Need recommendations for HD receiver setups (1 Viewer)

[RucoreyZ]

Currently, I have a standard DirecTV setup w/ dual LNB's. I'm just finishing up my Basement and HT. I have a '51 HD Sony and a mid-grade Sony receiver and now I'm desperate to get some HD programming.

What are your opinions on current and future HD programming for DirecTV and Dish? I'm leaning toward the Dish 6000 because they seem to have a higher focus on future HD programming. Which other receivers should I give a hard look at?

If I stay w/ DirecTV and upgrade to a HD dish and receiver, can I still use my old receivers for the other rooms?

Sorry for some many questions, but there are so many receivers out there and I'm not finding any in-store expertise...

mucho thanx

 

[Jeff D]

RucoreyZ, welcome to the HTF, at least it appears you are new. =)

You question is very good. I'm not sure how important this is, but you might want to wait until the issue of DirecTV/EchoStar (dish) merger is decided. I'm not sure how that will change things. Currently EchoStar and DirecTV are sharing some bandwidth on some of the birds, DTV's HD bird is carries a lot of EchoStar's programming.

But... if you do get an HDTV reciver here's what you will need. A second dish for the 119 bird, and maybe a third dish if you want the other bird that carries Showtime HD. You could also change to the oval dish, the oval dish can hold 3 dual LNBs and pick up all three streams. The option is yours both have benefits.

If you go with the oval dish you'll get the 2 dual lnbs and the multiswitch (you'll still need to buy the sat C kit for the third LNB). The multiswitch takes the four lines from the dual LNBs and combines them into a signal that can be carried by one cable. There are even multiswitches which will combine off the air UHF channels into the same signal. If you do combine in UHF you'll need a diplexer to split that out on the inside (note you'll need one for each box that would want UHF split out) Just to inform you, UHF is how off the air HDTV and DigitalTV signals are sent to your house from the stations. That is why I mentioned the UHF antenna and the diplexing of the signals, it's very handy.

You will still be able to use your existing Directv boxes with the combined signals coming from the multiswitch. The signal coming from the 2nd and 3rd LNBs is just ignored.

So, if you can find a cheap HDTV tuner maybe you might want to check it out. Otherwise I'd think about wait and see where this Merger goes. I don't think they'd do an equipment swap, but there are rumors of that.... The future is unknown.

 

[RucoreyZ]

Jeff -

Thanks for the heads up, I think I'll take your advice and hold out for a couple of months. I need to finish my cabling and wiring projects anyway.

I'll be looking around until - thanx

 

[Michael Mathius]

Check out Avsforum.com for lots of info on HDTV. I've found this site to be very helpfull.
I am using the Sony HDSat 100 for DTV and OTA. As far as I can remember the only hd channel that Dish had over DTV is Discovery HD.