well it seems like my saga has come to a close.
Installer called sat morning to clarify the work order, apparently they stuck 2 6x8s on the work order instead of a SWM 16. no big deal, he got it corrected and was at my house by 8:30
He looked at the dish and told me he had to change all the connectors... apparently they arent allowed to use the expensive compression ends and instead use the cheap ones. I asked him why, he told me that if they QC it he will fail because they arent Directs standard. He said he could write on the work order that I refuse to let them swap and there wont be an issue. so I was glad to, and he was glad I did.
So we go to the garage where he said he will stick the SWM16 (same place my old 6x8 was sitting, and where my 5x8 was when I installed it a millenia ago) so he set about installing it and connected a single 1x8 splitter to it... I asked why and he said my standard def receiver could hang off the legacy port. That is fine by me but whats the point of the 16 at that point? regardless he connects it all up, power plug in the garage to the dedicated power port (oh also that SWM16 runs at about 130 degrees, so its sitting on a fire brick) then we go inside where he installs the HR34, we get everything converted over to swim and get that receiver activated. after rebooting itself 3 times everything works. Those 3 times were software updates.
And im still running without DECA... The tech didnt believe me that MRV didnt require deca... it wasnt until everything was up and running I showed him it worked just fine. his response "Huh that runs faster than on deca" found that amusing.
I asked him to leave a 1x4 SWM splitter and he did without issue. I moved the HR34 over to the 1x4 and hung it off the second SWM output on the switch. Then I moved the SD receiver over to a SWM port. I did that just so when I get the Kiddo a DVR or HDTV I dont have to mess around at the switch, itll just be plug and play.
SO all told at the end of the day everything is done and working.
Have had a few weird quirks with the 34, but I expected it.