A little Help please

[Jwolford]

Ok I have been around quite a few forums where you have to search past threads and such but all that does is give me outdated information, so I would like to decribe my situation and ask for opinons.
I just recently moved to Shippensburg PA and for timelyness picked up Comcast cable and internet for $70 a month...which included HBO DVR/HD, and like 200 other channels and 6mbps internet..It was great and couldnt beat the price...well the 6 months is up and now the Bill is 160 when i trim the stuff i dont need of...aka HBO it still keeps me at about 140.
I looked at Direct and was turned off by the 199 price tag for the HD/DVR. SO I looked at DISH...CNET says thiers is the best...so my problem is when i put to gether my package with DISH 4 rooms one with HD/DVR that splits off to a second tv and two additional recievers I am saving Aprox $20 a month (after promo) . Once i figure ok $20 is $20 I run into the problem of I do not want a bunch of holes drilled in my new house and cables running everywhere... IS it worth the switch? I am thinking once the intial install is over and everything is in and working it will be ok but i would hate to go through it all just to think I would rather have comcast. Thanks for the help!

 

[webbydude]

Depending on the quality of the existing cable (hopefully it's RG-6), then the only additional holes you'll have are for the dish itself, and the new cabling from said dish to whatever existing cable ends (probably a "home ran" location where there are splitters).

Once you get beyond the initial fear of, "oh my God...I'm switching providers", I think you'll enjoy things a lot more.

 

[Jwolford]

Thanks so much...I think my main issue is I have a bilevel house with a foyer...upstairs to the right is the living room...odd enough but there is 1 coax jack...which will continue to be comcast because it is internet...then all of the other rooms come to one distro point under the steps...which is great the dish signal comes into the house in one place but we run into the problem of the reciever that will be in the living room is going to also work our tv downstairs...so we not only have to get a supply cable to that tv but a return to feed the one downstairs. DISH doesn't run through the walls does it?

 

[webbydude]

Thanks so much...I think my main issue is I have a bilevel house with a foyer...upstairs to the right is the living room...odd enough but there is 1 coax jack...which will continue to be comcast because it is internet...then all of the other rooms come to one distro point under the steps...which is great the dish signal comes into the house in one place but we run into the problem of the reciever that will be in the living room is going to also work our tv downstairs...so we not only have to get a supply cable to that tv but a return to feed the one downstairs. DISH doesn't run through the walls does it?

That's the beauty of diplexing and/or splitting TV2 signals

Many many many times have I placed a receiver in a living room and THEN used the incoming SAT feed as the outgoing TV2 feed (diplexing it).

With regards to using internet and SAT on the same line, that too can be accomplished. It really all depends on your installer and if he's willing to split, combine or diplex things to make it happen.

EDIT: if you were closer (Pittsburgh perhaps) I probably could be convinced to zip out your way. Sorry, but 300 miles each way isn't going to do it. LOL

 

[DirectDishNet]

JWolford, I have been installing Dishnet for a good 10 years. I know for a fact that everyone who leaves cable for a satellite they are very impressed. With that said, It does not cost you anything for the installer to come out. Go ahead and schedule a install date and when the installer gets there he/she is required to do a site survey with you and discuss where the dish will be mounted and if any cable that will be run. He/she will also show you how an installer is trained to hide 90% of the cable such as tucking under siding, under eves or even ran through the attic. If you and the installer do not agree on how the install should look then you have every rite to cancel and you will not be charged at all. The only way you would be charged is if he/she calles dish to close the work order and you sign the service agreement. There are many way's the installer can accomodate your expectations when doing the site survey. The only way for anyone to know how much cable has to be run on your home is to have an installer come out and give you his opinion. Make sure you set up the install date to where you AND your spouce will be onsite at time of install so everyone is in communicado. PS: Oatmeal Cookies does wonders for the installer.

Good Luck!

 

[Jwolford]

Thank you Thank you! I have an install date of Thursday Morning! I hope I get an installer that is as good as the people I have read about on here! It pretty much put the final nail in the coffin last night watching my HD go in and out with comcast... I will repost after the install to let you know what I think! Thanks again everyone!

 

[mattopia]

I would suggest hanging around off and on while he's doing the install though. I was working from home on the day of my installation and had to step away for about 20 minutes. While we agreed on a dish location, the installer later ran the two coax lines straight down the roof, when the eave was about a foot away from the dish mounting location, and it would have been easy to run it down there.

I'm really unimpressed with that, and I think the decision was made because he pre-cut the cable too short.

I'm happy overall thus far but I'm trying to decide what to do about the ugly black coax running down a roof with red shingles...