required unless want to use PerView channel other then you don't need it.

[stanger89]

I'm 99% sure I know the answer, but, is there any way to control more than 1 of the tuners on a 322 with a PC? The second tuner requires an RF remote right?

[aperry]

Originally Posted by SHS

No a phone connection is not required unless want to use PerView channel other then you don't need it.

Note though that on some receivers (I think the 522 was one of them) that Dish will charge you an additional $5.00 a month if you don't have it hooked to a phone line).

[blade]

I've been considering going to satellite as well, but was a little concerned with the initial cost and any additional fees I may not have noticed.

Does DirecTV and Dishnetwork charge an additional montly fee for each receiver you have? If so does anyone know how much?

I know with DirecTV new subscribers can sometimes get their dish and receivers for no charge. Does the Dishnetwork have something similar or would I have to purchase all the equipment myself?

[stanger89]

Right now, Dish is free (or $49 activation if you don't want to commit to 18 months) with free installation. Both seem to charge $5/month for each extra box, but Dish has the 322 dual-tuner boxen so you can get "4 rooms" for that $5 second box.

Of course unless there's an RF blaster to control the second tuner on the 322 (or it's IR-able) you can't use the second tuner (on the 322) with Sage.

DTV seems to require 3 extra boxes and $15/month (total) to get "4 rooms".

[cmaffia]

I have Dishnetwork and DirectTV on the same SageTV server (2 tuners)
Neither of them is hooked up to a analog phone and I have no issues

Originally Posted by stanger89

Could you get 4 322's? (The second "zone" being RF would probably make that a problem.)

Just curious Dish users, is a phone connection required? I'm seriously considering getting Dish at my new place, but I don't plan on getting a local phone (cell only).

[stanger89]

Anybody have any thoughts on using the second tuner on a 322?

[insomniac]

Do you know if the second tuner will accept an IR command instead of a RF command? If so, then we would know that it would be a simple solution. UIRT with different IR files...

otherwide, your going to have to get pretty creative

I.

Originally Posted by stanger89

Anybody have any thoughts on using the second tuner on a 322?