I am leaning towards getting Dish service over my local Cox cable. Cox doesn't offer much HD and it's actually maybe a little more expensive than Dish. I've never used Satellite so I'm curious as to whether or not they have corrected the lost signal and reception issues that I believe plagued them in the past. I've heard many times that Directv is "HD lite" so I don't really want to go there...any ideas?

if your dish is setup correct with good solid signal to start with and no tree troubles to blow in the way and the dish is mounted solidly so it will not move. then you should only have signal loss issues during bad weather. usually this is short lived as the storm clouds move over and out of the way of the dish to sat line of sight.

For the most part E* is heading towards HDLite with only several channels not in that format currently.

I have been with dish network for 4 year and I have never had an interuption in my service becasue of weather. My dish has a clear line of sight to the sky. My only interuptions were from bad lnb's and my dish signal was lost once due to movement of the dish.

I have been with dish network for 4 year and I have never had an interuption in my service becasue of weather. My dish has a clear line of sight to the sky. My only interuptions were from bad lnb's and my dish signal was lost once due to movement of the dish.You're lucky. Mine goes out at least once every month.

I've never used Satellite so I'm curious as to whether or not they have corrected the lost signal and reception issues that I believe plagued them in the past. That is a myth.... Well, if things aren't setup properly, it can and does happen. If things are done right, it really is rare for it to occur.

My response when people tell me "satellite goes out when it rains" is to ask them "does yours really go out that much ?". With ninety percent of the people I ask, their response is "well, I don't have satellite, but I heard....".

For the most part E* is heading towards HDLite with only several channels not in that format currently.
Thanks for all of your input...I know I'm a newbie but E* is short for Dish right? I am drawn to the selection of Dish channels but I am a little hesitant if they are going HD lite.

Is HD lite far from the quality of regular HD?

Thanks for all of your input...I know I'm a newbie but E* is short for Dish right? I am drawn to the selection of Dish channels but I am a little hesitant if they are going HD lite.

Is HD lite far from the quality of regular HD?

It is generally considered to be somewhere between HD and SD in picture quality.

That is a myth.... Well, if things aren't setup properly, it can and does happen. If things are done right, it really is rare for it to occur.

My response when people tell me "satellite goes out when it rains" is to ask them "does yours really go out that much ?". With ninety percent of the people I ask, their response is "well, I don't have satellite, but I heard....".I hope you're not implying that I'm exaggerating, because I'm not.

My signal is normally in the nineties or so, but since spring started, it's gone out AT LEAST once a month, either when it rains semi-hard or when there's an extremely thick, dark cloud cover right before the rain.

There may be something wrong with the way that it's set up, but if there is, I'm not aware of it.

I hope you're not implying that I'm exaggerating, because I'm not.

My signal is normally in the nineties... What Dish do you have ?? A 500, 1000, SuperDish ?? Multiple dishes ??

I have a clear line of sight to the south, my dish is mounted on a brick chimney, and I get only 50 to 60% on E* sat 129. I've had it tweaked once, but it's still low, and I get occaisional stutters.

What Dish do you have ?? A 500, 1000, SuperDish ?? Multiple dishes ??I'm not sure, but I think they're the 500's. They're just the most basic models. I've only got SD. Two of them. 119, 110 & 61.5 satellites.

I have had Dish Network for 6 years. When I first got the dish 500 it would go out in bad weather (maybe 6 times a year for 20 minutes). It had been installed by a Dish Network supplier and after they got an 80% reading they left. Actually I got a 50% reading on the worst transponder and an 85% on the best. Two years ago I reaimed the dish myself and got an 85% on the worst transponder and a 140% on the best. I has gone out only once in those two years and then for only 20 minutes. I was raining in the second worst rainfall year in the history of Los Angeles. Through all those storms it only went out just that once (2" of rain in 45 minutes).

If your service goes out more than that the dish needs to be reaimed.

I just got the dish 1000 installed for three satellites. It hasn't gone out yet but it is the dry season here. We will see how it goes next winter when it rains. It was aimed by Dish Network employees and gets 80% on the best transponders (110 and 119 satellites) and 60% on the worst transponders (129 satellite).

Rick R

If that's the case then it looks like I'm gonna have to pay them the hefty sum to do it. And I don't have the protection plan to cover some of the cost. It's too danged high up on the roof for me to take a chance with. I don't even have a ladder that long.

I wonder if I complain to them and tell them I'm going to cancel (I have been close, numerous times - it certainly wouldn't be a fraudulent claim), they'll send someone out to aim it for no charge. I don't know if the fact that I've lived with it that way for almost 2 years will go against me.

I've had the Dish 1000 for a few months now. When it was first installed, by a Dish contractor, I got terrible signal on most of the 129 transponders. If I recollect correctly, it was in the mid to high 50's% across the board. I would lose ESPN2 and NFLHD with partly cloudy skies. After a couple of weeks, I complained and Dish agreed to come out to reaim the dish since they apparently have a 90 day guarantee. A Dish employee did the reaiming. The best he could do on the 129 was 63-65%, depending on the transponder. While I don't completely lose anything now, NFLHD does have studdering video (the audio is OK) during heavy thunderstorms. The rest of the channels are OK (at least the ones I watch).

My signal strength on the 110 and 119 satellites is in the high 90% range for both. Based on my NFLHD signal strength, I'd say 60% isn't good enough.

I hope Dish dumps the 129 satellite soon. I've seen way too many posts regarding problems with it.

I had Dish for about two weeks. Didnt have any signal loss and was pretty happy with the PQ.


I had to ditch it though because I kept getting lip synch issues. I later found out this was pretty common with Dish. Seemed like everytime I really wnted to watch a show the lip synch was all off. Like watching an old kung fu movie.

I had Dish for about two weeks. Didnt have any signal loss and was pretty happy with the PQ.


I had to ditch it though because I kept getting lip synch issues. I later found out this was pretty common with Dish. Seemed like everytime I really wnted to watch a show the lip synch was all off. Like watching an old kung fu movie.
Say it ain't so! :mad: My install is scheduled for tommorrow (Friday!) Hope I don't have this same problems.

I had to ditch it though because I kept getting lip synch issues. I later found out this was pretty common with Dish. Seemed like everytime I really wnted to watch a show the lip synch was all off. You had a DVR, didn't you ?? I can be quite common with DVRs in general. It occurred with my TW-supplied DVR a long time ago but a software update fixed it and never broke it again. I had Dish's 522 when they first released it and AV sync was often bad.... Every software release, users were hoping and hoping to fix it. Often they did, then it reverted with the next software release. What I found helped tremendously was to reboot the DVR once a week or so.

I have the ViP622 currently and saw an AV sync issue once.

my dish satelite gets installed this saturday and I'll be just a little p.o.'d if the HD stations are not real HD stations. The only reason I'm going with them is for the high # of HD channels (25!)

Can anyone confirm that the channels are not true HD?

Define "true HD" first.

Define "true HD" first.
Define HD-Lite

You had a DVR, didn't you ?? I can be quite common with DVRs in general. It occurred with my TW-supplied DVR a long time ago but a software update fixed it and never broke it again. I had Dish's 522 when they first released it and AV sync was often bad.... Every software release, users were hoping and hoping to fix it. Often they did, then it reverted with the next software release. What I found helped tremendously was to reboot the DVR once a week or so.

I have the ViP622 currently and saw an AV sync issue once.

Actually it was not the DVR. It was the VIP211. And I got the problem everyday. On different channels.

Funny thing is a friend of mine doesnt even have HD and he gets lip synch problems with SDTV from Dish.

Define HD-Lite
Well I have my equipment installed, it's just not working properly. I can pick up all of the HD channels fine, but when I try to tune to a regular channel no pic. Keeps giving me a "ERROR 002" Signal lost??? then it says trying to aquire signal. But never does. As far as PQ I'm impressed. HGTVHD, and GAMEPLAYHD looks wonderful. I also checked out HDNET, WorldNewsHD, Ultra, FoodNetworkHD, Equator and they look great too. No complaints on HD PQ. Not sure what HD-lite is, but it looks good to me! I can't tune to SD channels, so I don't know what they look like. I also like the way E* channel guide looks and works. Neat! Installation is the only complaint, he didn't check all me channels before leaving. i noticed 5 minutes after he pulled off. I tried to call his cell, and no answer. I called E* and they got ahold of him, go figure. So he's suppose to come back out today. We'll see.

I am considering going to Dish due to the high cost of cable where I live. 2 questions. Does Dish require 2 dishes on the roof like D* and is there much of a lag time when changing channels?

I am considering going to Dish due to the high cost of cable where I live. 2 questions. Does Dish require 2 dishes on the roof like D* and is there much of a lag time when changing channels?
I have 2 HD receivers and 2 SD receivers and they installed 1 DISH1000 satelite dish. The lag time when changing channels is about 3 seconds. I just left TWC and I can say that HBO-HD looks better on E*. I'm watching COLLATERAL now and it is 3D. Unbelievable. STARZHD has some good PQ also. So does HGTVHD and FOODNetworkHD. I'm really happy I switched, except for the crappy install. I can't get the channels from satelite 119. It has most of the America Top 120 channels. So right now I can only tune into the HD channels. Which is what I watch, but my wife likes the regular channels. So they have to send someone back out friday 8/25 I think. But I don't regret leaving TWC. :D

Can anyone tell me how to aim the dish myself.
I have the 500 model.
Only some channels come in but none of the H.D. channels.
PLEASE
Thanks
Steve