[shelly]

I currently have 3 hd satellite services and 5 dishes on my roof.


To switch between satellites with my auto switcher, I must go from hd to sd on the remote and then turn the receiver off. Then I can turn on another and switch it from sd to hd to activate the picture.


I must soon chose between Direct and Dish because I can't stand having to switch between all three satellites. Two will be sufficient.


Having all the networks on BEV makes it an easy keeper as I know what programs are showing each night by looking in my local newspaper.


But I usually have to scroll through the program guides to see what is on all the other hd channels both Dish and Direct offer me. I have Sho, HBO and CBS on dish and the hd package of Discovery et al on Direct.


I want to stay with the one service that will be the first to offer new and additional hd channels.


Any clues?


Shelly

 

[Darin]

Dish has been really odd lately. I'm not sure if they're about to give up and sell to someone else, or if they're about to pull some coop and really surprise everyone. Personally, I think DirecTV is the safer bet, as they seem to have definite plans, and the ability to bring them to fruition. But Dish could be interesting, if you like that sort of thing.

 

[jambroni]

What? No mention of VOOM being in the mix?

 

[jdspencer]

With a DirecTV DVR (TiVo) you can set up the shows you like and the DVR will record them for you. You can also search the guide for a show by title, actor, director, genre etc. The HDTiVo will be out in a few months too!

 

[stickyfingers]

I posted my $.o2 as a new HD E* sub over here and to save you a read, I'd go w/D* - hands down, no contest.


Brian

 

[DP1]

Well see though theres one kicker to all that. While you can drop and add about anything you might want to on E* as time goes along, the problem with what you have on D* is the fact that if you're not subbing to a Total Choice package.. as in you were able to get the HD Pack ala-carte, I dont think if you drop that from D* you'd ever be able to get it back again without in fact subbing to TC.


But on the flip side, you cant (more than likely) add HBO and SHO to only the HD Pack on D* either. So you cant really replace what you have on E* by just going to D* without subbing to TC. Now if you have an SD pack on Dish as it is (for even just a few CNN/MTV type channels or whatever) then that may not matter to you. But if you've always tried to keep it where you were paying for not much else besides HD, that might play a role cause you're going to be dropping 34.00 more dollars compared to what you have been spending.


All that said, if I absolutely *had* to drop one or the other right now I'd drop D* because you prolly cant do much with that account anyway. So you switch everything to E* and keep your D* receiver around for awhile in case they add enough to tickle your fancy. Course even then you're going to have to bite the bullet and sub to TC for starters anyway if you go back to them.


One way to really keep your options open I suppose is to add the HD Pack on E* so your day to day viewing becomes easier but continue to just keep paying the 11.00 to D* anyway. That way who knows, if they add a couple channels to their own HD Pack in the next few months (and E* doesnt offer those same channels) you wouldnt have to do anything to just start getting them. And if it happened in the next few months it wouldnt have cost you any more than 1 months worth of TC would cost you.


It's one of those calculated risk things..but ehhhh whats 45.00 bucks ($11 over 4 months). No more than the cost of a half way decent dinner for 2.

 

[foss349]

Go with Directv !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Darin]

Dan has a good point... if you don't WANT to get the extra programming in the "base" package, it may be difficult to continue getting it that way from DirecTV. If you wanted to try, you could always have your DirecTV account "suspended" (as if you were going on an extended vacation), then if you later decided you wanted DirecTV back, you could try to have it re-enabled, as it was when you suspended. Don't know if they'd re-enable it the way it was or not.

 

[shelly]

I have the Dish Everything package and it is very easy to just add their hd package to what I already have. And this would keep things relatively simple for my wife who is now accustomed to using the Dish non hd receiver. I have never had a problem with my 6000 receiver and do not have any objections to its program guide. It is fast enough for me and does the job. I am not thinking about getting a 811 receiver.


That said, I am one of the grandfathered folks with Direct and have the hd package with just the Directv Limited which is no longer offered. I am reluctant to give up my Limited package/ If I do, it will be as Dan says, I will have to get the TC package.


And I prefer the Directv picture as my Toshiba hd receiver gives a more contrasty, colorful picture. In fact I have to readjust my set between the Dish picture and the Directv picture, turning down all picture controls for Directv.


I guess that my options include dropping Dish completely and going with everything Direct has to offer, their TC package,


or just drop the Direct hd package and hold on to Limited, hoping that I could reinstate a future hd package with just the Linited package as now,


or drop Direct completely and just add the hd package to Dish. This would be the most cost effective and least disruptuve to my wife's viewing of her shows.


As it is, I am keeping both feet in the water, and paying an extra $12/month for this priviledge.


It would easier to make a decision if there was some inkling as to the future plans of either service.


I would switch to Voom, if they had the sd HGTV channel, as this is most important to my wife. I can't afford, right now, to have Voom in addition to the other services.


I appreciate your inputs. Anyone else in this situation?


Shelly

 

[jdspencer]

It's really too bad that DirecTV doesn't bring back the Select Choice package or some version of it. I bet there are many fence sitters who would jump to DirecTV especially from the horrid world of cable .

 

[DP1]

Quote:

Originally posted by shelly It would easier to make a decision if there was some inkling as to the future plans of either service. I would switch to Voom, if they had the sd HGTV channel, as this is most important to my wife. I can't afford, right now, to have Voom in addition to the other services. I appreciate your inputs. Anyone else in this situation?

Ok, Shelly, I didnt realize you already sub to a bunch of SD stuff on E*. And yeah, believe me, I'm in the same boat too. I *did* cancel the ala-carte HD Pack on D*a few months ago and just went ahead and added it on my E* account once they started offering it. I know I couldnt get it back now without TC but I dont care. I dont think I'll ever be using D* again except for NFL-ST unless they really come through in a big way on HD but even then I doubt I would because of their insistence on TC.


At that point if I was worried about a bunch more HD I'd just go with Voom too. Especially now that it looks like the price is starting to drop down to where it belongs.


To complicate matters evenb further for me, I just went ahead last week and had Comcast HD installed. If for no other reason than all their HD channels in my area are in free preview mode for however long that lasts.. including Starz! HD, Cinemax HD and the InHD channels that D* and E* doesnt offer. As well as HBO/SHO. Once that system was up and running I called and cancelled everything on E* except for the HD Pack. Once the preview is over I'll re-evaluate once again. Plus that cable box has a Firewire output (not enabled yet) that may allow for some other benefits down the road.


Fun, fun, fun.

 

[Ken Ross]

Another positive for D* is the superior capabilities of the D* HD PVR compared to E's, if you decided you wanted the HD recording capability. That alone could easily make someone choose one service over the other.

 

[shelly]

Ken,


I've not been following hd developments for a month or so as I have been researching and involved in the current world of digital cameras. (So many toys, not enough time.)


Are you suggesting that the Directv HD PVR is now on the market? And wouldn't I also need a new hd receiver with digital ouput (my Toshiba 3000 has just component outputs)? I do not think that the Dish hd PVR has been released.


Dan,


So you no longer have Dish but now have Directv just for the NFL Sunday Ticket, BEV for networks and cable for all other hd offerings. There is no hd available on cable in my area but it seems itwould be a viable alternative.


Even though there does not seem to be a significant amount of programming on Starz hd, Bravo hd, Cinemax hd although more on InHd, it sure would ber nice to have them all on a single program guide.


As for Voom, although the startup cost has gone down significantly, their $15 per premium station package just seems too much right now.


Shelly

 

[DP1]

Quote:

Originally posted by shelly Dan, So you no longer have Dish but now have Directv just for the NFL Sunday Ticket, BEV for networks and cable for all other hd offerings. There is no hd available on cable in my area but it seems itwould be a viable alternative. Even though there does not seem to be a significant amount of programming on Starz hd, Bravo hd, Cinemax hd although more on InHd, it sure would ber nice to have them all on a single program guide. As for Voom, although the startup cost has gone down significantly, their $15 per premium station package just seems too much right now. Shelly [/b]

Well I just cut way back on Dish but I still sub to the HD Pack from them cause those are the stations that the cable HD isnt offering here yet. But if I dont keep the cable in the long run then I'd just add back AT-50 on Dish I guess.


As far as HD-PVR's D*'s is said to be coming out in a couple months and E*'s, the 921, has recently begun shipping... although not without bugs.. particularly on the OTA side.

 

[Darin]

And no, you wouldn't need a new HD receiver, both the Dish and DirecTV HD PVRs have receivers built in to them.

 

[shelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by Darin And no, you wouldn't need a new HD receiver, both the Dish and DirecTV HD PVRs have receivers built in to them.

Does this mean that I would need 2 lines connecting to the hd pvr? And could retire my Toshiba 3000 or Dish 6000 or use one or the other in another room?


(I do remember that the Superdish switch was to allow for just a single line to feed their hd pvr's but I'm not sure that there is still a Superdish coming for not ota users.)


Shelly

 

[Darin]

I don't know that much about Dish hardware, and even less about the Superdish. But speaking for the upcoming HD-TiVo (which I believe the Dish 921 is similar to in this regards), You can have one or two feeds going to it. Two feeds gives you the ability to watch one program while recording another, or recording two different programs at one time. Yes, it could completely replace your existing receiver.

 

[bonscott87]

shelly, I'd say go with what service makes you happy. To be honest, if you can hold out another 6 months or so, a lot of stuff should shake out, especially with DirecTV.


I don't see a need to really keep both E* or D*. Both get you the same amount of HD really, and both have almost exact same lineup for SD channels. Both are also pretty similar in price. You could just as easily dump D* and add the HD pack to your E* sub as you can dump E* and get the TC Premier with D*.


Personally, as things are moving forward, it looks like D* will be offering a lot more HD soon and you can bet that News Corp will make sure it happens (baring a launch disaster of course). E*, no one really knows at this point. Thus why I'd say hang out until D* gets their new birds up there and see if E* responds with any new channels as well. Otherwise I'd place my bets on D* and go with them if you can't wait.


Good luck.

 

[DP1]

Yeah, I tend to agree with Scott. Theres not much differentiation anymore and so everything else is on speculation.


The reason some of us had both to begin with was cause for a time the offerings werent the same. A lot of HD subs that started off with E* because once upon a time they were the only ones offering Showtime HD or a dedicated HD-PPV or because of CBS HD, whatever.. went and snagged a D* HD receiver when HDNet became a reality. Thats one of the reasons why certain people have both. And once you have the equipment for both theres not much wrong with playing one against the other.


As I said, all I use D* for anymore is NFL-ST and not particularly at all cause of the HD games.. just to see a particular team every week and I dont really care whether it's in HD or not. With that in my I could go ahead and sell the D* HD receiver to recoup some of my money and just grab up a 50.00 SD receiver. But why? The HD one is long ago paid for, still gets used as an OTA tuner sometimes, and again, who knows..maybe D* will do or offer something else unique in the HD world someday.


Like, um... isnt there a buzz about HD PPV Porn on the horizon perhaps

 

[shelly]

Dan,


You're absolutely correct. I had E for the Sho and HBO HD, and had the Directv Limited package to get HdNet but now the channel offerings are very similar.


I guess it is just the frustration on my part that there are now so many more hd channels but nothing new has appeared on the 2 biggest satellite providers.


I have another month of hard work before I will make any decisions as my thinking is a bit clouded now. (My busiest work season is during the winter months.) I hardly have time to watch hd or even watch dvd's right now. But it is still very much in my mind every day.


Shelly