my first week with DirecTV (1 Viewer)

[DeT]

Installation going okay. I install it by myself after calling the local satellite store and they're telling me they would charge $60 for the installation. Getting about 82 on the signal strength, don't know if that's any good, but that's the best I could manage after hours stand on the ladder in the sun.

Compare to cable, the sound is so much better. The picture is a bit worse than the local cable (ATT). The satellite receiver seem to be hot all the time, even when its off, weird.

One thing really buggin me about this is when I watch TV late at night, and most of the program like TLC, Discovery I wanna watch is in paid program mode in satellite! Seem like there are 3 hours diffences between the time the program on in the satellite and the one show in the paper. Is there any way to get around this? Or I just have to watch it a bit earlier. I live in the west coast by the way. I don't know, I may have to switch back to cable after I am done with this 1 year deal if those cable guy could give me a box with digital audio out.

 

[Ken Seeber]

The three-hour time difference is because you're on the West coast and you're getting the East coast feeds for the channels.

 

[Eric_R_C]

Signal strength of 82 is very good.

Can't explain why your picture isn't better, but it's unlikely that you'll get a digital cable box with digital out for quite a while.

You are stuck with the 3-hour time difference. You are watching east coast. It's not hard to get used to, and you can use your vcr to record stuff. (use the Directv menu to see whats on, rather than your local TV guide.)

What receiver do you have? Make sure it's in a well-ventilated place (not boxed in between stuff.) Don't know why it's hot when off.

 

[Lee Petty]

82 is good, but you may want to try gettin a cheap $30 satellite meter to test signal strength with. i used to install dishes for directv, and 80 is the lowest acceptable signal strength they would take. but that is also on a clear day. when it gets very cloudy or in bad weather, your signal can drop considerably and you may get picture distortions.

 

[Larry Schneider]

A Washington signal won't be as strong as an Alabama signal; 80 should be ok. You're farther from the satellite and the signal strength "footprint" is stronger in the East. What sort of TV are you using? You must have had terrific cable if it's better than DirecTV.

 

[Robert_J]

The satellite receiver seem to be hot all the time, even when its off, weird.

The receiver is never off. Hitting the power button just cuts off the video output. It is still downloading guide information as long as it is plugged into a power outlet.

-Robert

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Unfortunately, since they added Local-in-Local channels, DBS satellite is so compressed that it does look worse than many cable affiliates. Your signal strength is fine.

Picture quality won't likely get better unless they change their infrastructure. If the merger goes through things will get shuffled (move some birds around to optimize bandwidth) but they are talking about putting up every local in the country so I don't know if there will be an improvement. If they want to do so many channels they should switch to MPEG-4 and give everybody new receivers.

 

[DeT]

I have the RCA DRD450RG satellite receiver and my TV is a cheap old Sharp 25 or 27 inch.

Oh well, nothing is perfect. With cable, I have to deal with those little rate increase from month to month, which is very annoying.

thanks for all the replies guys. I thought I am hitting a tree with that 82 signal strength because the tree across the street is sort of in the way, but maybe not.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

Are you using a coax or s-video connection? Try to use the s-video connection if it is available, you should get a better picture that way.

 

[DeT]

I am using the yellow wire running from the receiver to the TV, I don't know what's that called. Kinda weird since when I got cable, I use only the coaxial, the one that include picture and sound into one wire running it into the TV, and it got better picture. Ah well, its okay, I got better sound to feed my Diva 6.1 and that's what important to me.

Just the last 2 days, I have experience some skipping of both video and sound when watching a certain channel. It only skip for only fraction of a second of make a lound noise while at it, like a car backfire. Its happen the worse when watching stand up comedy on the Comedy channel. But also happen twice on the FX movie today. Is my equipment have something to do with this or its the other guys fault?

thanks

 

[Ken Seeber]

The yellow cable is called composite. If your receiver supports s-video (metal collar with four small pins inside), use that, it'll give you the best quality.
Also, make sure you tighten any coaxial cable fittings, both at the dish and coming into the receiver. It should take a 7/16-inch wrench.
Now don't you wish you'd spent that measley 60 bucks for professional installation?

 

[Martice]

Can't explain why your picture isn't better, but it's unlikely that you'll get a digital cable box with digital out for quite a while.

Is this what you're talking about? From what I understand this looks like a digital cable box to me especially if it offers DD 5.1. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Link
Also, I'm considering this deal. Anyone know of any reason why this would not be an attractive purchase?
Link 2
When you get to the above link, go to 'Products' and hit 'Ultimate TV' and check out the Sony offering for $129.00
Thanks

 

[DeT]

Also, make sure you tighten any coaxial cable fittings, both at the dish and coming into the receiver. It should take a 7/16-inch wrench.
Now don't you wish you'd spent that measley 60 bucks for professional installation?

Nah, I am quite happy with the result and not spend 60 bucks hehe, it was not that hard.
I only paid 20 bucks for the satellite system with the Dolby Digital out jack, and another 30 for the Toslink cable, so spending 60 big one for the installation is a bit crazy, for me anyway
Thanks for the tip about tighten those coaxial using the wrench, I have only tighten them by hand.

 

[Ken Seeber]

Is this what you're talking about? From what I understand this looks like a digital cable box to me especially if it offers DD 5.1. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

No, that's digital satellite with Dolby Digital output. Eric was talking about digital cable boxes, as in from the cable companies.