Remember when DBS first came out?

[WickerBill]

...early 90s... they constantly pitched "a dish the size of a large pizza"?

I just (finally) got DirecTV HD installed, and my, how pizzas have grown!


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1215/1109172919_43b73b4b9a.jpg?v=0
(original dish)


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1070/1109172955_d46a90280b.jpg?v=0
(new "dish")


and don't miss the name of the dish, "Slimline". Evidentally, this is quite small compared to what they were putting up last year. :eek:

[KLang]

Is that picking up three sat locations or four? My current Dishnetwork dish is a little smaller then that and it is for three.

More importantly, how is your HD? :)

[WickerBill]

It is picking up five. 99, 101, 103, 110, 119. Has room for two more LNBs.

The installer finished in time for me to watch my Broncos in HD on ESPN last night. It was spectacular. I'm really impressed with the DVR; as soon as they turn on dual buffers I won't miss Tivo at all.

[Insomniac]

Ohhh nice, that dish looks a lot better than this 5-LNB dish:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Directv_5lnb_dish.jpg

I hope I get the one you got in a couple weeks.

[KLang]

Five? :eek: Wow, I don't keep up with DirecTV technology. Must be a bitch to aim that thing. From what I've read it is tricky to get 129 correctly on my dish.

[ferrarigod]

just like americuh, dish's are packing on the width. pizza's are bigger now too. they mean the size of the Domino's XXL.

[WickerBill]

KL: Not sure, the guy aimed it in no time whatsoever.... I think the surface area is so big that once you lock in on the 101 slot the rest are there. My signal was always high 80s with the old dish and is now 100% on 101 and no lower than 96 on the others.

[WickerBill]

I hope I get the one you got in a couple weeks.

You will, unless your installer has a stash of the old ones. According to dbstalk.com (plenty of installers post there), they stopped making the old style ones you pictured a few months back and are almost completely out of them now, meaning they are almost exclusively installing slimlines.

[Insomniac]

Five? :eek: Wow, I don't keep up with DirecTV technology. Must be a bitch to aim that thing. From what I've read it is tricky to get 129 correctly on my dish.

If it's designed right (along with the placement of satellites), it shouldn't be that difficult. I think you would still need a second dish for the international programming. :thumdown:

[Insomniac]

just like americuh, dish's are packing on the width. pizza's are bigger now too. they mean the size of the Domino's XXL.

Hitting 5 satellites is going to require 5 small dishes or one bigger oval one. Only way to get all the programming they now have.

[Insomniac]

You will, unless your installer has a stash of the old ones. According to dbstalk.com (plenty of installers post there), they stopped making the old style ones you pictured a few months back and are almost completely out of them now, meaning they are almost exclusively installing slimlines.

Excellent, now I need to dig up my receipt from before and make sure I get a different installer. Last guy didn't know that you should ground the dish. And even when they sent him out to do it right, he still didn't. :rolleyes:

[Insomniac]

WB: Did you get any deals when you upgraded? I'm hoping to get a free HR20, free HD programming for a year and the SuperFan pack for NFLST. (And maybe some free programming)

[WickerBill]

Hopefully you haven't signed up for NFLST yet. When I called, I got $299 for the HR20, which I declined. Called back in (CSR Roulette) a few days later and said my buddy who sits next to me got his HR20 for the cost of shipping. The guy says that deal is over, but "do you like football?".

In the end, HR20, dish, multiswitch for free (no shipping, nothing). I pay for NFLST and get Superfan free. Plus, $10 off per month for six months, and no HD fee for 12 months.

[Insomniac]

Hopefully you haven't signed up for NFLST yet. When I called, I got $299 for the HR20, which I declined. Called back in (CSR Roulette) a few days later and said my buddy who sits next to me got his HR20 for the cost of shipping. The guy says that deal is over, but "do you like football?".

In the end, HR20, dish, multiswitch for free (no shipping, nothing). I pay for NFLST and get Superfan free. Plus, $10 off per month for six months, and no HD fee for 12 months.

I've had NFLST auto-renew for a while. I can ask for my money back before the season starts and I'm out of my contract. I usually just call customer retention directly.

Last year I got $10 off for 12 months, Showtime for 6 months, Starz for 3 months and HBO for $2/month for 6 months. Looking at what you got, that seems to fall in-line with what I'm hoping to get. Except the credit instead of programming. Either way. :)

What programming did you have before? I have the old Total Choice package which is gone now. The equivalent is Choice, which is $2 more and has less channels. Were you able to add HD for $10/mo or did you have to switch to a new package?

[WickerBill]

I have Premier, so offering programming wasn't an option (darnit! I should have asked for a year of Setanta free).

[devilmaster]

Hitting 5 satellites is going to require 5 small dishes or one bigger oval one. Only way to get all the programming they now have.

They'll just go back to the 'retro' dishes.... ;)

http://www.candac.ca/images/Eureka/Pearl/Lower%20satellite%20dish.jpg

[Insomniac]

They'll just go back to the 'retro' dishes.... ;)

http://www.candac.ca/images/Eureka/Pearl/Lower%20satellite%20dish.jpg

Ahh yes, the state flower!

[extramundane]

Ahh yes, the state flower!

http://img.engadget.com/common/images/3060000000055895.JPG?0.637096040808816

</WV (http://register-herald.com/cnhi/registerherald/homepage/local_story_331233330.html?keyword=leadpicturestor y)>

[Insomniac]

http://img.engadget.com/common/images/3060000000055895.JPG?0.637096040808816

</WV (http://register-herald.com/cnhi/registerherald/homepage/local_story_331233330.html?keyword=leadpicturestor y)>

Hehe, that's where I first heard the term, but I've heard it said about other states since.

[Brickman]

Happiness is the HR10 (http://www.weaknees.com/directv-hd-dvr.php)

But if you need fans, peanut remotes, dishes, more memory. Or you are a first time subscriber. (http://www.weaknees.com/dtv_new_system.php)

www.weakness.com

[WickerBill]

Your first two links are crap.

That HR10 is an anchor on September 9th, btw.

[chop456]

Without starting a Mac vs. PC whinefest, what's better about DTv that makes it more expensive than DishNet? If it's worth it, I'll switch. Setanta is free on DishNet, BTW. ;)

[WickerBill]

NFL Sunday Ticket. Probably not a whole lot other than that. The new satellites for DirecTV are going to offer a huge number of new HD that Dish won't have -- at least for a while. The first one goes live on Sept 9.

You can see a projected list (very accurate in the past) of new HD for DirecTV here (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=87235).


Why do you think it's more expensive?

[Andrew Longman]

Without starting a Mac vs. PC whinefest, what's better about DTv that makes it more expensive than DishNet? If it's worth it, I'll switch. Setanta is free on DishNet, BTW. ;)

Not much difference but generally DTV has more sports, Dish more movies. At least that was the case when I was making the call a few years ago. e.g., only DTV had the YES network

[chop456]

Well, I just upgrated my DishNet to HD for hundreds less than DTV would have cost. 34 HD channels is a lot less than what DTV will have for now, but I don't see anyting on that list that I can't live without. HD cattle auctions? :laugh:

While I like the NFL Sunday Ticket premise, I just don't have time for it.

[WickerBill]

I respectfully disagree... especially as a new subscriber, it wouldn't have cost you much of anything. They're throwing equipment at new subs -- both DBS companies. You can get a four room HD setup (one with DVR) for free from DirecTV, including install, cable runs, etc.

[Insomniac]

NFL Sunday Ticket. Probably not a whole lot other than that. The new satellites for DirecTV are going to offer a huge number of new HD that Dish won't have -- at least for a while. The first one goes live on Sept 9.

You can see a projected list (very accurate in the past) of new HD for DirecTV here (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=87235).


Why do you think it's more expensive?

DTV prices are a little higher than DISH, but they've both been going cable on their rates the past 3 years. I'm only with DTV because of NFLST, otherwsie I'd find the cheapest option that has the channels I care about. Might even just use an antenna for parts of the year.

I don't know at what price point it NFLST becomes too much. But in a couple weeks, I'll be stuck with them for 2 more years.

[Insomniac]

I respectfully disagree... especially as a new subscriber, it wouldn't have cost you much of anything. They're throwing equipment at new subs -- both DBS companies. You can get a four room HD setup (one with DVR) for free from DirecTV, including install, cable runs, etc.

And NFLST+All Channels for 4 months for $69.99/month.

[chop456]

I respectfully disagree... especially as a new subscriber, it wouldn't have cost you much of anything. They're throwing equipment at new subs -- both DBS companies. You can get a four room HD setup (one with DVR) for free from DirecTV, including install, cable runs, etc.
Well then their online configuratorizer sucks because it showed me an upfront investment of $200 with no rebate, and programming at $82/month thereafter.

DishNet was $49 upfront, free 2-room HD DVR, free install, free HD package for 6 months and equipment coverage and free service calls for 18 months, or $53/mo. for 6 mo., then $73 thereafter.

Hope I didn't screw up. :\

[Edit] Not to mention the mental price I'd have to pay if the wife had to learn a new system. :D

[WickerBill]

Not to mention the mental price I'd have to pay if the wife had to learn a new system. :D

Sad, but that's quite often a deal-breaker, isn't it? When I switched from cable to DirecTV in 2001, the little lady said "Why isn't HBO on 25?? (insert pterodactyl screeching noise here)".

[KLang]

NFL Sunday Ticket. Probably not a whole lot other than that. The new satellites for DirecTV are going to offer a huge number of new HD that Dish won't have -- at least for a while. The first one goes live on Sept 9.

You can see a projected list (very accurate in the past) of new HD for DirecTV here (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=87235).


Why do you think it's more expensive?

Dish just lit up 7 new HD channels today. With more planned in September. I think when the dust settles dish will keep up with DirecTV.

I originally signed up with Dish six years ago because they had the better HD line-up and I don't care about the NFL stuff. So far I haven't regretted that decision.

[Warlock!]

So in all your dealings with DTV or Dish, do you just call up their 800#, talk w/ sales, and buy all your equipment and installation from them directly? I've only talked to DTV once for any of that, and that's when I inquired about local channels a couple years ago... and they installed the (extra :yuck: ) dish and replaced an incompatible receiver for free. Otherwise I would always buy the equipment from Best Buy (like extra receivers, upgraded receivers, dun blowed up receivers), install it, then just call DTV to activate.

Right now I just have standard, non-HD programming, but I've been thinking of upgrading to HD. However, things have been changing so quickly with DTV equipment I don't think I wanna screw with it myself... and to tell ya the truth, I don't know if I could do it if I wanted to do it anymore... there's just too many things where I'd be standin' there just scratchin' my head.

[WickerBill]

When I had it installed initially, I went through a DirecTV reseller (such as directsattv.com) because the deal was better than going straight to DirecTV. Since then, when I've added Tivos or now HD, I've called 800-directv and talked to a customer service rep about upgrading. Invariably, the first one or two offer me bad deals, and I say no thanks. Eventually I call and tell them I have been a long time customer and do not want to pay out the nose, and they give me a good deal. Check out this thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=62089) (just read the last couple of pages) to see what deals people are getting to give you a good baseline for what to expect when you call them for HD. You'll notice that most current customers say "Cancel" at the voice prompt to get sent to the customer retention department, where the deals are better/easier to come by.

[KLang]

For Dish, you can only buy or lease the equipment directly from them. I originally found a local installation company that actually knew about HD. Back in 2001 that was hard to find. I'm sure it's different now.

Any further dealings I've had with Dish has been over the phone and usually isn't pleasant. :irked: Then you are at the mercy of whichever local contractor they send to the house. I imagine DirecTV works the same. I don't think any company does good customer service anymore. :shakehead

[G.]

Dish just lit up 7 new HD channels today. With more planned in September. I think when the dust settles dish will keep up with DirecTV.
Which channels?

Quick look on their website doesn't tell me.

[nrc]

Your first two links are crap.

That HR10 is an anchor on September 9th, btw.
Not really an anchor. The MPEG2 HD channels won't be turned off for a while and you'll still get SD and broadcast HD indefinitely. I wouldn't recommend that anyone buy an HR10 right now, but it will be useful for some time if you're not hot for the new HD channels.

Usually they're letting people keep their HR10s when they get their HR20s. Maybe they figure it's good to have an anchor on hand to keep that giant dish from blowing away.

[KLang]

Which channels?

Quick look on their website doesn't tell me.

Yea, they like to make us work for them. :laugh:

A snippet from the July announcement:


MHD, featuring music programming from MTV, VH1 and CMT; Golf/Versus HD; Animal Planet HD; The Science Channel HD; TLC HD; Discovery HD, and History HD, which will debut on Sept. 1.

What you get will depend on which programming package you have:

Top 100 and higher:
9469 - MHD - Music High Definition
9487 - Discovery HD (not the same as Discovery HD Theater)
9488 - The Learning Channel

Top 200 and higher
9489 - Animal Planet HD

Top 250
9468 - Versus/Golf Channel
9490 - The Science Channel

All above from threads at dbstalk.

[Insomniac]

So in all your dealings with DTV or Dish, do you just call up their 800#, talk w/ sales, and buy all your equipment and installation from them directly? I've only talked to DTV once for any of that, and that's when I inquired about local channels a couple years ago... and they installed the (extra :yuck: ) dish and replaced an incompatible receiver for free. Otherwise I would always buy the equipment from Best Buy (like extra receivers, upgraded receivers, dun blowed up receivers), install it, then just call DTV to activate.

Right now I just have standard, non-HD programming, but I've been thinking of upgrading to HD. However, things have been changing so quickly with DTV equipment I don't think I wanna screw with it myself... and to tell ya the truth, I don't know if I could do it if I wanted to do it anymore... there's just too many things where I'd be standin' there just scratchin' my head.

When I signed up in 2003 I went through a 3rd party, value electronics. I got 2 DirecTiVo's for $40. Way better deal on equipment at the time than anything DirecTV was offering (DVRs were not free, and you could get a discount on only 1). But, I was able to sign up with the NFLST promotion.

Since then, I have just called the retention department and said they have raised the price a lot recently and I was wondering what kind of offers they had. I'd usually get some credits, some free programming. No hassle, no threats.

My installer sucked. And the CS has fallen off some for me. I had another number that always went directly to a CSR (the old Pegasus number) and they recently disconnected it. Now I have to use the regular number and use the voice system (say "Agent", "Agent" to get a person) and wait a few minutes.

[Brickman]

Not really an anchor. The MPEG2 HD channels won't be turned off for a while and you'll still get SD and broadcast HD indefinitely. I wouldn't recommend that anyone buy an HR10 right now, but it will be useful for some time if you're not hot for the new HD channels.

Usually they're letting people keep their HR10s when they get their HR20s. Maybe they figure it's good to have an anchor on hand to keep that giant dish from blowing away.

The older style HR10 HD's will keep working, and navigating them is easier (IMHO) than the new ones, I simply hate the new controllers. Direct TV leases everybody's unit to them unless you have purchased them previously. I have installed all my own dishes for ever and prefer the additional fans and longer recording hard drives that www.weaknees.com offers.

[RichK]

WB, water your lawn!

[WickerBill]

The older style HR10 HD's will keep working, and navigating them is easier (IMHO) than the new ones, I simply hate the new controllers. Direct TV leases everybody's unit to them unless you have purchased them previously. I have installed all my own dishes for ever and prefer the additional fans and longer recording hard drives that www.weaknees.com offers.

They will keep working for the current 10 HD channels. They will not work for the incoming 60 HD channels. Fool yourself all you want, I was a fanboy once too -- it's over. You can plug an external eSATA drive into the HR20 and instantly triple your recording time without opening the box. No voiding of the warranty.

RichK: I just bought a new TV. Can't afford that kind of water bill. :)

[Insomniac]

You can plug an external eSATA drive into the HR20 and instantly triple your recording time without opening the box. No voiding of the warranty.

Excellent. Saves me the trouble of having to swap the drives and do an upgrade my self.

[nrc]

They will keep working for the current 10 HD channels. They will not work for the incoming 60 HD channels. Fool yourself all you want, I was a fanboy once too -- it's over. You can plug an external eSATA drive into the HR20 and instantly triple your recording time without opening the box. No voiding of the warranty.

You can do that with the TiVo S3 also. The difference being that the external adds to your internal instead of just replacing it as the HR20 does.

Yet another beef with DTV. They've been deliberately hobbling their TiVo receivers because of their plan to switch to their own units.

One of the reasons I switched to DTV in the first place was that I didn't want to have to plug some crap cable box into my fancy 28" Sony (heh). DirecTV offered a choice of equipment. I could pick the features that were important to me and buy from a company I liked. Now it's the exact opposite. You have a choice with cable, but no choice with DTV. Sure, an HR20 is slightly better than a cable box with your TV tuned to channel 3, but only just. ;)

[WickerBill]

You used one recently? It's a gazillion times better than it was in February. Single wire is coming, video on demand in October, remote scheduling before the end of the year (so it is out before it is for DTivo), plus all the MPEG4 stuff.

Yes, I completely agree with you; they haven't allowed development of the DTivo (or Tivo didn't push it, back when the relationship was good). But they are developing the heck out of the HR20 and the incoming H21/HR21 siblings. It's been out, what, a year?, and it's miles ahead of any other DVR on the planet except Tivo.

My choices are Dish, who I would consider, and Comcast, who once billed me for my entire street ($8100 for one month), corrected it from my bill, then pinged my credit report three times because I didn't pay it. This is the Comcast who had my address wrong, and despite my request to fix it for seven months, never did and then basically put out a manhunt for me (collections service and attorneys) when they came to shut off their service from my house and couldn't find it. Evidentially they believed I had literally picked up my house and moved it somewhere. This is the very same Comcast who refused for two years to write a letter to the credit agencies admitting their mistake.

Tivo with Comcast, vs. HR20 and D*... c'mon.

[Insomniac]

Yet another beef with DTV. They've been deliberately hobbling their TiVo receivers because of their plan to switch to their own units.

Surprisingly, they actually announced new features for the Series 2. Deleted recordings folder and overlap protection. What would be left after that? TiVo2Go and HMO?

[nrc]

You used one recently? It's a gazillion times better than it was in February. Single wire is coming, video on demand in October, remote scheduling before the end of the year (so it is out before it is for DTivo), plus all the MPEG4 stuff.Of course not. You can't go touchin their stuff without a two year comittment.



Tivo with Comcast, vs. HR20 and D*... c'mon.
So rent a house in a FIOS area and use Slingbox. :D

No, I understand where you're coming from. We're fortunate to have a couple possibly decent cable options. I guess I'll find out.

[nrc]

Surprisingly, they actually announced new features for the Series 2. Deleted recordings folder and overlap protection. What would be left after that? TiVo2Go and HMO?

Right, they've also announced online scheduling - all of which they could have had two to three years ago. This seems kind of odd but that "TiVo is gone for good" folks explain it by the fact that DirecTV pays TiVo for development whether they add any features or not. So they may as well add some features.

[Insomniac]

So rent a house in a FIOS area and use Slingbox. :D

Not enough bandwidth to sling HD! :P

[Insomniac]

Right, they've also announced online scheduling - all of which they could have had two to three years ago. This seems kind of odd but that "TiVo is gone for good" folks explain it by the fact that DirecTV pays TiVo for development whether they add any features or not. So they may as well add some features.

I agree, they could've rolled out more features sooner. But, in some fairness to DTV, they were behind the standalone TiVo on features before they started their own DVR. I suspect a lot of that had to do with copyright crap since the parent company is News Corp. But since then, it was so that their DVRs would get the leg up. Now there are new owners who might actually want to give their DirecTiVo customers new features. :)

[ferrarigod]

I wonder how many espn's they can pick up at the Very Large Array? 45 channels of poker and spelling bee's, any sportsman's dream come true!!!!

http://www.astromia.com/fotohistoria/fotos/vla.jpg