DSTV HD PVR on single lnb

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Tim182

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I am trying to find out some info about running the HD PVR (view one, record 2) off a single lnb. I have been searching in this forum and elsewhere for answers but nothing concret.

I know the HD PVR needs a dual lnb. But I have heard one can trick the PVR into booting and running by splitting the single lnb into 4 and connecting those 4 cables. Can anyone confirm this?

Then, once I have done this, what functionality exactly will I loose? I know about recording and extra view. But more importantly, will I still have able to watch all SS channels, MNET HD nd SS HD and is there any risk of the decoder malfunctioning?

Please no comments about how it is not worth it, installation is cheap, or easy, bla bla bla. I only want to watch those channels for the next 2 months and sell the decoder afterwards, installation of dual lnb is a hassle/ very expensive in my case.

Thanks in advance!
 
It works but you cant record, you wont get all the channels and I don't think you will get HD so you might as well just get a standard decoder...
 
The answer is you cannot view 1 & record 2 (you can't record nothing). You can however view 1 polarisation at a time.
The decoder will not work if you simply connect the single view lnb to input 1. You will need to put it through a multiswitch & then you can only view either V/H, meaning to get channels in one polarisation you got to constantly switch the lnb between V&H.

I had the same delusions of grandeur & after the body corp refused to let me run an second cable I have had to sell the HDPVR:(
 
Its unlikely to boot up with a single LNB, tuner 4 has TV guide data & is used for software downloads. On boot up it will try look for data on tuner 4, if it finds nothing at all there then it will probably give you an error. You could try booting it up with the LNB in tuner 4 & then moving the cable to tuner 1 after its booted.
What I have done to "trick" it is run the 1 cable thru a multiswitch so tuner 4 does get a data stream, downside is this is only getting either vertical or horizontal channels

If I was you I'd wait for the new HDPVR to come out, will be around the same price as this HiFi Corp special
Otherwise if you get this Pace go to Multichoice & get them to update the software for you seeing as you are unlikely to do it at home
 
I did it in my complex and connected the output to a 2x8 multiswitch in the vertical plug and 4 output from the multiswitch to the decoder. All the funtions worked on my decoder (Play record and pause and even upgrade) the only thing that would not work was the horixzntal channels, (Animax, E!, Mnet HD and discovery HD plus a few other channels)
 
Your solution is simple. Buy a SAT-CR LNB for about R700 from SpaceTV. This requires 1 cable from the LNB to the decoder and you get all functionality of PVR/HD etc...
 
Mike_De_Lange said:
Your solution is simple. Buy a SAT-CR LNB for about R700 from SpaceTV. This requires 1 cable from the LNB to the decoder and you get all functionality of PVR/HD etc...
Click to expand...

That would require a SAT-CR LNB on my complex's roof. Not sure if the body corporate and the other 100 apartments will be so happy about me changing the lnb...
 
Tim182 said:
I am trying to find out some info about running the HD PVR (view one, record 2) off a single lnb. I have been searching in this forum and elsewhere for answers but nothing concret.

I know the HD PVR needs a dual lnb. But I have heard one can trick the PVR into booting and running by splitting the single lnb into 4 and connecting those 4 cables. Can anyone confirm this?

Then, once I have done this, what functionality exactly will I loose? I know about recording and extra view. But more importantly, will I still have able to watch all SS channels, MNET HD nd SS HD and is there any risk of the decoder malfunctioning?

Please no comments about how it is not worth it, installation is cheap, or easy, bla bla bla. I only want to watch those channels for the next 2 months and sell the decoder afterwards, installation of dual lnb is a hassle/ very expensive in my case.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Have you considered renting a system ?
 
Tim182 said:
That would require a SAT-CR LNB on my complex's roof. Not sure if the body corporate and the other 100 apartments will be so happy about me changing the lnb...
Click to expand...
That's my problem I feel you... darn body corporate wouldn't even let me pay for the extra cable.
Our complex has a twin lnb shared between 2 buildings.
 
Gazza said:
I did it in my complex and connected the output to a 2x8 multiswitch in the vertical plug and 4 output from the multiswitch to the decoder. All the funtions worked on my decoder (Play record and pause and even upgrade) the only thing that would not work was the horixzntal channels, (Animax, E!, Mnet HD and discovery HD plus a few other channels)
Click to expand...

That's cos your complex had a proper installation in place to work with PVRs, that one cable was universal. To get those other channels all you most likely had to do was enter in extra network settings on the decoder. I used this & operated my Pace for a year with a single cable into a 4 way MS
 
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