# 4 HDTV Hookup options ?



## Apothecon (Nov 1, 2006)

Does Dish have a dual output receiver,both with hd output,or do I need to lease 4 vip722 boxes ? Thanks


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Nobody (this includes Dish of course) has an HD receiver with dual-TV HDTV outputs.

The ViP 722 does have both HDMI and Component... so you could run cables to a 2nd HDTV as long as you didn't ever need/want to watch a different channel on the 2nd TV location.

On the leasing front... I'm not sure what the lease-tuner limits are these days, but I don't think you'd be able to lease 4 ViP722s... I think you could lease 2 and buy 2... or you might see if the ViP612 would fit the bill, and I believe you could lease 4 of those.


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## samsmith (Oct 31, 2009)

If you are just looking to get 4HDTV tuners for your tv's, you can either ask for 4 211 receivers(lease 2 and purchse the remaining 2) or if you need dvr receievrs you can ask for 4 612 receivers(it might be a bit expensive).

but you can have only 2 211 leased receivers on the a/c, but from 2nd to 4th 612 each will cost you $100.00 extra.


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## coldsteel (Mar 29, 2007)

Cheapest way would be 2 211 and 2 612 for $100, then add the EHD capability to make the 211s DVRs for $40 and you buy an external drive.


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## Calvin386 (May 23, 2007)

You can put an external hard drive on a 211? I didn't know that. 

If you can add one, will the 211 operate as a dvr receiver?


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## samsmith (Oct 31, 2009)

Calvin386 said:


> You can put an external hard drive on a 211? I didn't know that.
> 
> If you can add one, will the 211 operate as a dvr receiver?


Yes you can convert the 211/411 receivers to a dvr compatible receiver by connecting an external hard drive, but dish will charge you a 1 time EHD activation fee of $39.99.


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## coldsteel (Mar 29, 2007)

The $39.99 is for the account, not per 211, and there's no monthly DVR fee for this, but you still only have 1 tuner for the 211 and the recordings cannot be shared with the 612.


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## Calvin386 (May 23, 2007)

That is great news. All this time I could have had a DVR on my basement TV and I didn't even know it.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

THe 211/211k actually has 2 HD tuners, one SAT one OTA and you can record HD on both at the same time while watching pre-recorded programming.


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## festivus (Nov 10, 2008)

As HDTVs get more and more popular, it seems that a dual HD tuner/dvr would become a great selling point for any provider. I'm surprised that we haven't seen such a device yet. I don't yet have a need for one but I could foresee a need in the future as my old TVs die and I replace them with HDTVs.


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## 4HiMarks (Jan 21, 2004)

festivus said:


> As HDTVs get more and more popular, it seems that a dual HD tuner/dvr would become a great selling point for any provider. I'm surprised that we haven't seen such a device yet. I don't yet have a need for one but I could foresee a need in the future as my old TVs die and I replace them with HDTVs.


The problem is that the two HDTVs are likely to be separated by a considerable distance in a normal household (as compared to those "showcase" homes with five screens and $50k worth of audio gear). So how does Joe Homeowner get an HD signal from the dual output HD DVR to the "remote" TV? Using existing coax would entail putting an ATSC or QAM modulator in the DVR, which is not likely to happen if the MPAA has anything to say about it.

So then we are talking a long run of HDMI or component cables. Joe's house isn't going to be already wired for it, so he will need to fish some cables himself or call a professional installer. I don't see that happening on a large enough scale to make R&D for such a device a priority for any current hardware manufacturer.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

4HiMarks hits the nail on the head... Any of the already multi-HD-tuner DVRs could easily support a 2nd HD connection without adding much cost to the box in the form of another unique HD output for TV2... but the cost/inconvenience of cabling HDMI or component video + audio to a 2nd location is more than most folks want to deal with.

Personally, I don't think it will ever happen until we get the sharing-video-over network option OR perhaps the 922 wireless monitor support (if it still happens) will fit that bill.


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## shadough (Dec 31, 2006)

So the 722k, w/ its hdmi an component vid outputs, features simultaneous output?? Meaning both those outputs project HD video simultaneously?! All I would need to my 2nd TV would be 3 Coax's (R. G. B.) and a cat5 for audio. Now the question becomes whats the distance limit for component video? I've heard 50ft is too far!


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## Calvin386 (May 23, 2007)

I have a 50ft 5 wire component video cable run to my TV2 location and it works fine.


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