# New HD converter required in the fall



## KXAZ145 (Feb 17, 2004)

I received an email ad from *irecTV this morning announcing that the Sopranos would be back in April. I noticed a link on the right side concerning HD and clicked on it-

"To access all the new HD programming coming this fall, a B-Band Converter Module (BBC) must be connected to your HD receiver. BBCs are easy to install. Simply follow the instructions below for your receiver."

It showed the two *irecTV branded receivers and this inline converter. One for the standard model and two for the two input model. I don't have either of these models and so am wondering if this only applies to the MPEG-4 receivers?

Anyone know more about this?


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

It's for MPEG4 and the BBCs are distributed with the box.


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## RunnerFL (May 10, 2005)

The BBC's are only for the H20 and HR20 models.


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## astayton (Aug 30, 2006)

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=P4200018

To access all the new HD programming coming this fall, a B-Band Converter Module (BBC) must be connected to your HD receiver. BBCs are easy to install. Simply follow the instructions below for your receiver.


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## astayton (Aug 30, 2006)

I don't have an H20 or an HR20 , but what do these little boxes really do.


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## vtfan99 (May 19, 2006)

I'm curious as to what this little magic box actually does. I thought that simply getting the new sat and the new DVR enabled you to receive mpeg4 and record it. Now they have this little magic box. What does this get you? Curious why we now need something extra to get all new programming that I thought the hr20 was supposed to get us.


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

astayton said:


> I don't have an H20 or an HR20 , but what do these little boxes really do.


This thread may help.
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=64684&highlight=b-band+converter


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

These boxes convert some of the frequences the Ka satellites/LNBs use to a different frequency range. Since the Ka satellites are mpeg-4 only they do not apply to the HR10-250.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

And they won't be needed if the SWM is out and you are using one.


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## painkiller (Jun 23, 2005)

Okay. I'm lost.

SWM??


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## moonman (Jul 21, 2004)

painkiller said:


> Okay. I'm lost.
> 
> SWM??


Single wire multiswitch
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=78249


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## painkiller (Jun 23, 2005)

Oooookayyyy.

Thank you very much.


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## nrc (Nov 17, 1999)

Reason #4211 for falling out of love with DirecTV: what used to be a simple, easy to install system has become some kind of Rube Goldberg device for television reception. You buy ... sorry lease a brand new DVR and you have to hang a pair of dongles off of it?


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## 1003 (Jul 14, 2000)

*Visiting*
www.comcast.com in a hurry. If my HR10-250 will no longer get HBO-HD or SHO-HD without a new receiver or some useless kluge-fest of attachments, I'm gone. I agree that the DirecTV systems that worked so very well in the past are now becoming a real joke. In the back of my mind I'm hearing Johnny Carson wit his best sneering voice saying "Bomb-o".

Management change is not going to fix this. The die appears to be cast and this round peg is never going to fit into the square hole in my equipment rack.

Apparently the DirecTV value proposition has finally reached zero...


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

I believe that your HR10 will receive HBO and Showtime HD for quite some time. Those are still MPEG2 and on the conus sats.


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## bigpuma (Aug 12, 2003)

nrc said:


> Reason #4211 for falling out of love with DirecTV: what used to be a simple, easy to install system has become some kind of Rube Goldberg device for television reception. You buy ... sorry lease a brand new DVR and you have to hang a pair of dongles off of it?


Most people should have had them installed with their HR20 or H20 so they don't have to do anything. I guess some installers weren't attaching them during the install so they will need to add them.

Also the new SWM technology will make it easier to have DirecTV as you will only need 1 wire to use a dual tuner DVR and you can use regular splitters as well.


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## SpankyInChicago (May 13, 2005)

moonman said:


> Single wire multiswitch
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=78249


Jesus Christ. What a giant cluster f***.

Notice Earl doesn't go into what needs to be done if class count > channels.


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## jamesbobo (Jun 18, 2000)

What gets me is "no single dish can cover all seven satellites." So even if you just had a new 5lnb dish installed, does this mean you will soon need more dishes and another installation?


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## RunnerFL (May 10, 2005)

JJ said:


> *Visiting*
> www.comcast.com in a hurry. If my HR10-250 will no longer get HBO-HD or SHO-HD without a new receiver or some useless kluge-fest of attachments, I'm gone. I agree that the DirecTV systems that worked so very well in the past are now becoming a real joke. In the back of my mind I'm hearing Johnny Carson wit his best sneering voice saying "Bomb-o".
> 
> Management change is not going to fix this. The die appears to be cast and this round peg is never going to fit into the square hole in my equipment rack.
> ...


Your HR10 will get HBO and SHO in HD as long as they are broadcast in Mpeg2 format. Which will probably be for a few years to come.

These attachments, the BBC's, won't do anything for the HR10 except maybe keep it from getting a signal altogether.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

SpankyInChicago said:


> Jesus Christ. What a giant cluster f***.


Well THAT was necessary...


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## bigpuma (Aug 12, 2003)

jamesbobo said:


> What gets me is "no single dish can cover all seven satellites." So even if you just had a new 5lnb dish installed, does this mean you will soon need more dishes and another installation?


Most people will get everything with the 5lnb dish. Only people in certain markets will need an extra dish for locals and an extra dish is needed for international programming.


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## painkiller (Jun 23, 2005)

> Originally posted by BigPuma:
> Most people will get everything with the 5lnb dish. Only people in certain markets will need an extra dish for locals and an extra dish is needed for international programming.


I would think this is largely because of the spot beam technology??


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## SpankyInChicago (May 13, 2005)

Adam1115 said:


> Well THAT was necessary...


Well THAT was necessary...


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

SpankyInChicago said:


> Jesus Christ. What a giant cluster f***.
> 
> Notice Earl doesn't go into what needs to be done if class count > channels.


Thanks ... I think.

There is a reason why I didn't go into it... Because as you get more and more receivers (that exceed the class count), you can have a variety of different ways to solve that solution.

Just like now with multiswitches... You can split the signal to two switches, cascasde one switch to two switches.... Cascade it to splitters, ect....

Also with the newer 8 Channel version...
There are so many combinations... You can have 4 HR20's.... Or 11 D12's..
4 HR20's, 1 HR10-250, 1 D10
3 HR20's, 2 H20's, 1 R10, 1 D11
2 HR20's, 4 H20's, 1 DSR704, 1 Old RCA Receiver

There are countless combinations...

For the Average (and below) customer... they are not going to need more then the 8channel (or even the 5 channel).

As you get more advanced and complex installations... Unless they want to use the MDU version of the switch, they are going to have to get creative with their solution.

But that is what "we" (us geeks with this stuff), are here for... to help those that are outside the "norm" to find a practicall solution (that is as inexpensive as possible)


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## jcricket (Sep 11, 2002)

Still, when you compare to the solutions offered by Cable, satellite is getting more and more complex. Hopefully SWM (if universally offered) will solve that, but the comments about multiple dishes, the problems installing the current dish, b-band converters, etc. are pretty ridiculous.


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## SpankyInChicago (May 13, 2005)

ebonovic said:


> Thanks ... I think.
> 
> There is a reason why I didn't go into it... Because as you get more and more receivers (that exceed the class count), you can have a variety of different ways to solve that solution.
> 
> ...


I got ya. I agree with you. For us it is easy. For others it is way too complex. Even my mom understands how cable is split. I am just amazed that even with the "simplified" version of things it is still beyond the grasp of your average home owner.

Am I wrong or is the SWM class just analogous to how many tuners the unit has? Can't we just say that number of tuners must be <= channels or could a SWM class 2 device have more than 2 tuners?


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

SpankyInChicago said:


> Am I wrong or is the SWM class just analogous to how many tuners the unit has? Can't we just say that number of tuners must be <= channels or could a SWM class 2 device have more than 2 tuners?


Right now... The Class = The Number of Tuners


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## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

nrc said:


> Reason #4211 for falling out of love with DirecTV: what used to be a simple, easy to install system has become some kind of Rube Goldberg device for television reception. You buy ... sorry lease a brand new DVR and you have to hang a pair of dongles off of it?


Only if you don't have a SWM, and newer installations will likely use SWMs.

I also don't see that DirecTV is making it "harder". With the new SWM, DirecTV is actually making it easier to bring satellite into homes that were pre-wired with only one RG-6 cable to each room. SWM + new receivers + one RG6 run from the SWM = dual-tuner recording without new wiring needed to each room.


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