Does anybody even like D*?

[jessykanc]

Hi Robert,
Thanks about the z2. Love it so far. I'm experimenting with a light fusion screen right now. Results are really impressive. Don't even need to turn the lights out for this thing!

I was just reading the posts here in the D* forum. Seemed like more people were bytchn and complaining and saying they were going to leave as soon as possible. I keep forgetting that on the internet, the most vocal people are often the ones that are the most ticked off.

Do you service the NC area?

Jessy, welcome to SatelliteGuys! I love your projector choice; you definitely made a great decision on the display. Hopefully you have a good screen and a dark room so you can enjoy all of the stunning visual capability of your projector.

I can't imagine where you would have read that DIRECTV customers are not happy or leaving the service. IN fact, DIRECTV has the lowest churn and highest new subscriber acquisition of any multi-channel services available. Last quarter DIRECTV added 505,000 new subscribers, which is more than Dish Network and ALL cable companies combined through America.

DIRECTV definitely is positioned to deliver more HD programming in the near future than all other carriers and offers excellent DVR and customer service.

I hope you choose DIRECTV as your video content provider so you will be able to have the best programming services to view on your new HT system and I would hope you select my company to set up your DIRECTV account and system purchase.

-Robert

 

[lee78221]

Hi Robert,
Thanks about the z2. Love it so far. I'm experimenting with a light fusion screen right now. Results are really impressive. Don't even need to turn the lights out for this thing!

I was just reading the posts here in the D* forum. Seemed like more people were bytchn and complaining and saying they were going to leave as soon as possible. I keep forgetting that on the internet, the most vocal people are often the ones that are the most ticked off.

Do you service the NC area?

Yes he does

 

[jessykanc]

I am still looking for a screen ... I read an article about light fusion screen techniques so I got the pieces and have been playing around with making one. What I have seen rocks as far as just sheer brightness, but I am still looking for a really good light diffusion layer.

If the mad scientist in me gets frustrated, then I'll start looking at the commercial screens. The commercials for me wouldn't be too expensive. My theater room is only 10 feet wide so I'm averaging a 90 inch screen. I love the native 16:9! Any more than that is just too big. This let's me run the bulb in low mode and still have a really bright picture (yeah bulb life!)

I have a friend that is a decorator. She wants me to do the theater room like an old movie theater. Have the pj behind a wall and project through a hole in the wall. Red velvet curtains on either side of the screen. Popcorn machine. And she wants me to get rear bench seat from an old 1950's car and use that for a drive in theater motif. I like her ideas, but dang sitting on an old car seat doesn't sound like fun! Besides, I still have 3 big decisions to make before we get to that stuff. Who do I get the content from? What screen do I use? And what audio system do I want to use.

Feeling like a kid in a candy store! Wahoo!!!!

JESSY: I am sure you will love the Sanyo PLV-Z2, I have the Z3 and I am crazy about it. I current throw it onto a High-contrast, 106" Da-Lite Deluxe B, but I am thinking of going up in size and to the Model C. What do you use?

 

[vurbano]

I just bought a sanyo plv-z2 front projector specifically so I can watch HD football games. I used to go to bars to watch the broncos/colts/panthers play, but I would find that a full day in a bar usually ran me $40 bucks and my butt would be sore from the crappy seats. I figured that if I was averaging even $25 bucks per week, that comes out to be $400 over a regular season, and I could have friends over and we could sit all comfy cozy and not be innundated with smoke.

So I found SatGuys and thought I had found a place where people would share their experiences. Reading the posts it sounds like no one in the D* forum actually likes D*, and that everyone is running from them as quick as possible.

Does anyone here think they get good service and quality from D*?

For most HD enthusiasts D* HD PQ ranks dead last in HD PQ quality. D* has a lot of potential but it remains to be seen if they will improve. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=556725&page=3&pp=30
Id suggest doing an HD PQ poll at AVS forums. asking if D* is great in a D* forum filled with D* installers etc is a bit like walking into Macdonalds and asking who serves the best hamburger. Try it, go to the Dish section of satelliteguys and ask who has the best HD PQ? The answer will be DISH but they wont be lying. Currently Dish is only downrezzing a few (6) Voom channels D* is downrezzing ALL 1080i channels.

 

[sateck01]

jessy,

read post #24

thar be one of em now....lol

vurbano,
can directv do ANYTHING right in your eyes??

by the way..."dont ask the directv forum about directv, go to the dish nowork forum and ask them, about dish ,they wont be lieing.." so i guess the directv guys are lieing???

 

[hancox]

My 2 cents on this - If you hear a bunch of pessimism on the D* front, it's because we're all waiting with a little bit of baited breath for the combination of MPEG4 and the new satellite capacity to take shape. We all know that this will bring HD LIL to many markets, but we're also wondering about the future national HD offerings, what MPEG4 will do for bitrates and PQ, etc etc etc.

It's a weird time to be a D* sub, as so much *could* be on the horizon, but until S-II goes up, and the press releases start flying, you're going to see some anxiousness.

 

[vurbano]

"dont ask the directv forum about directv, go to the dish nowork forum and ask them, about dish ,they wont be lieing.." so i guess the directv guys are lieing???

ID say this borders on it:

directv is the absolute best service for any satellite based platform, period

Best if you are a Mcdonalds type of HD dinner guest I suppose. Crap if your an HD Prime rib sort of guy. I told the man the truth. Go to AVS and do a poll if he wants to know about HD PQ. If he wants to see how views are slanted then go to a Dish forum and ask about HD PQ. BUT IN THIS CASE THE DISH PEOPLE ARE NOT LIEING. Please try to be a little more honest with the newbies. People are sinking a lot of money into equipment and signing contracts. Id suggest he get his PQ info from impartial parties, Sean Mota (Sat guys mod) Cpanther (ex mod at AVS) or Ken H (moderator at AVS) not D* technicians or salesman.

As far as D* doing something right, I said they have a lot of potential. It remains to be seen if they will deliver better HD PQ. D* has the best equipment and the best SD PQ as well as the best SD selections. That sir is an honest assessment. Not your "oh nobody but disgruntled ex voomers think theres anything wrong with D*"

 

[MichaelG]

I have BOTH

I have had D* since the start....when they sold them at Sears and I had 2 bills, one from USSB and the other from D*. I got the NFLST the first year it was offered, back when the feed was raw and NO commericials.

I have maintained my account with them for over 10 years, replacing receivers from time to time.

When Voom finally started offering a good deal that didn't require purchasing their equipment, I signed on .... for the HD content.

As a precaution, I maintained the entire HD lineup for D* but when Voom was no more and E* acquired their content.......there was no choice but to finally get a Dish system.

Currently, I am only recieving the HD pack from D*, so that I can get UHD and the Sunday SuperFan.

On Dish, I am getting EVERYTHING it offers.

Since I have been a sub of D* for so long, I can safely say......they have been moving too slowly. Dish is way ahead of them and appears to be widen the gap.

In the meantime, I will enjoy BOTH systems.......for what suits me.

 

[sateck01]

vurbano,

i see your point, but adding "but the dish people wont be lieing" is your opine and you are entitled to it.
a more honest answer may be, wait till the spaceway twins light up then we can really compare.

my opine is when they go online, the the bells will begin to toll, slowly, for ergens evil empire. IMHO...and im entitled to it.

 

[sltmag]

I have had both E* and D*. I prefer D* as a service, from equipment to PQ. Granted, the HD PQ right now is not what it should be. The HD channel availability is not what it should be. I do think D* is going to try and correct this. Until the new sats are up and running, and MPEG 4 is rolled out, it is difficult to say which is or will be better. D* is setting itself up to take the lead again. Have to wait and see.

 

[ScottChez]

If Direct TV and DIsh were both 100% perfect there would not be a DBS, Tivo, AVS or Sat Guy Forum.

This alone should answer your question.

 

[Bear]

AVS is around for a LOT more than satellite... (in fact, it's one of the least busy over there...).

That being said, the reason why I like D* is the HD Tivo and all it's liberated glory (what can I say? I'm an archivist!). If it were not for the Tivo, I would probably have D* to get the expanded HD line-up (I'm more into movies than sports). Once D* goes to MPEG-4, I will probably go back to cable, since the MSOs now have buy Firewire-enabled STBs, and I have a DVHS deck. The only way for D* to keep me is to offer a much better National HD package and a dynamite DVR once the shift to MPEG-4 comes (ALL Major movie nets in HD, TNT-HD and InHD1/2 given what is currently out there), and even then, I would have to weigh the ability to archive vs. an expanded line-up.

 

[shamill]

I have a ton of retail experience and I have come to the conclusion that angry & negative people are MUCH more motivaited to voice their opinions. It is sad but true. That is why on most forums like this you'll catch a negitive slant. I'll bet a bunch of posters here found this site while trying to solve a problem or get an answer to a question they have. That's how I found it. But I stick around reading waiting for some news about future HD. I would estimate for every negative thing written here, there are at least 100 satisified customers not posting because they have never had the "need" to find this place.

 

[yukon]

I Had E* And Just Recently Switched To D*.. D* Gets My Vote All Day. I Like The Boxes And Service Better!!!

 

[markd]

I like D* okay. Frustraded with them account of the HD-Lite and over compression. I never had any problems when dealing with CSR. However, sometimes I had to talked to more than one CSR to get my problem resolved. And it has taken an hour or more. Their HD-Tivo works! It's a little slow but it works.

I've never had E*. But between D* and TWC, D* over-compressed SD channels are better than TWC's grainy analog channels. Now TWC HD channels look a lot better than D*. But, at least, half of what I watch is SD. I'm hoping D* will improve PQ on HD and SD before they started loading down the new SATs with more channels. I do want more HD but PQ is the most important to me.

 

[cr0mag]

D* is fine. The PQ is better than cable. The cust. svc. is good. The equipment is MUCH better than E*'s. I used to sell E* retail, but I'll be damned if I would ever give up D*.

 

[vurbano]

vurbano,

i see your point, but adding "but the dish people wont be lieing" is your opine and you are entitled to it.
a more honest answer may be, wait till the spaceway twins light up then we can really compare.

my opine is when they go online, the the bells will begin to toll, slowly, for ergens evil empire. IMHO...and im entitled to it.

Its not an opinion its fact. Every 1080i channel that D* and E* have in common, D* shows at 1280x1080i, E* shows it at 1920x1080i. NOT an opinion. FACT. Dish looks better. sorry. I hope it changes as I am locked into a D* contract. No one hopes it changes more than I.

 

[tds4182]

Does anybody even like D*

Its not an opinion its fact. Every 1080i channel that D* and E* have in common, D* shows at 1280x1080i, E* shows it at 1920x1080i. NOT an opinion. FACT. Dish looks better. sorry. I hope it changes as I am locked into a D* contract. No one hopes it changes more than I.

If it were to change, what would you have to gripe about then--just kidding (sort of)?

If you're unhappy with D* and REALLY think E* is better, D* will let you out of your contract with only a pro-rated penalty for the months you have left.

Then you can switch to E* or cable or whatever.

Just a thought/suggestion from someone who has had both.

 

[Chado]

vurbano is just bitter at the moment. Give him $200 and he will be in a better mood.