I pay quite a bit because I have everything they offer. Every channel, HD package, Sunday Ticket, and 5 receivers. I love it. I had Time Warner for quite awhile and couldn't stand them. Been with DTV for a few years now, no complaints.

As far as which to go with Dish or DTV, I've heard good things about Dish. To me it was an easy decision, I wanted Sunday Ticket. If that's not a factor then you should be happy either way.

I have Dish Network... We have the TOP 180 package (includes Movie Channel and Starz) - 1 Dual Tuner DVR and One Dual Tuner Box (4 TV's) We pay $55/month plus tax. I really am impressed with the DVR. I was nervous because we were so used to Tivo, but I am happy with the new one. It would be $5 more for local channels, but we got those for free since we signed up through our phone provider.

I priced out DirecTV and it was a little more expensive. They are both much better than Cable. Good Luck!

Hauser and Dog -

You guys are getting off easy as my quotes from Dish and DTV were somewhat to noticeably higher

I keep shooting for better deals...

If you are looking at Dish, check out dishpronto.com. They have a good reputation and would at least give you a price to bargain with a local company with.

Dog - check your pm's please!

Sooooo, I had gotten all that stuff earlier and will have the 5lnb dish and new DVR when the HD DVR when it is released out here.

But, I had this HD 'Ready' TV in my office connected to a regular receiver, soooooo today I called to tell them that I was thinking of cancelling the sports package that I had just subscribed to a month or so ago. I told him that I would like to keep the package because I heard some (at least one) of the channels would be airing the Caps games this year in M4 HD format but if it cost me much for an HD receiver I was going to cancel. Of course, until I get my 5lnb dish I can't get it anyway, but I thought this might be a good time to try to get a new HD receiver.

So, he is sending me an H10 HD receiver. I don't need a DVR here in my office. All I have to do is commit to another 2 years. I just did that a month or 2 ago so, no big deal.

He said the new HD DVR has been released to consumers on the West Coast. When bugs are worked out, they will be releasing to remaining markets I guess. Any of you Left Coast guys get yours yet?

I guess I am all set now. HD all over next week!!

The HR-20 was released in California a couple of weeks ago, hopefully soon here.

Here is a good, detailed review: HR-20 Review

What is the model number of the original 'NON DVR' DTV HD receiver? And what is the model number of the new one that will pick up Mp4 (or whatever it is) broadcasts?

Will the old regular HD receiver work with the 5lnb AND 5lnb dish? In other words, is their equipment upward compatible?

The H10 is the regular HD receiver, no DVR (there were earlier models with other names). The H20 is the new MPEG-4 HD receiver, no DVR. The HR-20 is the new MPEG-4 receiver with DVR.

An H10 will work with the new dish.

Right now I have 3 H10's on my HD TV's. I have a Series 2 Tivo on one regular TV and a generic DirecTV receiver on the other regular TV.

When the HR-20's are available here I will probably get one and then get 2 H20's for the other two HD TV's. My two "regular" TV's will continue with the same old receivers.

At that point the cat and mouse game will begin as I try to get the HR-20 for as little as possible. Seeing as I've been a customer for quite awhile and have every channel they offer, I better not have a hard time getting a good upgrade deal.

No you shouldn't have a tough time VV. As you have read in my earlier postings, they are giving me a 5lnb dish and an HR20 DVR for shipping cost of $19.95.

I was just wondering if the regular HD receiver that I just talked them out of for $19.95 will be the J20, or still the H10. I would think that they aren't using the H10 anymore to fill new orders. I can't remember what they told me. I guess I'll just wait a day or two and see what shows up. Hope it is MPeg4 capable.

You have a 5lnb right VV?. My friend here at work is the one that was wondering about the H10 compatibility with 5lnb (and I will be too if the H10 is what they send me - I just said regular HD receiver). I gave him the phone number and he called and talked them out of an H20 and a 5lnb dish to replace his current 3lnb. He will be moving H10 to another tv I guess.

I don't have the 5 LNB yet, my friend does and has the older receiver and it works fine. He just doesn't get the HD locals and won't get any of the new MPEG-4 HD channels they will be adding next year until he changes receivers.

I have no need to change yet. I get all of the local HD's over the air just fine. But I want to get an HD DVR so when the HR-20 comes out I might just get it and upgrade the dish. Then I'll be ready when they launch their two new sats next year and add more HD content.

I ordered Direct-tv today, I am getting NFL Ticket, 5LNB, H20 Receiver (free after rebate), HR20 DVR (free), they are throwing in a DVD player (free). I also got $150. rebate to be applied @ $10 monthly off my bill for 15 months. $69.99 for 1st 4 months, then will probably go with basic 150 channel package w/ HBO for $56? and will cancel HD programming @ $10 monthly until next football season.

quote:

Originally posted by GBPnut:
I ordered Direct-tv today, I am getting NFL Ticket, 5LNB, H20 Receiver (free after rebate), HR20 DVR (free), they are throwing in a DVD player (free). I also got $150. rebate to be applied @ $10 monthly off my bill for 15 months. $69.99 for 1st 4 months, then will probably go with basic 150 channel package w/ HBO for $56? and will cancel HD programming @ $10 monthly until next football season.

Did they tell you when you were getting the HR20? I have been on the list for some time now and haven't received word yet.

Got my (free) H20 yesterday. Got it hooked up and good to go on the office TV. Still waiting on the HR20 to swap out my old DVR

Excellent. The HR-20 should be available nationwide sometime in September. One thing I'm going to wait for is to have all of the local Milwaukee channels in HD. Right now they only have NBC, FOX and ABC. The local CBS station hasn't reached an agreement yet with them. When DTV first offered locals a few years ago CBS also dragged it's feet here. Once they are on board as well as the independents I'll probably make the switch. Right now I get all of the local HD channels over the air with an antenna attached to my dish, but when I put the new dish up I want to be able to get rid of the antenna.

Plus there is suppose to be a new "slimline" version of the AT9 out soon.

As more and more channels are broadcast in HiDef, do you think DTV will be increasing their HD package from $9.99/month?

I hope not but I wouldn't be surprised. I think they will hold the line for awhile though. A lot of people are moving into HD now and they want a chunk of that business. At least there is some competition with DTV, Echostar and cable. With two new sats going up in 2007 by this time next year we should have some new HD channels.

They will have the capacity to carry dozens of new HD channels but right now there just aren't that many to begin with that DTV doesn't carry. Food network, National Geographic, Starz, and a couple of others. And a lot of that stuff is upconverted to HD, like TNT does with most of their "HD" stuff.

One thing the MPEG-4 HD channels will offer is RSN (Regional Sports Networks) in HD. FSN doesn't carry many Brewers or Bucks games in HD but it will be nice to get them when they do. Eventually they will all be in HD.

They are installing on 9/9, I expect the HR20 at that time, I was talking to my bro today said he had Direct-tv in Mass. mentioned I may need phone service that they tie into the phone line. Is this true??? I only have a cell phone

All of my receivers have phone lines plugged in to them. As far as the phone line being necessary or not if you don't want to order anything, I'm not exactly sure but don't think it is necessary. However, I think the phone line might assist in setup. Call DTV and ask one of the techies

Even though I am on an email notification list as to when the HR20 will be available, I was originally told to check periodically to see if the HR20 was ready and then schedule an installation. I called tonight to see if the HR20 is available other than the West Coast and the gal checked with her supervisor. She was told there was no specific date out there yet, just September. Sooooooo, let us know if that is what they give you on the 9th or if they give you the current version with a future upgrade. If it is the HR20 you get, I want to call to get an installation set up.

Software upgrades to the receivers are done over the phone line.

With the HR-20, for some reason the OTA tuner is not yet active. It's there but isn't "turned on". So if you use an antenna to get OTA HD it won't work (yet). While many areas will have their local HD channels through DTV, right now DTV has mostly just the "big 4" in HD and not PBS, CW and other locals. So you'll need them OTA. At some point (soon I'm told) there will be a software update than turns that tuner on (via the phone line).

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=62703

I always thought the updates (except for very OLD updates) came over the satellite. The update sits there until your receiver makes a daily call which authorizes the unit to install the update.

Technically you are required to have it hooked up to a phone line but it's one of those things they don't enforce these days. I haven't been hooked up to a phone line in over a year.

The HR20 has a built in Ethernet port which doesn't really do anything right now. Hopefully at some point they will enable that to do the daily calls.

well, my HR20 doesn't do anything - cuz they told me it's not available yet

I called in last week to do a little whining. I didn't ask for much. I bitched about SuperFan and got that free. Then I bitched about not getting HD locals and they gave me a $100 credit to go buy my own OTA antenna.

Oddly enough the antenna and 100' cable were $49.99 each at Radio Shack. Go figure.

I thought it would be kind of a PITA to set up. I tested it by just putting it outside the house facing in the general direction of Knoxville. Turned on the tuner and a had an 85 signal strength on most of the locals. Cool!

Then I installed it up in the attic. I wasn't sure how much the brick siding would affect the signal. Turns out it wasn't much at all. I was still getting about an 85 while I was watching the ND/GT game in HD. Later on a realized the NBC station wasn't coming in good at all. So I went up in the attic and worked with my wife via walkie talkies trying to get all the channels to come in decent. I guess that's where the PITA part comes in.

After about 20-30 minutes of messing around with it, I said screw it and I just laid it face down on the attic floor. I'll try again later or mount it outdoors. The next day I was flipping through the channels and noticed that almost all of the OTA channels looked great. A few of the channels I had never heard of didn't come in but the programming didn't look interesting anyway. Lots of public access crap. So I start checking the signal strength and they all look good. I think there was one that dropped just below 70 occasionally but the rest were in the 70's and 80's. So I figure I'll leave well enough alone and just keep in face down on the floor. Anyone else "mount" their antenna like this? I'm still debating mouting it outside. If they could give me a date when the HD locals will show up in Knoxville, it would make for an easier decision on if it's worth the trouble.

I can now clearly see the amount of compression that DTV does with the signal. The SD OTA channels look much better than the DTV local channels. Quite noticeable on a 55" DLP screen. I can't say the difference is as big with the HD channels but you can't really compare apples to apples like you can with SD channels.

I agree. I plan to keep getting my locals HD OTA even when I switch to the HR-20, the picture is just toooooo sweet. Can't wait for the game tonight.

Vic -

I'm in between Milwaukee and Madison so I am used to both cities channels when I moved in here over 25 years ago with a rotor and then with cable. The locals for satellite are only Milwaukee's. My question to you is do you, or can you, pick up both cities with your antenna - is it a special one like what you can get with the dish?