DSTV - Upgrading to a HD PVR

Grimspoon

Grimspoon

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Hi chaps,

New thread necessary to ask a thousand questions :D


Ok here is the setup:

Currently have a SD Dual view PVR and am looking to upgrade to a HD PVR.

I want to keep the SD PVR and I assume I will get the following:

3 separate channels
3 recording channels
all channels will be fed from the HD decoder.

Am I correct in my understating?

Only thing I am not convinced of is all 3 channels having a "HD" feed. If the SD decoder is still in the equation surely 2 out of the 3 channels will be a SD feed and only 1 of the TV's will benefit from the HD feed?

Also which PVR will you record to? I guess it depends which TV you are recording from?

This gets a little confussing :p
 
What is your current setup?

Example:
Dish = twin LNB = two cables = SD PVR = SD TV = Coaxial cable with TV Link to bedroom?
 
McGuywer said:
What is your current setup?

Example:
Dish = twin LNB = two cables = SD PVR = SD TV = Coaxial cable with TV Link to bedroom?
Click to expand...

Let me try get this right, there are 2 cables going from the dish down to the SD PVR. One cable goes across the roof tops to the cottage on my property.

Inside the main house I have the one TV linked up via RCA, and the bedroom TV uses coaxial.
 
Then this thread will help you:
http://forum.dstv.com/showthread.php?t=7549

You would actually just move the SD PVR to the bedroom. And with it the cable that goes to the cottage.
At the HD end, you will need a splitter that splits the signal coming from the dish to four signals. Two to the SD and two to the HD.
Keep in mind that you will not be able to watch each others programmes or channels.

Perhaps better explained in the XtraView installation manual on page 25.
 
Grimspoon said:
Let me try get this right, there are 2 cables going from the dish down to the SD PVR. One cable goes across the roof tops to the cottage on my property.

Inside the main house I have the one TV linked up via RCA, and the bedroom TV uses coaxial.
Click to expand...

We have a setup like this at home with the SD PVR and HD PVR. You will only have a choice of one HD Channel at a time and 2 SD channels at a time. With the new HD PVR you will only be able to record 1 channel at a time. So in total you can view 3 channels and record 2.

Our setup works like this:

1) HD-PVR connect directly to TV in TV room and connected via HDMI cable
2) SD-PVR connected via SD and connected to 3 TV's via coaxial cables. Got TV-link (not too sure on the exact name), but able to change channels on SD PVR. So 2 TV sets will have own channel and 3rd shares the 2 channels

WRT to you recording question, the 3 TV sets records to the SD and the TV room (HD) records to HD PVR.

Hope it all makes sense
 
Ah ok thanks for that, makes perfect sense.

I just got a quote for R1450 to install the HD decoder and move the SD decoder.

Sound excessive?
 
This is a question I have also wanted to ask in the past.
Our current setup is twin LNB, with 1 SD PVR in the living room.
We have 2 TV's, one in the living room and 1 in the bedroom.
Both TV's are SD TV's, with a full HD on the wishlist.
We can currently watch 2 and record 1 channel.

Now the question.
Will the addition of a HD decoder enable us to watch 2/3, while recording 2?
What will need to be moved, if at all?

Thanks in advance.
 
McGuywer said:
It is just cables and the splitter. You can do it a lot cheaper if you do it your self.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know I could do it cheaper, just dunno if its worth it, the climbing through the roof etc.

Sometimes its better to pay a professional to do the job properly the first time.
 
pezulu said:
This is a question I have also wanted to ask in the past.
Our current setup is twin LNB, with 1 SD PVR in the living room.
We have 2 TV's, one in the living room and 1 in the bedroom.
Both TV's are SD TV's, with a full HD on the wishlist.
We can currently watch 2 and record 1 channel.

Now the question.
Will the addition of a HD decoder enable us to watch 2/3, while recording 2?
What will need to be moved, if at all?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

All the answers is in this thread. That is the same setup as the OP requires.
 
One last question, I understand that you can only watch 1 HD channel, which is cool, my question is are the SD channels upscaled as well?

Basically I want to know if picture quality will improve on all TV's even if watching SD channels?
 
Yes, SD channels do look better over HDMI. If the other TVs are getting the channels over RF/coaxial then it obviously won't be any better then from a normal decoder
 
Smurfatefrog said:
Yes, SD channels do look better over HDMI. If the other TVs are getting the channels over RF/coaxial then it obviously won't be any better then from a normal decoder
Click to expand...

Ok, so pretty much just the TV in the lounge will see the biggest benefit, IE: HDMI + HD channels.
 
You should aim for the best solution with this combination (which is, by the way the best combination).

The ideal would be to create 3 viewing environments, with at least 2 recording environments (3 recording with a 4 tunner PVR).

Personally I would install the HD PVR in the lounge, where the HD television is situated.
The SD PVR in the main bedroom or alternative viewing environment and the TV link in a 3rd room.
This way you can view and control three independent channels in three different rooms - Very handy when you want to watch sport, the wife soapies and the the kids cartoons...

In addition the 4th, 5th, etc. televisions (if they exist) will have the choice to view any of the three channels displayed on the main 3 televisions.

All you need is a 2x4 or 2x6 multiswitch, apart from what comes standard with the two decoders. Oh and a bit of cable plus a competent installer of course - It is fairly easy to do this yourself if you don't mind a bit of dust and :D spider webs.

PM me and I'll send you a drawing if you'd like to attempt this yourself.

Regards
H
 
Last edited:
DELEVEX said:
You should aim for the best solution with this combination (which is, by the way the best combination).

The ideal would be to create 3 viewing environments, with at least 2 recording environments (3 recording with a 4 tunner PVR).

Personally I would install the HD PVR in the lounge, where the HD television is situated.
The SD PVR in the main bedroom or alternative viewing environment and the TV link in a 3rd room.
This way you can view and control three independent channels in three different rooms - Very handy when you want to watch sport, the wife soapies and the the kids cartoons...

In addition the 4th, 5th, etc. televisions (if they exist) will have the choice to view any of the three channels displayed on the main 3 televisions.

All you need is a 2x4 or 2x6 multiswitch, apart from what comes standard with the two decoders. Oh and a bit of cable plus a competent installer of course - It is fairly easy to do this yourself if you don't mind a bit of dust and :D spider webs.

PM me and I'll send you a drawing if you'd like to attempt this yourself.

Regards
H
Click to expand...

Hey, thanks for the info! Yeah I would appreciate if you could send me the drawings.

satanboy said:
Nope, unless you can and want to do it yourself.
Click to expand...

Cool, seems like the going rate.
 
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