spainlinx0

Alright, I think I'm finally getting sick enough of cable that I might want to step up to a satellite package and am looking for advice and some deals, but mostly I just want to know what I can get for the same I am paying for cable right now. I would probably go a little higher to get more channels especially if I could get a tivo in the package, because I hate forgetting to record shows on a vcr. Yeah, some of us still do that.

Anyway right now I am paying $90 a month for cable, but that includes my cable modem service. I have basic cable, and no premium channels including HBO. If I give up the cable service I will have to fork over $50 bucks a month for the my modem alone, but I am very happy with my internet service so I don't mind the price. So that leaves around 40 dollars for a satellite service, which I don't know if that's unreasonable or not. I would probably be willing to go higher, but I don't know what system or packages to get.

I am in the NYC area (NJ) and I definitely want all my local channels including the WB and UPN. I want to have HBO and as many premium channels for the price. What should I expect to pay on either system for all local channels plus a decent package and a Tivo recorder built in. Is it worth it to upgrade? I'm not completely dissatisfied with my service, but for what I pay I am wondering if my money would be put to better use elsewhere. I guess I'm wondering whether to go with Dish or DirectTv. Anyone in my area who knows of a good package or what service they have and how satisfied with it, I would appreciate your input in helping me come to a decision. Thanks in advance for all your help.


Oh also forgot to add: I do want flexibility in upgrades when I finally decide to purchase an HD television, but am just waiting to see what happens when the dust clears. So which company do you think will be a better choice for HD programming? I believe I remember Dish leading now.

das Monkey

Dish has Discovery-HD
DirecTV has HDNet

Both are nice channels, depending on your preference. I like HD-Net's wide variety of programming, including a lot of sports. By the time you upgrade, though, I imagine things will change.

It's Christmas time, so you should be able to get some deal that gets you the equipment for free. You'll likely have to pay for a package that included the DirecTiVo, but it's worth every penny, particularly if you upgrade it.

I can't speak about Dish, though most things are comparable -- it all depends on your preference.

DirecTV's "Total Choice Plus with Locals" is $40 a month. Visit their site for details on what that is. Total Choice is essentially your extended basic cable service. The Plus is a few kids channels, and Biography and some stuff like that, but the regular Total Choice with Locals is $38/month so it makes sense to just go up. Premium packages are on a $12/10/9/8/7 scale. For 7 HBOs (plus HBO-HD if you upgrade), that's $12/month. If you get the DirecTiVo, that's another $5/month for the service fee.

They waive the fee if you get Total Choice Premiere, which is the whole shabang, but that's $82/month - that's what I have.

If price is your biggest factor, and you don't need all the channels, look at Dish. They offer smaller packages with fewer channels that you can combine with HBO to stay closer to $40.

If you want to grow up and play with the big boys , you'll want the DirecTiVo, but with locals and HBO, there aren't going to be any packages that get you under $50-$55/month. I think the service is good enough to warrant that cost though.

I don't know of any specific deals, but I'm sure there are countless with the holidays coming up. The best thing to remember is that you shouldn't need to pay much for the setup equipent, and in many cases can get the receiver, multiswitch, installation for under $50 or free, since they just want your business. A DirecTiVo will cost you, but I've seen them as low as $99 before for new subscribers, and that's a freakin' steal.

As with anything you'll need to do your own research to figure out what it is you really want.

das

spainlinx0

I really would pay for the package you have because it seems like a good deal, but going to school full-time and not being able to work as much really puts a crimp in my budget. Plus the fact that I wasn't paying attention and racked up quite the credit card debt kind of has me in a bind right now so paying that off is priority number one with all my paychecks for about the next month or two. After my job reimburses me for my schooling, I should have a little extra expendable cash and maybe I will jump up to that 82 a month package. It seems like a good deal. Just have to find somewhere I can kick out 40 a month I'm spending on something else.
One more question. Are all these going to lock me into a year contract. I know usually you get a better deal like that, but I try to keep commitments like that to a minimum. Having to have my cell phone locked in for a year annoys me enough.
Also doesn't Dish have HBO also in HD? I was pretty sure one of the two aired Sopranos in HD.
Thanks for the quick response though Das.

Htd

my package with directv

Total Choice Plus w/ Locals
HBO/Starz Package

=$59.99+tax

das Monkey

Sorry - I was just listing the differences on the HDTV. Both carry HBO and Showtime. I don't know how Dish works, but if you subscribe to the HBO or Showtime package on DirecTV, it includes the HD feeds. If I'm not mistaken, you need two dishes to get all the HD channels on Dish. With DirecTV, you can just use the oval dish with the Sat C upgrade kit (which is just a 5x4 multiswitch) to pull the signals from all 3 of their sats.

I think Dish also has an HD-PPV channel, but I don't know anything about that.

On contracts, if you want a great deal, you'll have to contract for a year. Without the contract, it will run you a few hundred bucks or more to get the equipment to get started. Even with you contracted a year, DirecTV is losing money on giving you the equipment cheaply. I forget the numbers, but they need your business longer than that year just to turn a profit. For me, I signed a year contract my first time and have been loyal ever since, so their strategy has worked. They've probably given me $1000.00 in equipment, but they get almost $100 a month from me now with my extra receivers and PPV sports packages.

Anyway, even though you're locked into that year, it's still mathematically in your favor, especially if you get a complicated set-up that requires multiple receivers, lots of cabling, the oval dish, and professional installation. It's also a good deal if it facilitates getting the DirecTiVo really cheap, something that's going to require the year-long commitment. If you're just getting a super-simple setup with ultra-cheap equipment, though, the yearly contract won't be particularly helpful.

das

_tony_

spain, what cable provider do you have cablevision or time warner? i live in staten island and time warner has a good deal goin with their digital cable now. for about a hundred bucks a month you get digital cable, all the premium channels and road runner cable modem. what is it about your cable service that your dissatisfied about?

spainlinx0

I actually have Comcast. Ever since I have had it channel 2 has come in really fuzzy even after I contacted them about it. I was thinking of digital cable, but for me that would run around 80 bucks in my area not including Comcast internet access, and it just seems that for a cheaper price I would actually get more going with satellite. Especially since the cable companies seem so hesitant to upgrade to HD. It shouldn't matter to me since I don't have an HD set, but I would like it for the future.

From what I'm getting so far it looks like when I upgrade I'll most likely go with the DirectTV package since that is what people have listed so far, and no one seems to have any complaints.

One more question, sorry to keep bugging you guys. Let's say I buy a DirecTv Tivo receiver, and I want to get a newer better Tivo system. Can I just swap it out and switch the cards? Does it work that way? Or will I have to go through the respective provider and order from them?

_tony_

unfortunately you can't just switch the cards. the cards record the number of the original receiver, which prevents them from working in other receivers. usually when you buy a new receiver it comes with a new card though.

NC-36

The HDVR2 (known as DirecTiVo) is the best $-for-$ technology buy there is. Dish Network's 501, 508 and 721 may be nice for their customers, but compared to a DirecTiVo they come of looking like the dumb digital VCR's they are at heart. I owned a 501 for a year, and it isn't even in the same league as a DirecTiVo. Two-tuner recording coupled with 3rd program simultaneous playback is awesome

Circuit City will sell and install a DirecTiVo for about $150, and Directv will require a 1-year contract. For programming, take the TC+ & locals @ $40 + $4.99 for TiVo service, and record HBO, Starz and Showtime when they run "free preview" weekends - HBO will be free all Thanksgiving weekend (Nov 28 - Dec 1). I suggest a hard drive upgrade as soon as the warranty runs out, like in my sig

spainlinx0

I would go for that deal except that I don't think Sopranos runs every "free weekend."

Mark Holtz

If you get a DBS system, be sure to get a unit with a intergrated PVR. You won't regret it. A good web site is www.dbstalk.com .

NC-36

If that's your only reason for having HBO, take the money you would spend on a monthly HBO subscription and buy all The Sopranos DVD boxsets.

Me, I won't have HBO until they start a widescreen/letterbox channel. Pan-and-ruin, "formatted to fit your screen" junk just ain't gonna cut it.

And I know The Sopranos is shown in widescreen. It still isn't worth $12 a month.

huzefa

They DO have a widescreen/letterbox channel, it's called HBOHD. All of their HD movies are in widescreen and dd 5.1. The only stuff that's not in widescreen or letterbox on that channel are shows that were NEVER filmed in widescreen or letterbox to begin with.

And for those of you who don't have an HDTV, the regular HBO channel available on all your cable/DBS systems also shows widescreen movies and shows; once again the only ones NOT shown are the ones that aren't filmed in widescreen. My only beef with HBO is that sometimes they crop films from 2.35:1 to 1.78:1.

NC-36

And HBOHD is only available if you have several hundred $$$ for a satellite tuner (without any TiVo capability, mind you) to display the HD signal. Another cool grand (at least) for a HDTV will allow you to actually see the HD; if you have a regular TV the satellite receiver will just downconvert the picture to SVideo.

If I could receive HBOHD dumbed down to anamorphic standard resolution on my DirecTiVos for display on my WEGA I would consider it, but I don't watch TV in my house now without TiVo capability.

And AFAIK regular HBO shows no LBX movies, only the shows they make themselves. Showtime and Starz/Encore show a few here and there, but they're not worth the price, either.

Pac-Rat

I'm not arguing your point, but FWIW-
HBO has been showing widescreen movies lately. Well, okay...2 movies. And one had a Baldwin(Thick as Thieves?) , so I don't think it counts.

das Monkey

If you think HBO is only good for The Sopranos, you're really missing out. Pick and choose from Sex and the City, The Wire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Six Feet Under, The Mind of the Married Man, original movies that rival anything in the theater, Oz, Real Sports, Boxing, Taxicab Confessions, Def Poetry, Inside the NFL, G-String Divas, America Undercover, and on and on.

If you can find something else on HBO that you like, you have no business owning a TV.

das

huzefa

They show more than 2 movies in WS. I remember most of their movies being shown in their OAR (atleast on regular HBO), maybe HBO2 is P&S. But maybe it's changed (since I haven't needed to watch regular HBO since I got HBOHD).

spainlinx0

I wasn't only getting it for the Sopranos, but that's the only reason I typed in because I figure I should check out the other shows first before giving my opinion on whether I think the addition of HBO would be worth it. I'm sure I will find other things to watch on the channel other than Sopranos, but not owning the channel I didn't list any.

das Monkey

Oh, I was ragging on NC-36, not you.

das

NC-36

I get HBO and basic analog cable free - it's included in my lease. I still pay for Directv's TC+/locals/NY&LA distants /TiVo. I've had Directv since '95, and even had the HBO/MAX plex from them for a long time. The DirecTiVo really made paying for HBO unnecessary.

The only programming I've EVER watched on the cable is the semi-annual George Carlin concert on HBO. Between the 30+ Season Passes on my 2 DirecTiVos and my newly-purchased PS2, HBO really is not missed around here.

And if HBO was on the TiVos, there would just be more stuff stored on them I wouldn't have time to watch anyways

dvdanon

Actually, you can use an old access card in a new unit as long as it is on the same DirecTV account. All one has to do is call DirecTV and activate the card with the new unit. Put the virgin (unactivated card) away in a safe place as backup.

Ian

spainlinx0

Couple more quick questions.
Do many people ever lose their signal due to poor weather conditions? I know satellite has a reputation for this, but is that unfounded, or has the problem been corrected.
Also, where is the best place to go for the best value on installation. I don't want to pay an exhorbitant amount, but I also don't want some shoddy rush job either. Where are some good places to look, or should I just head to Best Buy or Circuit City and buy from them.

_tony_

it depends on how big of a storm and how thick the cloud cover is. just some rain isn't gonna make you lose picture usually but if there is a big storm then you probably will lose picture for a while. i wouldn't recommend satellite for anyone that lives in an area where there is alot of storms.