pros and cons for HD TV?
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What specifics do you want to know about? I had Time-Warner cable and got tired of the rates going up all the time, bad picture quality, so-so sound quality and bad customer service. Their DVR/HD cable box is pretty good and easy to use but now that I have DirecTV, the picture is better across the band, sound quality is definitely better, the price is better, they have XM for the music channels and I REALLY like that. I have had a few times where the picture was interrupted but I honestly don't think it has been as often as cable was.
Another drawback to cable is that if there's a problem in someone's house, it can affect the picture quality in other houses if there's not an amplifier between them. I'm happy with DirecTV, have installed systems with Dish Network and while the systems are basically the same, the problem with Dish has always been access to local channels without needing a separate antler. I don't think any of the satellite systems have local HD programming but I can see the towers from my living room window and they come in fine with a set of rabbit ears.
Bottom line, A/V quality is better than when I had cable and I have been very satisfied with the service I have gotten from DirecTV.
I got Dish and no extra antler for locals.
High Def locals?
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I have dish, hbo, local $67. I also have cable, modem, basic. $65they will not sell you cable modem without basic.Hurricane, power off, cable tv down, but satellite and generator work. I will keep dish just for that reason.,also in the last four year dish only went up once. cable every three months.
Edited 5/20/2007 11:42 pm by brownbagg
Cable modem, no cable, no dish. Standard TV antenna, HD tuner.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
>High Def locals?<
Sorry not a Hi Def yet so don't know, wasn't thinking modern I guess, was thinking for regular programming. Dad in N IL has Driect and uses an antler to get hi def locals out of Chicago.
DTV is coming out with local addons in October. I don't know about DISH. Had there antler and it was worthless.
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DirecTV has been telling me local channels are coming "in a month" for about 14 months now.Don't hold your breath.
DirecTV has been telling me local channels are coming "in a month" for about 14 months now.
It depends on where you are. I'm in midcoast Maine and have had local channels for a few years, at least. As I recall, you need to be far enough from the local transmitters that you don't get an acceptable signal, before DTV can give local channels to you. The smaller the market, the longer it seemed to take to get local channel availability. In Montana, don't hold your breath.
The signal is usually fine, although in a big t-storm, sometimes you lose it, generally for a minute or two.
My situation is this: I presently have Dish TV at 2 residences, one rural and one metropolitan. At the rural location I lose the signal during storms and especially in the spring when the leaves are coming out. The dish is almost horizontal and I'm not putting it on a tower.As you may remember from my post a few weeks ago I've recently upgraded to a Plasma TV and want to take advantage of the HD. The hockey play-offs are looking terrible without it. Dish wants $20 a month extra for the HD plus I need to fork out another $350 + for a new receiver and dish (at 2 locations). I'm getting my local channels for $5 a month extra (don't have any antlers?).On the other hand I agree with Tom, there isn't much to watch anyay and if I could get PBS and a few cable channels such as TCM, ICF and a few sports channels, I would be happy with using antennas and not forking out all this dough for a TV I hardly watch anyway. I guess I'm looking for the best way to have my cake and eat it too.
Mmmmmmm, cake!You're sending the signal to the plasma via composite video, right? In your case (no HD receiver), that's the best signal you'll get. If you're close to teh end of your contract, beat them up for the new hardware- DirecTV has a package going on (don't they always?) with 4 regular receivers or 2 HD DVR receivers, free install, three months of free HBO and Cinemax, a free portable DVD player and I can get you a $50 discount. Then, you can feed the plasma through the component video (I wouldn't bother with HDMI) and your picture will improve considerably as long as your signal is good.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Actually I'm using the HDMI (I got your recommendation against HDMI after I bought the cable). I don't have a contract with Dish as far as I know, but I have been a customer for the past 5 years. Dish wants $20 a month for HD, where DTV wants $10. I'm really tempted to try an antenna. I used to have a clear shot at my local broadcast antenna, but after 9/11 it disappeared.
DirecTV HD reciever (non DVR) is $100 at Best Buy. The HD package is $26.
Punch in yer zip and see what chainsaw work you need to do on the veggies....
Irritating thing is that the DTV unit will handle OTA, but you have to pay more (if you can find it at all) for a non-DTV OTA receiver, and you can't buy the DTV unit without a contract.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Don't know what "OTA" means.
I've never had a contract. I just buy the recievers, antenna, call and activate the unit, and I'm good to go. The locals are on the sat here.
The HDTV crap takes a new antenna. So I gotta spend $100 and replace my 3 LNB.
PITA to install too. Got three settings. They say you need a "professional" to do it.
"Over the air" -- regular "free" TV.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I see that Direct TV is available at both Best Buy and Circuit City, Dish is only available at Radio Shack. I've been checking e-bay and there have been no bargains there either. Regarding the veggies, the leaves that block the signal are from the trees across the street. I told the DW I should have cut those trees down when it was vacant. It never fails, I'll be watching a movie like the scene in Godfather where Luca Brasi gets his hands skewered to the bar top and I'll get the "Acquiring satellite signal" message. Arrggghh!
OK, wait till yer neighbors are outta town, or away. Take your CS and score about 1" deep around the circumference of the tree. Should drop leaves in about a month. Fall over next year. So don't park yer truck where it'll get hit...
Believe me, the thought had crossed my mind. Especially after an evening of being serenaded to Salsa. Remember, you're a lot closer to the southern border than I am. (Actually he is a good hard working Venezuelan contractor).
Also means that your verticle azmuth is a lot less than mine, so trees may be a problem. We're about 52 degrees for both of the sats. The "new" HD dishes from DTV have to accept 3 sats, and are larger and elliptical.
I am not yet up to speed on HDTV , but we just switched from DISH to DTV. For us it is a world of difference!
Disclaimer, I also have stock in DTV
But one reson I invested with them is that they are supposedly better poised to take advantage of the upcoming switch over everyone will be making to HD. They have more and better equipment in place. They have nine satellites up at this time compared to less than half that many for Dish. Geographicly wew are located to get better reception from them and we are not that much further north than you.
Wife likes the program package for the money better too!
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Dish was in the process of buying DTV. Never heard if the purchase was approved by the govt.
jt8
"One of the true tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency." -- Arnold H. Glasgow
That was in porocess four years ago or so. It got turned down by the govt
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
FWIW, I'm currently staying in Los Angeles and recently bought a 27" HDTV, my first. Using only rabbit ears with the transmitters' line of sight at about twenty-five miles, I'm receiving over thirty-five HD channels.
The major networks are broadcasting picture quality which is truly amazing. Their sports departments are putting on quite a live show, with all their moving cameras and great lenses.
Sure would be nice to have an option to hear the on-the-field action and crowd reaction, without the play by play and color commentary. Those guys haven't changed their descriptions since the days of radio. And the better the picture gets, the less relevant they become.
What are you going to do when you move back to the Catskills?
Edited 5/21/2007 6:14 pm ET by TGNY
What are you going to do when you move back to the Catskills?
I've always been able to receive NYC stations OK, including from the Empire State Building, so I may just stick with broadcast if the HD signal is as strong, and movie rentals from Netflix. I'll see what my friends have to say about other available services, how the reception is and etc.
What have you heard or seen about the HD broadcast signal?
Edited 5/21/2007 8:59 pm ET by Hudson Valley Carpenter
"I'm receiving over thirty-five HD channels. "HD or just digital.I doubt that all of those chanels are providing HD signals all the time..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I have DirecTV, but not sprung for the extra $ for HD.
Mostly crap on anyway, except for PBS, Science, and HIstory channels.
You can look at their website for "HD" line-up. Supposed to have many more channels later on this year....or next.
Have Direct TV; love it. We only lose it when there's VERY heavy rain to our SW (1-2 times per year, 30 minutes max). No point in getting HD - my vision's all fuzzy, anyway!
Brooks
A buddy of mine has been installing residential and commercial (sports bars) a/v systems for 30 years. He sez he has hundreds of Direct TV customers, and virtually no problems. He has about a dozen customers with Dish, and everyone has a problem.
Direct TV cost more and is worth it. HD DISH is a pita.
Good luck.
not HD related ...
but we started with Dish.
started having problems ...
lost half our channels ... Dish said we'd have to buy a new receiver.
fought with them ... got them down to selling one for $25 ...
then told them if $25 was worth losing a customer over, consider us lost.
Got DirecTV with free receivers ...
I'm betting ... coupla years down the road ... the DirecTV receivers will get old ...
and stop accepting their downloads ...
and it'll be suggested we buy new receivers ...
and after a coupla weeks of fighting ...
we'll go back to Dish as new customers and take what ever great free offer they have for new customers ...
then .... coupla years later ... back to DirecTV ....
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I had bought a used receiver and it magically received 40 premium channels (at no cost to me)for about 4 years until they sent the new cards.I'm thinking between Netflix and an antenna, I can get rid of the satellite altogether.
lost half our channels ..I had that problem, its the outside antenna lng ( I think they call it)
Its under warrenty, they been having alot of trouble with them.
this was about 5 years ago ...
they said ours was an old receiver ... couldn't interpret the newer sat signals ...
their fix was for a 5 year olng customer to buy a new receiver ...
because they changed their downloads!
I told them just keep sending the old ones ... they work perfectly fine.
after we negotiated down to me paying $25 while "new" customers got a whole house fulla receivers for free ... I told them I was insulted I wasn't worth them spending the $25 to keep me as a loyal customer!
I wouldn't be surprised to find out all the sat companies are really just one big company ... baiting and switching us all back and forth.
probably gov run too ...
some sort big spy satellite.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Interesting hobby you've taken up ;-)
I have always owned the recievers, but the way this new contract is set up with DTV, I am leasing them, so they always have to keep them up.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Six of one and a half dozen of the other......
The biggest difference is there is no difference.
Like my DIsh, been with them 8+years. Pro DIsh.