Mutiplex vs DiSEqC switches

[wombatch]

Hi there, firstly apologies if this is obvious but I can't figure it all out. I am in the lucky or unlucky position of not getting any cable service where I live and FTA terrestrial TV has pretty much gone.
As a result I want to set up a satellite dish to get all my TV for all the TV/recorders in the house (let's assume 4 TVs plus a couple of recorders for now).
So I have a satellite dish and I can see where to get the receivers from but my question relates to the wiring. At what point do I need to consider a multiplexer instead of basic DiSEqC switches? I am probably only interested in 3 satellites but want to proved the ability to watch different channels around the house so I need a satellite box for each TV. But how to connect them.
Also, are there any implication with this in the reception of HD TV, I saw somewhere that some DiSEqC switches and multiplexers might not cope with HD?
Any help gratefully received.
Thanks.

[galandracos]

if you only want upto say 4 sats and there close together i.e 19,16,13 and 9 east and you have a decent size dish (you dont state your location or which sats your after) use 4xquad output lnbs and 4 diseq 1.0 switches then run 1 co-ax to each receiver (asuming there 1.0 capable)
multiplexer ,thought these were only used by tv companies ?
gd

[wombatch]

Can you just confirm, using quad output LNBs dictates that I will only ever have 4 satellite boxes connected and actively receiving at one time since any more would require splitting and therefore the consequential signal loss?

[parad0x_i]

Firstly give us an approximate location.. and the satellite(s) you wish to receive

Do i follow that you want 4 Tv's feeding off 2 receivers..?

Can you elaborate on your plan..

[wombatch]

Hi, not sure why the satellites are relevant to this discussion (and I have a concern that if you are asking I am not explaining the question properly) but if it helps lets say astra 28.2 hotbird 13 astra 19.2 and I am in Switzerland. (Please don't turn this into a dish discussion there are hundreds of those on the internet and I am pretty confident from all I read that the above will work).

From these lets forget the number of TVs, the point is choice. I cant get anything without a satellite decoder so for each instance of TV/recorder above you have to assume a satellite decoder or a decoder with recorder.

From Astra 28.2 I get UK freesat and since they broadcast an EPG it is quite nice to get it (make the family happy that they can see whats on). From Astra 1 and Hotbird I would get local TV channels (I dont yet have any decoders for this so I am not sure what is available here in terms of EPG etc.).
My assumption now is that it would be nice to be able to choose channels individually, kids, grandma, me etc and that perhaps sometimes I would like to record something while the kids and grandma are watching cartoon time!

Given that, I wanted to put in something fairly flexible but have been totally unable to find any decent documentation on exactly what I would get from multiplex versus simple DiSEqC switching. Also would be nice to understand how I would connect this lot up if I used DiSEqC switches.

Does that help to make it clearer, sorry if I am not explaining it well.

[JGruuthuse]

for each sat posistion you want to watch you need 1 lnb. This is possible
Quad LNB 4 receivers independently
Quattro LNB 4 outputs: (each 1/4 available channels) (transponders H Lo, H Hi, V Lo & V Hi). Shared installation and expandable to more then 4 single receivers. Keep in mind you now already have receivers with twin sat tuners, 1 watching, 1 recording. 4 receivers like this and you would need in the 1st case:1 Octo LNB/sat position.
Second choice, is user expandable, without further changes on the dish/lnb choice.
Choice 1 or 2 provides the choice for the switch. Each Quattro requires 4 entries in to the switch. Each Quad would require 1 individual switch/receiver.
(Future) Planning & budget could be decisive.

[galandracos]

as long as your fixed dish is big enough to handle the signal from the offset lnbs then the
way i described above will work as each system is really independante of each other,except at the quad lnb,s which are designed for each output to work independantly.-I have 15 lnbs on one dish another lnb on a seperate dish cascaded through 4x4way commited switches and 1x4way uncommited switch all installed my self -hope this helps.
gd

[JGruuthuse]

uncommited, commited switches cascades, the receiver has to support this, check before you buy.

[parad0x_i]

Originally Posted by wombatch

Hi, not sure why the satellites are relevant to this discussion (and I have a concern that if you are asking I am not explaining the question properly) but if it helps lets say astra 28.2 hotbird 13 astra 19.2 and I am in Switzerland. (Please don't turn this into a dish discussion there are hundreds of those on the internet and I am pretty confident from all I read that the above will work).

Well i assumed you were asking about a specific plan you had not a hyperthetical one. You are asking the questions and need the help so why question when i ask for more information..???

If you want help then accept the help that is offered gracefully and not type demands in bold letters..

This is a friendly forum!

Oh and can you read our rules before posting again as live links are not allowed and that is why your last post was Auto-Moderated

[wombatch]

Apologies for both the live link and the bold type. I was not intending a demand I was simply concerned that both you and I were going to spend lots of time discussing dishes when as far (I agree I don't know much) as I could see the dish bit of the question is largely irrelevant. I am sure I am just being thick here but I still don't understand the DiSEqC thing and as I said in my post I can find loads of discussion about dishes but nothing if anything that helps me understand how DiSEqC works. Of course I can read the spec (and if I wanted to build my own switch I suppose I would have to) but what I am looking for is real world experience which doubtless you guys have but I don't yet understand. I do not really want to buy a whole load of LNB/switch gear just to learn either so I am genuinely trying to get some help but as far as I know not on the dish bit.
So having said that I will try and restate my last post which I hope I can mostly remember.
I think I am beginning to understand how this DiSEqC works as opposed to multiplex (which seems conceptually simple in comparison). Each "standard" LNB has a possible 4 output selections so as soon as I have a Quad LNB I have the potential to have all the output selections "live" at the same time. I assume that this is basically how a cascade system works (but this must be wrong because then you could use a Quattro just as easily). I found some helpful diagrams at but for the U.S. market. Should I assume that what you are suggesting looks pretty much like the Europe equivalent of the "2 satellite to 6 receivers" example? Then, what happens when you go to 8 receivers, why do they use a different scheme for the "2 satellites to 8 receivers"? (it is a marketing site so all of it has to be taken with a pinch of salt).
Lastly it is just mentioned that in order to cascade and use a "committed vs uncommitted" switches (I can feel another question coming) I would need the receiver to support this, what is that support, DiSEqC 1.0, DiSEqC 1.2, DiSEqC 2.0 or something else.