Any 3rd party switches compatible with Dish?

[aasimbeck]

I want to get 5 dishes working on my setup.. I have a DPP44 with four working dishes on it right now, But I'd like to add in another location, The only way I have found to do this, is through using a DPP44 and a DP21. Like this guy did: http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/12141-mad-scientist-hooks-up-5-satellite.html

Does anyone know of any after market switches that will support more than 4 locations, in one box. I tried searching around a bit, but I couldn't come up with anything. DirecTV seems to have a wide spectrum of products available.

 

[garys]

You need DP or DPP switches. No one else makes switches to would with this technology.

 

[DishSubLA]

Keep in mind that any non Dish Network branded or non-approved 3rd party parts on your system voids the 1 year warranty on any of your equipment, the entire system, and voids all extended warranty coverage on the entire system covered by DHPP. It's nice to have Dish replace an expensive part at their expense should it fail instead of having to pay full retail once again for the 3rd party equivalent.

I do not believe there are any "approved" 3rd party switches on the list of approved parts for Dish Network. Dish does have a list of "approved" parts by 3rd parties, but I can't remember where I got it from. Try the Dish Tech Portal, perhaps.

 

[boba]

It isn't the after market switches that will stop you from doing what you want. It is the software DISH has written for "THEIR" receivers, you can connect as many switches as you want but until DISH tells the receiver what to do with the switch the receiver is dumb. Why would DISH write software unless they could profit from it?

 

[TheKrell]

Well... No sense in reinventing the wheel. Dish uses DVB-S standards, though with some non-standard modulation schemes. Or more to the point of this thread, Dish switches implement the DiSEqC standard, and 3rd party software can control Dish switches. If the reverse is not the case, then Shame On Dish!

 

[DishSubLA]

It isn't the after market switches that will stop you from doing what you want. It is the software DISH has written for "THEIR" receivers, you can connect as many switches as you want but until DISH tells the receiver what to do with the switch the receiver is dumb. Why would DISH write software unless they could profit from it?

I don't think profits from their Dish branded external multi-switches. In the vast majority of cases Dish pays for the entire install, expensive external multi-switches and all, and Dish is getting spanked by Wall Street for its ever increasing cost to acquire a subscriber. In fact, it would be much cheaper for Dish to say, "go out and buy your own 3rd party external multi-switch and save us the added expense of keeping you as a customer when you upgrade". The $100 or so upgrade does not provide a full return to Dish when their full cost to upgrade results in Dish effectively giving away an expensive multi-switch for an upgrade. The extremely small number of DIY's who buy equipment at full retail don't make up the difference.

Dish has a very complicated and unique system with its own requirements that 3rd parties just can't see a critical mass for such a switch to serve Dish's systems when the FTA market is their bread and butter. Also, Dish wants to have some reasonable control over the fact that their branded switches are guaranteed to work with their systems and not damage STB's, LNBF's, etc, and are future proofed for changes in some of the specifications that Dish may elect to implement according to their business plan. BSS technology seems to be less common among 3rd parties and DishPro is a BSS based system.