Hi Gents,
I've been mucking about with Shaw Direct for years, but let my usefulness with Bell falter, as my only Buddy with it rarely needed any help for the last 4 or 5 years. Some time ago I installed a system for him which is off the grid on an island off BC's Sunshine Coast. Obviously there's no installers anywhere nearby and I've never heard of one coming by boat. :surprise But now he's run into some grief, and I need to get it current quickly with what's available today.
He's had to replace a few Receivers over the years (He says he never gets more than 2 years from them.) and he's currently got what he thinks is a 9400 there.
The hardware has changed over the years. It seems Bell has followed the cable industry somewhat and has a 3 tuner PVR (watch 2 channels and record one simultaneously? ) they call a Whole Home PVR; and a Whole Home receiver which can connect via RG6 Cabling and the user can watch anything on each Box /TV (typically in different rooms). If more TVs are desired you can't simply add another Whole Home receiver, but need to build up in pairs with another Whole Home PVR first. Seems weird - do I have this correct?
I cannot find a current installation manual. Do you know where I can find one?
I assume the Dish is the same but the LNB can be quite different than before. Bell Quad Plus LNB or Dish Pro Plus (DPP) Twin LNB seem to be the standards as you can send all the signals via a single RG6 cable (3 or 4 outputs respectively) which can connect 3 or 4 PVRs. I hear the Twins are / were having reliability problems so most installers just use the Quad. Switches don't seem to be used unless you want more receivers, or only have 2 RG6 lines from the dish into a house and want more than 2 receivers. The supported Switches are now typically Bell Dish Pro PlusVideoPath DPP44 DPP 44 Switch and Power Inserters.
Anytime a single cable needs to be connected to a multi-tuner receiver, a DP Plus Separator is needed just before the receiver to feed both Sat1 and Sat2 iinputs.
How long will a typical LNB last? 5 years? 10? Should his LNB be replaced each 5 years rather than wait until the 11th hour when its overtime in the Stanley Cup game 7 final, and the TV goes black!
You prompt input would be appreciated.
I've been mucking about with Shaw Direct for years, but let my usefulness with Bell falter, as my only Buddy with it rarely needed any help for the last 4 or 5 years. Some time ago I installed a system for him which is off the grid on an island off BC's Sunshine Coast. Obviously there's no installers anywhere nearby and I've never heard of one coming by boat. :surprise But now he's run into some grief, and I need to get it current quickly with what's available today.
He's had to replace a few Receivers over the years (He says he never gets more than 2 years from them.) and he's currently got what he thinks is a 9400 there.
The hardware has changed over the years. It seems Bell has followed the cable industry somewhat and has a 3 tuner PVR (watch 2 channels and record one simultaneously? ) they call a Whole Home PVR; and a Whole Home receiver which can connect via RG6 Cabling and the user can watch anything on each Box /TV (typically in different rooms). If more TVs are desired you can't simply add another Whole Home receiver, but need to build up in pairs with another Whole Home PVR first. Seems weird - do I have this correct?
I cannot find a current installation manual. Do you know where I can find one?
I assume the Dish is the same but the LNB can be quite different than before. Bell Quad Plus LNB or Dish Pro Plus (DPP) Twin LNB seem to be the standards as you can send all the signals via a single RG6 cable (3 or 4 outputs respectively) which can connect 3 or 4 PVRs. I hear the Twins are / were having reliability problems so most installers just use the Quad. Switches don't seem to be used unless you want more receivers, or only have 2 RG6 lines from the dish into a house and want more than 2 receivers. The supported Switches are now typically Bell Dish Pro PlusVideoPath DPP44 DPP 44 Switch and Power Inserters.
Anytime a single cable needs to be connected to a multi-tuner receiver, a DP Plus Separator is needed just before the receiver to feed both Sat1 and Sat2 iinputs.
How long will a typical LNB last? 5 years? 10? Should his LNB be replaced each 5 years rather than wait until the 11th hour when its overtime in the Stanley Cup game 7 final, and the TV goes black!
You prompt input would be appreciated.