OT: thinking of switching to Direct TV for NFL Sunday Ticket (comments appreciated)

[SoonerPatriot]

I don't doubt your HD reception is much different but I have found cable to have an overall poor image quality. I see your point, 30 bucs in this case is a decent amount of money.

I bring 5 (added 1 for this season) into the living room on Sunday's. I must say me and my son enjoy the morning ritual of setting up all the tv's and checking out what channels the games we want to watch are on.

More power to ya on the TVs. If I could get away with I would be all over it. Do you stack them on top of each other? What does the set up look like when it's up and running? Im guessing a power strip is necessary.

What's interesting is on my cable reception, the digital channels have a very good picture. But channels 2-71 on Cox here in OKC are still analog channels and the picture is notcibly worse than the digital. There's a grainyness to the picture.

 

[brdmaverick]

five tv's in one room eh?

I was actually planning on doing a setup like that, except with three Tv's instead of five.

You probably need a splitter to pull that off, and splitting the signal five ways would probably weaken the signal right? How is your picture quality when you do this?

I just thought of an important question for NFL Sunday Ticket........

when you get NFL Sunday Ticket, you will be able to access Sunday Tickets on ALL of your TV's in the house that have receivers, right? [\b]

so I would be able to record three different games on three different tv's as long as each tv had a receiver and a dvd recorder

 

[Alk]

five tv's in one room eh?

I was actually planning on doing a setup like that, except with three Tv's instead of five.

You probably need a splitter to pull that off, and splitting the signal five ways would probably weaken the signal right? How is your picture quality when you do this?
You can't split the signal at all. If you have 5 tvs and want to watch 5 different games then you would need 5 receivers as well. I believe with the new dishes, you can run up to 4 receivers off of it.
Correction, you can split the signal even more, but you have to get a special splitter device for satellites, you can't use just a regular cable splitter. From what I have seen, these can be pretty expensive.

I just thought of an important question for NFL Sunday Ticket........

when you get NFL Sunday Ticket, you will be able to access Sunday Tickets on ALL of your TV's in the house that have receivers, right? [\b]

That is correct. Even if you have a reveiver at a cabin in Colorado.

so I would be able to record three different games on three different tv's as long as each tv had a receiver and a dvd recorde
Correct again.

ten characters

 

[godef]

Godef: If you live in the local Pats viewing area, Sunday Ticket will not show any of your Pats games due to black-out policy. Also, the local reporters are never broadcast on Sunday Ticket. They have national media meatheads, many of whom really like the Colts. Not many of whom really care about the Pats.

I noted in my message that I did not get Sunday Ticket. I was primarily responding to questions about reception quality on DirecTV.

 

[godef]

thanks for all the responses guys
I suppose that does bring up an interesting issue. Would I be able to record two games on one tv with Sunday Ticket and a DVR??

The answer is YES.

The DirecTV DVR allows for up to two inputs to your TV. The intent is to allow you to watch one thing while you record another, but you will also be able to record two different programs at the same time. While you're doing this, you can't watch live TV, but you can watch something you had recorded before.

When you get installed, if you have multiple TVs in the house, make you you get DirecTV guy to give you a splitter with enough feeds for all the TVs plus an extra feed (two in all) for your DVR. This splitter also requires two inputs; the dish usually has two feeds.

 

[godef]

This was what Godef said:

Beware: it's impossible to listen to Gil and Gino during live broadcasts because there is a several second delay, at least on local TV. I don't get Sunday Ticket, so that may be another story.

I had Sunday Ticket for years and I also have local VA television, and never once has Gil and Gino come on. Is he talking about a radio broadcast being listened to while watching TV?

What I was talking about is tuning in to Gil and Gino on the radio as you watch the game on TV. This is tough to do with DirecTV because there is a several second delay in the DirecTV feed.

 

[godef]

You can record two games at once with the Direct TV dvr. You can do so as long as you can get input from two coaxial cables connected to the satellite dish. If you are able to only have one coaxial cable input, you will only be able to record one progam at a time. Depending on how difficult it is to run another cable, you might have a problem with this. I have two TIVO boxes, I was able to do two coaxial cables with one and not the other.

How come?

I have 4 TVs in my house, and TiVO boxes on two of them. Both TiVOs have two feeds. Granted, the splitter box supplied by the DirecTV installer is maxed out...

 

[mgcolby]

five tv's in one room eh?

I was actually planning on doing a setup like that, except with three Tv's instead of five.

You probably need a splitter to pull that off, and splitting the signal five ways would probably weaken the signal right? How is your picture quality when you do this?

I just thought of an important question for NFL Sunday Ticket........

when you get NFL Sunday Ticket, you will be able to access Sunday Tickets on ALL of your TV's in the house that have receivers, right? [\b]

so I would be able to record three different games on three different tv's as long as each tv had a receiver and a dvd recorder

Last spring I bought a Big screen HD to replace my older big screen. It still works so I didn't want to get rid of it and I figured I would put it in my kids room as it was on the same floor, but the hallway was to narrow and I couldn't get in there. So I stuck it in my Bar/Game room which is connected to my family room. So on Sunday I wheel that in the opening between the bar and family room, then I have a 21" monitor that sits on my stereo cabinet and I connect one of my recievers to it. I then snag my kids 20" tv from their room and I just bought another 20" tv to use in our guest room so I will bring that down also. I have my recliner in the corner of my living facing the opening between the two rooms so I can see the SD tv perfectly, then I have my HD big screen just right of center, my kids tv goes on the end table in the corner across from my recliner, the monitor is directly to the right of my HD tv and the New one will go on the other end table that is just a few feet in front of the stereo cabinet. It is a panoramic view of football heaven.

I use a multi-switch. They used to be very expensive now they are about 40 bucks. They come in many forms but 8 is standard and when you have DTV install the dish and put recievers in multiple rooms they include that in the installation. I have a few now due to upgrades and the one that was in the house when I bought it. Splitting a digital signal does not noticably weaken the signal as it would with an analog signal. So "technically" there is no picture quality loss in the scheme.

 

[mgcolby]

What I was talking about is tuning in to Gil and Gino on the radio as you watch the game on TV. This is tough to do with DirecTV because there is a several second delay in the DirecTV feed.

I just bought a Sirius radio and it has rewind capabilities so I am going to try and synchronize the DTV feed with the Sirius feed (which is the only way I can get the radio broadcast as I live in the DC area). So that is an option and I must say Sirius is unbelievable, I am upset that I waited so long to get it.

 

[PatsSteve1]

I've had DTV with Sunday Ticket and this season will be my 6th year with it.
I've lived in Orlando and the last two years in Livermore, Ca. So, I live would only go back to cable if they someday had the exclusive Sunday Ticket package and would hold my nose to so it. One thing I like is that I've never had to call them for anything like lost or bad service and when I've moved they do it for free. The equipment is mine, too. I just happened to get my bill today. $62.99 for Total Choice with HBO and Starz and $5.99 for the local channels out here. Something people should root for is Verizon and AT&T getting the right to provide TV through the phone lines without having to get a franchise from every city and town. It'll drop the price TV service because they already have the line into homes.

 

[mgcolby]

I've had DTV with Sunday Ticket and this season will be my 6th year with it.
I've lived in Orlando and the last two years in Livermore, Ca. So, I live would only go back to cable if they someday had the exclusive Sunday Ticket package and would hold my nose to so it. One thing I like is that I've never had to call them for anything like lost or bad service and when I've moved they do it for free. The equipment is mine, too. I just happened to get my bill today. $62.99 for Total Choice with HBO and Starz and $5.99 for the local channels out here. Something people should root for is Verizon and AT&T getting the right to provide TV through the phone lines without having to get a franchise from every city and town. It'll drop the price TV service because they already have the line into homes.

They are doing that, look into verizon FIOS it awesome it will just take some time for everyone to get it. They run fiber to your house and it runs everything, internet, phone and tv it is amazing. 30 mbs internet just incase you aren't sure the average cable connection is 1.5 mbs and DSL is 768 kbps. So it is essentially 25 times faster than a current cable connection and over 30 times faster than DSL.

http://www22.verizon.com/content/consumerfios/about+fiostv/about+fios.htm

 

[Patriot Missile]

I've had Direct for about 4 years now and only lost signal once. The amount of channels I get opposed to cable is a much better value. I have NFL Ticket and Extra Innings and to me they are worth every penny.

But this year it seems with Espn and NFL Network getting a bulk of the games it's almost not worth getting the Ticket. I think more than 3/4 of the games are going to be televised? I'm going to go one more year and see how it goes. I think Direct Tv's stranglehold on football is finally coming to an end now that the NFL has their own network I'm sure they are more than eager to say goodbye to old friends.

 

[dhamz]

Dr Z is a Sunday Ticket Subscriber and had a small note in one of his columns some time ago that games on local channels will no longer be blacked out on Sunday Ticket. That was the only downside I've ever had in 8 years of the Sunday Ticket.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/dr_z/10/19/overusing.rbs/index.html

The NFL's Director of Media Services and Technology, Seth Palansky, told me the following:

"Next year there will be no more blackouts. As a service to the fans who own satellite dishes, they will be able to pick up all games on the dish, even those that are carried nationally or in their own area by network TV." Yaaaay! (If it really happens.)

 

[Trot]

Those of us in Canada can subscribe to Bell Canada's service "Bell Expressvu," since they carry the Boston local affiliates as their primary network channels (ABC, NBC, FOX), and there are never any blackouts. So I get every Pats game, as well as sportsfinal, Sportsextra etc., and the Fox Boston Baseball broadcasts. Also, for a buck a month more, I get the West network feeds (out of seattle). As a result I get about 5 or six games per week, including every Pats game. Problem is, I can't get NESN or anything like that...

It is also relatively easy--so I'm told--to subscribe to this in the US, and many expat canadians do so.

Some info


http://www.canadatotwincities.com/satellite.html

 

[just_sy1]

And Bell ExpressVu offers Sunday Ticket (around CAN$180) and the HD games are included unlike DirecTV where you have to pay a surcharge...

 

[nhpatsfan54]

firts of all have some one do a site survey,to find out your singnal strenth.
this is where most people srew up.
if your singnal is below 40 don't bother ,you'll get a picture but any little storm you'll lose it.you should be @ least 75 or over. mine is in the 90's and might lose it once all year.
second if you live any where in the local broadcast area you won't get the game on the ticket .this is what piss's me off.for instance if you get supper fan pkg. the pats will be on where you can watch the game plus get all the scores on the side view, which is cool, well guess what?you won't get it because it's on your local afifiliate.even if you live in chicago if it's being shown on regular tv you won't get it.but if you like watching other games then the ticket is for you.
if you have hd get the superfan pkg. almost all the games will be in hd.
well i hope this helps you out. nhpatsfan54

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Dr Z is a Sunday Ticket Subscriber and had a small note in one of his columns some time ago that games on local channels will no longer be blacked out on Sunday Ticket. That was the only downside I've ever had in 8 years of the Sunday Ticket.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/dr_z/10/19/overusing.rbs/index.html

The NFL's Director of Media Services and Technology, Seth Palansky, told me the following:

"Next year there will be no more blackouts. As a service to the fans who own satellite dishes, they will be able to pick up all games on the dish, even those that are carried nationally or in their own area by network TV." Yaaaay! (If it really happens.)

That is good news!!!! :singing:

 

[Michigan Dave]

I love it. Obviously, I need the ST to see every Pats game here in MI, but it's so worth it. I have the sports pack as well, and couldn't recommend it any higher.

 

[Michael]

After seeing their new ads with Manning I'd drop Direct TV if I had it.

 

[nescott]

DO IT YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!!!! (Just block out the Colts games)