Getting Direct TV in a house that doesn't have wall cable hook ups? Questions


  #1  
Old 06-23-10, 04:39 AM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 120
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Getting Direct TV in a house that doesn't have wall cable hook ups? Questions

I currently live in a split level house and am getting Direct TV installed this Sat. After doing everything over the phone I forgot to mention or ask the rep how the install process goes?

My house has the main cable hook up in the basement. This is where it comes in from the ground into the house. From there there is a splitter running 3 lines off of it thru the house. One to my main living room. One to our upstairs bedroom and one to our lower living room.

From the upstairs bedroom I added a splitter to run a line to the other two bed rooms.

I have radiant heat ceilings and fear how this tech is going to run the cables. We do have an attic over the 3 bedrooms where the dish would reside on the roof and it would be great if he could drop the lines from the attic. However he wouldn't be able to come thru the ceilings as the heat is there.

If he uses the hook up in the basement would he have to run all new lines because it's going to P' him off as I have lines ran in places to hide everything and he's not going to be happy doing so I'm sure.

I also want to be sure it's a very clean install or my wife will shoot me!

I finally got fed up with Comcast constantly dropping tv channels and forcing new equipment down our throats. My bill from them is so outrageous. I can't get triple play as they aren't allowed in our neighborhood for phone service so I get screwed there.

Any rate any ideas or suggestions on the Direct TV install. Can this be done without ruining my ceilings. Do they need to run all new wiring?

Thanks
Spankey
 
  #2  
Old 06-23-10, 04:46 AM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,659
Received 835 Upvotes on 732 Posts
They should be able to connect to your existing wires/cable. You do know that the with satelite you have to have a seperate reciever for each tv ?? I used to have DIRECTV and only switched to cable in order to get hispeed internet service. I miss DIRECTV I think you'll be happy with the reception and additional features that come with the satelite
 
  #3  
Old 06-23-10, 04:55 AM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 120
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thanks. I do know that each room needs its own receiver which makes me nervous as the line in our bedroom has a splitter to go to both our son's room. This is where I fear how the installer is going to get a line to each of the boys rooms? In the basement where the "hub" intro into the house is three dedicated lines come off that.
1 to each living room and 1 to our bedroom.

The thing that really ticked me off about them was that I told them I wanted 2 HD receivers and 1 HD DVR. They told me I had to buy one of the receivers for $99 and I said can't I just rent one like I do with comcast. He said, No we don't rent them. I just got my confirm email showing my first bill and sure enough I'm renting them and not the two HD as I requested. So I'm a little nervous now with thier billing situation. Are they being truthful.

Any rate, I'm excited to be able to tell comcast to pound sand and the kids should enjoy this greatly. Comcast has stripped so many of their shows from standard tv it's sick.

Thanks again
 
  #4  
Old 06-23-10, 09:01 AM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,659
Received 835 Upvotes on 732 Posts
I got DIRECTV when it first came out, cost me $659 for the dish and 1 receiver I was more than happy with the service I got although they do seem to prefer new customers over old. When My receiver died [after 13 yrs] I had to pay for a new one [$55], if I had not been a customer they would have given me one for free [to sign up]

There are a number of different companies that install the satellite systems for DIRECTV. The problems you are experiencing is probably due to a sub contractor. I installed my own and don't know if DIRECTV will help with that or not. I'd contact both the installer and DIRECTV and keep after them until you get satisfaction.
 
  #5  
Old 06-23-10, 09:35 AM
badeyeben's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Southern ILLINOIS
Posts: 1,187
Received 59 Upvotes on 53 Posts
When I had my last Direct TV installed it was a 3 receiver deal. I already had jacks installed in the rooms for regular antenna TV.
They would not use my jacks or wiring. They ran the 3 cables down from the dish on the gable. Each cable went to a receiver. It went along the siding around the house to the rooms then straight thru the wall to the receiver. No jacks just about 6 feet extra cable so it could move some. They stated any splitters would cause the signal to not be as good.
Of course what you do after they leave is another story! But other than the 6 feet extra in the rooms they leave no extra slack for moving the cables very far. They wouldn't even discuss routing the cables in the basement ceiling!!! Outside the house and straight into the rooms only!!
Ask them about it before they start!!!
 
  #6  
Old 06-23-10, 10:00 AM
HotxxxxxxxOKC's Avatar
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 7,754
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Yup, I've seen some nasty installs like 'ben' is talking about. Wiring all ran along the outside of the house and drilled holes through walls into the bedrooms. They would then just lay the cabling in the base of the wall to wear it needs to be.

When I had Cox calbe initially installed, I had them fish the wires through the walls so I didn't have to have cabling everywhere.

These installers are always in a rush to get to the next job. I wouldn't sign off on anything you think is unacceptable.
 
  #7  
Old 06-23-10, 12:10 PM
N
Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: nj
Posts: 117
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I had DirecTV for a number of years and switched over to fios (verizon) when it became available. As I recall DTV doesn't like splitters and all the lines need to be homerun back to the main splitter where the lines from the dish are directly connected.

Is this dish going to be installed on the same side/end of the house where your cable currenlty comes in? If so can YOU run the two lines from the other bedrooms back to that point in your basement? Then all the installer would need to do is run the lines from the dish down to a 5 way splitter and he's done.

I'd also suggest you stick around when the install is being done. Had I not been around when DTV came to my house, they would of put the dish on one end of the roof and strung a wire across the roof down my basement (I live in a split lvl too).
 
  #8  
Old 06-23-10, 01:55 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 120
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Well the more I'm thinking about this I am actually thinking against it.

I will refuse any wires being ran along my siding and into each room! As a matter of fact I will probably shove the guy off his ladder if he approaches this method! LOL.

The two upstairs bedrooms will be extremely hard to get wire to. Right now the only cable run from the basement to the upstairs is in our main bedroom. The house is 35 years old and they didn't run cable to each room back then. Plus the woman that lived here before us was only her so she didn't have any need for cable in the other two rooms.

My line in from the cable company is in the basement. on the far end of the house next to our electrical panel. The upper bedrooms are all the way on the other end of the house and with it being a split level I really don't know how they can get he wiring into the other two bedrooms.

Unless he mounts the thing on the roof and goes into the siding near the pitch where the upper attic is. But then he needs to drop it into the bedrooms somehow.

Who knows. Once he gets here I will asses with him and if I don't like his options I will decide against it and cancel with DTV. Of course nothing was signed so hopefully it won't be difficult to back out if need be.

Thanks
Spankey
 
  #9  
Old 06-23-10, 04:11 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 120
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Well I just canceled my Direct TV. Windstream just called me and said they are NOT connected to Direct TV and I would be getting two different bills. Windstream also told me that I can not get DSL as I'm to far from the switch or hub.

Direct TV said they are partnered with Windstream and Windstream is actually partnered with Dishnet.

I said the heck with it. Cancel it all.

Boy Direct TV wasn't to polite after I called and canceled but boy was I their best friend when I was ordering! LOL
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description: