New Customer Questions

[chwtom]

Hello all

I am building a new house, and would like to sign up for satellite service. I have had Dish in the past, and was thinking of going with them, but saw that Directv will have like 100 HD channels this year, so now I'm having second thoughts. I have a list of questions, and any you can answer I would be very appreciative.

1. I would like an HD-DVR. Looks like its the HR20? I would like to put the box in the family room, and run component cables to the big TV there. I would also like to run an HDMI cable from the box in the family room into a TV in the master bedroom, so we can watch all the content we have in the family room DVR in bed. Is this possible? I can do it with the Dish DVR, but not sure if it would work with directv's machine.

2. Is there any difference in HD or SD picture quality between Dish and DirecTV? If it's so close that its a matter of personal perference or allegiance, then I don't care.

3. Can I "move" from where my new house is (Zip code 54956, Northeast Wisconsin south of green bay), to Chicago so I can get Chicago locals in HD? Would I need any special equipment to do that?

4. Is the launch of all these HD channels coming soon, or still a long ways off. Anyone have a link to what channels will be coming?

5. Any other reasons to choose DirecTV over Dish? I pertty much only watch the Cubs and Bears as far as sports goes, so if I "moved" to Chicago and got their locals, I wouldn't need sports packages, so that wouldn't be a factor.

Thanks again!!

 

[Brewer4]

1. Yes go with HR20 all the way. The HR20 does simultaneous HDMI and component out. I have the same setup with component in one room and HDMI in another from the same receiver. You can get very affordable cables at monoprice.com including wall plates too.

2. Check out Scott's comparisons here. Most would agree with his assessments. I do think the HR20 is better then his review but then I am a directv guy and wiz on that thing now.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/98307-scotts-directv-review-directv-vs-dish.html

3. See this post for rules of thumb about moving.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv...aivers-distant-feed-questions.html#post945460

4. Launch of sat is tomorrow night. Join us in chat. Channels in mid-September if all goes well. See the threads below.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/98205-directvs-hd-100-list-grows.html

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/98951-follow-d10-july-2007-satellite-launch-prep.html

5. Directv tends to have better packages around sports. But you are right, if you can get a local market then you dont need the sports packages. However, Chicago in Green Bay is pushing it. It wont matter in Fall though with the sports packages as all the sports HD versions will be national or CONUS. That will require the sports packages like NFL Sunday Ticket or MLB Extra Innings though.

to The Directv Sat Guys area!

 

[Brewer4]

Another user was able to get Chicago HD and SD channels in the lower half of Illinois so it might be possible to get them in Green Bay as well since that is also roughly 200 miles. No guarantees but worth a shot.

 

[jcrandall]

If you can find out what transponer and sat the HD Chicago channels are on you can check your signal strength. Someone in Chicago may be able to tell you.

I know Detroit is transponder 4&6 on sat 103 for example.

You may see several signals between the two sats, as you may pickup the edge of beams from many areas.

I think each of the HD local markets use 2 transponders, but I'm not sure. Detroit is 6 channels with the RSN, but other markets like Grand Rapids are only 3 channels, and may use only 1 transponder.