Hi.
Please be patient with me, I've searched old threads but am looking for the most recent opinions. This is my first post. Here is the deal. First off alot of people on here are talking way beyond me. I only consider myself a casual TV viewer. I can't believe some people love TV so much! Anyway, without trying to sound to dumb here goes. I currently have Directv. Had it since July 2000. I have Total Choice+ with 2 receivers, models DRDD44ORE. They have been great since day one, except one will pick up caller id anymore....? In fact my service has been great & the TC+ seems like a great pkg. The thing is that I am still part of NRTC deal. Everyone know what that is? It's where small local telephone companies & such buy Directv & sell it back to you? This happens in rural communities like mine. I guess the local company sold the rights back to Direct, but it's still not final. I used to get charged just 1.99 for my second reciever & got movie coupons for $2.50 off each ppv movie I bought. Now I'm paying 4.99 for my second receiver & no more coupons! So all they did was raise my price really. E* started offering locals (Ft Wayne, IN) in my area in Feb 04. D* & my local provider keep saying they are coming soon. That was in May! Now they say next year! I'm tired of waiting. The guy from E* was suppossed to come today & install things, but he called & said he was sick. Now I'm having 2nd thoughts. E* is offering a 4 room system for the price of 2. I get one 522 DVR & one 322. Both have dual outputs to two seperate TV's, with the 522 having 100 hours of recording time. Plus both have caller id (I know, I know) but I love that! I see Tivo does not. Plus I have to buy my own Tivo & it's only 35 hours. I'd rather have Tivo because it's the benchmark. (NBR, menu etc.) That fact is I'll probably just use my DVR as a glorified VCR. That way my wife can record "Days of our Lives" & I can record things like Chappelles show. I understand you can "hack" Tivo but that seems like a hassle somewhat. Plus if I messed it up my wife would use it as a hammer, my head being the nail....
One other thing I understand Tivo does not have caller id, but the 522 does.
I subscribe to ESPN gameplan, I see E* also offers that now. So I'm OK there. I'd miss Fuel & Oxygen network though Anyone know if E* will pick those up? Also does D* have a Columbus superstation & why does D* & not E* have access to Columbus only?
I'm also bummed I must buy the AT180 to get the good Discovery channels I get on TC+. But yet I'm stuck with junk like horse racing & more shopping channels! WTH?
My mom has E* with the AT180 & 3 301 recievers. Those menus look soooo plain! It's kind of disappointing. (I know it's dumb but I like color!) E* tells me the 322 & 522 have better menus & such anyone know? Also I like how on Direct when you turn on a college football game it tells you the teams, on my moms DishNetwork it just says college football, you must hit info to get the teams playing. With 13 games on Saturdays I need to jump through fast
Anyone know if the 322 & 522 are better that way? Finally, what do you think the future holds? Is D* or E* the place to be in the next year or two?
What's up with E* people seeming to be second class to D* sunscribers.
I know some of my questions were D* related in the E* forum, just looking for help maybe from folks who have had both.
Thanks
Please be patient with me, I've searched old threads but am looking for the most recent opinions. This is my first post. Here is the deal. First off alot of people on here are talking way beyond me. I only consider myself a casual TV viewer. I can't believe some people love TV so much! Anyway, without trying to sound to dumb here goes. I currently have Directv. Had it since July 2000. I have Total Choice+ with 2 receivers, models DRDD44ORE. They have been great since day one, except one will pick up caller id anymore....? In fact my service has been great & the TC+ seems like a great pkg. The thing is that I am still part of NRTC deal. Everyone know what that is? It's where small local telephone companies & such buy Directv & sell it back to you? This happens in rural communities like mine. I guess the local company sold the rights back to Direct, but it's still not final. I used to get charged just 1.99 for my second reciever & got movie coupons for $2.50 off each ppv movie I bought. Now I'm paying 4.99 for my second receiver & no more coupons! So all they did was raise my price really. E* started offering locals (Ft Wayne, IN) in my area in Feb 04. D* & my local provider keep saying they are coming soon. That was in May! Now they say next year! I'm tired of waiting. The guy from E* was suppossed to come today & install things, but he called & said he was sick. Now I'm having 2nd thoughts. E* is offering a 4 room system for the price of 2. I get one 522 DVR & one 322. Both have dual outputs to two seperate TV's, with the 522 having 100 hours of recording time. Plus both have caller id (I know, I know) but I love that! I see Tivo does not. Plus I have to buy my own Tivo & it's only 35 hours. I'd rather have Tivo because it's the benchmark. (NBR, menu etc.) That fact is I'll probably just use my DVR as a glorified VCR. That way my wife can record "Days of our Lives" & I can record things like Chappelles show. I understand you can "hack" Tivo but that seems like a hassle somewhat. Plus if I messed it up my wife would use it as a hammer, my head being the nail....
One other thing I understand Tivo does not have caller id, but the 522 does.
I subscribe to ESPN gameplan, I see E* also offers that now. So I'm OK there. I'd miss Fuel & Oxygen network though Anyone know if E* will pick those up? Also does D* have a Columbus superstation & why does D* & not E* have access to Columbus only?
I'm also bummed I must buy the AT180 to get the good Discovery channels I get on TC+. But yet I'm stuck with junk like horse racing & more shopping channels! WTH?
My mom has E* with the AT180 & 3 301 recievers. Those menus look soooo plain! It's kind of disappointing. (I know it's dumb but I like color!) E* tells me the 322 & 522 have better menus & such anyone know? Also I like how on Direct when you turn on a college football game it tells you the teams, on my moms DishNetwork it just says college football, you must hit info to get the teams playing. With 13 games on Saturdays I need to jump through fast
Anyone know if the 322 & 522 are better that way? Finally, what do you think the future holds? Is D* or E* the place to be in the next year or two?
What's up with E* people seeming to be second class to D* sunscribers.
I know some of my questions were D* related in the E* forum, just looking for help maybe from folks who have had both.
Thanks
