And...I'm Back

[MI_SAT]

Need Expert Opinion!

Been gone for four months from this site. Had E* while a user of this site, but selected Comcast HD Cable to get HD with a PVR.

I cannot tell you how bad Comcast is in my area: some analog channels so blurry that I looks like I'm watching through Saran Wrap; white flickering (lightening-like) lines randomly appearing in the picture; a TON of pixellation on both digital and HD challels; a SLOW TV-guide guide; etc. All for significantly MORE money per month.

One issue with Comcast installation in my area: it has the old "A/B" system -- requiring two cables into the house just to get all the channels (analog on one pipe; digital on the other). Thus, the dual DVR they advertised could only operate as a single DVR.

Now I'm moving to D* and need your help. I'll be using ValueElectronics to buy/install two R10 TIVO DVRs.

Questions:

(1) Are the existing two cables (i.e. the A/B cables Comcast installed when they came out) adequate for hooking up each R10, or will the installer need to run new cable?

(2) I know that D* did or will have new satellites soon. Will the 18x20 dish "see" these?

(3) Will TIVo support the R10s for the foreseeable future? I know TIVO and Comcast struck a deal recently, but don't know what the ramifications of that are on the support for DirecTV products.

(4) What has been your experience of the installers ValueElectronics uses -- anyone in the metro-Detroit area?

Thanks for reading this, and I look forward to your responses soon. (I am already glad to be "back" to this site. It was like leaving my old school chums when I went to Comcast.)

 

[Tonedeaf]

Welcome back.

1) If the cables ar RG6 then yes.

2) 1 satellite has gone up (Spaceway 1), DirecTV 8 goes up on the 21st, and Spaceway 2 goes up in June. The Oval dish will not be able to pull in the Spaceways. New dish will be required. If you get HD you will also get a box swap out at some point, depending on your location. First 12 markets will make transition to Mpeg-4 this year. Lots more info in posts here and in the HD forum.

3) DirecTV will continue to support the Tivo's.

4) Not in Detroit so can't say. Have not used VE either. They get a lot of good praise on the forum. Makes ure you mention you are a member and get a discount.

 

[MI_SAT]

Thank you for your helpful reply.

I did a little searching on the other boards, and I will do some more, but are the two new sats for HD programming only?

 

[Tonedeaf]

Thank you for your helpful reply.

I did a little searching on the other boards, and I will do some more, but are the two new sats for HD programming only?

The 2 Spaceways are for HD Local into Local(1500 HD channels) and 150 national HD channels. DirecTV8 I believe will eventually replace an aging satellite.