What is the status on the new DirecTV stuff? (1 Viewer)

[Kenneth Harden]

I know they have new satellites and will start broadcasting more HD material and will have a lot more bandwidth.

I also know the current boxes (for HD at least) will need to be replaced.

We have a mew HDTV and standard DirecTV, and needless to say, we are ready to get some better quality programs (PBS in HD on the OTA antenna is amazing, even non-HD digital channels on OTA reception is very good, much better than DirecTV)

Can you tell me what sort of timeframe we are looking at? The sooner the better

Thanks!

 

[Charlie Campisi]

It's still all a mix of rumor and speculation, but the latest I am reading over at tivocommunity.com has the local HD channels over satellite hitting the 12 major markets in Nov. There is also some talk about TNT HD and ESPN2 HD shortly following. No definite word though.

Check the coupons/bargains sections. If you call retention, D* is offering the HD tivo for $299, before you add a $100 rebate. Just in time for football season! You do have to agree to a 2 yr commitment and subscribe to the HD pack if you don't already. Great deal tho, and many people are tacking on programming credits.

 

[Ted Lee]

if you're really curious, check out this avs thread. all the info you'll need is in there:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=501777 that's a stellar deal, but be aware that box will (at some point) be obsolete. these boxes use the mpeg2 compression scheme. d* will be going to an mpeg4 scheme in the near future ... of course no one knows when for sure, etc. here's a thread i posted on that subject a while ago:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...d.php?t=240384

 

[Charlie Campisi]

Right, but the mpeg4 will only cover the locals for awhile, which are still better over the air anyway, since D* compresses their signals. There will be overlap during the time that they are transmitting both mpeg2 and mpeg4 so it's probably a few years off before the box MUST be replaced. Finally, at that price, it is the same cost as buying a standard D* hd box. Why not get the tivo? I can sell my HD non-tivo box on ebay to cover the entire cost. If I get even one year of HD tivo recording for free, it's well worth it.

PS - as Ted knows, this could be its own thread(s) that could be discussed ad nauseum. We're both abbreviating here.

 

[Ted Lee]

totally agree. i bit the bullet and went with hd-tivo, but for several reasons.

1. i wanted hd tivo now. and the immediate enjoyment was worth the risk of everything else.
2. i figured it's gonna be a while before d* makes the change
3. i was able to get it at a good price (although not 300 bucks)