Directv with your home receiver.

Jim,

Local channels in the DTV sense refer to a spot beam transmission from a satellite and the local channels are generally limited to a few hundred miles and then you get no locals unless you call DTV. Over the air (OTA) that you referred to (as locals) are available if you are within about 50 miles of the towers.

Digital video recording (DVR) is our choice and we rarely watch live TV rather watch recordings and skip the commercials.

SWM is the latest technology which allows 8 channels to be transmitted (and recorded/viewed) to the equipment on a single coax. A SWM splitter is required for multiple equipment.

This thread got more involved with connecting 2 DVRs (2 channels each and 2 coax each) along with a Genie receiver (5 channels and 1 coax) with a SWM 8 splitter. And the 9 channels exceeded the 8 available.

None of this applies to your setup but perhaps a future update?

The only one I can imagine that draws question, SWM is for "single wire multiswitch", offered by DirecTV to allow the dish signal to be delivered to one location within the home and distributed to all tv's from there.

PI is power inserter, a 21 volt, inline power supply needed to operate the SWM.

MILESTOCK: SD is just fine for smaller screens. For the larger guys, they're all made for HD. Like my house...the 48" flat screen IS HD (with the standard DirecTV HD/DVR box, NOT a Genie)..but the bedroom TV is 19"...and for that, SD is fine.
Same in the motorhome. My "big" (front) TV is 21"...bedroom TV is smaller...don't remember what it is. So...for BOTH the TVs in the motorhome....SD is where its' at.
As a sidebar, the acronyms you guys use drive me nuts as I simply don't know what they are or mean.....

jersyjim wrote:
Or is it that a SD box makes it so easy and uncomplicated?

If you're happy with SD then that's what you need to watch. Suum cuique.

I can say that the more you use HD, SWM, etc. the easier it is to understand and operate.

We have tailgated for years at football games and I must say that it is much more enjoyable to have a crowd of 10 to 20 sitting or standing around watching games on a 40" HD screen than it was 15 years ago on a 19" SD screen.

Wish i knew what you guys were talking about...all these abbreviations...sounds like the military...I take my SD box, put it in the mh, set up my dish on its' tripod, hook the wire up to my already installed "cable" wire aim the thing (5-10 minits?) and I'm in! Passive switchbox does the rest.

MUST things be so complicated? Or is it that a SD box makes it so easy and uncomplicated?

Yep, there's no need for anyone to use an 8-way splitter unless you have 8 receivers (and at least an SWM16). As noted, you can't reduce the number of tuners in the Genie, it's 5 tuners whether you like it or not. The splitter is based upon the number of receivers, not tuners. 1 Genie (5 tuners) and one DVR (2 tuners) needs only a 2-way splitter.

Bill Satellite wrote:
Genie plus 2 DVR is overloaded unless you swap out for a SWM16 setup.

I, actually only own DVR's and usually take two with the Genie. I have to set at least one DVR to "single" line to get everything to work. I would reduce the lines down from five to four for the Genie if I could find a way. Don't know what I would need with the SWM16 but if it's like what they installed at my stick house it looks like 4 coax cables from the LNB are needed. That defeats the simplicity of the SWM in my RV if I have to have 4 incomming.

Wasn't sure if I could use a 4 way splitter for my configuration, but since I had an 8 way I went with it. Never experimented with the 4 way since I really didn't need to.

mikestock wrote:
Note: You will need an 8 way splitter with your power inserter if you want to use a Genie. I have three DVR's in my RV and have an issue with setup using the 8 way splitter. The Genie uses 5 channels and that only leaves 3 channels for the other two DVR's. Have to go through setup with each of the other two and set them (or at least one of them to single line) to make the system work. I can't find a way to reduce the channels taken by the Genie to and number less than five.

Even if you only have one other receiver with the Genie, an 8 way splitter will be needed.

Also, I use a legacy (not SWM) horn with my meter to acquire the satellite and then change it out to SWM before setting up my receivers. This is not for everyone. I have a self powered meter that makes this system work best for me.

As mentioned, with a Genie only no splitter required. From there, if you want a Genie and a client, single tuner receiver or DVR you would need a 2-way splitter. If you add a 3rd receiver or client then you would need a 4-way splitter as you will need to run 1 coax to each and your choices are 2-way, 4-way and 8-way.
The Genie will always take 5 channels so a Genie and a single tuner receiver is 6, Genie plus DVR is 7, Genie plus 2 DVR is overloaded unless you swap out for a SWM16 setup.

CATraveler wrote:
Somewhere I saw information on using a SD meter to align a SWM dish. The meter was connected to one of the SWM 8 multiswitch coaxes and I believe a power brick was also required.

I think you are correct. The SWM needs the PI. I personally found it simpler to use a legacy lnb for setup purposes and then, once aligned, replace it with the SWM. I have a self powered meter and found that this works easiest for me. I have been using the Slimline 5, and then 3 since they came out and changed over to the SWM once it bacame the technology.

As many times as I have set up I am almost ashamed to say that I still get fooled by the 110 sometimes.

loneryder wrote:
This will be my first winter in Fla. I have Directv (Genie)at home and wanted to take my receiver along with a portable dish and use it. I just purchased a Directv slimline dish with the proper LNB. It's one that you set up on the ground. I called Directv -What a punishment - and they gave me a run around, said I have to open a new account and have a guy come out and install it. I don't know about that so thought I would ask you folks. Can I just set up the dish and tri-pod and get it aimed with my Genie and use it? Do I have to contact Directv?

My tripod and dish came with some decent instructions. What has made it easier to set up is a satellite aiming app. There are a bunch available for free. My tripod also came with some small stakes that did not hold up well in the wind. I picked up tent stakes that work better. Before you start tuning your dish, you want to be sure you have a good stable base on the tripod, and get it as level as you can before you start.