Help recommend a DBS system for me (1 Viewer)

[Matt Stryker]

I've decided that my cable/sat company is charging way too much for what they're giving (awful reception and poor service) and I'm ready to consider satellite. Here's what I am interested in:
Good Picture Quality
MOST IMPORTANT: Compatibility with my Sony PVR2000 Tivo
Price
Here are the channels I watch (almost exclusively)
Local (NBC, CBS, ABC)
ESPN1, 2, Classic
History
TLC
Discovery
Fox Sports would be nice, but not entirely necessary.
I've seen the DirecTV $21.99 package, and that meets most of the requirements, but I wanted some opinions. Especially where to buy, equipment reccommendations, what to look for, etc. Video quality is an issue (though menu speed is not); I have a 53" Samsung RPTV with a built in line-doubler (non-HD).
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Life sucks, buy a helmet.

 

[Bob Jackson]

You can go here for a Dish/Direct comparison and the packages DirecTV offers: http://www.qtm.net/~trowbridge/DBScomp.htm .
The RCA units seem the most compatable with the TiVos. The Sony units sometimes flake out their serial ports (diabling channels changes via TiVo).
Other brands with low speed serial ports should work well too.

 

[Matt Stryker]

It seems like DirecTV is the better deal, because for $21.99 I get all the channels I wanted. With Dish, I'd have to go for the more expensive plan to get ESPN Classic, which I'd really like to have.
I'm looking at the ds4280re by RCA offered by dishdepot.com any pros/cons of this model? Does the optical output work all the time, or only when there is a Dolby Digital stream present with the program?
And one more thing. My neighbor upstairs has DirecTV, and my antenna would go next to his. If I get one with dual LNB, can we both use the same antenna, but different recievers? That would make things easier.
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Life sucks, buy a helmet.

 

[David_LM]

And one more thing. My neighbor upstairs has DirecTV, and my antenna would go next to his. If I get one with dual LNB, can we both use the same antenna, but different recievers? That would make things easier.

As long as you are honest with DirecTV about this arrangement it might be OK. Of course both parties will have to pay FULL price for a programming package and both parties will have to have a separate phone line. This is exactly the reason a customer with a multi-room system must have the receivers on the same phone line.

 

[Matt Stryker]

Any word on how good dishdepot.com is? Experiences?
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Life sucks, buy a helmet.

 

[TimothyP]

DishDepot is GREAT! I bought a Dish 4000 and 6000 receiver with OTA module, Dish 500 and 300 dishes, and all the necessary cables, switches a few months ago. Mark at DishDepot was extremely knowledgeable and told me exactly what equipment I would need to do what I wanted. The price was the lowest I found (except maybe DBS-sales.com).
I paid a local guy to install the stuff for me. He had 20 years of experience with antennas and satellite systems (he said). Despite this he had never installed an HD system. He assured me that DishDepot sent me the wrong switch and I needed a different one. Long story short...Mark at Dishdepot was right, installer was wrong. Installer also mixed up wires which ended up causing my system to crash (I fixed it myself without help).
Mark knew everything about programming, equipment, switches, installation, etc. But here's the kicker!
He sold me the system with a $200 discount thanks to Dish Network's rebate program (sign up for $40/mo programming for one year and you get the rebate). Two months later, Dishnetwork mistakenly sent the rebate check to me instead of Mark. I emailed Mark asking him what to do and he told me to take the wife out to dinner on him!!
Bottom line - Mark at Dishdepot is a class act and I highly recommend him.
Tim in Baltimore
P.S. I sent him the rebate check anyway.