DirecTV MPEG4 Rollout to begin

[jpn]

I've read the entire thread here and am a little confused about my situation. I'm in Detroit and have the HD package so I'm assuming I will be contacted. However, I have an RCA HD-TV with a built-in D* box along with a D*Tivo (so I have the need for 3 lines from the dish, although I only have 2 and switch them back and forth depending on what I want to view)

You will need a new dish.

You won't be able to use the integrated tuner in your tv for the mpeg-4 content. If you want an HD DVR for the mpeg-4 stream you will have to wait into 2006.

and another TV with another D*Tivo.

That one will continue working for some time.

 

[BFG]

So has anyone been installed?

 

[Neutron]

So has anyone been installed?

Since the newspaper ad states that the offer starts on 10/16, I seriously doubt that anyone has been able to get installed that quickly....

 

[BFG]

well shouldn't it be available on the start date?

 

[Grey Guy]

Thanks jpn, I guess I should hold off of the deal I can get on the HR10-250. Here in Detroit, they are apparently offering a $200 rebate on the D*HD Tivo (at BB anyway). I guess they are trying to get rid of inventory in this market before they become obsolete. I'm a bit disappointed that I won't be able to use the internal box on my RCA HDTV, but I knew that might be a possibility when I bought it 6 years ago. Either way the tradeoff to get all my locals in HD is nice. My OTA is terrible despite not being very far from the towers. This makes me totally rethink my entire system setup and TV choices.

 

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

Thanks jpn, I guess I should hold off of the deal I can get on the HR10-250. Here in Detroit, they are apparently offering a $200 rebate on the D*HD Tivo (at BB anyway). I guess they are trying to get rid of inventory in this market before they become obsolete. I'm a bit disappointed that I won't be able to use the internal box on my RCA HDTV, but I knew that might be a possibility when I bought it 6 years ago. Either way the tradeoff to get all my locals in HD is nice. My OTA is terrible despite not being very far from the towers. This makes me totally rethink my entire system setup and TV choices.

The $200 mail-in rebate is available to all Detroit DMA customers. The rebate comes from DIRECTV not the retailer.

You could place your order with the authorized dealer of your choice.

-Robert

 

[Grey Guy]

The $200 mail-in rebate is available to all Detroit DMA customers. The rebate comes from DIRECTV not the retailer.

You could place your order with the authorized dealer of your choice.

-Robert

But the HR10-250 will not work to record the new or existing HD content once I get the new dish, correct? I certainly don't want to buy it if I can't record the new MPEG4 feeds or the existing HD feeds. That is, unless I can still record HBO, ESPN, etc. and get a swapout DVR unit later from D* unit for unit and not just dollar for dollar. Also, I just bought the 70 hr D*Tivo and received the $100 rebate a couple of months ago. Am I still eligible for the $200 rebate? Sorry for so many questions. Thanks.

 

[Jeep4xfun]

One rebate per household for all DVR DIRECTV products.

 

[Barney]

Sorry, if I missed it. The H20 HD STB: Does it have DVI/HDCP output & selectable scan rates for output? My Toshiba HDTV has DVI/HDCP input with 1080I native resolution. Also, any info on the scaler in it? If it has HDMI output thats fine, will have to buy a cable.....

Barney

 

[jim tressler]

unknown at this point.. from what has been said it will be hdmi /w/ hdcp - as far as the resolutions.. thats unknown too.. but it would be foolish not to have a 720p/1080i selector - hopefully it will have a native mode where the resolution of the tv gets spit out to the tv and the tv does the scaling.. but its directv so you never know

 

[jguy]

Can anyone tell me if these new HD locals are spot beamed?

 

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

Can anyone tell me if these new HD locals are spot beamed?

Yes they are.

-Robert

 

[Neutron]

any pics of the new H20?

 

[hdtvtechno]

Here

 

[mx6bfast]

Someone said that the flex ports can't be used for OTA. So which part of the multiswitch can we use OTA? I have 3 active HD stb's and 3 non-active (love ebay) and might still need OTA capabilites if I de-activate an stb.

 

[damaged]

You would need a switch with as many coax input as you have now, except you want a switch that has all those and one more, this extra input connection will be labeled (usually) ANT, since you seem to have a 3lnb dish (I assume a new phaseIII) the new multiswitch would ALSO have to be cascadable (since the phaseIII has a built-in switch, so the new one must be cascadable so as not to interfere with the built-in one), so you would have the lines coming from the dish then going into the new multiswitch, then plug your OTA into the ANT input on the new multiswitch (which combines the sat and OTA signals), then you use diplexors for every receiver to uncombine the OTA signal from the sat signal.

Hope that's what you wanted/meant.

 

[grydlok]

Someone said that the flex ports can't be used for OTA. So which part of the multiswitch can we use OTA? I have 3 active HD stb's and 3 non-active (love ebay) and might still need OTA capabilites if I de-activate an stb.

You can't use a ota with a 6X8.

Ignore the last person you don't want to cascade a 6X8 into a 5X8.

There is a easier way to do it with a splitters and diplexers.

 

[donwylie]

Why on earth would I want to pay $49 and accept a 2 year commitment to receive what I allready have ? If D* isn't going to add more than the local channels in HD then this is a waste of time. I am allready getting the local HD channels off of my antenna without a 2 year commitment.
Seems like theres something missing from this picture
Don

 

[hdtvtechno]

It seems theres a $50 instant rebate inside the box.

 

[moonman]

LG Electronics to make D*'s HD set-top box
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051019/cgw010.html?.v=28