Bill Adams or any other Direct Tv guruCurrently,I have a Winegard Road Trip T4 satellite dome and use Dish. However, we switched to Direct Tv for the house and cannot use my home receiver, a Genie HR 5400 with my dome unless I use a SWM-8 kit. Winegard schematics have a power inserter shown in the schematics but the HR 5400 has the power inserter built into the receiver.How do I hook the kit up without the power Inserter shown on their schematics?Has anyone done a SWM 8 kit installation with their dome and did it work. I know I will only get SD channels but it will be cheaper until I can get a Traveler when SD channels go away. I tried to order a compatible additional receiver for my home but Direct Tv said I needed a new account. So my question remains. Has anyone installed a SWM 8 kit with a genie receiver and how did it work. Additionally, Winegard says that this kit must be used with their carry out antennas also, so has anyone used a SWM -8 kit with a carry out Dish?P.S. Winegard was no help, they could only say try the schematics.

You cant. To use a SWM setup also requires a different LNB. None of which is capable of use with a dome. Domes are only able to see one bird at a time. DirectHD looks at three birds at once. To use and see DirectHD using a Genie HR54 you will need to change to an open face dish like you have at home, or an automatic Winegard Travler type setup.

This info is different from what Winegard states so anyone with experience with the Swm-8 installation,please respond.

It is different because it is wrong. Domes are certainly capable of using the SWM technology with the addition of the SWM8 kit. It will be SD only but it will work. I have to double check something but as I remember, if there is an external SWM power supply the internal power supply is disabled. I need to check on the HR54.

OK, in reading a bit further the HR54 appears to work the same as the other Genie's so you just wire in the SWM8 and the PI29 and the internal PI will shut itself down.

Thanks Bill for the info. It would be easier to not wire the external power inserter and use only the HR 5400 . Do you think this would work. I guess I can try it and see. Will I cause any damage doing it this way. I also need to buy a portable satellite and Winegard says this can also be used but must use the swm8 kit. Has anyone used a portable with the swm8 kit.

Direct Tv SWM-8 Kit for Dome | Good Sam Community

19 Replies

Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jan 30, 2018
This again applies to SD receivers. However, HD receivers currently work perfectly well with the 101 KU / SD broadcast.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Jan 30, 2018
Did some more digging and DTV made the announcement at the DTV Revolution Conference, in 2016 - ie "the sunset of three key SD satellites".

There is a lot of speculation on what this means as there are multiple satellites with different capabilities that can be moved or new satellites launched.

But the consistent thought is that SD transmission (ie MPEG2 transmission) will end. SD programming would still be available on HD channels. The result is that SD receivers will no longer work and apparently this applies to 101 SD programming starting in 2019.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jan 30, 2018
Only time will tell. Luckily, I don't have to hold my breath as it's still more than a year away....or will it be 2?
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Jan 29, 2018
Understood. And my interest other than informing everyone is - does it effect the automatic dishes including mine and yours because that's equipment that DTV will not update.

If it does and it's a trivial programming upgrade for my RF Mogul dish then I'm a happy camper.

But like you I'd like to know more...
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2018
Understand that I have never argued that SD was NOT going away. Having SD go away is certainly going away despite the fact that many of the programs filmed in the past were not in HD and will continue to be broadcast. The question is what's going to happen to the 101 slot. The satellite there must still broadcast on the KU band (this does not relate to the content being broadcast) or DTV would have to replace every antenna in the system as the 101 LNB is KU band only.
So, if the 101 is still broadcasting in KU (like all of the Dish satellites) then the domes would/should still receive some programming and it would now be in HD!
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Jan 29, 2018
It was reported that DTV was on a multi year plan to transition all customers to HD ie antennas and receivers. I believe the report pre dated AT&T.

And all new customers were getting HD equipment even if they still have SD only TVs - ie the receivers have component and composite outputs along with HDMI.

And I have a $10 component to coax converter for a small remote TV.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2018
Or is AT&T going to sell the slot (worth big $$$$ due to location). If they replace it, it would still need to be on the KU band or they would have to also replace every TV antenna on ever home of every subscriber. It will be interesting to see what happens.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Jan 29, 2018
Bill, Thanks for the clarification.

We would all like more information on the 101 transition. One guess it that there will be a new 101 bird but SD receivers will not be usable. This would need to coordinate with the elimination of all SD only receivers.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2018
They would not lose the 5 channel recording with the dome and a Genie. Once you add the SWM8 kit you have full function with the Genie, just not HD.
The other question becomes, just because it is likely that SD in ending in 2019 the question remains what is going to happen to the 101 orbital slot. If it remains active it will still be in KU band and it will still be usable with a dome. What does it all mean??????????????
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Jan 29, 2018
Bill.Satellite wrote:
You may change your mind after awhile as watching DTV in SD gets really old when you are used to satellite and OTA in HD. I have a hard time even watching a single program on my HD TV's in SD these days.
X2

However the current rig had a SD dome and we were satisfied. All of that changed when we unable to watch the Olympics in Oregon because only HD was broadcast to the area we were in. And there are other such areas. And DTV SD transmission is scheduled to end in 2019.

Plus you will miss one of the best features for us which is 5 channel recording. We now rarely watch live TV but rather time shift and watch a hour program is about 30 minutes.

And like Bill we no longer care for SD resolution.

Just food for thought.

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Direct Tv SWM-8 Kit for Dome

19 Replies

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