Cancelling DirecTV and going to HTPC?

[jme5343]

Backstory and info below - is HTPC right for me? Some info may not be relevant, just wanted to include it in case it's necessary.

My DTV contract is up, and while I do like their DVR and channel selection, the $110/month is tough to swallow.

So I looked at Charter, who will combine my current 30mbps service with HDTV and two DVRs for $110/month combined - basically a $45 savings over DirecTV overall (since internet is included)

I have two TV's a 60" DLP in the basement and a 46" LCD upstairs.

I *NEED* my AMC shows; Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, The Killing. Locals would be sweet, and I also would like to watch live sports now and then. And my kids like to watch Disney and Nickelodeon.

I don't think I can get OTA HD - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I live 25ish miles from Hartford, CT, but it's hilly out here.

I already subscribe to Netflix streaming - right now I stream it through the PS3 on one TV and the Wii on another, and would consider a Hulu subscription if needed.

I don't want to get in trouble for illegal downloads.

I have an Onkyo TXNR708 receiver for one of the TVs.

I can build PCs, no issues there. And no issues buying the required parts and setting up the systems.

 

[NutBucket]

Live sports are a bit tough with OTA. I basically conceded that I would be missing out on lots of televised sports. However, I have more time to do other stuff and I can use the money saved on cable to actually go see live sporting events. Much better than TV!

Disney and Nick? Forget it, you're stuck with cable.

 

[jme5343]

Disney and Nick? Forget it, you're stuck with cable.

Netflix actually has quite a bit of this junk on streaming. And if I wanted to be totally honest, the kids just watch that stuff and veg out, so it's not like they need it to be the most current episodes.

But sports...man, I don't know if I can do without. I guess I could spend a lot of time at buffalo wild wings for $1200 a year savings, though

 

[NutBucket]

Ah. Well, I guess that's ok then.

 

[Durvelle27]

uverse is pretty good and have great bundles

 

[jme5343]

uverse is pretty good and have great bundles

I'm relatively rural, so I'm limited to Charter or one of the dish companies, unfortunately.

 

[sdifox]

first tally up what you watch and how many hours, then you can decide if you can go without cable/satellite.

 

[Binky]

An HTPC is not a good fit for you. It's more of a hassle and there will be no live Nick or Disney. With some knowledge, you can set things up to download already-aired shows (mostly) automatically, or you can stream from the channel's site(s). But...these options are all far more complicated than cable or satellite.

I ditched cable 2 years ago and I'm perfectly happy. But, I don't have kids, and I was able to mostly train my woman how to work the new system in...oh who am I kidding, she still screws it up.

 

[SunnyD]

I highly suggest you CALL DirecTV first and see what they can do to keep you as a customer. I'm still paying ~$68/month, and I'm actually still under contract from my install a year and a half ago. I called them up just after the 1st year stuff fell off my account and was jacked up to ~$100/month, and they were more than happy to give me more credits to stay.

 

[poofyhairguy]

firstrowsports

 

[ultimatebob]

With a big enough antenna, I've heard that you can pull TV stations as far as from Scranton, Pennsylvania in central Connecticut.

 

[Plugers]

I don't think I can get OTA HD - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I live 25ish miles from Hartford, CT, but it's hilly out here.

http://www.antennaweb.org/

 

[Charlie98]

Yes, call and see if they are willing to cut you in on another discount package deal or something... I used to call Comcast up about once a year and they usually threw me a bone.

We gave up cable about 2 years ago... I miss the History Channel and Military Channel, but that's about it. We watch a LOT of Netflix, though...

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

What will Charter be charging you for renting the boxes? If it is more than $20/mo an HD Homerun Prime or an InfiniTV 4 cable card tuner with an HTPC could be a viable alternative. If you already have an XBOX 360 it could be used as a Media Center extender for the other TV.

 

[jme5343]

What will Charter be charging you for renting the boxes? If it is more than $20/mo an HD Homerun Prime or an InfiniTV 4 cable card tuner with an HTPC could be a viable alternative. If you already have an XBOX 360 it could be used as a Media Center extender for the other TV.

It was something like $20 month for two TVs. I opted not to take it.

I am going with Charter though, DirecTV offered to go back to the old rate ($80ish) for 6 months, which wasn't enough for me to stay.

So I've already started to compile htpc stuff. I've got a processor, MB, ram, case and PSU. Now to figure which capture card to go with and what software works best...and whether I need an entire 1TB drive

 

[Dulanic]

I canceled my dtv not that long ago. I use a HD homerun for TV for locals. I get them through my cable internet even though I don't have cable TV, only internet.

 

[kornphlake]

Dish network has been pretty good for us over the years, we pay about 1/2 what you're paying for direct tv for essentially the same programming, I don't think we've had a single price increase in 7 years except when we added a DVR.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

It was something like $20 month for two TVs. I opted not to take it.

I am going with Charter though, DirecTV offered to go back to the old rate ($80ish) for 6 months, which wasn't enough for me to stay.

So I've already started to compile htpc stuff. I've got a processor, MB, ram, case and PSU. Now to figure which capture card to go with and what software works best...and whether I need an entire 1TB drive

You will need more than just a capture card. To watch encrypted cable channels you will need a cablecard tuner of which there are currently three on the market - Ceton InfiniTV4, Silicon Dust HD Homerun Prime, and the Hauppauge WinTV-DCR-2650. Respectively they are 4 tuner, 3 tuner, and 2 tuner solutions. Each requires a single cable card.

For software there is really only one choice - Windows 7 Media Center. There are reports of some success using cablecard tuners with other software, but stability can be issue along with issues with copy protection flags. Only 7MC currently has the DRM implementation to truly handle cc tuners.

 

[jme5343]

Fortunately - at least for now, it's not encrypted.

 

[jme5343]

DP

 

[MikeL DISH]

Hi there! I came across your post and just wanted to let you know that we would love to have you with us here at Dish! I encourage you to check out some information about our pricing and promotions at dish.com and let me know of any questions you may have. Thank you and I hope to hear from you!

Backstory and info below - is HTPC right for me? Some info may not be relevant, just wanted to include it in case it's necessary.

My DTV contract is up, and while I do like their DVR and channel selection, the $110/month is tough to swallow.

So I looked at Charter, who will combine my current 30mbps service with HDTV and two DVRs for $110/month combined - basically a $45 savings over DirecTV overall (since internet is included)

I have two TV's a 60" DLP in the basement and a 46" LCD upstairs.

I *NEED* my AMC shows; Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, The Killing. Locals would be sweet, and I also would like to watch live sports now and then. And my kids like to watch Disney and Nickelodeon.

I don't think I can get OTA HD - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I live 25ish miles from Hartford, CT, but it's hilly out here.

I already subscribe to Netflix streaming - right now I stream it through the PS3 on one TV and the Wii on another, and would consider a Hulu subscription if needed.

I don't want to get in trouble for illegal downloads.

I have an Onkyo TXNR708 receiver for one of the TVs.

I can build PCs, no issues there. And no issues buying the required parts and setting up the systems.

 

[MikeL DISH]

Your post caught my attention and I'd be delighted to hear what concerns you have with our service! It would be my pleasure to assist you with any questions you have so please let me know!

I'm relatively rural, so I'm limited to Charter or one of the dish companies, unfortunately.

 

[MikeL DISH]

I stumbled across your post and that's awesome to hear that you've been enjoying the service and billing so much! I certainly hope that continues and would love to hear from you if you have any questions! We've much appreciated your loyalty over the many years!

Dish network has been pretty good for us over the years, we pay about 1/2 what you're paying for direct tv for essentially the same programming, I don't think we've had a single price increase in 7 years except when we added a DVR.

 

[kornphlake]

I stumbled across your post and that's awesome to hear that you've been enjoying the service and billing so much! I certainly hope that continues and would love to hear from you if you have any questions! We've much appreciated your loyalty over the many years!

I'm actually getting ready to cancel the service after the first of the year, with Hulu, Netflix and what we can get OTA we don't have much need for Dish service anymore. I don't have any complaints about the service, but our watching habits and technology have evolved to the point where Dish doesn't offer a service that provides any significant benefits for my household and the way we watch television. I am disappointed that I'll loose History and Discovery channels as few of the programs on those networks are made available through streaming services. If Dish offered an a'la carte package where I could subscribe to just the networks I watch at a rate of ~$5 per channel per month I'd be very interested in continuing the service.

PS, bumping every 6 month old thread that mentions Dish is getting a little annoying, maybe try responding to current threads that have active discussion instead of digging up old threads that have been resolved.

 

[KentState]

I already reported him for spamming. I hate when vendors resort to tactics like this. Makes them seem shading IMO.