DirecTV Installation
- Thread starter DaisyDuke
- Start date
DEEKAYPEE8569
Well-Known Member
I'm sure DirecTV would explain all that's involved in the installation; but I bet drilling into the shingles/roof, or drilling into the walls are likely; to mount the dish. After the installation; if you want to re-route the wiring, they might give you enough extra to work with. Whatever's involved, I'd count on taking a day off work; just like getting the cable guy to hook you up; but instead it's satellite. The both drive vans/trucks and need somebody to sign paperwork.
thurley42
HY;FR
they might drill holes in your backdoor....
Beta
Smile!
Step 1 - dish installation (this can take an hour or so)
Step 2 - install any additional cables that may be needed, depending on how many boxes/hookups you want. This is the cables from the dish to the interface of your house (this doesn't take too long)
Step 3 - add cables to any rooms that need them. IF you are only getting a basic box, then they should be able to "turn on" the correct boxes, so long as you have a cable hookup in the room. HOWEVER, if you're getting something like DVR, one thing they always fail to mention is that you need 2 cables that go to the DVR, meaning 2 cables in a specific room (being right near each other is ideal since the cables have to run to the same box). (this is probably the one that could take awhile, which is why they have such a large variation in time. it depends on how accessible the rooms are)
Step 4 - configure your dish and the boxes (IF IT WORKS, it won't take too long)
When I added DVR, they had to install additional lines into the rooms I wanted to have the DVR capability in. It's ridiculous -- it's one major reason why satellite is freaking stupid and cable is superior. Luckily for me, the room I wanted DVR in was on the outer wall that had the feed coming into the house, so instead of adding a bunch of cables and routing it around my house, they just drilled a wall into my house and straight into the room that needed it.
You'd think they'd find a better way to handle this crap. Oh and maybe they'd be up front with their customers about all of the requirements.
DaisyDuke
Member
Step 1 - dish installation (this can take an hour or so)
Step 2 - install any additional cables that may be needed, depending on how many boxes/hookups you want. This is the cables from the dish to the interface of your house (this doesn't take too long)
Step 3 - add cables to any rooms that need them. IF you are only getting a basic box, then they should be able to "turn on" the correct boxes, so long as you have a cable hookup in the room. HOWEVER, if you're getting something like DVR, one thing they always fail to mention is that you need 2 cables that go to the DVR, meaning 2 cables in a specific room (being right near each other is ideal since the cables have to run to the same box). (this is probably the one that could take awhile, which is why they have such a large variation in time. it depends on how accessible the rooms are)
Step 4 - configure your dish and the boxes (IF IT WORKS, it won't take too long)
When I added DVR, they had to install additional lines into the rooms I wanted to have the DVR capability in. It's ridiculous -- it's one major reason why satellite is freaking stupid and cable is superior. Luckily for me, the room I wanted DVR in was on the outer wall that had the feed coming into the house, so instead of adding a bunch of cables and routing it around my house, they just drilled a wall into my house and straight into the room that needed it.
You'd think they'd find a better way to handle this crap. Oh and maybe they'd be up front with their customers about all of the requirements.
Stupid question....if I already have cable hookups in the rooms where I want the boxes, they shouldn't need to install anything in the rooms? Except where I want DVR capability?
Be patient with me, I'm slow.
Beta
Smile!
Stupid question....if I already have cable hookups in the rooms where I want the boxes, they shouldn't need to install anything in the rooms? Except where I want DVR capability?
Be patient with me, I'm slow.
If you already have TV coax cables in the rooms you want, then you're probably fine for standard install. Howver, if you're installing a box that uses the DVR capability, you need *2* cables in that room, which isn't standard in most homes. That is, unless something has changed with their DVRs in the past year, which is always possible.
They should scout things out when they show up.
vkowens
New Member
If you are having them install an HD Slimline dish, then only one line will be required for DVR capabilities. An amplifier box will be plugged in near the main DVR and the satellite feed fed through it. However, if you don't have the HD service, you would more than likely need the two line setup for the DVR.
Beta
Smile!
extra cable? are you talking about a longer cable if you want to move it to someplace further away from the wall coax? If so, those are incredibly cheap, so it would seem trivial. Maybe I'm not following?
vkowens -- so if you get HD you only need 1 jack? wow. how is it that the service that you'd think would require more data needs less hardware? unbelievable. it sounds like they're just lazy.
Chris0nllyn
Well-Known Member
Depends where the SAT is.
Could be on your roof (but DTV guys avoid that like the plague), could be mounted to the side of your house (likely), could be pole mounted in your front yard.
They will mount the Sat. Then run cables from there to a distribution box. If all your cables in your house run to one spot, they should mount the box there, and hook up all your existing cables. With that being said, if you have an older house, it may have RG-59 cable in it, and not RG-6 which is what they use. The older cable is smaller and has less insulation, and could give you issues with HD channels.
getbent
Thats how them b*tch's R
Yes, sorry longer. I guess you could buy extra to connect it to the existing cable. With my luck though, if there was an issue they'd say I'd have to pay since that's not their cable. They used to just give you a ton extra.
Chris0nllyn
Well-Known Member
Stupid question....if I already have cable hookups in the rooms where I want the boxes, they shouldn't need to install anything in the rooms? Except where I want DVR capability?
Be patient with me, I'm slow.
The new boxes use only 1 wire. You'll be fine.
The older boxes with dual tuner DVRs used siamese coax cables. They don't need those anymore.
That is, of course, if they aren't a DirecTV contractor with old equipment on their truck.
My advice, stay home and watch them like a hawk. They get paid per install, and like to do things fast, rather than right, or asthetically pleasing.
Chris0nllyn
Well-Known Member
Lengths of cable should come with the set top boxes.
You only need one coax line for a DVR, but they will have to install a SWM switch.
Chris0nllyn
Well-Known Member
I thought the SWM was for installations where a new HD Sat was installed and only had one coax going from the Sat to the multiswitch.
It allows you to use one coax line for dual channels for the DVR.
Chris0nllyn
Well-Known Member
Not for your boxes though. It puts the Ka and Ku bands (that would normallty have a single coax each from teh LNB to the multiswitch) into a single coax.
Besides, they started using single wire LNBs back in 2008. So, chances are, the OP will get a new, single wire LNB, and it's a non-issue.
Chris0nllyn
Well-Known Member
Was it installed after they rolled out the new LNBs in 08?
Not sure.