satellite vs cable

[Young Grasshopper]

sorry to sound like a newb here, but i will be getting moving soon and getting a new TV soon(Samsung LN46A650). my options here are directv and charter cable. where i live now(using an older 1080i set) i have time warner i really like the picture quality although the price is kind of steep. used to have directv using a standard set, and while the channel selection and price were great, once thing i didnt like was the pixelation that sometimes came when there was alot of motion on screen(sports). i never got this with time warner. ive also walked into various best buy stores and have seen this on thier satellite feeds which go to all the tvs which put me off.


does this stuff still happen thru satelle? and whats the whole process these days for getting a dish, used to be that consumers had to buy thier own and mount it, or pay for the install. does directv offer the dish and recievers free now with install? i would call customer support with these question, but i dont want to get ripped off into buying something i dont have to.


thanks

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Just visit their websites, you can use the interactive system builders to see what the cost is. For me installation was free with Dish Network, the equipment was also free, but after I made the jump to HD I had to get a new receiver and I bought it from Dish for 50 bucks, a VIP722. Offers vary so its best to either call them or like I said use their websites.

 

[Young Grasshopper]

thanks, i just did a price check and monthly price seemed ok but to add a second hd dvdr recieve it was an additional 200. this is the kind of thing im talking about. im a very conscious shopper and do as much research as i can before i ask the vendor anything. cant i just buy a cheaper one somewhere else? seems like i could

 

[s44]

Different cable companies compress HD feeds by different amounts. Ditto the satellite providers.

Best (least throttled) picture is likely to be FIOS, if you can get it.

 

[kalrith]

If you're like me and find yourself only watching HD channels, then you might want to check out Dish TurboHD. You can order a package with only HD channels and not have to pay extra money for 150 SD channels that you'll never watch.

Also, why do you need a second HD DVR? Do you have two HDTVs?

Edit: If you have a second SDTV, the Dish HD DVR can be connected to two TVs: one HD and one SD. You can watch something different on each. It has two tuners on it, so you can watch and/or record two shows at once.

Also, I've been with DirecTV for the past year, and I think the PQ has been good. The only thing I haven't enjoyed is a likelihood of signal loss on HD channels whenever there's a good rain (about 20 times a year). I never called them out to adjust the antenna, which might have fixed the problem. It doesn't matter, because I'm canceling my service and going with just OTA channels.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

I have the Vip722 also from DIsh Network and I hvae no problem with picture quality. It has DVR functionality and it is attached to a 1080i set. I also have just a receiver for another HDTV that's 40". No problems with picture quality on any of them.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: Young Grasshopper
thanks, i just did a price check and monthly price seemed ok but to add a second hd dvdr recieve it was an additional 200. this is the kind of thing im talking about. im a very conscious shopper and do as much research as i can before i ask the vendor anything. cant i just buy a cheaper one somewhere else? seems like i could

If you really need 2 HD DVR receivers there are other ways to get them, like ebay etc. Dont be afraid to haggle with the sales people, it can work but be tough about it. They are doing 2 year contracts now so getting a customer locked for 2 years is better then having one walk away for something like 200 bucks for an extra receiver. I haggled them down to 50 on my VIP722, they were going to make 240 bucks more a year by me adding HD, im sure there are people that did even better then me.