DirecTV HD owners

[BelichickFan]

I figure this is a good time to ask questions as it's the dead period.

I'm FINALLY getting an HD TV for this season. For those with the HD Satellite, how many receivers can I hook up to it ?

What I'm wanting is to be able to connect at least 3 receivers, one for me, one for my wife, one for the kids so we can each watch different things at the same time. Our house is wired OK for multiple signals - I am under the impression one HD satellite can be connected to 4 or 5 receivers which can mix a combination of HD and Standard definition receivers . . . is this correct ?

 

[DeanPatsFan]

I figure this is a good time to ask questions as it's the dead period.

I'm FINALLY getting an HD TV for this season. For those with the HD Satellite, how many receivers can I hook up to it ?

What I'm wanting is to be able to connect at least 3 receivers, one for me, one for my wife, one for the kids so we can each watch different things at the same time. Our house is wired OK for multiple signals - I am under the impression one HD satellite can be connected to 4 or 5 receivers which can mix a combination of HD and Standard definition receivers . . . is this correct ?

By satellite I assume you mean dish. Yes you can hook up multiple receivers, both HD and SD to your dish. You do have to pay an extra 5 bucks a month for each extra receiver though.

 

[BelichickFan]

By satellite I assume you mean dish. Yes you can hook up multiple receivers, both HD and SD to your dish. You do have to pay an extra 5 bucks a month for each extra receiver though.

Yeah, that's what I meant, satellite dish. Thanks. We have an old dish right now and have two receivers hooked up but it's not really enough. We need three for sure and the ability for four would be nice.

 

[bigjunk1]

I'm not claiming to be an expert on this... but I have DirecTV HD with the new dish and I have 5 receivers hooked up. 2 are for HD TV's and 3 are standard. They did have to put in a splitter/router in the basement. I suppose if you had a larger splitter you could do 7 or 8.

While on the DirecTV subject, the cost for the NFL Sunday Ticket is a joke. It used to be like $125-150. Now I think it's up to around three hundred. Just way too expensive. Especially when you factor in that we can see every Pats game anyway.

Good luck.

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

I'm not claiming to be an expert on this... but I have DirecTV HD with the new dish and I have 5 receivers hooked up. 2 are for HD TV's and 3 are standard. They did have to put in a splitter/router in the basement. I suppose if you had a larger splitter you could do 7 or 8.

While on the DirecTV subject, the cost for the NFL Sunday Ticket is a joke. It used to be like $125-150. Now I think it's up to around three hundred. Just way too expensive. Especially when you factor in that we can see every Pats game anyway.

Good luck.

Yeh, I checked that out, and it was the cost that drove me away. Even going to a sports bar for the games that I don't get in VA is cheaper than that...and the waitresses are alot more cuter than my wife...


shhhh...don't tell her I said that...

 

[fgssand]

Are you kidding me??

For less than $20 a Sunday.....to be able to see every single NFL game, most in HD...it's a freaking bargain.

I would pay $100 a week if I had too....I hope they don't read that or you can blame me.

No way can you sit in a bar for 10 hours for $20 and then you cannot hear the games or flip back and forth.

We have 3 HD TV;s hooked up in my Family room for Sunday football....I love Sundays in the fall. I live for Sundays in the fall.

Plus, I go to all the Pats home games so I lose a few portions of some Sundays - we live in Foxboro, so after a home 1:00 game we get home by 4:20, plenty of time to catch most of the 4:00 action and take advantage of that special time~~~

 

[DaBruinz]

Yeh, I checked that out, and it was the cost that drove me away. Even going to a sports bar for the games that I don't get in VA is cheaper than that...and the waitresses are alot more cuter than my wife...


shhhh...don't tell her I said that...

Not sure how you figured it was cheaper. Maybe you just aren't drinking or something, but I was spending $40-$50 a Sunday when I went. You multiply that by 17 and that is $680-$850 and its well worth it.

Now, I will admit that paying the $99 extra to get the HD package (totalling $329 when you get in early) seems like a lot, but when I balanced it against the $680 to $850, its worth it.

OH, my bill is about $75 a month with 4 receivers and HD on them.

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

Are you kidding me??

For less than $20 a Sunday.....to be able to see every single NFL game, most in HD...it's a freaking bargain.

I would pay $100 a week if I had too....I hope they don't read that or you can blame me.

No way can you sit in a bar for 10 hours for $20 and then you cannot hear the games or flip back and forth.

We have 3 HD TV;s hooked up in my Family room for Sunday football....I love Sundays in the fall. I live for Sundays in the fall.

Plus, I go to all the Pats home games so I lose a few portions of some Sundays - we live in Foxboro, so after a home 1:00 game we get home by 4:20, plenty of time to catch most of the 4:00 action and take advantage of that special time~~~

Its just a different experience. Now, as for HD, the place I go to has about 10 70" plasma's around the room, and each table has its own speaker system. You also don't include the $40 a month you have to pay just to get the system.

and I don't sit in a bar for 10 hours go to the game, beer and wings for me and my wife (and some ribs..sometimes!) . 20 - 30 other pats fans....for about the same price. (and if you take what you pay in beer and food for your experience, its not a huge savings)..

and!!!!!

and!!!!

as you probably know, they show all the games that are on the sat system, so there could be fans of the steelers, colts, (being in Va...) and lots of redskins fans...its all friendly, but nothing beats being able to hurl well placed insult when 'Burger throws an int on the other screen

 

[fgssand]

Its just a different experience. Now, as for HD, the place I go to has about 10 70" plasma's around the room, and each table has its own speaker system. You also don't include the $40 a month you have to pay just to get the system.

and I don't sit in a bar for 10 hours go to the game, beer and wings for me and my wife (and some ribs..sometimes!) . 20 - 30 other pats fans....for about the same price. (and if you take what you pay in beer and food for your experience, its not a huge savings)..

and!!!!!

and!!!!

as you probably know, they show all the games that are on the sat system, so there could be fans of the steelers, colts, (being in Va...) and lots of redskins fans...its all friendly, but nothing beats being able to hurl well placed insult when 'Burger throws an int on the other screen

I hear ya....sound pretty good to me as well.....I think we have definite consensus here.... IT'S ALL GOOD!!!!!

 

[BelichickFan]

Thanks for the verification that I'll be OK when I make the switch.

I have no problem with the price of Sunday Ticket, for what I get I would pay more if I had to. If I lived in a bigger area where I could watch in a bar with Patriots' fans, though, that would be a tempting way to go even though it would clearly cost me more in food and drinks.

 

[BelichickFan]

What kind of HD TVs do you guys gave, btw ?

I'm looking at 50" Plasma Panasonic and Pioneers with 720p as it seems like the 1080i wouldn't add much (or anything) for my football watching purposes.

 

[DeanPatsFan]

What kind of HD TVs do you guys gave, btw ?

I'm looking at 50" Plasma Panasonic and Pioneers with 720p as it seems like the 1080i wouldn't add much (or anything) for my football watching purposes.

I have a Philips 60" rear projection HDTV. I've had it for 4 years now and will probably get a 50"-60" plasma or LCD in the next year or two.

 

[BelichickFan]

I have a Philips 60" rear projection HDTV. I've had it for 4 years now and will probably get a 50"-60" plasma or LCD in the next year or two.

We might get a smaller DLP also for the bedroom as the deeper size wouldn't bother us there.

One piece of functionality I think I'll lose is :

Right now our wiring goes into the receiver from the dish then out but not to the TV but to the cable wiring that circulates around the house - we have two receivers this way, one on channel 3, the other on channel 4, so we can watch either receiver on any of the satellite outputs.

From looking at the HD receiver it looks like the out from the receiver has three cables hooking into the TV so I think I have to have a receiver for each TV hooked directly in as opposed to being able to send the signal throughout the house.

 

[bruinator]

I just got directv 2 weeks ago and noticed when thunder/lightning occur I lose reception for a bit. Does this occur often under these circumstances. It happened twice already and I am not too happy about it.

 

[GoPats]

What kind of HD TVs do you guys gave, btw ?

I'm looking at 50" Plasma Panasonic and Pioneers with 720p as it seems like the 1080i wouldn't add much (or anything) for my football watching purposes.

Today Directv and HD in general transmits in either 1080i or 720p due to bandwidth issues. Also some may argue, both are fairly similar in HD quality. 1080p tv's (unbelievable pictures) are being sold today, but only Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD players can take advantage of the higher definition. It will be awhile before better compression technology allows HD to be broadcast in 1080p. Save the money and buy the 720p rated tv (which can also do 1080i). Hope that helps!

 

[BelichickFan]

Save the money and buy the 720p rated tv (which can also do 1080i). Hope that helps!

Thanks, it's confirmation on what others have told me. All I watch is sports and the occasional drama but I want what's best for sports, mainly football - and I'm under the impression that 720p will give me virtually the same picture at a lower cost.