Potential D* Customer

[NormalGuy]

I am currently pining over leaving TW for D* (Sunday Ticket and all the HD programming are the main reason). However, I am a bit confused about the Mpeg4 talk. If I check pricing at Directtv.com am I getting the right prices for the equipment I would be needing to get the best channels? Would I need an OTA antenna? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

NormalGuy

[Robbiee19]

No you would not need a OTA antenna for ABC, NBC, and Fox channels for HD programs, but for UPN, OSU PBS and Pax yes you need the antenna to get HD programs from them. You can get the others as local thru DirecTV, but just SD version not HD programing.

[NormalGuy]

OK, First off, did you intend to leave out CBS?

Second, I am (or at least will be) a watcher of the "new" network that will spawn out of the ashes of UPN/WB. So, we don't expect this new network to be available via DirectTV?

Third, I'm assuming that the equipment (and prices) offered on the website will be compatible with this new format (Mpeg4), is that correct?

NG

Thanks for the quick reply.

[posty-mcpost]

Ya CBS(WBNS) is included in the D* package. I don't know if they plan to add CW-HD. If you were to sign up to receive HD-LiL there is only one set of equipment they could give you. This would include a 5 lnb dish and mpeg4 box (H20?). I switched to Dish network last night after 2 years with D* cause I wanted an HD-DVR that wasn't about to be obsolete. I also didn't feel like a 2 year committment and I was sick of watching their stupid ads where cable hits on your wife. The question I would ask you is what is the main thing you want from an HD provider? The answer determines who is the best provider.

Directv advatantages
Sunday Ticket
Columbus HD LiL (STO?)

Dish advantages
25-29 HD Nationals (D* has 10)
HD-DVR (mpeg4)
Optional Committment

Cable Advantages
No Dish needed
No Committment
HD-DVR

That's a basic looks at the major differences.

[NormalGuy]

I just got off the phone with D*. I asked them about the Mpeg4 stuff and you are correct, they cannot provide me with a HDDVR that will not become obsolete. However, they said they would upgrade when the technology became available. Is that legit?

Also, what does that mean until then? Should I get an OTA? This is way to confusing.

NG

[Timcredible]

by 'upgrade', i think they mean 'buy a new dvr for full price later'.

[gruxx]

You need to define obsolete.

Both the HR10 and future HR20 have the ATSC OTA tuners available. Since both the H10 and H20 have OTA tuners.

The only benefit to wait for the HR20 DVR is if you can't pick up the OTA signals at your address/with your antenna.

If you can, I would suggest getting the HR10. Newegg has the HR10 for under 400, no commitment, you own the box (takes some phone wrangling with directv access dept)

Directv uses mpeg2 for all of their current National HD channels. They only use the Mpeg4 signals for the HD-locals. From different stockholder meetings, directv doesn't seem interested in providing any more national HD channels for the near term. They are pushing HD local penetration on their 142 markets (of which they've just hit barely half of the markets; covering 66% of usa households).

The real question of the obsoleteness of the HR10/H10 is when or if directv will turn off the Mpeg2 national streams. If you knew or could get this valuable piece of information you'd be set. But nobody outside the upper eschelons of Directv knows when that or even IF that will happen.

As far as the obsoleteness of the HR10 box, Directv signed a 3-year extension with Tivo in april. Tivo dings and pops will continue to be heard in my house until that point. Tivo is wonderful; and every other DVR I've tried is reverse engineered crap.

The columbus locals are included with the HD package if you have the H20 (non-dvr).
The locals are free OTA on the Hr10 (or h10) with an antenna.
The HR10 will be exchanged at some point for a new dvr (hr20-700 a non-tivo crap box) and this switch this may or may not require extra cost. nobody knows that either. It goes both ways on every other directv/tivo/satellite forum.

Mpeg2 signals are sent out for the OTA free signals. Directv resamples and compresses the local signal to beam over the satellite as mpeg4. Some people claim to notice a difference. I would say that there is a subtle difference from what I've seen at friends with the h20, vs my OTA mpeg2, but it's basically the same. I will say that when it was raining for a time last week, I couldn't get a good satellite signal on ESPNHD, but all the columbus HD stations came in crystal clear OTA (even in the storm).

As far as the HD channel difference between Dish and directv, the extra channels that dish provides aren't any big name channel, like comedy central, or FX, or USA, or bravo, or food network or mtv/vh1. it's topical channels with shows on marine biology or lava.

I will admit that that dish does have HGTV and NGC in HD on their Mpeg4 streams, but otherwise the lineups are basically the same.
(this limitation is the broadcasters fault, not the providers. It is very expensive to get cameras/ sets/ booth equip to convert a whole network to HD.)
Even three years in, and ESPN's non-bristol shows (PTI/Aroundthehorn/sportsreporters) are not in HD.

I'd like to say that the difference between the three options comes down to cost, if you're physically available to see the satellite, and if you want a tivo or not. (as before I will say the difference between tivo and any other dvr is the same as the difference between sd and HD. other DVRs are just that clumsy.)

Directv advatantages
Sunday Ticket (+superfan with all games in HD)
Columbus HD LiL
The only HD TiVo available

Dish advantages
25-29 HD Nationals (D* has 10)
HD-DVR (mpeg4)
Optional Committment

Cable Advantages
No Dish needed
No Committment
HD-DVR

[NormalGuy]

OK, so I called again last night b/c I had some other questions and was told this time that the H20 Mpeg4 HDDVR WAS available in Columbus.

So, I'm not getting the obsolete technology after all.

From different stockholder meetings, directv doesn't seem interested in providing any more national HD channels for the near term.

That's funny b/c I saw something yesterday (while I was researching) that said that they want to have more national channels by the end of 2007 than cable and Dish. Who knows. As long as I have my ESPN, ESPN2 and the major networks, then I'll be good.

Anyways, I'll be hooking it up in a couple of weeks.

NG

[gruxx]

OK, so I called again last night b/c I had some other questions and was told this time that the H20 Mpeg4 HDDVR WAS available in Columbus.

Just make sure that's the HR20-700 and not the plain old H20. Those D* Customer reps can be sneaky about the orders, and when the installer shows up without a DVR - yikes. Might want to call back and confirm the DVR.

Every other forum says the HR20 has been delayed yet again, until dec 06. So if columbus has got it available early, that's pretty amazing.

Don't forget to ask about getting a free upgrade to superfan (that way all the sunday ticket games are in HD) otherwise only certain 28, 10, sunday night nbc, and monday night espn games will be in HD for you.

[NormalGuy]

I've read about some people getting the free upgrade, but I wasn't sure how, as a new customer to pull that one off.

Any suggestions?

NG