Hey "guys",
Short-time lurker, first-time poster
I live in the woods outside the St. Louis metro area. I currently get my TV via rabbit ears and am pretty sick of the poor reception and lack of programming variety. I had D* a while back when I shared a house and enjoyed it. I don't watch much TV and am looking to spend only the bare minimum for service. I am not interested in DVR (unless it can be done for free) and don't have HD.
The previous owners of my house had DirecTV (dish is still on the roof, I have their old receiver but no access card). They told me they switched to cable because when there are leaves on the trees they lose reception to about half the channels. Trust me when I say that there is no way to trim back the trees or mount the dish on a pole to avoid them - it's pretty much a forest here!
I don't watch much TV during the summer anyway so what I'd like to do is subscribe through the spring, cancel when the leaves come out, then sign up again in the fall. Is D* flexible like this or do they require a 12 month commitment? I heard that if you have your own equipment this may be possible. Would an old receiver work with the new generation of cards, or would that need to be replaced? I'm assuming the dish itself is fine... If I need new hardware, are there any suggestions as to the best places to find deals?
Cable is available in my area, but the cheapest plan they offer is $50/month. Times being what they are, I can't justify spending much on television since I don't watch it that much to begin with and the jump from $40 to $50 seems like a big psychological hurdle I can't get over.
Looking for your experienced opinions and suggestions. Thanks in advance!
-Scott T.
Short-time lurker, first-time poster
I live in the woods outside the St. Louis metro area. I currently get my TV via rabbit ears and am pretty sick of the poor reception and lack of programming variety. I had D* a while back when I shared a house and enjoyed it. I don't watch much TV and am looking to spend only the bare minimum for service. I am not interested in DVR (unless it can be done for free) and don't have HD.
The previous owners of my house had DirecTV (dish is still on the roof, I have their old receiver but no access card). They told me they switched to cable because when there are leaves on the trees they lose reception to about half the channels. Trust me when I say that there is no way to trim back the trees or mount the dish on a pole to avoid them - it's pretty much a forest here!
I don't watch much TV during the summer anyway so what I'd like to do is subscribe through the spring, cancel when the leaves come out, then sign up again in the fall. Is D* flexible like this or do they require a 12 month commitment? I heard that if you have your own equipment this may be possible. Would an old receiver work with the new generation of cards, or would that need to be replaced? I'm assuming the dish itself is fine... If I need new hardware, are there any suggestions as to the best places to find deals?
Cable is available in my area, but the cheapest plan they offer is $50/month. Times being what they are, I can't justify spending much on television since I don't watch it that much to begin with and the jump from $40 to $50 seems like a big psychological hurdle I can't get over.
Looking for your experienced opinions and suggestions. Thanks in advance!
-Scott T.
