Have the RPTV, now I need HD, help? (1 Viewer)

[Kathy]

I purchased the Mits WS-55857 in November, the Sony 9000ES progressive scan is on order, now I am yerning for High Definition to see what this TV is all about. I presently have digital cable, but am considering switching to satellite (DirecTV) for two reasons; HD programming (I know it's minimal) and the Sports Programming Packages. Now comes the list of questions.
1. Do I have to switch to satellite to receive HD? When I was TV shopping one salesman told me all I needed was a pair of rabbit ears to receive local HD shows.
2. I keep reading about OTA, not sure I understand it, but if it means putting an antenna on my roof, I cannot as my HOA won't allow it. We're lucky we can have small dishes.
3. If I switch to satellite is the oval dish all I need, or will I need two dishes to obtain the optimal pictures?
4. I think the picture with my digital cable is pretty good, so making the entire switch to satellite scares me. Especially after reading Richard R. Peterson's 'A Consuemr's Guide' regarding Satellite Television on the www.dbsforums.com web site. I think I am looking at a $1,500+ investment in the hardware, so I want to be sure I will see a better picture.
5. How many receivers will I need to support four TVs? One will have to be a HD set-top box. I am hoping to be able to watch different channels on two of the TVs at one time. Beyond that it doesn't matter.
Thanks you four opinions.
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My Home Theater

 

[Jeff Beverly]

kathy, who is your cable provider? find out if they will be offering HD anytime soon.
here in orlando, Time Warner Cable has HD prgramming (HBO, Showtime & the local CBS affiliate). TWC says they are committed to bringing as much HD content as soon as possible.
i must say that so far, i am very impressed with TWC's level of service & commitment...
the best part of the deal is that the HD STB is the same rental fee that my normal digital cable box was.
good luck!!
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My HT Pics

 

[CRyan]

I will go ahead and post what others here will surely tell you. As far as I know, many HOA rules pertaining to antenna use are no longer legal. There was a somewhat recent ruling stating that OTA antennas and small 18" dishes are allowed no matter what your HOA agreement states. So if you need an outside antenna to get your local broadcasting, you are completely within your legal righst to purchase and place one. It is a federal law and overrides any HOA bilaws.
C. Ryan

 

[Todd Hochard]

Here's a link to the FCC rules regarding antennas:
http://www.fcc.gov/csb/facts/otard.html
In short, your HOA can't stop you(within reason, of course).
I currently have Dish Network, but I have not yet upgraded to an HD set-top box. I keep waiting to see more channels added before throwing down $800.
Since I live in Orlando, I've considered switching to Time Warner cable, but I can't bring myself to do it because of my Dishplayer. When I can get a box that drops a perfect digital copy onto a hard drive for cable, I'll switch. Until then, the current availability of HD programming takes a backseat to the Dishplayer functionality.
You could use two receivers and split the signal to the other TVs, but you'd need the more expensive RF-remote controlled boxes. Still, a signficant investment for not much HD programming.
Classic chicken/egg dilemma for me. Meanwhile, my Pro 510 and I wait.

When I was TV shopping one salesman told me all I needed was a pair of rabbit ears to receive local HD shows.

Not quite. Since the 55857 is an HD-READY set, meaning no HD tuner, you'd need to buy a tuner. That means a stand-alone unit (I forget model numbers, but in the $700-800 range) or one that has DirecTV(RCA DTC-100, $500) or Dish Network(6000, $600 with HD tuner, much less for new subscribers) capability built in. You could keep your cable and get the stand-alone HD tuner for $800 or so.
Todd

 

[Steve Tannehill]

5. How many receivers will I need to support four TVs? One will have to be a HD set-top box. I am hoping to be able to watch different channels on two of the TVs at one time. Beyond that it doesn't matter.

Two, as long as you are willing to run cable to your other televisions and watch off of channel 3/4. And if you plan to surf or change channels on the two "slave" televisions, you will either need receivers with an R/F remote (that will transmit through walls/floors) or you will need I/R repeaters.
Hope this helps!
- Steve

 

[Kathy]

Steve,
Thanks for the information. I am sure I will continue to refer back to it, as it is quite complete. Where can I find out more about the stand-alone OTA receivers?
Kathy
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My Home Theater

 

[Timmy]

Kathy, a friend of mine lives just north of Cincy. His HOA does not allow outside TV antennas (although 18" dishes are allowed). He placed a TV antenna inside his attic and picks up all 4 local network HDTV channels perfectly.
I live about 40 miles north of Cincy and pick up the same stations with an outside TV antenna mounted atop my roof.
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[Steve Tannehill]

Well, I would say here, but we all seem to gravitate towards 2-3 units, typically the Dish 6000 and the RCA DTC 100. If you look back a couple of months in this area of the forum, there may still be links to the CES coverage where new set-top-boxes were announced for release later this year. And, of course, if you are brand-conscious, you can check out www.mitsubishi-tv.com for their units. But I'm afraid that I don't know much about them. (I was a Dish Network subscriber prior to getting my Mits 65907, so the switch over to the Dish 6000 HD receiver was a no-brainer.)
Cheers,
Steve