DStv, PVR & Decoder installation

[MariusI]

Hi,

We would like to install DStv in our house, but are trying to see if there isn't a way that we can do it ourselves, especially since we believe that everything (or at least the majority) is already in place.

We moved into a second-hand home and the previous owner left the dish on the wall. I contacted him and asked about his previous DStv installation and he advised that he used to have a PVR in the lounge and another tv in the main bedroom, but no secondary decoder there as apparently he could view it in another room at that stage.

We would like to have DStv in the lounge (HD PVR 2P to be connected to HD LCD tv) and 3 bedrooms (each with old "box-size" tv's)
We have a newly bought HD PVR 2P and a DSD 3 U decoder as I was told to have another dstv channel in another location I would need to have another decoder.
The main reason for this would be (for example) for myself to watch the sports in the lounge while the wife watch her series channel in the bedroom

The dish currently have 2 wires/cables coming out of the LNB, but I have no idea what type of LNB it is.
I climbed into the roof tonight and saw that there is a wire/cable going from a normal antenna down a pipe to the lounge and the tv we currently use... the same as the tennants that used to stay here before we bought the house.
I also saw the 2 wires/cables coming from the LNB is currently not connected anywhere, but in the roof
I also saw another wire (not connected anywhere) going from the lounge area to the main bedroom area (where the previous owner has his second TV)


Any help of what needs to go where would be much appreciated
Please quote what precisely I would need to buy and from where

Regards,
Marius

 

[isie]

if the LNB has 2 wires comming out of it chances are its a twin LNB, but it would be beter if you posted pics of it that would help.

to be safe i would say rewire everything as you dont know how old the instalation os and if any of the cables are messed up along the way.

What you need to buy - a twin LNB (if the curent is not a twin) and a 2x4 multi switch (or a quad LNB only) - if the curent one is a twin just get the multi switch
Buy about 100M of cables (its way cheaper to just buy this in bulk)
next question im asuming you only need 2 viewing enviroments? Lounge and bedroom? would you want both tv's acess to both decoders?
then do as below
Run 2 cables from twin LNB to lounge.
2 cables into multiswitch, and 3 cables out of multi switch, 2 go into PVR and one goes into DSD 3U
one cable between dsd3U and PVR as heartbeat cable.
then conect the pvr to the lcd via HDMI cable and the dsd3 via AV cables.
Out of the RFout (depending on where your heartbeat cable is) of the DSD 3U run acble to the bedroom

Rf in to bedroom TV and tune that tv to get both dstv chanels.

Im missing out a few details thats more on the tuning and heartbeat set up - but i hope you get the gist of it

 

[MariusI]

Buy about 100M of cables (its way cheaper to just buy this in bulk)

Specific name to ask for?

next question im asuming you only need 2 viewing enviroments? Lounge and bedroom? would you want both tv's acess to both decoders?

We would like 4 viewing areas - the lounge and the 3 bedrooms.
If both tv's could access both decoders it would be wonderful, but the initial idea was to have 2 channels so that main bedroom and son's room could view one channel while lounge and study view another channel.
But as I said... all viewing areas having access to both decoders would be awesome

then do as below
Run 2 cables from twin LNB to lounge.
2 cables into multiswitch, and 3 cables out of multi switch, 2 go into PVR and one goes into DSD 3U
one cable between dsd3U and PVR as heartbeat cable.
then conect the pvr to the lcd via HDMI cable and the dsd3 via AV cables.
Out of the RFout (depending on where your heartbeat cable is) of the DSD 3U run acble to the bedroom

Rf in to bedroom TV and tune that tv to get both dstv chanels.

Im missing out a few details thats more on the tuning and heartbeat set up - but i hope you get the gist of it

1. Where will I buy this multiswitch and what precisely should I ask for?
2. Will the DSD 3U then also be in the lounge area?
3. Explain heartbeat cable... is it a specific cable or just the same cable? Specific name?

I will need some more info when it gets to the tuning and heartbeat set up, but I presume somebody will still help with that in time


Thanks for the feedback so far!

 

[isie]

Cables no real brand, just dont buy off a truck Elies would be best bet, but even the generics are fine - http://www.ellies.co.za/index.php?id=68

Im just using the elies website as they were easy to find pictures of the stuff you need

for four viewing areas i recomend both decoders in the lounge folow set up like i mentioned, except you will need a standard spliter box - http://www.ellies.co.za/index.php?id=701
so out of the decoder and into this box and run a cable from each ut put to the respective bedroom - all tv's will have acess to both dcoders.

1 - Multiswitch - http://www.justelectronics.co.za/images/Elsat 2 x 4 Multiswitch.jpg - ask for a 2x4 availalble makro , game, PnP hyper , ellies -etc - you get bigger ones 2x6 etc but not realy needed for your setup

2 - for all tvs to have acess to both decoders i recomend both decoders go in the lounge.

3-heartbeat same cable as normal cable doesnt have to bee to long - from one decoer to the other 20-30 CM(but dont make it too short either), basically goes from Rf In of PVR to Rf In of DSD 3 and set up this on the decoder - can be any combinatio (rf out to rf out, rf in to rf out etc)

also invest in a few remote blasters, they are a little expensive though, the multichoice remote eyes are way cheaper but im not sure I could never get them to work when spliting into more then 2 enviroments. Maybe if Quantum theory sees this thread he can advise