Looking to switch from Cable to Satellite. What can I expect?

[confused]

I currently have Comcast Digital Cable with the usual frustrations, the biggest being that they are raising their rates, again, so that Digital Cable with HBO and with 2 boxes will be just over $100!

Every time they raise the rates I look into Satellite but don't know what to expect in terms of what it will take to convert. We currently have 6 sets hooked up. (2) cable ready, (1) digital cable box, and (3) that are all hooked up to one digital box that drives all three sets on the same channel (using infrared extenders). The first three sets were installed with the house and are RG6, the other three I wired with RG-6U (anyone know what the U stands for?)

If my understanding is correct, the Satellite feed would have to face South and unfortunately, the junction box for cable is at the complete other end of the house in the garage (about 60 feet away).

Specific questions:

1. Can they run one wire between the satellite dish and the junction box?
2. Is this better inside our outside?
3. I have called at least one dealer who told me that I don't have to wire all of the boxed to a phone line, but I don't know if that is true?
4. I was looking to maybe get four boxes - two with Tivo if possible.
Any advice on which service to get? It seems that one service may have a limit of four sets and Tivo dual-tuners count as two.

I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[korsjs]

Every time they raise the rates I look into Satellite but don't know what to expect in terms of what it will take to convert. We currently have 6 sets hooked up. (2) cable ready, (1) digital cable box, and (3) that are all hooked up to one digital box that drives all three sets on the same channel (using infrared extenders). The first three sets were installed with the house and are RG6, the other three I wired with RG-6U (anyone know what the U stands for?)
If my understanding is correct, the Satellite feed would have to face South and unfortunately, the junction box for cable is at the complete other end of the house in the garage (about 60 feet away).

Specific questions:

1. Can they run one wire between the satellite dish and the junction box?
2. Is this better inside our outside?
3. I have called at least one dealer who told me that I don't have to wire all of the boxed to a phone line, but I don't know if that is true?
4. I was looking to maybe get four boxes - two with Tivo if possible.
Any advice on which service to get? It seems that one service may have a limit of four sets and Tivo dual-tuners count as two.

I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but any advice would be greatly appreciated

someone with some expertise will ge able to answer your question. in my opinion, you must likely make decent money. i would recmommend having a professional come in and set you up. it will be well worth it.

 

[confused]

I like to do some stuff myself, but I wasn't planning on doing this myself. I guess I was really asking what to expect from an installer. I know the cable company likes to come along and drill holes in the house which drives me nuts!

 

[ken]

If you go with DISH, you can expect to get jacked around the same as you do with cable. NEVER trust anything they say over the phone. Or, for that matter even when Charlie says something on the Charlie Chat, I'm still fuming over the NO "name based recording" on the 721.

 

[localnet]

Confused,

I pay $90 a month for my Direcway Pro, and I bought the sat equip. 6000 unit. I wish I could get cable or DSL, but no one services my area. I went Pro due to having problems with Direcway residential service. I have the usual sat outages and have spent many hours on the phone getting things straightened out. And have lost money in the markets due to sat outages, not happy. But, when it works, which is 90% of the time, it is great, and better then dial up. Stay with your cable. Just my .02

Mike

 

[mini1]

Confused,

I pay $90 a month for my Direcway Pro, and I bought the sat equip. 6000 unit. I wish I could get cable or DSL, but no one services my area. I went Pro due to having problems with Direcway residential service. I have the usual sat outages and have spent many hours on the phone getting things straightened out. And have lost money in the markets due to sat outages, not happy. But, when it works, which is 90% of the time, it is great, and better then dial up. Stay with your cable. Just my .02

Mike

I don't see where he asked about internet??? do you? Directway reception is totally different then DirecTV reception. Switch to DirecTV, you will be very happy. None of the receivers have to be connected to the phone line, besides the first dial in. You are always better off connecting them, but the boxes don't need the phone line to function. You will get constand reminders to plug it in, however there is a workaround for the DirecTivo's to avoid this. If you can plug then in, then do. If its going to be a problem then don't bother, after the first call in. You won't be able to access account info, not PPV ordered by remote and the reminders are the downsides.

 

[wobbie]

I would try to contact a couple of local retailers, ask them if they would stop by and do a sight survey. It may cost you a few dollars but then you would know exactly what you are getting into. I'm a retailer in the Omaha area and I always do a free sight survey, that way not only does the customer know what they are getting into, so do I.

 

[localnet]

Sorry, got the crud, brained stuffed up. Make note: Stay away from internet when sick.

Mike

 

[Gerry863]

Here's who not to order from: RAPID (what a joke for a name) SATELLITE. I'm new to all this but the setup for putting in a system is a nightmare. I ordered a 4 room system from Rapid and the HD receiver was dead on arrival. The installer, a different company, kept trying to get me to pay more for installation after he started even though it seemed like a basic install (whatever that means)and I did most of the drilling through walls. It's been 3 weeks now and I still don't have a replacement. Talking to DirecTV doesn't seem to help ( they're a 3rd company in all this). The receivers seem out of date. For example, none of the manuals talk about DVDs only VCRs. I have 3 Hughes(SD-HBH) and one dead Samsung (SIR-TS360).
The whole system is flawed: Dealing with 3 different companies, long waits for replacements, the customer having to mail back defective parts, etc. I experienced 12 years with cable and had no problems with them or their equipment. I dealt with one company. I guess sat is better but at what price?

 

[kraken]

I'm fairly new to sat, but here's what I (think) I know as related to your questions:

Specific questions:

1. Can they run one wire between the satellite dish and the junction box?

No, You will have many cables from the dish, the number will depend on the config/setup.

2. Is this better inside our outside?

doesn't matter. inside, always looks better

3. I have called at least one dealer who told me that I don't have to wire all of the boxed to a phone line, but I don't know if that is true?

mini1 answered this...

4. I was looking to maybe get four boxes - two with Tivo if possible.
Any advice on which service to get? It seems that one service may have a limit of four sets and Tivo dual-tuners count as two.

This setup should be possible with the correct multiswitch.

Check or call the folks at valueelectronics.com