# Wiring a house for both Satelitte and cable using one line?



## oldaccord (Aug 15, 2007)

Hey folks I am new to this whole cable scene, I am wiring a house right now that has cable coming into it, I have pulled cable throughout the house and to a media center where I am hoping to use a 1x8 splitter for the lines, if I use a satellite/cable in splitter(2 in/1out) to the 1x8 splitter will this work, or am I going to need other items. I want to be able to watch cable on some TV's and Satellite on other TV's, If I decide to buy more receivers then I can hook them up to those TV's. Is this whole set-up possible?


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Have to wait for someone more knowledgable than me... but I thought I remember reading somewhere that cable shares some frequencies with satellite, so it may not be possible to share both on the same coax. I could be remembering wrong though since I do not have cable in my home, just satellite.


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## Michael D'Angelo (Oct 21, 2006)

oldaccord said:


> Hey folks I am new to this whole cable scene, I am wiring a house right now that has cable coming into it, I have pulled cable throughout the house and to a media center where I am hoping to use a 1x8 splitter for the lines, if I use a satellite/cable in splitter(2 in/1out) to the 1x8 splitter will this work, or am I going to need other items. I want to be able to watch cable on some TV's and Satellite on other TV's, If I decide to buy more receivers then I can hook them up to those TV's. Is this whole set-up possible?


:welcome_s to DBSTalk

First off you will need to have 4 lines from the SAT dish to come into the house to a multi-switch. If you are going with HD DIRECTV you will not be able to diplexe cable into the SAT because it runs on the same frequencies as the new HD channels will be on and they will not work together. You will also need a 5 LNB SAT dish and a Zinwell WB68 multi-switch. Then you will need to have a separate cable line coming into the house to a cable splitter with separate lines going to the rooms you want the cable in. If you are getting DIRECTV DVR's and want to use both tuners you will need to run 2 RG6 coaxial lines to each room you want a DVR.

Also I would think about running a Cat 5e/6 line to every room. DIRECTV will be adding VOD (video on demand) soon to their HR20 (HD DVR) but the majority of the programming will need to be downloaded with a broadband internet connection. Plus DIRECTV has a option now that you can stream music and photo's from your PC to your HR20's if that is what you are getting. Later they will add streaming video and MRV (multi room viewing). MRV will allow you if you have more then one HR20 to have something recorded on one and stream it over your network and watch it on another HR20.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

One word: Multi-cable


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## Noresults (Aug 25, 2007)

I also am building and ran 3 rg6 from the dish location to my distribution panel. Am I out of luck since I did not run 4 lines? 

I also ran cable in for the cable company so I am not totally out of luck. 

Thanks


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Using coax for a distribution system is fine as long as there isn't any HD content expected. For HD content, Ethernet cable is probably going to be the setup of choice. Figure on two cables and $200 for media converters per run. HD content can travel via coax, but it requires five coaxial cables; three for component video and two for audio (no digital surround).

If you have some time to do it right, you may want to step back and do some in-depth research as the new technologies are quite a bit different from the days of 70+ channel analog cable systems. Satellite signals are arguably less tolerant of poor wiring or long runs than CATV is. The frequencies are typically much higher and getting them all piped around isn't a simple matter of splitters and amplifiers.

DISH Network's current configuration requires one cable for each receiver.

DIRECTV requires one coax for non-DVRs and two for DVR receivers (plus a third if OTA reception is desired).


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## Noresults (Aug 25, 2007)

Thank you Harsh. I have cat 5 to each location from the distribution point but only ran 3 runs of rg6 to the dish area. If I can get 1 or 2 more rg 6 to the dish area will I be fine? By the way I see you are in Salem. This is where I am building. I tried to find someone experienced in Salem only to find he had fallen off a roof two days before.

Thanks


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## jpos832 (Aug 13, 2007)

always run more cable then you currently need.. this gives you room for expansion in the future.. multi-use cable is also really nice for this. partner with a structured cable company and get some cable that includes multiple coax and cat5 all in one.. makes pullin cable that much simpler.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Noresults said:


> Thank you Harsh. I have cat 5 to each location from the distribution point but only ran 3 runs of rg6 to the dish area.


Soon enough, I expect that, like DISH Network, DIRECTV will finally offer their single cable solution to the general public.


> If I can get 1 or 2 more rg 6 to the dish area will I be fine?


I would have a total of five cables at this time; one for OTA and four for satellite.


> By the way I see you are in Salem. This is where I am building. I tried to find someone experienced in Salem only to find he had fallen off a roof two days before.


I'm in West Salem up on Popcorn Hill. Most of the prewires that I've see around here are single cable home runs to the garage as it is almost always closest to the street. Dish's DishPro and DIRECTV's SWM answer this nicely. DIRECTV's current setup is an unqualified PITA.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

jpos832 said:


> always run more cable then you currently need.. this gives you room for expansion in the future.. multi-use cable is also really nice for this. partner with a structured cable company and get some cable that includes multiple coax and cat5 all in one.. makes pullin cable that much simpler.


Future expansion with coax is going to be very limited. I'd spend any extra money on CAT5e or better. While the media converters are somewhat spendy now, it is still cheaper than fiber.


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## Noresults (Aug 25, 2007)

harsh, I am building in West Salem. Can you recommend a dealer in Salem for either Direct TV or Dish that can finish the job. My house will be finished in about 30 days. 

Also one thing I don't understand is are you and others saying I should run cat5 up to the dish? Do lnb send signal via cat 5 or rg6?

I have single run RG6 and Cat5 to each outlet from the distribution panel. It looks to me like I would just have to add 2 more RG6 up to the dish area. If there is advantage in running Cat5 to the dish I guess I could do that.

Thanks


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

You have a PM!


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## kenglish (Oct 2, 2004)

If you are wiring for some of the new D* equipment, virtually all the spectrum will be used up.

If using E*, they don't (AFAIK) use the spectrum below 950 MHz.

I would run two lines, minimum, to each location, since you need two for "dual tuner" PVRs. And, you could even multiplex OTA to one line, and CATV to the other....that would let you get everything....Cable, OTA, satellite, and FM radio.


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## countysky (Aug 27, 2007)

Some one might have already stated this, but, with that high a count of splits, your going to need a signal amp to boost the signal before it gets to the 1x8. I would think that if you try and run that 1x8 alone, then you will have a very weak signal running to your TV's.

Countysky


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