Here’s one that comes from our Signal Connect representatives. They help all sorts of customers get the satellite TV system of their dreams. The key, they tell me, is knowing what the equipment is capable of and how to get around those limitations.
Can you even get satellite TV in a guest house?
The simple answer is yes. You can’t charge for it unless the account is set up right, but if you own the guest house, then you can have it on the same satellite TV account. There are some limitations depending on how it’s actually listed in your city’s plat books, but I’ll let the Signal Connect reps explain that.
The challenge with guest houses is twofold. First there’s the distance from the main house, which can be a problem. The second concern is that the two houses aren’t connected, and that can cause problems when you’re wiring.
A little bit about DIRECTV’s Genie system
DIRECTV’s Genie system, like DISH’s Hopper and other similar 3rd-generation DVR setups, concentrates all the hard work in a single location. The Genie DVR does the tuning and recording. It then sends a complete signal, menus and all, to a small client box located in another room. Sometimes this can be done wirelessly. The client box is useless without a connection to the Genie box, though. That can create issues in a guest house.
Options for connecting to a Genie
If the guest house is less than 50 feet from the main house, you can easily use a Wireless Video Bridge to cover the distance. You can use a wireless client box, although you will need to put it at a point closest to the main house.
If the guest house is under about 150 feet from the main house, you can run a cable from point to point. DIRECTV does not have burial-rated cable, but you can use regular cable and run it through PVC or metal conduit to protect it. You’ll get good results in general, but the further you get from the main house, the more the client boxes are going to seem sluggish and slow. However, if you understand this, you’ll still end up being able to access all the recordings you make in the main house. A lot of our customers go this way.
For guest houses much further away…
The best option if your guest house is far from your main house is to put a separate dish on the main house and use standalone receivers. This doesn’t give you the option to record, but you will still get all of DIRECTV’s awesome live TV. Anyway, you might not want your guests to know what you’re recording.
The key here is that you must use the HR54 DVR in the main house instead of the Genie 2 which is standard with new installs. This limits you to recording 5 things at once instead of 7, and to 4 simultaneous TVs instead of 7. However, it does give you the option to add an unlimited number of standalone receivers for other rooms. Those rooms won’t see what you’ve recorded, but as I said they’ll still get live TV.
Get the best advice
The best place for advice on your DIRECTV system may not be DIRECTV’s call centers. They’re set up for volume, not for special circumstances. If you want someone who will really listen to your needs, you’ll want to call Signal Connect. We’re DIRECTV dealers and can access the same systems as their overseas call centers. The difference is that we offer real customer service as well… all for the same price. Give us a call at 888-233-7563 and see what I mean. We’re here during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below! We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
