(Yes, I STFAs here and elsewhere - came up nada. Maybe ISATI.)

The previous owners/builders of our house were stupid about cable runs. We have two RG-6 from the dish install location on the side of the house to the garage where all the other electrical penetrations are. Then one RG-6 from the garage to each of three TV sites (as opposed to, say, two to every wall/room in the house?). The other problem is every square foot of the house is finished, and I think pulling new cable would be a major and expensive pain (short of doing it all outside and drilling umpteen new holes, which I'd like to avoid).

One HD set and two standards. Wouldn't mind an HD-DVR if it's a feasible installation.

Question one: Am I screwed installation-wise? We tried a Dish install when we first moved in, but the installer could never seem to get the right switch. I know DirecTV has this single-cable install coming. How about Dish?

Question two: Any alternatives to pulling new cable that will get cable/sat service to the uncabled rooms?

1. You can always run the cables outside if the rooms are accessible there.
2. Contact AV installers and/or burglary alarm companies. They are good at making runs that are hidden.

Running cables outside is a fallback position for me.

For one of these new five LNB dishes, how many cables need to be brought indoors?

which is built into the LNB. If you need more there is a special multiswitch that you can add - it needs all four of those outputs - mine is mounted outside.

I have 2 H20 receivers, these require 1 cable each, 1 HD Tivo that requires 2 cables and 1 HR20 that also requires 2 cables. That's 6 cables for 4 receivers.

(though the HR-20s will soon need only one - but I'd wait and see on that) So you will need the special multiswitch for the new 5 LNB dishes.

Let me know if you need one. I ended up with a boxed unused one from my installer that I was going to put on Craigs List.