HD or TIVO

[DIP]

I am looking for advice on either getting a nearly free TIVO or $300 on a HD system with no TIVO. Wife really wants a TIVO but I am debating if getting the HD system is truly worth it yet. I am hoping the D* has a HD offer coming in the next year so I can upgrade for much less or free. I am a first time customer to Satellite TV so maybe by then the HD-Tivo will be much lower in price by then. How many channels actually broadcast in HD that are not a premium channel? Do they broadcast 24/7 in HD? Any service is better than what I have at the moment. I have just analog cable. Adelphia in my area currently has 2 channels in HD NBC and ABC. Any opinions please?

Thanks
Darrell

 

[slacker9876]

buy a Tivo at Best Buy for 79.99 and ask D* to set you up with a credit on the HD receiver. I got 250 credit and installed myself after buying a receiver retail for 275. Be ready to buy it the day you ask!!!

 

[DIP]

Did you do this after your TIVO was installed or before? If this is true that would be great! Please more details!?

Thanks

 

[ncted]

I went with just the Tivo for now. I am very happy with it. I realized that the only thing I was watching in HD was CSI which I can't get in HD from D* anyway.

When the HD-Tivo comes down in price, I may consider upgrading to that, but I am happy for now with the standard Tivo.

Ted

 

[DIP]

How would I go about getting 2 TIVO's installed? I heard you can't get a good deal if you wanted 2 instead of one TIVO with 2 "regular" receivers?

Darrell

 

[slacker9876]

Did you do this after your TIVO was installed or before? If this is true that would be great! Please more details!?

Yes, after it was installed. I purchased a Tivo from D*, but sold it on eBay after I upgraded the Drive to 120GB (105 hours recording time). Then I called and received the credit on a Hughes HTL-HD receiver, but I have been with them 6 years too and I know that helped.

How would I go about getting 2 TIVO's installed? I heard you can't get a good deal if you wanted 2 instead of one TIVO with 2 "regular" receivers?

If you want to do this you will need a total of 6 runs in your house 2 for each Tivo and 2 for the additional receivers. I would order 1 Tivo with 2 receivers, then do the online $99 DVR offer at the DirecTV website. This offer also includes free professional installation and they will end up giving you a 5x8 multi-switch in the deal also.

You can also try the upfront approach and say I want DirecTV and this is what i want in my offer, what can you do for me?

 

[tach18k]

I got my tivo from dtv and got it free, but then I have been with them for 9 years. There was talk about the hd tivo coming in the fall at a reduced rate for existing customers., just dont know yet. the tivo seperatly will not record the hd

 

[hongcho]

If it has to be between an SD TiVo and an HD receiver, I'd choose the SD TiVo.

However, when there is an HD TiVo out there (although the availability is a bit scarse), the question seems less valid (except for the financial reasons).

Hong.

 

[DIP]

Okay just got off the phone with D* and I can only get one at a time. They also said I could buy one from Best Buy and have it installed. How do I get them both installed at the same time? I would hate to have 2 installs at different times. Also how much does it cost to have Tivo service? So to have two TiVo's it would cost 10 dollars above the package I would buy?

Thanks
Darrell

 

[hongcho]

I guess you are trying to take that promotional advantage, so a DirecTV HD DVR is out of question...

First of all, to use one DirectTV SD DVR and one DirecTV HD receiver, you need three lines from the satellite: two for the DirecTV SD DVR (dual tuner) and one for the DirecTV HD receiver (a single tuner).

> How do I get them both installed at the same time?

You don't have to. Just get the DVR first with installation and the HD receiver with self-install (or no install).

When your installer comes in for the DVR, ask the installer if he can add one more line (or two more for that matter) from the satellite dish. Even if he charges for that, that shouldn't be too much. If not, you can get the RG-6 cable yourself and add it yourself since these days the dish comes with multiplexer. You should be getting a triple LNB dish (required for HD later).

After the DVR is set up and receiving all the signals fine, you can hook up the HD receiver to the additonal line from the dish and activate the card.

> Also how much does it cost to have Tivo service? So to have two TiVo's it would cost 10 dollars above the package I would buy?

It is ~$5 per month per account, not per STB. So, regardless of how many DirecTV DVRs you have, you'll still be paying only $5 per month. BTW, if you get TC Premier even that fee is wavered.

Hong.