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[PotatoeMasher]

OK, so I picked up a widescreen HDTV, and now crappy feeds make me unhappy.

Only choices we have being this far out are satellite companies... local off-air feeds are even shoddy.

So I know Directv has an HD service that's $10 more a month (we already have regular sat service)... I'll need to get a new receiver and probably a new satellite to handle it...

Does anyone else use DirecTV HD and have a clue on the sign-up costs? The $10 a month thing is one thing, but I'd hate to pay $300 up front. And any idea on the quality of the feeds is welcomed as well.

 

[TheDuce22]

Last year if you signed up for NFL sunday ticket and direct tv you got the HD reciever for free. Most of the deals are only for first time subscribers, I dont think there are many options if you allready have a subscription.

 

[pj]

Screw directv's hd. Too expensive, too few channels. Dish network just bought the failed Voom service's satellite, so their hd content will improve dramatically soon. I'm not sure what dish charges for HD, but I'd suggest waiting until they have one of those free installation, free equipment deals with hd, which I'm sure they'll be pimping soon.

 

[Nerevar]

directv also does downsample their HD service (their whole "every channel is digital-quality" advertising campaign is pure nonsense). Their HD feeds are lower quality than most cable companies. Be forewarned.

 

[TheDuce22]

Screw directv's hd. Too expensive, too few channels.

The problem is football fans have no choice. Having been a subscriber to dish network and digital cable, both of them kick the crap out of direct tv. Shitty service and a lack of channels is a price I gladly pay to watch every Eagles game in HD.

 

[gblues]

Don't listen to the haters (disclaimer: I work for DirecTV).

Here's the basic overview:

HD over DirecTV requires three main components:
1. A HDTV (duh)
2. An HD receiver
3. An oval, 3-LNB dish

If you already have #3, you can pick up the HD receiver at any DirecTV retailer (Circuit City, Best Buy, etc) and just swap your existing sat box for the HDTV receiver. The cost will be about $299 + tax. Since I already had the oval dish, this was the route I went with my upgrade.

If you don't have the oval dish, you have a couple options:

1. DirecTV will charge $349 + $14.95 delivery/handling to install the receiver and the oval dish. This comes with a 1-year commitment and also requires you to keep the HD package ($10.99/mo) for a year. You also have the option of relocating the existing receiver to another room (for added cost of $4.99/mo for the additional room) for free.

2. DirecTV will charge $49 + $14.95 delivery/handling to upgrade just the dish. Then you can get the receiver at retail and spend the same amount of money as option #1. However, you don't get the relocation so if you want to move the box to another room, use option #1 (relocation costs $97.50). This also comes with a 1-year commitment, but you aren't required to keep the HD package for a year.

3. If you're really technically oriented, pick up an Oval 3-LNB dish and install it yourself. This option is only worth it if you're confident in your dish setup skills and you can get the dish for less than $65 + tax.

Regardless of which of these options you go with, you'll also need to get the NFL Sunday Ticket Superfan upgrade in order to get NFL games in HD. The Superfan upgrade also gets you access to the NFL Red Zone channel (hot plays as they happen, all on 1 screen), the NFL Sunday Ticket Mix channel (up to 8 games on 1 screen), and the NFL Sunday Ticket short cuts--every play from every game back-to-back in 30 minutes or less, available after all the games are done on Sunday (usually around midnight ET).

The Superfan upgrade is $49 if you had the NFL Sunday Ticket in 2004, or $99 otherwise (or 2 payments of $49.50).

As far as quality goes...

directv also does downsample their HD service (their whole "every channel is digital-quality" advertising campaign is pure nonsense). Their HD feeds are lower quality than most cable companies. Be forewarned.

I'll call bullshit here. I've had my HD service for a couple weeks and it's awesome. I can barely stand to watch the standard-def stuff.

Screw directv's hd. Too expensive, too few channels. Dish network just bought the failed Voom service's satellite, so their hd content will improve dramatically soon. I'm not sure what dish charges for HD, but I'd suggest waiting until they have one of those free installation, free equipment deals with hd, which I'm sure they'll be pimping soon.

More uninformed babbling. Voom's service was high definition by spec only--most of it was standard def stuff upsampled with a line doubler. It might look marginally better than standard def, but nowhere near as amazing as true high def. Dish is already offering the voom content, but you have to get a separate dish and it's a separate charge (like $7.99) on top of their regular high def service ($9.99).

DirecTV will be carrying high def local channels for 12 major markets by the end of the year (at least, that's the current plan). Think LA, NYC, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, and a number of others I can't remember off the top of my head. In addition, DirecTV plans to carry more national HD channels as they become available. Right now it's a matter of getting the satellites launched and the necessary receiver technology deployed. Expect more announcements as plans finalize over the next year or two.

Nathan

 

[karasu]

I want direct TV, but I can't get it because I have no credit. >=(

 

[pj]

Don't listen to the haters (disclaimer: I work for DirecTV).

Here's the basic overview:

HD over DirecTV requires three main components:
1. A HDTV (duh)
2. An HD receiver
3. An oval, 3-LNB dish

If you already have #3, you can pick up the HD receiver at any DirecTV retailer (Circuit City, Best Buy, etc) and just swap your existing sat box for the HDTV receiver. The cost will be about $299 + tax. Since I already had the oval dish, this was the route I went with my upgrade.

If you don't have the oval dish, you have a couple options:

1. DirecTV will charge $349 + $14.95 delivery/handling to install the receiver and the oval dish. This comes with a 1-year commitment and also requires you to keep the HD package ($10.99/mo) for a year. You also have the option of relocating the existing receiver to another room (for added cost of $4.99/mo for the additional room) for free.

2. DirecTV will charge $49 + $14.95 delivery/handling to upgrade just the dish. Then you can get the receiver at retail and spend the same amount of money as option #1. However, you don't get the relocation so if you want to move the box to another room, use option #1 (relocation costs $97.50). This also comes with a 1-year commitment, but you aren't required to keep the HD package for a year.

3. If you're really technically oriented, pick up an Oval 3-LNB dish and install it yourself. This option is only worth it if you're confident in your dish setup skills and you can get the dish for less than $65 + tax.

Regardless of which of these options you go with, you'll also need to get the NFL Sunday Ticket Superfan upgrade in order to get NFL games in HD. The Superfan upgrade also gets you access to the NFL Red Zone channel (hot plays as they happen, all on 1 screen), the NFL Sunday Ticket Mix channel (up to 8 games on 1 screen), and the NFL Sunday Ticket short cuts--every play from every game back-to-back in 30 minutes or less, available after all the games are done on Sunday (usually around midnight ET).

The Superfan upgrade is $49 if you had the NFL Sunday Ticket in 2004, or $99 otherwise (or 2 payments of $49.50).

As far as quality goes...

Wow what a bargain. $300-$350 plus $10 a month for what? 5 channels? Oh and I get the pleasure of installing the satellite myself!

More uninformed babbling. Voom's service was high definition by spec only--most of it was standard def stuff upsampled with a line doubler. It might look marginally better than standard def, but nowhere near as amazing as true high def. Dish is already offering the voom content, but you have to get a separate dish and it's a separate charge (like $7.99) on top of their regular high def service ($9.99).

What am I uninformed about? Other than the fact that they've already started distrubuting voom stuff, I didn't say anything that wasn't true. I never said their content was great, just that it was content, and they are going to have more of it.

Right now it's a matter of getting the satellites launched and the necessary receiver technology deployed. Expect more announcements as plans finalize over the next year or two.

Nathan

Oh, you mean like the satellite that dish already has? Like I said, it's better to wait until they start giving the equipment away, since neither is worth paying for at the moment.

 

[Cerebral Palsy]

I wanted to switch for NFL Sunday ticket, but it's just too expensive. The Tivo/HD shit and installation is already too expensive. Then they charge $100 extra bucks ontop of the Sunday Ticket price to get the games in HD? Fuck you DTV.

With Comcast all I have to do is pay $6.95 a month for the HD receiver. That is it. No ridiculous installation fees or anything. Plus their service (tv and internet) has been excellent. DTV is a ripoff.

I decided to split the Sunday Ticket price with a friend who has DTV. Yeah, I'll have to sit through Eagles games also, but that is the price I'll have to pay.

 

[TheDuce22]

Regardless of which of these options you go with, you'll also need to get the NFL Sunday Ticket Superfan upgrade in order to get NFL games in HD. The Superfan upgrade also gets you access to the NFL Red Zone channel (hot plays as they happen, all on 1 screen), the NFL Sunday Ticket Mix channel (up to 8 games on 1 screen), and the NFL Sunday Ticket short cuts--every play from every game back-to-back in 30 minutes or less, available after all the games are done on Sunday (usually around midnight ET).

What kind of crap is that. I need to pay extra for the HD games that were free last year, on top of the payment for HD "service" to get any hd channels peroid. Why the fuck even have an HD charge if it doesnt include the HD channels. You dont pay for HBO, HBO HD and HD service seperatly but thats what they are doing with the NFL. What a fn joke. Direct TV sucks, if they ever lose nfl sunday ticket they wont be around for long after that. I also love the random charges they send you and how their HD reciever breaks down every couple months then when i send it back they claim they never got it till i provide a tracking number to proove it.

 

[gblues]

The HD package is strictly for the 5 HD channels (Discovery HD, ESPN HD, HDNET, HDNET Movies, and Universal HD). HBO/SHO each include an HD channel in their package if you have the appropriate equipment, and then you have the PPVs and sports games that usually require that you purchase the sports subscription. In this case, DTV chose to put the NFL HD games in with the SuperFan add-on to help drive sales of SuperFan (which on its own still has killer features) and to offset the cost of distributing the HD games.

Also, DirecTV has the NFL Sunday Ticket locked up until at least 2010.

Oh and I get the pleasure of installing the satellite myself!

Did you even read my post? With either option #1 or #2, DirecTV comes out and installs the dish. Self-installing the dish is really only for cheapskates or hardcore DIYers.

As far as installing the receiver... if you can hook up a VCR or Playstation 2 to your TV, you can hook up a satellite box. It's not rocket science.

And I'm sorry, but DirecTV doesn't send anyone "random charges." I've been working there since last August and I've never seen "random charges." If it's a legitimate billing problem (like getting double-billed, or the aforementioned unreturned equipment charge), a (usually) quick call to customer service can get it fixed. Most people I talk to who claim "random charges" never pay the bill in full on time, and the so-called random charges are actually just the current month's charges being re-added when service is reinstated.

Nathan

 

[pj]

What kind of crap is that. I need to pay extra for the HD games that were free last year, on top of the payment for HD "service" to get any hd channels peroid. Why the fuck even have an HD charge if it doesnt include the HD channels.

Didn't directv pay like $2 billion for the exclusivity? Gotta recoup that somehow..

Did you even read my post? With either option #1 or #2, DirecTV comes out and installs the dish. Self-installing the dish is really only for cheapskates or hardcore DIYers.

Whoops, I kinda skimmed that part since I had looked up the cost of going hd with directv before and could have sworn installation was extra. Regardless, $350 plus $11 a month for a year for 5 channels isn't a sweet deal. To me at least..

 

[PotatoeMasher]

Thanks guys... after shelling out for an HDTV, i hate not having any feeds--but i'm also not willing to fork over $400...

I think I'll start looking for a cheap receiver/sat on ebay, and hope to get lucky...

Any other people use Dish? I'd like to get the new customer 'bonus'... any idea on the quality of their feeds?

 

[kIdMuScLe]

get dish network! im not sure if they still have this package (that i got when i signed up 2months ago) free installations on 4 rooms, free hd receiver, free hd package for 6 months, dish top 180 for $32.99 but otherwise their HD receiver are free when you sign up and sure as hell beats directv and their pay up to $400 to enjoy HD. also if you want voom with dish(which gives you like 15-20+ more HD channels), yeah is $8 more per month plus a one time fee of $100 for installing a seperate dish. so screw directv and go with dish....

 

[Error Macro]

DON'T BUY ANY HD EQUIPMENT NOW

DirecTV (and presumably Dish) are going to be switching to an MPEG-4 stream later this year, and all current HD equipment (based on MPEG-2) will be incompatible. That's why their HD hardware is being discounted right now.

 

[Nerevar]

I'll call bullshit here. I've had my HD service for a couple weeks and it's awesome. I can barely stand to watch the standard-def stuff.

Huh? You work for DirecTV and you still don't know what you're talking about. Big surprise. DirecTV does not send the full 1280x720 frame out to subscribers. It's a downsampled image with roughly 800 lines of vertical resolution. Does it still look better than SD? Yes. Is it full, true HD? No. Will you be able to tell the difference? It depends. But if you put a set with DirecTV's "all digital" service next to a cable feed, you will be able to see it. And on top of that DirecTV has the gall to make up some marketing nonsense ("all DirecTV channels are digital quality!") to purposely mislead consumers who dont' understand digital / analog. I just hope their reputation spreads.

 

[pj]

And on top of that DirecTV has the gall to make up some marketing nonsense ("all DirecTV channels are digital quality!") to purposely mislead consumers who dont' understand digital / analog. I just hope their reputation spreads.

But that part is true. Channels 1-100 (on time warner cable in my area, at least) are analog, and look like shit compared to the digital channels.

 

[Nerevar]

But that part is true. Channels 1-100 (on time warner cable in my area, at least) are analog, and look like shit compared to the digital channels.

...

do you understand what "digital" and "analog" means?

Here's an "all-digital" picture for you!

It doesn't mean anything. The only thing that matters for "digital" images is the resolution, which DirecTV downsamples in order to save their bandwidth (and thus reduce PQ).

 

[Error Macro]

I've seen DirecTV in action at my friends house, and he has the same TV I have (JVC 36DF74), and it looks pretty soft and compressed looking. My analog cable looks sharper, but has more noise in the picture.

Does Dish Network provide a better picture on the SD channels than DirecTV? I've long heard their HD channels are better, but how about SD?

 

[gblues]

Huh? You work for DirecTV and you still don't know what you're talking about. Big surprise. DirecTV does not send the full 1280x720 frame out to subscribers. It's a downsampled image with roughly 800 lines of vertical resolution. Does it still look better than SD? Yes. Is it full, true HD? No. Will you be able to tell the difference? It depends. But if you put a set with DirecTV's "all digital" service next to a cable feed, you will be able to see it. And on top of that DirecTV has the gall to make up some marketing nonsense ("all DirecTV channels are digital quality!") to purposely mislead consumers who dont' understand digital / analog. I just hope their reputation spreads.

It's not marketing nonsense. Most people come from the cable world, where the video signal is analog. There is the assumption that digital is higher quality (since the cable company charges extra to get them), and so in the pay TV market "digital quality" does have meaning.

As far as the missing horizontal resolution, let's see if the MPEG-4 jump helps with that. From what I hear, the current satellites are running at capacity--there just isn't the bandwidth for more HD content. The new satellites use a different band with much higher data transfer rates. Waiting for the new technology may be a good idea.

Nathan

 

[pj]

...

do you understand what "digital" and "analog" means?

Here's an "all-digital" picture for you!

It doesn't mean anything. The only thing that matters for "digital" images is the resolution, which DirecTV downsamples in order to save their bandwidth (and thus reduce PQ).

Yes I know what it means, I know that shitty digital is possible, but I also know what I see. Analog cable looks like shit. Digital cable and directv do not.

 

[empanada]

So when is MPEG4 expected to roll out anyway?

 

[Nerevar]

It's not marketing nonsense. Most people come from the cable world, where the video signal is analog. There is the assumption that digital is higher quality (since the cable company charges extra to get them), and so in the pay TV market "digital quality" does have meaning.

As far as the missing horizontal resolution, let's see if the MPEG-4 jump helps with that. From what I hear, the current satellites are running at capacity--there just isn't the bandwidth for more HD content. The new satellites use a different band with much higher data transfer rates. Waiting for the new technology may be a good idea.

Nathan

The problem is that "digital quality" is meaningless. It implies higher quality, but it doesn't mean higher quality. And in fact, as you yourself have yet to contest, DirecTV is actually reducing the quality of their digital picture because they don't have the bandwidth for the full digital frame. That means that their "digital quality" claim is nonsense, and basically they're playing to dumb consumers who don't understand what "digital" means. And yet you don't see that as wrong and ridiculous marketing speak?

 

[borghe]

Huh? You work for DirecTV and you still don't know what you're talking about. Big surprise. DirecTV does not send the full 1280x720 frame out to subscribers. It's a downsampled image with roughly 800 lines of vertical resolution. Does it still look better than SD? Yes. Is it full, true HD? No. Will you be able to tell the difference? It depends. But if you put a set with DirecTV's "all digital" service next to a cable feed, you will be able to see it. And on top of that DirecTV has the gall to make up some marketing nonsense ("all DirecTV channels are digital quality!") to purposely mislead consumers who dont' understand digital / analog. I just hope their reputation spreads.

this is incorrect. DirecTV sends all of it's HDTV out at 1080 lines of vertical res. It sends out less horizontal rez, usually around 1280-1440 or so (like 1280x1080) but it has to send out 1080 lines of vertical rez, just like it has to send out 480 lines of vertical rez on an SD signal.

No ridiculous installation fees or anything. Plus their service (tv and internet) has been excellent.

DirecTV hasn't charged for installation since the late 90's.

as for the topic of the thread, wait until august. rumor is that you will be able to get an HD box for free starting in august with a two year commitment (and yes I know skyreport retracted their statement, but that is because the paper they quoted never said it. but the rumor is still on the table). officially, starting in August the new MPEG4 boxes will be available. at this time here is where it stands. You will be able to get all current HD with an MPEG2 (existing) box for the foreseeable future. They aren't shutting off any of the existing MPEG2 HD channels any time soon (re: years). New channels, which at this time are limited to HD local-into-locals (re: local channels) will all be MPEG4, but they will only be launching the top 12 markets by the end of the year. All new national HD channels (re: TMC, Cinemax, etc) will be MPEG4, but those likely won't happen until the first locals launch, probably sometime at the beginning of 2006.

so if you don't want to buy more equipment, wait until the new MPEG4 boxes come out. If you don't care and want HD now, buy an MPEG2 box. The best bet, as long as you have the money, is to buy a cheap used box off of ebay, and then get a new MPEG4 box when they add MPEG4 channels you are interested in.

 

[shantyman]

But that part is true. Channels 1-100 (on time warner cable in my area, at least) are analog, and look like shit compared to the digital channels.

My experience with TW in Cincinnati is the opposite- the analog looks better than the digital channels for the most part as the digital ones look compressed to hell (and they are slower to tune as well).

 

[borghe]

analog channels are definitely hit or miss from area to area, though I think the general rule of thumb is that analog channels suck. very rare to actually have good ones in an area.

in milwaukee, analog channels are just atrocious.. as in you can usually pick up a better signal over an indoor antenna. and to make matters even worse, using a DVR on them (aka compressing them to MPEG2) makes them look even more unwatchable. all of my friends have switched to an HD DVR from our time warner, even though they don't have HDTVs. DVRing the HD locals is the only good way to get watchable locals on the DVR through cable. and yes, the rest of the analog channels still look like shit on the DVR, but there's nothing you can do about that.

I only have a handful of friends left on cable though. all apartment dwellers.

 

[chinch]

didn't read any replies, but wait on DirecTV HD. They are announcing new deals, including for a HD-DVR which you'll NEED for HDTV. They're also switching over time from MP2 to MP4 compression to add local HD and other channels.

either way, in most areas cable has better HD offerings and quality.

 

[DarienA]

You know as a Sunday Ticket fan I was interested in the SuperFan features... until I found out it's another fuckin $100 on top of what I already pay for Sunday Ticket... what the bloody hell? No thanks....

 

[borghe]

if you are a returning sunday ticket sub, superfan is only $50, not $100. likewise superfan next year will only be $50 for then existing subs.

 

[DarienA]

if you are a returning sunday ticket sub, superfan is only $50, not $100. likewise superfan next year will only be $50 for then existing subs.

WHAT?!?!?!?! Dammit it didn't say that in any of the NFL Sunday Ticket mailing information I received that let us know we were subscribers again... I'll have to call Direct TV this eve.

 

[borghe]

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=547379