Community Forums

pnap3624 · 07-20-2015, 05:23 PM

We have a 2006 Tiffin Phaeton with regular t.v.,Kingdome sat, and factory installed surround sound and dvd. We want to upgrade to HDtv and a dvr. What is needed to get there ?

BFlinn181 · 07-20-2015, 09:17 PM

What type of connections and cables between the satellite, DVD and audio system? That will determine what you'll need to connect to a DVR and a flat screen TV. If you have a switch box to select video inputs and front/rear TV, you'll have to match that switch box also. Newer systems use HDMI cables and connectors, if you only have coax and screw RF connections it might not handle full HD and stereo sound. Stringing HDMI cable to the bedroom TV can be a challenge.

Research what you have, how it interconnects and is switched, then look for compatible TV and DVR components that will connect.

Diane98 · 07-21-2015, 02:05 AM

We have 2005 Itasca Horizon, and upgraded to a flat screen TV and a DVR about 3 years ago, I don't know if we actually get HD TV, but the picture is really great compared to what we had before, which was a Sony (and really heavy).

Adding a DVR was no problem, we already had a regular satellite box from Dishnetwork and upgraded to new box with a DVR. The TV install was done by the dealer, so I can't tell you how to do it.

What you will want to watch is the surround sound, as it is an analog system built in at the time the coach was built in 2005, and we were told it would be a job and expensive to upgrade to a digital system (having the dealer do it). We bought 2 different TV's and neither worked with the surround sound after they installed them, so the dealer finally called the Itasca/Winnebago factory and was told we would need to buy a TV that in the programming menu for sound had a feature called audio out, the only TV at the time we could find that had audio out in the menu was a Vizio, after they hooked it up it worked great.

Good luck in your search.

luvlabs · 07-21-2015, 12:46 PM

Start with the TVs and check how the connections are made to the TV. If you have component (R,G,B) you can get HD on the TV. HDMI would be better. If you want to do your conversion and bring everything up to standard, then budget for new TVs.

The best way to get HD TV and DVR capabilities is to add a Winegard Trav'ler antenna. This can be had in Directv and Dish Network versions. With Directv, you can add the Genie DVR and with Dish, you can use the Hopper/Joey system. Both are whole house DVR systems with lots of features. Wiring can be a challenge depending on how many TVs you want connected although using systems like HDMI over CAT6 cable or wireless HDMI can make it quite a bit easier.

Dish can give you HD and recording capabilities possibly with your older dome if it can tune to the three Dish satellites. Using the simplest of the Dish receivers and an add on hard drive, you can record video. However, you lose the capability to record and watch live TV at the same time.

So you need to make a decisions as to what your budget is, which satellite network you want to run, and how many TVs do you want connected.

Scarab0088 · 07-21-2015, 01:29 PM

The OTA (Off The Air) High Def-DTV conversion is the easiest...just upgrade to HD TV's where you want HD. The existing/original antenna and coax cable will support the broadcast HDTV.

The rest is not so easy...
~The HD line signal from a HD capable SAT or HD disc player must be carried over cables that would not exist in a 2006 coach (at least our 2007 didn't have it). The cables must be either HDMI or Component RCA (5 wire) sets -or- the system can be assembled with HD wireless (a transmitter at the base and receivers at each TV).
~A disc player in the HD world is called a Blue Ray player.
~SAT can be SD (standard def) or HD depending on what you acquire. A DVR will often be part of the SAT system. Either type can play on any new HDTV...with the right wire connection.
~OTA DVR's are available like: Antenna DVR | Channel Master

Best luck

wa8yxm · 07-21-2015, 05:44 PM

Depending on your Satelite provider you can not.

The block is the king dome.. Domes have the ability to see one and only one satellite at a time and one and only one satellite band

DirecTV uses one and only one satellite but is not HD
DirecHD tv uses that one plus two more which are in a different band.

Dish network uses. 2 birds and Dish HD uses 3 all in the same band

Now.. IF your Kind dome is the right model (You will have to read the manual) and can do Dish HD then a VIP-211 with an external Disc Drive MIGHT work, but you must remember you can only record shows from ONE Satellite at a time. (I do not know if it can do two shows at once)

If you use any of the dual-DVR systems.. you can only record off one satellite at a time. Trying to record two shows may cause conficts.

THE SOLUTION (only works when stationary)

use a DISH style antenna, not a dome

TechWriter · 07-21-2015, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pnap3624

We have a 2006 Tiffin Phaeton with regular t.v.,Kingdome sat, and factory installed surround sound and dvd. We want to upgrade to HDtv and a dvr. What is needed to get there ?

I hope you have DISH because you won't be getting HD with DirecTV and a Kingdome.

ProjectPro · 07-31-2015, 01:22 PM

When we bought our Phaeton the front TV had been converted to HD. We upgraded the rear TV (documented at http://www.irv2.com/forums/f53/led-l...tv-228751.html) and connected front and rear with an Actiontec wireless HDMI system. I removed the DVD / surround sound unit. I have an audio receiver with HDMI input that I plan to connect so I can use the surround sound speakers (2 by the captains' chairs, one in the galley and 1 at the dining table.) I am concerned with heat in the cabinet, so that project will have to wait until I can put some fans in to keep the temperature down.

We use a Traveler dish antenna connected to a DirecTV HR24 DVR. We also have a Cradelpoint router that allows the DVR to connect to the Internet via our Verizon LG G2 phone's mobile hotspot app, and an A-B-C HDMI switch to select the BluRay player, DVR or Roku input to the wireless HDMI transmitter.

We have the DirecTV remotes set up for RF operation, and we can change channels, pause, rewind, fast forward, slomo, etc from the bedroom even though the HR24 is in the cabinet.

Good luck. This was a satisfying and rewarding project from my perspective.