I am currently a Bell ExpressVu customer living in an apartment building. In my living room I am currently using a 5100 receiver.

I am planning on replacing my 32" Toshiba Cinema Series 4:3 with a Toshiba 34" direct view 16:9 HDTV (34HDX82). Along with purchasing the TV I was thinking about getting a 6000 receiver in order to receive HD broadcasts.

My question is whether the 5100 and 6000 can both be connected simultaneously to my new HDTV. I know that you cannot record HD programs on the 5100 PVR, but I would still like to be able to record SD (standard definition) broadcasts on the 5100 PVR. Furthermore it would be really nice to be able to watch one program using the 6000 while recording another on the 5100 to view later.

Being that I am in an apartment can I just split the satellite feed coming in and connect one to each box?

Thanks in advance.

My question is whether the 5100 and 6000 can both be connected simultaneously to my new HDTV.

Sure you could hook the 5100 using SVHS cable and 6000 using component cables.

can I just split the satellite feed coming in and connect one to each box?


No. Typically you need a dual LNB (as opposed to a single LNB) to hook two receivers up to a satellite dish. Since you're in an apartment, it might be different so you might have to talk to building management.

I know that there are definitely some differences with being in an apartment. When the installer hooked up my receivers he had to install some sort of "filter" between the incoming coaxial line and the receivers. He said without this the signal would be too strong and damage the receivers.

Anyone have any experience with hooking up two receivers with one line in an apartment (btw I don't have my own dish on the balcony, rather I am using the building feed).

My question is whether the 5100 and 6000 can both be connected simultaneously to my new HDTV.

Sure you could hook the 5100 using SVHS cable and 6000 using component cables.

can I just split the satellite feed coming in and connect one to each box?


No. Typically you need a dual LNB (as opposed to a single LNB) to hook two receivers up to a satellite dish. Since you're in an apartment, it might be different so you might have to talk to building management.
I'm running both receivers through Sony WEGA. Typically you take S-Video from the 5100 and digital audio into your HD receiver. You get a high quality Standard Def picture/recording. You would take the Composite signals from the 6000 into the HDTV input jacks for HD. Then, just designate one receiver as "PVR" on your TV menu, and the HD as "HDTV". Voila. Very cool

My main concern was the coaxial cable that feeds the satellite signal. I'm not sure whether I can split the incoming line to provide a feed to each receiver.

As Human said, I don't think you can just split that coaxial cable feed within your apartment. You'll have to talk to the management.

Unfortunately management has no clue. I need to get in touch with an ExpressVu installer I guess.

We were the first ones to live in the apartment. The satellite seems to run from room to room in series. When the installer initially came and hooked things up, he asked where we wanted our receivers installed. At that time I had two receivers (for two different rooms). In those two rooms he hooked up the receiver, and in the other rooms where the outlet were, I believe he just connected the cable together.

So what it looks like is that it is a single feed with the capability of having multiple receivers. Its just a matter of figuring out how to connect the extra one.

Oh well, I guess I'll try calling Bell again.

Update: Spoke with Bell ExpressVu Tech Support

Unfortunately they were not able to answer my question entirely. The support guy said I could go out and buy a 6000 receiver and try splitting the line after the image filter. If this does work, he told me to call them back and they would probably have to send out a technician for a charge of $59.

Any thoughts?

I thought I would post an update on what I've tried so far.

I went to Future Shop today and picked up a 6000 HDTV receiver. I also bought a RCA Dual LNB/Distribution Multi-Switch.

I got the 6000 up and running first. I called Bell to activate it and after about 90 minutes it was working fine. Interestingly, the guy on the phone said that an image filter is not required with the 6000 in a MDU (multi-dwelling unit).

I then decided to see if the Dual LNB/Distribution multi-switch would work. I plugged in the satellite feed with the image filter on it into "Satellite In LNB A". I then connected the two receiver to the outputs.

At first I thought everything was working as I got a signal on both receivers. However the signal was cutting out briefly every few seconds. At the same time the RCA Dual LNB/Distribution multiswitch was making some clicking noises. I guess it was looking for something connected to the "Satellite In LNB B" connection, but there wasn't anything connected there...

I tried taking the image filter off the "in" side, but this didn't help.

I'm very close to solving the problem. Is there a different type of switch?

Thanks.

I thought the multiswitch needed two lines ( one for each polarity) in order to work.

Human,

Yes, you are correct. I think that's why it wasn't working properly for me.

I've searched this forum and the avs forums for a couple of hours last night, and I "think" I need a stacker/un-stacker.

I am going to try and get in touch with the buildings installer and see if they can help me out.

Well I finally got things working.

One the guys where I bought the TV (London Audio in London, ON) was extremely helpful and gave me some really great advice.

I ended up getting a 2Gigahertz satellite signal splitter with Power Pass through (I got it at Radio Shack and is made by Recotron).

The splitter worked perfectly and now both receiver are working at the same time. PIP work on my Toshiba 34HDX82. Very cool.

Hopefully this info helps anyone else who tries to do something similar in the future.

Ooops, jumped the gun. Everything is working EXCEPT the HD channel now no longer function!! Brutal. Back to the drawing board...

I'm not incrediably technical in these things, but I have learned to watch out! I believe LNBs receive a signal from the receiver. If the signal is on, they are able to receive HALF the channels (horizonal polarity?) and if the signal is off they receive the other half ... therefore - if you happen to be watching the a station on your 6000 and the station you are trying to tune on your 5100 using the same polarity, then it would probably work in a splitter mode. If the station happens to be on a different polarity (the other half) then the LNB would both receive and not receive the signal at the same time (which is impossible outside of quantum physics) and things would get screwy! Hence the need for two inputs to the multiswitch.