Switching to Direct TV

[Girevik]

Hello there. I'm new here, so please be gentle!!

I'm strongly considering switching from cable (is that a dirty word here?) to DirectTV. If I do, I'd LOVE to get the HD TiVo unit and the HD package. Can anyone give me any pointers on what the best deal on the DRV would be ($900 sounds like an AWFUL lot of money, but I hate not being able to TiVo my shows in HD)?

Do any of the providers have different deals on the service it's self, or is that all come out of Direct TV. For example, Dish1Up is offering 3 months of free HBO and Showtime (not that I really care that much since I won't keep them). Is that standard, or do other vendors have different deals?

 

[riggscm]

Welcome to the Group!!!
You'll never have cable again!

Since you are now a member, the place you want to talk to about D* equip is Value Electronics, they have a banner on this page.

As a member they will give you discounts on equipment. They are a great company.

Regarding programming, that is handled by D*. VE will have info an all promo's

 

[Girevik]

Thanks for the replay. I see you have the HD-TiVo - how do you like it?

 

[Rinker97]

Just note that VE doesn't give the 10% discount on the HD Tivo.

I was looking at DirecTV too but decided to go with cable for now. I really like the HD Tivo and all the abilities it has but decided I would do cable and give the prices a chance to come down a bit. I also figure with cable I don't have the equipment purchase or a long term commitment so I can switch anytime. Who knows, maybe even Voom will come out with their HD DVR and I will have another option. I'd love to have the whole house solution.

Rink

 

[riggscm]

Thanks for the replay. I see you have the HD-TiVo - how do you like it?

Ahh the HD Tivo.
I love the little guy!

I have it hooked up to my TV Antenna as well as the D* dish. It picks up my locals wonderfully. The guide screen shows my antenna programming right along with the D* stations. It will record and playback in Dolby Digital Surround sound, when its part of the HD broadcast.

The HD Tivo handles all TV formats - 480i, 480P, 720P, 1080i.

To me its well worth the price - even @ 900 bucks.

Perhaps the biggest question is do you have a HD TV?
if you have a HD TV, then I feel you NEED a HD Tivo.

 

[Girevik]

Perhaps the biggest question is do you have a HD TV?

Yeah - that's the whole problem!! I've had TiVo for several years now, and bought a HD TV about a year ago. I LOVE HD, but it drives me nuts that I actually have to watch the shows when the network broadcasts it!! Or even worse, if I can't watch it when it's on then I need to watch it in crappy "regular def" on TiVo (I can't help but watch it thinking "man, I'll be that shot looked awsome in HD").

But, we also just had our 3rd child a couple of weeks ago and I'm a cheap b@stard, so I have trouble plunking the $900 down. I just know that if I do they'll be $399 in march! I've got a big check coming in January for a bunch of vacation I didn't use this year - I'm trying to justify using that for the TiVo.

Anyone want to by a used standalone TiVo for $900? That would make my decision a lot easier!!

 

[jdspencer]

When you switch to DirecTV you should inquire about getting a non-TiVo DirecTV HD receiver. This can get you into local OTA HD, but you can't TiVo it. Also, get the DirecTV DVR with dual tuners for recording the SD stuff.

For more HDTiVo info, go to the HDTiVo forum, but you probably already know about that one.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=36

 

[Girevik]

My TV has a built in tuner, so I'm not sure the cost of an HD DTV tuner is worthwhile for me - I'd love to have ESPN-HD, but I'm not sure that alone is worth the $400, or whatever the tuner costs. I can already pick up my locals OTA, I just can't record them in HD. I've also got the standalone TiVo, so I'm not sure the dual tuners is worth the extra $100. Heck for the D-TiVo and HD Tuner, I'd already be over halfway to the HD-TiVo!! Or maybe I just REALLY want the HD-TiVo and am working really hard to rationalize it.

I found the HD-TiVo unit for as low as $850. What are the odds it will drop significantly below that after the new year?

I used to be a real regular on the TiVo communtiy forums a year or so ago, but go real buys at work for a while and stopped checking in and just never got back.

 

[Neutron]

Welcome to Satelliteguys!!

Just note that if you get a regular DTivo and an HD receiver you won't be able to record anything in HD. The DTivo won't even see the HD channels.

 

[dfergie]

You could get better results with the the standalone tivo hooked to a HD receiver...better PQ than sd.

 

[Neutron]

It still can't record any of the HD channels in their original format. I've never tried that particular setup, but if it did see and record the HD content it will have the two black bars on top and bottom and be in 480i.

 

[dfergie]

Yup, 480i I forgot the tivo doesn't output thru component...(Replay 480p) still downrezzed is better than sd...

 

[Girevik]

One more question before I've officially bugged the bajeezis (it's a medical term) out of you: I see where the HD-TiVo unit has 4 tuners - 2 for satellite and 2 OTA. Can it acually record 4 programs at once, or can it just do two like the D-TiVo box?

 

[LonghornXP]

I do love DirecTV but I would suggest waiting until at least the first of the year for these reasons.

You can look at your options much better such as Voom should have their DVR out. Also the NFL Sunday Ticket would be over and we should have a much better idea of what additional national HD channels will be coming. Also we most likely will have much more info about the plans of local HD channels. Also I'm thinking a price drop would occur on the HD Tivo along with DirecTV selling it themselves as well. You might get something better after the first of the year with VE as well. I just think that you should hold off because I would hate for you to be pissed at yourself if they come out with a big price drop within less than a month and that could be very likely.

But with that said I think you would like both DirecTV and Voom. Dish Network is very nice on the programming side but I don't like their boxes and they are currently very strapped with HDTV bandwidth right now. Again I very much stress to just wait because things are about due for change at both DirecTV and Voom on the timing scale of things.

 

[LonghornXP]

It can only record from two tuners at a time but any of the 4 tuners can be used. So you can record two OTA HD shows at a time. Or two DirecTV HD shows at a time. Or 1 DirecTV SD and HD show. Or two DirecTV SD shows. Or one DirecTV SD and OTA HD at a time. Or one DirecTV HD and OTA HD at a time. Did you get confused yet. But simply you can use any of the 4 tuners but only two at a time.

 

[smitty825]

My TV has a built in tuner, so I'm not sure the cost of an HD DTV tuner is worthwhile for me - I'd love to have ESPN-HD, but I'm not sure that alone is worth the $400, or whatever the tuner costs.

Before I purchased a HDTV set, I really lusted after ESPNHD. Now that I have a HDTV set, I think ESPN HD is the most frustrating HD channel out there. There is a _very_ limited amount of HDTV Programming (currently 2 college football games & 1 NFL game every week, plus Sportscenter & NFL Pre-game & Primetime. Last seasons playoff baseball games were not shown in HD, nor have I seen any NBA games this season in HD)

So, if ESPNHD is the only DirecTv HD Channel you are really looking forward to, it might not be a bad idea to wait a bit longer before making the HD jump.

 

[dfergie]

Before I purchased a HDTV set, I really lusted after ESPNHD. Now that I have a HDTV set, I think ESPN HD is the most frustrating HD channel out there. There is a _very_ limited amount of HDTV Programming (currently 2 college football games & 1 NFL game every week, plus Sportscenter & NFL Pre-game & Primetime. Last seasons playoff baseball games were not shown in HD, nor have I seen any NBA games this season in HD)

So, if ESPNHD is the only DirecTv HD Channel you are really looking forward to, it might not be a bad idea to wait a bit longer before making the HD jump.

which makes the arrival in Jan of ESPN2 HD baffeling...more non HD?

 

[dgordo]

which makes the arrival in Jan of ESPN2 HD baffeling...more non HD?

Makes perfect sense to me, 2 HD games at the same time.

 

[Girevik]

Before I purchased a HDTV set, I really lusted after ESPNHD. Now that I have a HDTV set, I think ESPN HD is the most frustrating HD channel out there. There is a _very_ limited amount of HDTV Programming (currently 2 college football games & 1 NFL game every week, plus Sportscenter & NFL Pre-game & Primetime. Last seasons playoff baseball games were not shown in HD, nor have I seen any NBA games this season in HD)

So, if ESPNHD is the only DirecTv HD Channel you are really looking forward to, it might not be a bad idea to wait a bit longer before making the HD jump.

I guess with the the 6 months free of the HD service, I could try it and see how much I used it. If I dont' get $12 use out of it, no harm done and the TiVo would still record my HD stuff over the air.

Am I working hard to rationalize this purchase, or what?

 

[Girevik]

Okay - after doing some looking around, I guess here's my bottom line: I'd probably be willing to pay $850 for the HD-TiVo (or $899 for it with a 5-year waranty from ValueElectronics - still need to decide if I want the waranty), but I don't want to get burned by it coming down to like $600 the middle of next month.

Does anyone have any kind of educated opinion on how soon and how much the price might be coming down?