Any Direct TV HD users?

[gmorris]

I've got a question about Direct TV HD service.

I currently have Direct TV, but not HD service, as I still don't have an HDTV yet. :(

Being a nuerotic audio/videophile, I like to get things all figured out in my mind before I get any new equipment.

SO, now my question. If I get all the required equipment for Direct TV HD service, I'll get a new receiver that will get the channels off the satellite, in regular def. & HD, right? Will this new reciever also have on over the air tuner for the OTA HD channels? Or, will I need a seperate OTA tuner, either built into the HDTV or a stand alone unit?

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

It should have the tuner for OTA channels...but you'll have to buy an OTA antenna and mount on your house somewhere...

[PolkThug]

gmorris,

Do you have any options for land-based cable in your area?

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Originally posted by PolkThug
gmorris,

Do you have any options for land-based cable in your area?

ditto.

And if so, this opens up two options for you:

- It gives you another option for service altogether.

- It gives you bargaining power with DTV, if they'll work with you

[gmorris]

Originally posted by Polkmaniac
It should have the tuner for OTA channels...but you'll have to buy an OTA antenna and mount on your house somewhere...

Will this OTA tuner be an HD tuner, or just an NTSC turer? I'm hoping it will be HD.


Yes, I have a land based cable company available, but I'd rather keep Direct TV. I don't mind having to put up an antenna, as long as I can have one tuner for both the Direct TV satellit & the OTA HD channels.

I just don't like the cable company in my area. Their prices for regular service, I'm not even talking "digital cable" or HD service, just regular old cable, are thru the roof. And the reception sucks, there must be something wrong. I had this cable service before I got the Direct TV. So, for now, the local cable company is out.

[PolkThug]

The basic HD box for Direct TV that you must have to get their HD channels is $300, and they don't even pipe the local HD channels to you, you have to try to pull them out of the air with an antenna (yes, the box has OTA HD tuner built-in), which you may or may not be able to do. Plus, you have to pay extra to get the HD channels. Is it still worth it?

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Originally posted by PolkThug
The basic HD box for Direct TV that you must have to get their HD channels is $300, and they don't even pipe the local HD channels to you, you have to try to pull them out of the air with an antenna (yes, the box has OTA HD tuner built-in), which you may or may not be able to do. Plus, you have to pay extra to get the HD channels. Is it still worth it?

Not to mention you can't get HD PVR without spending like 500 bucks...

I just switched from satellite and am loving cable SO much better...

[gmorris]

I hear everything you guys are saying. I will check into the local cable company when the time comes to get HD. I just have a bad taste from the time we had cable service. When we switched over to DTV, it was a night & day difference, picture wise, and we saved like $15 on the bill.


This brings up another question. Do these HD cable boxes have inputs for on OTA antenna? It would be useful because not all local stations have HD channels on the cable. I was just talking to a guy hear at work. He has Adelphia cable (Cleveland, OH service) and he gets all the local HD channels except CBS. He uses the cable box to watch all channels, the switches inputs on his TV to get the CBS HD channel. Kind of a stupid way to do it, but that's how he's doing it.

I just wondered if he could run the OTA antenna into the HD cable box.

[PolkThug]

Originally posted by gmorris
Do these HD cable boxes have inputs for on OTA antenna?

yes.

[fireshoes]

Directv will be offering local HD channels, starting this summer. The first twelve markets were announced at CES. There will be additional markets announced later this year. I don't recall the number of markets that will be added this year overall. I wouldn't jump on the cable bandwagon too fast. The analog broadcasts on cable are still abismal.

[gmorris]

Originally posted by fireshoes
Directv will be offering local HD channels, starting this summer. The first twelve markets were announced at CES. There will be additional markets announced later this year. I don't recall the number of markets that will be added this year overall. I wouldn't jump on the cable bandwagon too fast. The analog broadcasts on cable are still abismal.

This is great news! I'm sure by the time my cheap ass can get an HDTV, the Cleveland market will be added. Awesome.

In my experience, with "digital cable" vs. Direct TV, DTV wins hands down. The way I see it is this: the signal that you get from a cable company is recieved by a satellite, then retransmitted over thousands of miles of cable, before it gets to your TV. With satellite, you receive the signal via a satellite, then you have maybe 50-75 feet of cable.

For me, if local HD is added to Direct TV, that is a no brainer. But, I still won't mind putting up an antenna to grab OTA HD.

[fireshoes]

Here's the first twelve:

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Houston and Tampa

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Originally posted by gmorris
This is great news! I'm sure by the time my cheap ass can get an HDTV, the Cleveland market will be added. Awesome.

In my experience, with "digital cable" vs. Direct TV, DTV wins hands down. The way I see it is this: the signal that you get from a cable company is recieved by a satellite, then retransmitted over thousands of miles of cable, before it gets to your TV. With satellite, you receive the signal via a satellite, then you have maybe 50-75 feet of cable.

For me, if local HD is added to Direct TV, that is a no brainer. But, I still won't mind putting up an antenna to grab OTA HD.

That's very true...but you're using a $100 dish to pull and and receive signals, the equipment used by the cable company is slighty higher end...

[gmorris]

Originally posted by Polkmaniac
That's very true...but you're using a $100 dish to pull and and receive signals, the equipment used by the cable company is slighty higher end...

True, but the cable company still has literally thousands of miles of cable, not to mention repeater stations, signal amplifiers and such, before you get the signal to the TV.

Again, DTV has the $100 dish, but only 50-75 ft. of cable, with no splitters, amplifiers or anything else.

But the real proof is in the reception. I'm only talking non-HD here, as I have no basis for comparing HD. When I had cable, every channel was less than what I'd call good reception. Grainy, blurry, fuzzy, so on and so on. With Direct TV, every, and I mean every channel I get comes in perfect.

Now I readily admit that perhaps there was a problem with the cable provider in my area, and not everyone's results will be the same. But in my case, DTV has better reception than cable.

[read-alot]

Is there a difference in digital reception ?
I didnt know and cannot tell the difference but I can tell you that HD on my cheap dish is amazing.