Talk me out of Satellite & HDTV???

EastTexFrank · Dec 15, 2004

Bob, it sounds as if you have a fixed antenna. We're 'way out in the country and we have an electric motor on ours and a switch that sits on top of the TV that allows us to rotate the the antenna to tune in the signal depending on which direction it is coming from. The only drawback is that after tuning in one channel, the signal on some of the others may degrade so sometimes you can't watch 2 different channels where the signals are coming from different directions.

If you do have a fixed antenna, this might be the simplest solution until technology catches up with your needs.

Bob_Skurka · Dec 15, 2004

Yup, I do have a fixed antenna. But I think it is frequency issue more than a directional issue.

I believe CBS and ABC transmit off the same building in Chicago. I get ABC in crystal clear, CBS comes in snowy on a good day. The antenna is aimed directly at the downtown area, most of the stations transmit off of either the Sears tower or the John Hancock building, from where I am located, they are less than 1-degree apart, so aiming at either of those buildings is the same as aiming at both of them.

Maxfli · Dec 15, 2004

Bob,

I am 55 miles west of Chicago. I have invested in a Samsung 50" DLP TV with surround sound, Dish Network with their Personal Video Recorder (PVR) and automation system to control everything from 1 touch panel. We love it, Once you get a PVR type a setup you will never want to change. I have been considering the upgrade to HD, and for now I am holding off. From the little bit of reading I have done there is a fair amount of termoil with the satellite companies, i.e. Nasa Launch schedules on equipment, Channel space on their existing satellites, and FCC regs as to how all this goes together. On top of that it sounds to me like they are dragging their feet a little on making the HD content available. Technology is changing pretty quickly here, talk is that in 2005 many of these Satellite receivers will be changing to a newer MPEG 4 video format, SBC is talking about delivering On demand video over fiber / copper in a very rapid manner. I am by no means an expert on any of this, but I also don't want to be an Early Adopter and work through the problems. Voom is the little guy on the block when compared to DirectTV and Dish Network. For now I am on the sidelines for at least 6 more months and happy with Dish Network and HD to come.

Bruce

Bob_Skurka · Dec 15, 2004

Voom is the little guy on the block when compared to DirectTV and Dish Network. 

I only found out about VOOM from a TV commercial. But I looked into them, they are backed by one of the large cable TV companies, so they are TINY in the satellite business but are large in real terms based on their backing. What I liked was the cost versus perfomance ratio. Far more HD than anyone else, and even when going to upgraded packages for the other companies, the basic $49 Voom service still has more HD programming. To me it seems like a bargain?

 SBC is talking about delivering On demand video over fiber / copper in a very rapid manner. 

West of the city things are probably a lot different than they are where I am. I can't get dsl or even isdn from SBC.

 Once you get a PVR type a setup you will never want to change. 

I sort of figured that. We currently use a VCR to record shows that we attempt to watch when our schedule permits. One of the drawbacks to Voom is that they do not offer a PVR, it is supposed to be available soon. But what I thought was even more interesting was their "whole house solution" where you can get a PVR on one of your TVs and use it on your other TVs in your house. That seems like a great feature.

 I have been considering the upgrade to HD, and for now I am holding off. 

I guess that is where I am too. Although I have nothing currently that could be considered close to your big 50" screen. It just seemed logical that if we would get a satellite feed that we'd upgrade the aging TV set at the same time and take advantage of things. I still think it makes sense to upgrade the TV if and when we get satellite. I also think it makes sense to jump up to HD, but then if I do that I want all the components that are tied to that set to also be HD worthy. The DVD players built into the surround sound systems don't utilize anything close to HD quality. And the PVRs also have to be HD capable. Right now Voom doesn't offer the HD PVR. So that is another good reason to wait.

What really surprises me is the lack of HD with Dish Network and Direct TV. And what surprises me more is that the basic Voom package offers more than the upgrades for the other dish systems at a lower price. I suppose it is a technology issue? Voom claims to have a newer satellite.

Henro · Dec 15, 2004

Bob,

Believe it or not I was not planning to reply to this thread...but I accidently bumped the reply button somehow...

The reason why I was not going to reply was that I was unable to read all the replies...and figured without doing so I should not reply...

So I am replying anyway! Go figure. It was fate...that is my excuse... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Anyway, we do have dish network. The main reason because they offer the Japanese channel...at additional cost...but still, it is there.

It irks me that we also have basic cable. Forced on us by Comcast...take it or leave it if you want broadband internet access...price is the same...it does come in handy once in a great while, but if I could dump comcast and still have broadband internet access they would be history...but that is another story for another time.

We had HDTV from dish network, but cancelled it after a while because there was only one channel at the time. Not sure if that changed or not.

Still, for the quality of the picture and the number of channels available I would say why not go for the satellite if no better option is available? Once or twice a year, for a minute or two we lose the signal, if that often.

All depends on availablilty of other options and your needs though. We could not get the Japanese channel without going with the satellite. If cable is available and you don't have some specific need that cannot be provided otherwise, maybe cable may might make the most sense.

In the end, satellite is good, HDTV if available is good, and cable is good too.

Because of Comcasts leverage, if we could get the Japanese channel we want on cable we would probably dump the satellite and go cable. But we can't so we won't. If some other high-speed internet access was available to us, we would dump comcast and go with someone else, just to make a point. But that option is not there either.

Anyway, we do like the quality of the satellite...even if we don't watch it that much. HDTV is great if there are enough channels available to make it worth while.

Also, the HDTV TV sets all seem to have a line doubler feature that makes normal broadcasts look better, once you get used to it.

This has probably all been said above...it's just that TV-related posts seem so much harder to read than tractor-related posts... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

carrickfad · Dec 15, 2004

Directv is supposed launch 2 more satellites, one in 1Q 2005 and the other in 2Q 2005. They are using the added bandwidth for HD locals. They expect to cover 50% of the country, top 30 markets, by late summer 2005 with more to be added in 2006.
______________________________________________
DIRECTV 8, to be delivered in the late first quarter of 2005, will provide national coverage from the 101 degrees West longitude orbital slot, DIRECTV's primary orbital slot. The satellite will also be able to operate from DIRECTV's orbital slots at 110 and 119 degrees West longitude. The satellite will carry 16 high-power transponders for high-quality national digital video services.

DIRECTV 9S, scheduled for delivery in the late second quarter of 2005, is designed to operate from orbital locations at 101 degrees West longitude or 119 degrees West longitude. As a back-up for DIRECTV's 4S and 7S satellites, it will be capable of providing up to 54 transponders for high-quality local and national digital video service broadcast into 27 beams. In an alternate configuration, the satellite will be capable of providing up to 44 transponders broadcast into 30 beams.

Bob_Skurka · Dec 15, 2004

carrickfad . . . I'm not sure what you wrote, it was way over my head, but I guess it means that DirectTV will have more than a couple HD channels.

Henro . . . cable is not availabe to us. In fact I don't think it is available within a few miles of us. So we don't have that option. I have a broadband bi-directional satellite for internet, but that is paid for by the company to allow me to work from home. They specialize in business serivce, not residential. I've not had any real problems with the service, but it is expensive.

I guess the whole thing boils down to this would be a big leap for us in our TV watching if we upgraded. And as 2006 will bring digital and I have an analog TV, I'm going to have to do something with that set. My logic was to go whole hog and go all the way up to HD. But when I looked at HD programming, the availablity is minimal. In fact, the major networks seem to offer more HD content than Dish Network or DirectTV. I stumbled on Voom and while they don't offer some of the things that the other 2 services off, they offer roughly dozens of HD channels in their base package for a cost that is comparable to the base Direct TV package.

Like I said, it seems like I'm going to wait a bit longer, if Voom comes out with their "whole house solution" and their DVR box this spring, I'll probably re-visit the whole topic.

I still don't understand why SOME manufacturer doesn't offer a true HD solution by not only offering a HDTV, but also offering a high quality surround sound system and a matching up-converted DVD player/recorder. Actually I can't even find an upconverted DVD player/recorder at all. Players, yes. . . player/recorders, no. It just doesn't make sense to buy a $1000+ surround sound system to go with a $3000+ HDTV and have the DVD player that is included not be up to the quality of the TV set, but I would settle for a surround sound system that had an upconverted DVD player. I guess I am thinking logically!?!

PBMAX · Dec 15, 2004

Bob, It seems the rumors I heard about DTV adding more new sat's for more band width was true. Which as you guessed(older or not enough equipment) is why they currently have so few HDTV channels. So I guess my decsion to wait on a new HDTV and HDTV-TIVO was gooooooood.... that and the 1k tivo price tag and 3k tv. OUCH.... The one thing I wish DTV would do is get the led out and go to the new version of Tivo software that lets you share recoreded media from one Tivo in the house to the other(s). So I will wait till late next year to buy the 65" DLP projector asuming my new den is ready by then.... Plus if as mentioned all the local stations do go all HDTV in 06 it would be nice as I can get signal from 3 cities. Plus hopefully the Tv pricing will drop some more.

the wife and I actully watch less tv now since we can catch it now when we want to... so easily. Once you've been TIVO'd you never go back!!!

On a side note I saw a HDTV receiver at wally world for $198 yesterday. That also sends out regular tv signals incase you need it to pick up local tv in HD and send it to a analog set.

GerardC · Dec 15, 2004

cable is not availabe to us. In fact I don't think it is available within a few miles of us. 

We weren't offered cable when we moved here either. They said that there weren't enough people in the area that wanted/asked for their service. Talking to the neighbors made the difference as they all were told the same thing. I called them and said that several people were interested in cable. Time Warner cable sent out fliers, and within six months they were installing the lines. G

carrickfad · Dec 15, 2004

Bob....Sorry for any confusion. Simply put if you live in one of the top 30 tv markets, 50% of the US population does, and you can currently receive local channels via DTV you will be able to receive your local channels in HD by the end of 2005.
So yes they will have more channels or at least they promised. They are also trying to get the other networks, FX TNT Showtime etc beamed in HD by 2006.
You wont find any DVD player/recorders in HD until they decide on a HD DVD format, that's what is holding it up. Sony and Dell are using a format called Blu-Ray while NEC and Toshiba are using HDDVD 1.0. It all hinges on what the major studios want to use. It's another VHS vs Betamax type war, but you know what that's like. I believe Paramount, Universal and Warner Brothers have given HDDVD 1.0 the nod so hopefully your wait will soon be over.