Which DirectTV/PVR/HDTV equipment should I consider? (1 Viewer)

[Anthony Cler]

I'll be moving into my new home next month and need some direction on which DirectTV/PVR/HDTV equipment I should be looking at.
What's the LNB limit of dishes nowadays? Dual? Quad?
Is there an all-in-one solution?
Is there a current FAQ for stuff like this?
Any advice/info would be apprectiated.
Thanks,
Anthony Cler

 

[RAF]

Are you committed to DirecTV or is the DISH network also an option? If so, consider them both. I recently looked the whole situation over and chose the Dish Network. I'm interested in HDTV and Dish is far better in this area right now. Also, I liked the various options available from Dish. Their PVR (the Model 501, soon to be expanded to the 721 and then the 921) is an amazing little device and the direct feed from the satellite that it records on the Hard Drive is an identical copy of the dish signal. They are running several specials right now that provide all the equipment when you subscribe to one of their "Digital PVR" plans.
Check it out.
On the other hand, if you are limited to DirecTV, or want the Pro Football package, etc. (exclusive to DirecTV at this point) then you have to concentrate on that provider.
Good luck.
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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
Link Removed

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I have looked into this for months for my father and later in the year, for me. Yesterday, I helped my father install DISH and I hope to have mine installed next month. It just beats DirectTV all to hell. DISH uses less compression and looks better all the time. Plus their HDTV offering is vastly superior. The current $9 promo plan cannot be beat. It's what ultimately sold my mother on it (which made my Dad's year).
Keep in mind that DISH may very well buy DirectTV very soon, so DirectTV's days could be numbered and that is good, as DISH will own the skies and can then do LOCALS with all that extra bandwidth!! (that is the plan, so watch out cable)
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www.deceptions.net/superman
[Edited last by Matt_Stevens on August 28, 2001 at 03:05 PM]

 

[RAF]

Matt,
I agree with your overall opinion of Dish vs. DirecTV, but each person may have his or her particular needs. And a few more observations:
[*] While the $9 option currently offered by DISH is a brilliant marketing strategy and will probably get many more converts from cable, it is not necessarily the best option for some people. If you think about it, they are taking the usual ~$31 monthly charge and reducing it to $9/month for one year by providing the customer with a monthly rebate of ~$22. However, you have to put $199 up front (unlike some of the other plans) so, in effect, you are paying for your own rebate, and then some. I opted for one of the Digital PVR plans which looks more expensive to start with but actually is probably a better deal when you consider all that is included.
[*] The most confusing aspect of all the Dish and DirecTV installations is the pricing structure. Once you pass that obstacle it's realatively clear sailing.
[*]I find the whole Dish/DirecTV ownership thing interesting to watch. Apparently Echostar (Dish) had a bid in to purchase DirecTV and this was thwarted by some other people, including Rupert Murdoch. Then it was determined that since Murdoch is "Mr. Cable" then if he got his hands into DirecTV it would only be a matter of time before he controlled both cable and satellite, so he, too was thwarted (there's that word again!) Now Echostar is back in the picture as DirecTV begins to lay off some employees. In my opinion it boils down to this (in greatly simplified form, since none of these mergers and acquisitions is ever a simple matter): The competiton is Cable versus Satellite, not DirecTV versus Dish. And it would appear that satellite brings more chips to the table since it does not have to rely on physical connection between homes that limits bandwidth expansion at reasonable cost. And, of course, there is always the looming new technology out there that will make everything mentioned in this thread obsolete before we know it.
Isn't the bleeding edge a blast?
Are we having fun yet?

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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
Link Removed

 

[Matt_Stevens]

The MUST CARRY law is what drives me nuts. That law just ignores the fact that there is not enough bandwidth for DISH and DirectTV to carry ever local channel. It won't happen unless DISH doubles the amount of birds they have. WHich would happen if they buy DirectTV.
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www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

The law inherently recognizes the limited bandwidth of DBS by giving them the option of not offering any local channels at all. The DBS companies should have thought it over before they wished out loud to be able to compete with cable by offering local channels. If they want regulations that allow them the freedom to behave just like cable then in all fairness they should also be subject to all of the other regulations that restrict cable.
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--Wayne Bundrick

 

[Anthony Cler]

Does Dish Network (or DirectTV) have a dish capable of more than just dual LNB?
I would probably just be getting the basic package and whatever is available in HDTV. I'll be getting my local channels over the air mainly for the free HDTV signals .
As for cable, it's not even a consideration.
Thanks,
Anthony

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I don't agree, Wayne, Cable is a monopoly and most Satellite subscribers are forced to watch Networks from shitty antenna feeds, or have Basic cable in addition to a Dish.
Making matters worse, if you cannot get a good signal and try to get a waiver, you are refused. You need to sue to get the waiver approved and that costs much more money than most people have.
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www.deceptions.net/superman