[Scott Gammans]

OK, I give up. I've had it with DirecTV's pitiful HDTV offerings and I've really had it with the poor quality control of the Thomson electronics equipment that is needed to make the durn thing work (I just unpacked and installed the THIRD--yes, the third--defective multiswitch from Thomson's repair center). I'm ready to make the switch to DISH Network, and I need a little advice.

• I need recommendations for a reliable & reputable installer in the Washington, DC area.
• I need suggestions for a good place to buy DISH 6000 equipment (or should I buy from the installer?)
• I need to know what I need to buy... I get the impression that the equipment list is a bit more involved than DirecTV-HD... e.g., two dishes needed for HDTV, right?

Many thanks in advance! Showtime-HD here I come!


------------------

Scott Gammans

Another satisfied NEC VT540 owner
The Scooterplex Cinema 1

 

[dagman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Gammans: I need suggestions for a good place to buy DISH 6000 equipment (or should I buy from the installer?) I need to know what I need to buy... I get the impression that the equipment list is a bit more involved than DirecTV-HD... e.g., two dishes needed for HDTV, right?

I can help a little. If you want to buy cheap, then buy it on the Internet and install it yourself. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, I have to say that it was pretty easy. It was a magnitude more easy to set up my 2 dish E* system than it was to install & tweak my UHF/VHF antenna, no UHF/VHF antenna on rotor, no UHF/VHF antenna with rotor & stays, no UHF/VHF antenna with rotor, stays, and preamp, etc.

Places to buy cheap:
www.satelliteone.com
www.dishdepot.com
www.dishusa.com


I used satelliteone and was happy.


What to buy . . . that is not hard at all! Just get the Model 6023. The model 6023 is the model 6000 receiver with both dishes, a couple switches, and all the hardware you need to mount the whole system. But there is one more thing you may add . . . get the add-in terrestrial 8VSB module if you want to receive local terrestrial DTV from your local broadcasters.

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Gammans: Many thanks in advance! Showtime-HD here I come!

Well, don't get too excited. I recently signed up for Showtime to get more HD movies but their offerings are slim. Take a look at
http://hdtvgalaxy.com/broad.html

to see what I mean. HBO HD is much better.


Good luck with the new model 6023. I'm happy with mine. HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, and 9 local digital channels.

 

[Scott Gammans]

Actually, I'm really more interested in Showtime for their original series (Queer as Folk, Soul Food, Further Tales of the City) than their movies. Thanks for the equipment advice.


Unfortunately, I don't really want to DIY when it comes to installing what are essentially a pair of lightning rods on my roof, so I'm still interested in hearing from anyone in the Washington, DC area that can recommend a DISH installer. Thanks!


------------------

Scott Gammans

Another satisfied NEC VT540 owner
The Scooterplex Cinema 1

 

[Corey140]

Action Satellite, let me find the number for you.


------------------

What is popular is not always right.

What is right is not always popular.

It is better to be quiet and thought a fool than to speak and remove all

doubt.

 

[Scott Gammans]

Thanks, Corey... meanwhile I have a question.


I understand that the 6023 system comes with a dish to point at the main DISH satellite(s), but that if I want HDTV service I need to buy a second dish to point at the 61.5 satellite.


I currently have two DirecTV dishes on my roof (an old 18" round dish and the newer 24" oval DirecTV Plus dish). Both are still operable (except for the DirecTV Plus's bad multiswitch http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/mad.gif ) and I am wondering whether I could reuse one of these dishes for the second HDTV dish.


------------------

Scott Gammans

Another satisfied NEC VT540 owner
The Scooterplex Cinema 1


[This message has been edited by Scott Gammans (edited 04-29-2001).]

 

[Scott Gammans]

(bump)


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Scott Gammans

Another satisfied NEC VT540 owner
The Scooterplex Cinema 1

 

[ADent]

Yes you can reuse some of the existing dishes, in fact the oval does not even need a repointing as it already points at Dish's two main satellite locations.


Anyways the 6023 comes with everything you need, including a Dish 500 (Dish's oval equivilant for the main sat's) and a Dish 300 for 61.5 HDTV service.


You could save some money by just buying the receiver and and new switches, but then you have to find an installer than knows how to reuse all of the DirecTV stuff. You may be better off buying the 6023 and eBaying the DirecTV stuff.



Note that more than one person has received a couple of bad Dish Network swtiches in a row, so they are not perfect either.

 

[dagman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Gammans: I understand that the 6023 system comes with a dish to point at the main DISH satellite(s), but that if I want HDTV service I need to buy a second dish to point at the 61.5 satellite.

The 6023 comes with both dishes. However . . .

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Gammans: I currently have two DirecTV dishes on my roof (an old 18" round dish and the newer 24" oval DirecTV Plus dish). Both are still operable (except for the DirecTV Plus's bad multiswitch http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/mad.gif ) and I am wondering whether I could reuse one of these dishes for the second HDTV dish.

By what I hear, you could buy the model 6022 which is a model 6000 with just a Dish 500 (their dual sat dish for 110 and 119) and then use your old 18" dish as a Dish 300 to get the 61.5 (or 148) sat to get HDTV. I have not done this but people say it works. That will save you $100. Make sure you get the switch you need to connect the dishes though. It is a SW21 switch, I think. (verify that)

 

[Jorge Torralba]

You will be sorry for switching. I did the same thing last December for similar reasons and am now back with Direct TV. One extrat station of HDTV is not worth the aggrevation and poor quality video I experienced. Not to mention that off air tuner seemed to work poorly as well after comparing it to the tuner in my Sony HD100.


Everyone has their opinions and both companies broadcast similar programming. However, based on facts I have experienced personally, DTV video quality is far better than dish and since most of the programming I watch is standard def the hassles was not worth it.


Again, think twice or view DISH on a setup like your before making the plunge.


JT

 

[Scott Gammans]

Adent, Dagman:


Thanks for the info! Geez, all I save is $100? Not worth it. I'd rather get a complete package from DISH so that if anything goes wrong (and with these things something always seems to go wrong for me) I only have one place to point one finger (hopefully not the middle one http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif ).


Jorge:


Your comments regarding DISH picture quality do give me pause. Let me ask you this: I will not be using the OTA module--I have an HTPC-based solution (accessDTV) for local HDTV broadcasts. All that I am going to watch on DISH is HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, PPV-HD, and a smattering of CNN. Were your picture quality problems with the high-def channels, the standard-def channels, or both? Does anyone else care to comment on HD PQ?


Thanks guys!


------------------

Scott Gammans

Another satisfied NEC VT540 owner
The Scooterplex Cinema 1

 

[dagman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Gammans: Adent, Dagman: Thanks for the info!

You're welcome.

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Gammans: Geez, all I save is $100? Not worth it. I'd rather get a complete package from DISH so that if anything goes wrong (and with these things something always seems to go wrong for me) I only have one place to point one finger (hopefully not the middle one http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif ).

Well, my plan was to use only 1 of your old dishes. Adent seems to suggest that you can use both old dishes. I'm not sure if that will work but do some searching. I think Dish sats are 110 and 119 and the DirecTV sats are 101 & 119, that is why they have the parabolic dish . . more separation between the sats. I'm not sure if that parabolic dish can get the 110 and 119 sats simultaneously.


Regarding picture quality, some say Dish is better, some say DirecTV is better, but most say they are pretty much the same. I've been mostly satisfied except for this one time when they were compressing like crazy due to some satellite problem. The Dish HDTV chanels are top notch. They each get their own transponder. Check it out:
http://www.lyngsat.com/dig/dish3.shtml = 61.5
http://www.lyngsat.com/dig/dish1.shtml = 148

 

[Scott Gammans]

I weight HDTV/SDTV PQ 95/5, so if they comprimise the quality of their SDTV channels (which I don't watch anyway) to provide more bandwidth for HDTV, fine by me! (Not that I'm saying that's what they're doing; I'm just trying to emphasize that all I really care about is Showtime, HBO and PPV high definition.)


Thanks for the replies so far! I'm still hoping someone can recommend good DC-area DISH installer/dealers...


------------------

Scott Gammans

Another satisfied NEC VT540 owner
The Scooterplex Cinema 1

 

[kealii]

Hi Scott,


You may want to check out Fairfax Antenna in Springfield, VA who installed my OTA gear. They do C-band, DirecTV, Dish, and DirecPC installs.


Thanks,

Errol


------------------
Keohi HDTV

Your Friendly HDTV Tips Site


[This message has been edited by kealii (edited 05-01-2001).]

 

[akm3]

Wow I was all set with info for you on installers in washington, but it turned out you were in D.C.


Oh well


------------------

It's great to have all this great gear. But I'd instead put all that money into software (Movies) I'd have SOMETHING TO WATCH ON ALL THIS GREAT GEAR. Doh!

 

[Scott Gammans]

Errol: You had recommended Fairfax Antenna several months ago when I was looking for over-the-air antenna installers... I didn't call them because the $15 Radio Shack "bowtie" antenna worked out so well. I will definitely give them a ring-a-ding-ding.

akm3: Sorree, I've never even been to Washington state.


Thanks!


------------------

Scott Gammans

Another satisfied NEC VT540 owner
The Scooterplex Cinema 1

 

[BenBroder]

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Gammans: Jorge: Your comments regarding DISH picture quality do give me pause. Let me ask you this: I will not be using the OTA module--I have an HTPC-based solution (accessDTV) for local HDTV broadcasts. All that I am going to watch on DISH is HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, PPV-HD, and a smattering of CNN. Were your picture quality problems with the high-def channels, the standard-def channels, or both? Does anyone else care to comment on HD PQ? Thanks guys!

The picture quality of Dish HD is exactly what the provider sends. Dish uses an entire transponder for each HD channel and does no transcoding or additional compression. (The only change to the bitstream is encryption for security) As a result, picture quality is amazing.


The quality of Dish SD ranges from pretty good (PPV, Starz, most premiums) to pretty bad. Just like DirecTV. Both companies have compressed their SD signals far too much to squeeze in as many local channels as possible. Jorge's experiences not withstanding, I don't think you'll see a significant change in PQ switching providers.

 

[Corey140]

Action Antenna

4128 Washington Boulevard

Baltimore, MD 21227

800.638.0044 // 410.242.0440



------------------

What is popular is not always right.

What is right is not always popular.

It is better to be quiet and thought a fool than to speak and remove all

doubt.

 

[Scott Gammans]

Baltimore! No wonder 411 couldn't find them in the Washington area directory listings.


Thanks, Corey... I just hope that Washington, DC is in their coverage area. I'll give them a holler tomorrow.


------------------

Scott Gammans

Another satisfied NEC VT540 owner
The Scooterplex Cinema 1

 

[Scott Gammans]

Ben: That's pretty much what I expected. The lousy ultra-compressed picture quality on most DirecTV channels is a big reason why I no longer watch them (never mind the fact I watch WAAY too much TV as it is). Thanks for the info.

Errol: Fairfax Antenna is not a DISH Network dealer/installer. Too bad. Anyone else care to recommend a Washington, DC DISH-enabler?


------------------

Scott Gammans

Another satisfied NEC VT540 owner
The Scooterplex Cinema 1

 

[kealii]

Hi Scott,


You may want to try Davis Antenna also in Waldorf, MD. Not sure if they are Dish dealers but I know that they've done a lot of antenna installs for our fellow HD enthusiasts in the area.


Or you can get the equipment online and just have a local outfit install the equipment.


Thanks,

Errol


------------------
Keohi HDTV

Your Friendly HDTV Tips Site