Rainy Days

[wallypa]

For a long time now, I've been itching to switch to E*and I'm this close to pulling the trigger. Currently I have comcast (SF bay area). I'm planning to get the platinum HD package with DVR. Before I make the plunge, I want to know...

Is rain still a problem with the voom HD channels? Is the sat still at 61.5? When I had voom, even the slightest sprinkle screws up the signal. In a downpour, I didn't get any signal at all. Is this still true?

Currently, I have two hdtvs and planning to buy another one soon. What is the best set-up in terms of receivers?

Lastly, do I need multiple dish antennas? I've been reading conflicting information regarding this. A few months ago, I actually called E* and a rep told me that I only need one superdish. What's the real deal on this?

Thanks all.

 

[JohnL]

For a long time now, I've been itching to switch to E*and I'm this close to pulling the trigger. Currently I have comcast (SF bay area). I'm planning to get the platinum HD package with DVR. Before I make the plunge, I want to know...

Is rain still a problem with the voom HD channels? Is the sat still at 61.5? When I had voom, even the slightest sprinkle screws up the signal. In a downpour, I didn't get any signal at all. Is this still true?

Currently, I have two hdtvs and planning to buy another one soon. What is the best set-up in terms of receivers?

Lastly, do I need multiple dish antennas? I've been reading conflicting information regarding this. A few months ago, I actually called E* and a rep told me that I only need one superdish. What's the real deal on this?

Thanks all.

Wally,

The Voom channels are uplinked to both 61.5 and 129. If you get the Dish 1000 then its a one Dish solution for both SD and HD. The only problem is that 129 footprint is not as good as the regular Dish Satellites at 110 and 119. Because of this your signal strength will not be as high from 129 (where most HD channels come from). The better solution would be a seperate antenna for 129 to get better signal to mostly eliminate Rain fade on the 129 satellite transponders.

If you need HD at two TV's then you could get one VIP622 DVR and a VIP211 for the second TV, or spend the bucks on TWO VIP622's. I just got a VIP622 about 3 weeks ago and this is the best Dish DVR I've ever had. I've used 5xx single tuner DVR's, Dual Tuner SD DVR's, and the newer VIP622, and it ROCKS.

John

 

[wallypa]

Really appreciate the info John.

I know that the VIP622 is the HD receiver with the DVR feature, right? Is the 211 for SD only without DVR? If let's say I have two hdtvs and one sdtv, do I need one 622 and one 211 then? Sorry for the ignorance, but I've been with comcast since voom folded so I haven't really kept track of the the different E* receivers.

And strange as it may seem, I still have the voom antenna dish on a tripod on my roof facing 61.5 (which is about SE I believe). If I get the dish 1000, in what direction should it be facing? And if I opt for a second antenna, what model should I get?

These might be questions better directed at E*, but I just want to be prepared when I finally decide to switch.

Thanks again.

Wally

 

[osu1991]

The 622 does 1 hd and 1 sd. The 211 is non dvr hd receiver. The dish1000 would point to 110, 119, and 129 southwest.

 

[grb]

The 61.5 is a difficult target from the Bay area. To get the best signal on 129 I would opt for 2 Dish 500's (which I have in the L.A. area). I get signals ranging from 68 to 86 for 129 with the separate dedicated dish. and I haven't had a problem with reception. Any signal over 60 should be good enough during moderate rain. During heavy storms 60 may be a problem.

 

[wallypa]

So, grb, what you're saying is that I do not need to get the dish 1000 if I get two 500s, one of which is dedicated to 129 (which is a mirror of 61.5 ) right?

129 won't be a problem where I am situated. It's actually open space. But if I understood you correctly, rain could still be a problem. And you're right about 61.5. The voom installer almost gave up the install because he said that I won't be able to get any signal from where I'm located. But after several attempts, he was able to find a very small window to 61.5 by mounting the dish to a 3' tripod on my roof. If I remember it correctly, I was able to get signals up to 85. It was perfect when the weather was good. Real ugly when it rained.

Thanks for the reply.

Wally