Dish Network & DirecTV Servicing

[seppuku-gb]

The setup you made up will work fine with a couple exceptions/tips.

If you order from a retailer chances are that you will not have dish network's installer's but the retailer's contractors. In general, they do a horrible job because Dish has a very intricate system compared to Direct.

I saw you mentioned seperators and diplexers. Unless you know exactly how to use those... don't.

Also, I would strongly suggest running new lines to the main three reciever locations. Dish's incoming SAT signal, assuming the installer will be using a dish1000 or 500+, will be upwards to 23ghz and I doubt your existing run will support that signal. You can examine you cable and the frequency range should be labeled somewhere on it - if not, its free with the install so have them run a new one.

Dish network has 32 different UHF address'. 612 recievers are UHF only, actually. To change the address of your UHF remote, you have to first turn on your reciever and TV, select any channel, hit "menu" "menu" and that should pop up an information screen with a number or two at the bottom (one number if its a 612, two if its a 722) Hold the "SAT" button until the top white buttons flash three times, then select any number between 01-16 (must type in 0 before single digits) then hit "#" "#". After the remote stops flashing hit "record" and you should see the number at the bottom change to the new number you programmed in. If all of your recievers are powered on while you are re-addressing your remotes, you have to unplug the UHF antenna on the back of the other recievers to avoiding changing them all together.

If you have the 722 setup in single mode (612 in default), the only output that is effected by the HD resolution changes are HDMI/component. So even if you tune to an HD channel, the other TVs piggybacking off the split coax will show a 480i picture.

Yes, a 612 will work on a SDTV, but I've never tried to run a long spool of Svideo/composite to another TV. There is no Coax out on a 612. It would probably be cheaper to grab a spare VCR or..... I forgot the name of the thing off the top of my head. Its something converter.... allows a composite/s video only device to convert to coax out, costs around $30 at any radioshack. Really, the only TV I'm not 100% positive will work in your setup is #3. If I may suggest, if you can't go to one of your other five TVs instead, maybe a family board game night or hiking trip is in order.

[_chuchu]

protip:

If you order from a retailer chances are that you will not have dish network's installer's but the retailer's contractors. In general, they do a horrible job because Dish has a very intricate system compared to Direct.

[Caiyuo]

In other words, call Dish directly to order service and pray it works out well? lol

[geno]

Thanks again seppuku. Haha yeah its a lot of TVs, but they don't actually see as much use as you might think. I mean most of the SDTVs were just our old main ones pushed off to new rooms when we got new TVs (ie kitchen & upstairs bedroom lol). We just got spoiled by having them there when we do want them, even if they are used pretty infrequently. Anyways, thanks again for all your advice. One more question, can probably be answered by anyone with Dish network, when is the last opportunity to cancel before being charged the cancellation fee (assuming I'm going w/ their 24 mo. contract)? If I call and order, am I stuck with it right then and there, or do I at least get to talk to the installation tech and make sure it will all work out alright first. I've been reading some nightmare stories about Dish Network's cancellation fee enforcement and I'd hate to have to pay $300 to cancel <one day into service if its not working out.

[seppuku-gb]

Once you sign the DHA and service agreement you're locked in. The odds of getting a nightmare install are pretty low. If you really want to get out of the agreement just keep calling in trouble calls until they fold under the impression that your system never works.