Will this set-up work?

[tarq476]

I recently switched to Dish from cable and I wanted to check with the experts whether this plan would work.

Current situation: I have 4 tvs running off of 2 boxes. 722k is in living room (downstairs)and also runs a spare bedroom (upstairs). I have an HD non-DVR box in our master bed (upstairs) and it runs another spare bedroom (upstairs).

Plan: Can I split the HDMI cable coming from the 722k in the living room? I would then plug one into that TV and run the other through the wall to the master bedroom upstairs. So they would basically be running off of the same tuner. I could then use the long-distance remote to control the upstairs tv.

I realize we would not be able to watch different things on the living room and master bed tv, but this rarely happens anyways. The benefits: we could get rid of the 2nd box, keep hd upstairs, and control the DVR from both rooms. I would lose TV in one spare bedroom, but that's not a big deal. I don't think I would be able to run cable through the wall, but could probably find a handy man to do it.

Anyone have a system similar to this? Is there a complication I'm not considering? Will the signal be too weak when split?

Any comments and help will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Adam

 

[navychop]

I would recommend running component cables rather than splitting the HDMI. Some split successfully, buy you're just asking for HDCP handshaking problems. All outputs are live all the time on the ViP units.

 

[tarq476]

Thanks, that's a good idea. How hard is it to run wire through the walls yourself, has anyone here done this? Is it something a relatively tech-savvy civilian could do, or do you need an expert?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[Tech#344]

Running component to remote TVs isn't hard you just need a lot of coax and 10 RCA stile coax fittings.

 

[boba]

Your paying $7/Mo. for the second receiver $84/YR. Can you buy cables and pay labor fees that will save you money. To run component cables you need 5 cables run to upstairs bedroom. It will probably need a 2 story wall fish into the attic and may require cutting and patching walls to get it from one room to another.

 

[rdinkel]

Use the components locally for the HDTV in the living room. Run the HDMI upstairs to the bedroom. Only need the single cable that way.

 

[cditty]

Use the components locally for the HDTV in the living room. Run the HDMI upstairs to the bedroom. Only need the single cable that way.

+1. That way your looking at one cable verses 5 cables. Even if you use Cat5 wall plates (as I did), you only use two cables.

Keep the component local.

 

[boba]

Price out the cost of 50-75 ft. HDMI cables even monoprice dosen't give them away. Is there a wall above the first floor location or will flooring have to be ripped up to get to a wall on the second floor?

 

[cditty]

Price out the cost of 50-75 ft. HDMI cables even monoprice dosen't give them away. Is there a wall above the first floor location or will flooring have to be ripped up to get to a wall on the second floor?

I bought HDMI to cat 5 wall plates and 2 100' runs of CAT 6 for $51 including shipping from Monoprice.

It saved me 12.98 per month, because I had a second 722K. Break even is 4 months. All profit after that. Since I live alone, it actually works better for me, as everything is available on each TV. If I was living with another person, I would pay for the second receiver.

 

[kschramm]

what about using Rapid Run . then you won't have to fish so many cables through the walls

 

[tarq476]

Thanks for all the advice. Does anyone know if Dish will send a tech to run this cable through the wall for me? I assume not because it basically causes them to miss out on a receiver fee, but has anyone tried this?