Dish Network's parent company, Echostar, manufactures a dual-tuner receiver. This allows two televisions in separate rooms to operate off the same receiver, each with their own channel tuner. Especially useful when combined with Dish's DVR service, the dual-tuner DVR allows you to watch one show while recording another in a separate room. The shared hard drive also allows you to record a show in one room and watch it in another. Cabling for the dual-tuner receiver takes some care and attention, but requires only a few basic items.
Step 1
Connect both cables from the satellite dish antenna to the "SATELLITE IN 1" and "SATELLITE IN 2" connections on the back of the receiver. As a point of reference, this article refers to the television in the room with the receiver as "TV1" and to the second television that operates remotely in the room without the receiver as "TV2."
Step 2
Connect a coax cable from the "TV CH3-4 OUT" connection for TV1 on the back of the receiver to the input connection on the back of the TV1 television.
Step 3
Tune the television to Channel 3 or Channel 4. You should see video on the TV1 television screen.
Step 4
Connect another coax cable to the "CH21-69 OUT" connection for TV2. The TV2 connections are in a shaded area on the back of the receiver labeled "Home Distribution."
Step 5
Run the cable from CH21-69 OUT through the wall, around the baseboard or through the attic, as necessary, to the room where TV2 is located. Connect this end of the cable directly to the input on TV2.
Step 6
Tune TV2 to Channel 60. If you do not get a video signal from the receiver, try Channel 72. If you still do not get video, go back to TV1, navigate to the SYSTEM INFO menu screen and check the channel out setting for TV2 in box "J." Exit the menu screens and go back to TV2. Tune TV2 to the channel number indicated on the SYSTEM INFO screen.
Things You'll Need
Two televisions
Dual-tuner receiver (models 322, 522, or 625, ViP models 622, 222 or 722)
RG-6 coaxial cable
F-type connectors
Tip
With the dual-tuner receivers, you have two remote controls. The remote labeled with the green number 1 works with TV1. It uses an infrared (IR) light signal to control the tuner. Therefore, there must be a clear line-of-sight from the TV1 remote to the receiver. The TV2 remote, labeled with the blue number 2, uses an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio signal. This allows the remote’s signal to penetrate walls or other obstacles to control the tuner from another room. These differing remote signals are the key to the Dish Network dual-tuner technology.
Warning
Always check for live electrical wires before drilling into walls to run cables.