Tips for HD via satellite?

[zipper]

I'm looking to enter into HD service now that I have a HDTV but have a couple questions. My initial plan is to stay with Directv & buy/install the equipment myself. I've installed 3 SD Directv systems already so I'm not a novice in that regard, but I'm not sure how Directv is going to try to gouge me on this one. CC is the only local that I can walk into & buy the stuff w/o having to order & wait for shipping. The basics are about $400 for the dish & receiver.

Do you have to buy one of DTV's receivers (my set is HD-ready) or can I buy some other brand? If I buy another brand does DTV try to ream you extra for using a "foreign" receiver? Are their receivers of decent quality?

I have issues with Comcast dating back to the Viacom days so I won't consider going with them. Just don't like the way they do business.

However, getting a straight answer from DTV can prove to be difficult at times. Can anyone here share some experience they might have with DTV HD?


Thanks in advance.........

 

[BMXTRIX]

My experience, coming in after installers usually, is that DirecTV is as bad, if not far worse, than cable these days. If you have a problem, you have to pay a technician to come out and diagnose it for you as they have zero customer support technicians in place to help you out.

If you can deal with that, then you can use any DirecTV capable recevier you wish and there is no price difference for service. I have heard good things about the Samsung DSS receiver. If I were to buy a HD-DSS receveiver today, that is the way I would go, and I would make DARN SURE that it included Tivo service. I have had cable w/PVR for a year now and can't imagine living without it ever again in my TV Land.

 

[zipper]

Thanks BMX...........................I installed my 1st DTV dish & receiver 5 years ago.......& learned a lot in the process. Have found that most problems can be resolved by just reseating the card or unplugging the unit for a minute. Other than about 10-15 minutes worth of weather interruptions in 5 years I haven't had any trouble.

However they have, in the past, tried to bilk me when I wanted to add another receiver. But that was 3-4 years ago.
Just trying to find out what I can before I go for it...................& have heard others say the same about the Tivo.

 

[LDanix]

I worked for DTV customer service for two years and I must agree that the customer service and technical support are in major need of help. Not to mention the fact that DTV tries at every turn to screw its customers out of money. DTV recently fired the company that it outsourced it technical support to, and is doing it on its own now. So, it might have improved.

I would check into DishNetwork or VOOM for the HD content (and complete migration). I believe (haven't checked lately) that DishNetwork offers one or two more HD channels, and I know that VOOM (voom.com) not only offers several more HD channels than both DTV and Dish but also the SD channels as well.

One major hook with DTV, is that you may have to upgrade to an additional satelite dish or one of their new dishes to even receive HD content. SD channels are broadcast from the 101 satelite, local channels from the 110, and HD from the 119. Unless you have a dish that is capable of aligning to two of these satelites (assuming you don't subscribe to local channels, then three positions are required) be prepared...

 

[av-man]

DTV and Dishnetwork are competitive in programming and price. You will need the 3 LNBF dish from DTV to get Locals and or HD programming. If I were buying a receiver for DTV I would buy the Toshiba or the unit that is Branded by DTV. The Samsung is a peice of crap.

I'm a Dishnetwork dealer and think that their equipment is superior to DTV but it requires the Superdish and you wont be installing it without a signal meter.

Voom is no more. They are selling off their cable holdings to re aquire the company from Dishnetwork but it is still in the wind. The good (or bad) thing is that Voom had almost 40 HD channels that are now owned by Dishnetwork. So in short sooner or later it will work itself out.

They are all far superior to the garbage the cable companies (around here anyway) call Digital and HD.