das Monkey

• Quoth Wizdar •<HR SIZE=1>I’ve heard this term before. ‘splain, please? <HR SIZE=1>

"Mirror" is just a term they came up with. It's the same as your digital cable. You have one receiver per output signal, and each receiver gets the same set of channels. With a lot of digital cable (if not all), you pay an extra monthly fee for each extra receiver (I think because you're "renting" it). With DirecTV, you pay a "mirroring fee" to mirror the signal to the extra receiver (which you actually own). It's the same thing, just with a different name. The way the DirecTV pricing structure works, I pay for my programming package on my primary receiver. Then I pay a $5 fee for each extra receiver that I "mirror" that package too.

das

Chew

Plenty of people talk about it on the DirecTV portion of the Tivo boards.

Wizdar

A digital code that allows your second receiver (or your first, for that matter) to process the received signal and output only those channels you’ve paid for, yes? Thanks, das.


Hey, just out of curiosity, can you program a receiver to change channels at a given time?

das Monkey

• Quoth Wizdar •<HR SIZE=1>Hey, just out of curiosity, can you program a receiver to change channels at a given time? <HR SIZE=1>

I can't speak for all receivers, but all those that I have owned can do that, and many output IR codes to control VCRs, so you can record shows at a specified without setting both your VCR and the receiver.

das

tasha99

Well, I'm going to try this moving thing.

Then I won't have to download Buffy anymore (UPN is just snow where I live). I've never found WB on my DirectTV lineup. Do they offer that (am I being dense and passing it by? I'd love to stop downloading Angel too--Tivo is so much easier and doesn't hog my phone line for days at a time.)

tasha

Wizdar

w00t! I'm in. Making the call today.

No, really! I'm gonna do it. [Wizdar struggles to suppress the AT&T-implanted anti-cancellation device throbbing almost audibly at the base of his skull…]



tasha, good luck!

das Monkey

• Quoth Wizdar •<HR SIZE=1>No, really! I'm gonna do it. [Wizdar struggles to suppress the AT&T-implanted anti-cancellation device throbbing almost audibly at the base of his skull…]<HR SIZE=1>

Now that you've finally seen the light, you'll want these until your eyes adjust.

das

Wizdar

Oh, I saw the light a long time ago. It’s this damn_chip in my head…

Chew

Unlike DishNet, DirecTV doesn't have a SuperStation package. When you move, pick a city that not only gives you the best signal strength, but also one that lists WB and UPN channels. In other words, stick to the biggest city you can, which doesn't necessarily mean the one that's closest with locals.

Chew

Oh, and if you're not confident enough in your phone abilities to 'move', go to their website and click on the "contact us". Then send them an email under the drop-down subject of "other". Once the service address is changed (remember, this is the only one you want changed, not the billing), you can update to locals yourself from the site.

I heard it works.

BigDave

I'll be doing the "moving" technique when we get into our new house. I'm even keeping lifeline cable for my cable modem and it still comes out cheaper using DirecTV rather than digital cable.

adamblast

NC-36 -- Yep, thanks... I'm a regular on the TiVo webforum, so I know all the options... I'm likely to go that way, if and when I make the plunge...

(I haven't done so yet only for a variety of lame reasons: I rent out a couple rooms in my house, and the analog cable split is an easy/convenient free perk for the tenants... I'm concerned about the initial outlay costs for a good, flexible setup... I'm groaning at the hassle of selling/shipping my modded standalone TiVo to help pay for it all...)

If Outlet becomes a reality this year, that'll probably the catalyst to make me finally change over...

BigDave

What is Outlet?

adamblast

Sorry; just a channel I'm interested in... MTV & Showtime have announced plans for a jointly-owned channel focused primarily toward gay folks... It was slated for mid-year, but I haven't heard much about it since last November...

BigDave

Ah, gotcha. I thought it was something related to Tivo technology that I hadn't heard about.

tasha99

Could someone post a link to the Tivo webforum? I'm trying to figure out how to do this moving thing (I looked at the link for signal strengths posted way above, and couldn't figure what any of it was about.)

I live in Eugene, OR (so if anyone has done this from here, let me know what city you used; otherwise I'll try to figure out what to do from the Tivo site.)

thanks,

tasha

huzefa

www.tivocommunity.com also try www.dbstalk.com. Tivocommunity is mostly for tivo-related talk and has some directv-related talk. DBStalk has a lot of Dish and Directv talk on it. There are also some dealers on dbstalk who can help you with figuring out what you want and where to get the best price.

Chew

Looks like you're less than 2 hours from Portland, correct? Portland is on transponder 28. If you check the signal strength on your receiver for this transponder, and it's fairly strong (meaning, say, at least 80 or more), then that would be a good place to move to.

tasha99

Thanks so much, Chew9. One more question though--how do I check the signal strength for 28? I clicked on my remote all around the menu for installation and setup, and couldn't find anything about transponders. Sorry to be so dense but if you know what it's under, and it's not too much trouble, please let me know.

And thanks for the links, huzefa. I'll try checking them out for info too.

tasha

Heat

For those of you who are getting snow (or a bad signal) from your antenna, are you using a good antenna? Not a rinky-dink thing that sits on your TV, or a UHF antenna when you have VHF stations, etc. Where I live I get all of the locals (except for CBS) extremely clear, so I don't pay an extra $5 or $6 to get the signal through the satellite.

As an added bonus, I now have a second signal source into my TVs (one being the satellite, the second being the antenna), thus when my wife is watching something on satellite on one TV, I can be watching something from the antenna on the other TV.

Chew

Based on a previous post, it looks like you have a TiVo? If so, here are instructions for the DirecTiVo receiver to check transponders:

1) Go to Messages & Setup
2) Recorder & Phone Setup
3) Satellite Dish Setup
4) Test Signal Strength
5) Up Arrow to highlight the Transponder #s
6) Left/Right Arrow to move the numbers to each transponder.

If you have a standalone TiVo with a DirecTV receiver, I don't know the exact steps. Try to find something that talks about testing the signal strength under the menus. Hopefully the above gives you enough ideas where to go.

Good Luck!

mike1977

Why wouldn't it work if they are not the same service? I have Directv, my brother has Dish. I couldn't have my service address changed to his address and get the broadcast networks clear from my Directv receiver?

tasha99

Woo hoo! I figured it out (it's on "point dish" on the installation section--on the direct tv receiver itself rather than the tivo since I have a stand alone.)

Surprisingly, I get both 18 and 28 pretty good. Would an Orange County address work for that do you think? I don't know anyone in Portland, but I'd guess my brother down there would ghost an address for me.

Thanks so much!

tasha

Edit: Yup, I checked and Orange County is on the L.A. Lineup.

tasha99

Just wanted to say thankyou to everyone who helped. I switched to LA service, so now I get both Fox and the WB (no more downloading of Angel and Buffy. I hope they air DS9 down there.)

NC-36

It'll work fine as long as neither subscriber ever switches to the other service while at that address

If one of you were to get a better deal to switch to the other service, having the same address would cause problems. This would be compounded if total strangers who switched found out that someone on the other service was using their address to "move" to. That's why I recommend cable subscribers you know, or addresses which likely have no customer of any kind.