Newbie questions!

nwflyboy

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Nov 25, 2011
61
7
Seattle, WA, USA
Alright boys, please be gentle - it's my first time and I'm just learning about all this stuff...

I've been getting by with a simple, basic setup using old technology for a long time: basic cable from Comcast feeding 3 older, analog TVs, and that's about it (well, there are a couple of DVRs, too, but Comcast has made those all but useless - that's another discussion). My experience with Comcast has finally pushed me over the brink, and I'm ready to move on to some newer technology (and a different provider).

Current configuration is TV#1 (downstairs), TV#2 (bedroom, upstairs) and TV#3 (office, upstairs). All have coax cable going to them. All TVs are analog (although working perfectly).

Here's what I'm contemplating:

  • Dumping Comcast (gleefully) and signing up with Dish (probably with their "Top 20" plan, which looks like it provides a bit more than what I was getting for a bit less).
  • Replacing one of the TVs (probably TV#1 but maybe TV#2) with a new, digital HD TV. We'll upgrade the other 2 sets at some point later.
  • Adding the current Dish offer for "free HD for life"
  • Adding one (I think) Dish DVR
So being a complete noob to all this, I have lots of questions. Hopefully they make sense...

  1. How concerned should I be about "rain fade" (or if you prefer, "cloud fade")? I've read that sat signals get flakey or fail entirely under some weather conditions. I live in Seattle, and we do indeed get a bit of rain and clouds here (we're right in the heart of our annual Rain Festival, which runs from January 1 - December 31). Given the local atmosphere, what kind of reliability should I expect from Dish or any sat provider?
  2. How many DVRs do I need? I want to be able to record programs (probably using TV#1) then play them back on TV#1 and maybe on TV#2 - how exactly does that work? Is there a remote for TV#2 (which is upstairs) that will work with the DVR attached to TV#1 (downstairs - that would be one heckuva remote)? Or do the units attached to TV#1 and TV#2 networked somehow, so you point the remote for TV#2 makes that unit pull the video feed from the unit attached to TV#1? Either way, there's got to be some sort of connectivity between the two units, no?
  3. Can I choose which DVR/receiver unit(s) I get? Some folks seem pretty passionate about their gear, but it's not clear to me if they just give you what they have laying around on the loading dock (possibly an older, less capable unit), or if you want a specific unit if you can request (and get) that?
  4. How involved is the installation/setup? This will be the first sat installation in my house (single family, in-city home), so of course they'll be up on the roof installing the actual sat dish. But beyond that, I'm not real clear: will they utilize the existing coax cable that was installed by Comcast, or will they need to run new cabling to all 3 sets? Is there any kind of hub or server? I know that there will be some new boxes (receiver/DVR), I assume one of those will replace my existing (Comcast-supplied) set top box on TV#1. How about the other 2 TVs - do they each get a box - or are there just cables from some centralized hub or server feeding the signals?
  5. Does any of this stuff require an internet connection? I've been assuming that it doesn't (hey, it's satellite TV, it comes from space, right?), but I've seen some posts that reference internet connections. For the setup I'm contemplating, I'm not going to need a 'net connection, am I? I do have a 'net connection (otherwise I wouldn't be typing this...) but prefer not to use bandwidth for TV-related activities.
OK, now some really dumb questions about mixing HD and SD, digital and analog TVs, on the same system... Right now, we have 3 TVs, all analog. Concurrent with the switch over from Comcast to Dish, I'm planning to replace one of the old TVs with a new digital HD TV (probably TV#1 downstairs, but possibly TV#2 upstairs). How exactly is all this going to work, with a combination of new digital/HD and older analog/SD TV sets?

  1. I do understand that the analog SD TVs won't play content in HD (even if I pay for HD programming). If I get an HD package, of course I assume I will get HD on the (new) digital HD TV, but what about the older (analog) TVs - what happens with them? Is there essentially a single signal that gets sent, displayed in HD on HD-capable hardware, but "downsampled" to play in SD on non-HD sets (or are both HD and SD sent separately)? Or put another way, if you get an HD package, what do you get on SD sets? Just SD, or nothing? Or does whatever box (receiver) you have effectively handle the digital-to-analog conversion for older SD sets?
  2. Can I qualify for the current "HD Free for Life" offer for all 3 of my TVs even if they're not currently all (yet) HD capable? I know this is a policy question rather than a technical one, but figure it's worth asking.
Alright, I think that should cover it for now. I'm sure I'll have more dumb questions to follow up. Thanks in advance for your help - I really appreciate it.

Cheers.
 
Alright boys, please be gentle - it's my first time and I'm just learning about all this stuff...

I've been getting by with a simple, basic setup using old technology for a long time: basic cable from Comcast feeding 3 older, analog TVs, and that's about it (well, there are a couple of DVRs, too, but Comcast has made those all but useless - that's another discussion). My experience with Comcast has finally pushed me over the brink, and I'm ready to move on to some newer technology (and a different provider).
welcome :wave

Current configuration is TV#1 (downstairs), TV#2 (bedroom, upstairs) and TV#3 (office, upstairs). All have coax cable going to them. All TVs are analog (although working perfectly).

Here's what I'm contemplating:

Dumping Comcast (gleefully) and signing up with Dish (probably with their "Top 20" plan, which looks like it provides a bit more than what I was getting for a bit less).
Replacing one of the TVs (probably TV#1 but maybe TV#2) with a new, digital HD TV. We'll upgrade the other 2 sets at some point later.
Adding the current Dish offer for "free HD for life"
Adding one (I think) Dish DVR

So being a complete noob to all this, I have lots of questions. Hopefully they make sense...
I will forewarn you. Get the equipment you THINK you will need now and 6 months from now. As a new sub you get the best deals. If you get setup with a SD receiver and 3 days later you upgrade to HDTV and want HD reciever, it will cost you more than getting it right away.

How concerned should I be about "rain fade" (or if you prefer, "cloud fade")? I've read that sat signals get flakey or fail entirely under some weather conditions. I live in Seattle, and we do indeed get a bit of rain and clouds here (we're right in the heart of our annual Rain Festival, which runs from January 1 - December 31). Given the local atmosphere, what kind of reliability should I expect from Dish or any sat provider?
I have had minimal rain/cloud/snow fade in the 9 years I've had sdatellite (both Dish and Directv) here in Minnesota. Dark clouds will kill a signal quicker than rain will. And if I do lose signal its usually a minute or two.

How many DVRs do I need? I want to be able to record programs (probably using TV#1) then play them back on TV#1 and maybe on TV#2 - how exactly does that work? Is there a remote for TV#2 (which is upstairs) that will work with the DVR attached to TV#1 (downstairs - that would be one heckuva remote)? Or do the units attached to TV#1 and TV#2 networked somehow, so you point the remote for TV#2 makes that unit pull the video feed from the unit attached to TV#1? Either way, there's got to be some sort of connectivity between the two units, no?
Dish has a dual tuner dual output DVR. It allows you to hook up 2 TV's to it and watch (or record) 2 separate shows at same time. You can also playback from the DVR. How many you need is really up to you (again get what you think you'll need down the road). You could always split the output on tuner 2 for both the bedroom and office (they would watch the same thing) to save some money. Because all your TV's are SDTV (but you are upgrading one to HDTV) it depends on a few things. You could use the DVR for the main room and office and a receiver in the bedroom. But if you watch alot of DVR stuff then you could put a DVR in there. It really is up to you.

You get 2 remotes. One is for "TV1" which is where the receiver is placed. The 2nd one is "TV2" which is RF (UHF) and can be controlled through walls etc.

Can I choose which DVR/receiver unit(s) I get? Some folks seem pretty passionate about their gear, but it's not clear to me if they just give you what they have laying around on the loading dock (possibly an older, less capable unit), or if you want a specific unit if you can request (and get) that?
not really. But Dish has only 1 or 2 models of a specific "type" of equipment. So if you want the HD DVR its a 622 or 722, a HD receiver is a 211, SD would be 311 etc

How involved is the installation/setup? This will be the first sat installation in my house (single family, in-city home), so of course they'll be up on the roof installing the actual sat dish. But beyond that, I'm not real clear: will they utilize the existing coax cable that was installed by Comcast, or will they need to run new cabling to all 3 sets? Is there any kind of hub or server? I know that there will be some new boxes (receiver/DVR), I assume one of those will replace my existing (Comcast-supplied) set top box on TV#1. How about the other 2 TVs - do they each get a box - or are there just cables from some centralized hub or server feeding the signals?
if the cabling is good they will try and reuse it. Roof install may not be needed depending on line of site. In Seattle the satellites look pretty close to dead south. The dual tuner units would be placed in one room and a cable run to the other TV via coax. You can control it separatelly via the remote

Does any of this stuff require an internet connection? I've been assuming that it doesn't (hey, it's satellite TV, it comes from space, right?), but I've seen some posts that reference internet connections. For the setup I'm contemplating, I'm not going to need a 'net connection, am I? I do have a 'net connection (otherwise I wouldn't be typing this...) but prefer not to use bandwidth for TV-related activities.
unless you want the Blockbuster streaming option the ethernet really isnt needed

OK, now some really dumb questions about mixing HD and SD, digital and analog TVs, on the same system...
no dumb question ;)

Right now, we have 3 TVs, all analog. Concurrent with the switch over from Comcast to Dish, I'm planning to replace one of the old TVs with a new digital HD TV (probably TV#1 downstairs, but possibly TV#2 upstairs). How exactly is all this going to work, with a combination of new digital/HD and older analog/SD TV sets?
the HD receivers can play fine on a SD TV. On the dual tuner units TV2 is SD only (but can play HD channels). I have a HD receiver on a old 32" SDTV.

I do understand that the analog SD TVs won't play content in HD (even if I pay for HD programming). If I get an HD package, of course I assume I will get HD on the (new) digital HD TV, but what about the older (analog) TVs - what happens with them? Is there essentially a single signal that gets sent, displayed in HD on HD-capable hardware, but "downsampled" to play in SD on non-HD sets (or are both HD and SD sent separately)? Or put another way, if you get an HD package, what do you get on SD sets? Just SD, or nothing? Or does whatever box (receiver) you have effectively handle the digital-to-analog conversion for older SD sets?
You will get programming on all TV's regardless if HD or SD. You may have to adjust the type of screen it shows on a SDTV if playing a HD picture but it will downconvert to 480i which is what SD is.

Can I qualify for the current "HD Free for Life" offer for all 3 of my TVs even if they're not currently all (yet) HD capable? I know this is a policy question rather than a technical one, but figure it's worth asking.
sure you can. Like I say get the equipment now that you may need in the future. If you are getting 2 HDTV's then set up the account for that. If you do ti that way (2 HDTV's, 1 SDTV) I would personally get a HD DVR (722/622) which can run the main HDTV and the office TV and a 211 for the bedroom. The 211 is a HD receiver but if you pay a 1 time $40 fee you can add a hard drive to it and that becomes a DVR. The 722/622 you can add an external hard drive to it (there is one built in). This would add more hard drive space.
 
I think Iceberg covered everything very nicely.

I want to add a little personal info about rain fade. I have both cable (lifeline service) and Dish Network. If I add up total cable outages and satellite outages (rain fade events and solar conjunction events), I have had more cable outages that have affected me. One of the cable outages lasted 3 days and another lasted 2 days.

Essentially it will happen, but even when we had a hurricane (Ike) pass through SW Ohio, the satellite was out for 10 minutes at most. Cable went out for 3 days.
 
oh also did you mean Top200 or Top120? (you said top20 in your post)

Ah, my fatfingers strike again. Heh, I'm looking at the "Top 200" package. The wife wants the Oprah Channel. :D

Thanks for the great answers above (and for the welcome).

I hear what you're saying about thinking ahead and getting the equipment you think you will need rather than just what you need right now (skating to where the puck will be, if you'll pardon the mixed metaphor) - and I do understand, when you're signing up, at that point you're in the strongest position you're likely to ever be.

So let's say I go out and and bring home the new TV this weekend, to replace TV#1 (main room downstairs). We expect to replace TV#2 (bedroom, upstairs) sometime in the coming year - so we'll want HD for those two (even though we would only be actually using it on one right now). The little office TV#3 can probably stay SD for quite a while, and doesn't need DVR programming at all (I mostly leave it on news channels for background). I want the HD DVR on TV#1 with the ability to play DVR content on TV#1 and TV#2...so that sounds like I need a single 622/722 (what the difference between those? what determines which I get?); that goes on TV#1, and for the little SD office TV, just a receiver (211? 311? - this only needs to be SD)? Would that cover it?

About the various freebies they offer - HBO, etc, free for the first 3 months. While I'm sure we will enjoy that for a while, we will probably decline to continue after the free period. Any gotchas to watch out for when bailing out of those items? I'm sure they will try to keep you in those programs but I assume that as the end of the first 3 months approaches, you can simply call them and say thanks, we want to cancel those at the end of the free period. Can do? Or are they only free for 3 months if you agree to pay for them for a while?

Finally, about the additional taxes and government fees - when I enter my setup on Dish's website, it looks like the monthly cost is $52.99. About how much are the extra taxes and fees - another $10-$15 bucks?

Many thanks again!
 
I think Iceberg covered everything very nicely.

Indeed. Thanks to you both.

I want to add a little personal info about rain fade. I have both cable (lifeline service) and Dish Network. If I add up total cable outages and satellite outages (rain fade events and solar conjunction events), I have had more cable outages that have affected me. One of the cable outages lasted 3 days and another lasted 2 days.

Essentially it will happen, but even when we had a hurricane (Ike) pass through SW Ohio, the satellite was out for 10 minutes at most. Cable went out for 3 days.

Good to know. Although we do famously get more than our share of rain here, we don't really get hurricane-strength storms ever (well, probably even less often than southern Ohio). We don't get thunderstorms much.

As long as atmospheric-related outages are truly a once-in-blue-moon phenomenon, I can live with that. Just wanted to make sure it wouldn't flake out every time it's cloudy (in that case, we could only watch TV during our summer - that sunny week we get every August :)).

Thanks again.
 
I hear what you're saying about thinking ahead and getting the equipment you think you will need rather than just what you need right now (skating to where the puck will be, if you'll pardon the mixed metaphor) - and I do understand, when you're signing up, at that point you're in the strongest position you're likely to ever be.
I'm a hockey fan so I know what you mean ;)

So let's say I go out and and bring home the new TV this weekend, to replace TV#1 (main room downstairs). We expect to replace TV#2 (bedroom, upstairs) sometime in the coming year - so we'll want HD for those two (even though we would only be actually using it on one right now). The little office TV#3 can probably stay SD for quite a while, and doesn't need DVR programming at all (I mostly leave it on news channels for background). I want the HD DVR on TV#1 with the ability to play DVR content on TV#1 and TV#2...so that sounds like I need a single 622/722 (what the difference between those? what determines which I get?); that goes on TV#1, and for the little SD office TV, just a receiver (211? 311? - this only needs to be SD)? Would that cover it?
I think the 722 has a bigger hard drive but I'm not 100% sure. Hopefully someone can confirm it. If you are going to get a HDTV for the bedroom I suggest putting a HD receiver there. Otherwise it will be SD only (if you use TV2 off the 722/622). Thats why I figured since the office TV is SD only utilize the SD option there. If you add a 211 (which is HD) or a 311 (which is SD only) its still a $7 extra receiver fee per month. The only drawback of the setup this way is if you want to watch something in the bedroom from the DVR in the living room you couldn't. Another option would be to have tuner2 split to both the bedroom and the office but then again the bedroom would be SD only.

The 1st receiver is included in the programming package. Additional receivers range between 7-$17 a month depending on what type you add on

About the various freebies they offer - HBO, etc, free for the first 3 months. While I'm sure we will enjoy that for a while, we will probably decline to continue after the free period. Any gotchas to watch out for when bailing out of those items? I'm sure they will try to keep you in those programs but I assume that as the end of the first 3 months approaches, you can simply call them and say thanks, we want to cancel those at the end of the free period. Can do? Or are they only free for 3 months if you agree to pay for them for a while?
after the 3 months you can cancel them with no fee. They'll try to "hard-sell" you with discounts but its up to you. You **might** be able to remove them online. Otherwise we have a group of folks here called DIRT (Dish Internet Response Team). They help out with pretty much anything you have issue wise. Instead of calling Dish you can PM (private message) a member here with the request and they can change it quicker than it would take you to go through the menus on the phone.

Finally, about the additional taxes and government fees - when I enter my setup on Dish's website, it looks like the monthly cost is $52.99. About how much are the extra taxes and fees - another $10-$15 bucks?
Extra fees would be any extra receiver you add. Also if you get a DVR there is a $6 monthly DVR fee but it covers the DVR's on the account (so if you have 1 DVR or 4 its the same $6 fee)..Extra receiver fees vary. If you get a dual DVR and a single tuner unit it would be $7 for the 2nd receiver
in most cases its just state tax. I just looked at my last bill and its my programming package + 6.875 Minnesota state sales tax (I only have one receiver)
 
I would go with the 722 for the living room and backfeed tv 2 to both the office and the bedroom. Then get a 612 hddvr or a 211 for the bedroom. Remember the output of tv 2 is going to be SD, which would be fine until you get a HDTV for the bedroom and then you will want that separate HD receiver in the bedroom.
The 722 has a different chipset than the 622.
 
The 722/722k is definitely a better, bigger, faster machine than the 622.
If you want to use an external hard drive (EHD), and you will, then the 612 might be better than the 211 because you can exchange EHDs with the 722s. You cannot exchange between the 612/622/722/722k/922 series and the 211. Start EHDs with 1/1.5/2 TB. I have 12 drives with 12 TB capacity and these would average 57% full were it not for all the OTA recordings like PBS, and other networks, and nonfiction--bringing it to say 80%. Added a new drive this week and now I'm moving tons of recordings because of my organization. Should have just recorded on the next drive and keep their location in a spreadsheet, as I do anyway.
Do not bother with any non-VIP machine like the dual SD 311.
I would recommend a program package to include the Turner Classic Movie channel, I think that means the Top 250. The channel is in SD and HD but shows up-converted and not full HD--it's much better than normal SD at twice the size. They went from SD to SD and up-convert 4/21/2010 and I've re-recorded most of their offerings since with IMDb ratings 7.3 and up.
I'll have to re-record when they finally go to full HD, but for now I'll take the up-convert.
This assumes you are a little of a movie buff. I have over 2200 movies with over 700 from TCM.
You will find that over-the-air (OTA) HD recordings can be even better than Dish offerings.
The problem is they are MPEG-2 vs MPEG-4 for Dish and require 2X to 3X the size.
Too much said but just giving you some of my opinions.
-Ken
 
WHen comparing pricing, don't forget to compare package price plus equipment and dvr fees. The cost of top 200 may seem reasonable but there is going to be a dvr and a 2nd (3rd, 4th, etc) receiver fee on the account as well.
 
If you want to be able to pick what receiver you get, buy your Dish from a retailer. If you buy it online or call Dish, you'll get whatever receiver the tech has with him. Could be a 622, 722 or 722k. Normally you'll get better service from a local retailer and you'll always get the best service and info from Satguys.
 
Thanks everyone for the input. I went by my local Costco today, and since they had some good deals on TVs, I picked one up. So we'll be ready to pull the trigger on this soon (as soon as I can figure out what hardware to request). But I'm still a little fuzzy on which units I'm going to want. Let me take another stab at this and see if I can help clarify things.

TV#1 (downstairs) is the new HD set (or it will be once I open the box and lug that heavy old Sony tube away). I want a DVR on this set.

TV#2 (upstairs bedroom) currently is an older analog set but will eventually be replaced with a new HD set (not for a while though). It would be nice, although not necessarily a hard requirement, that TV#2 be able to play content that's recorded on the DVR that's attached to TV#1. We do not need a second DVR for TV#2 (for making additional recordings) - only playback on TV#2 from the DVR connected to TV#1 downstairs.

TV#3 (upstairs office) is a small, analog set, and it is not going to be replaced anytime in the foreseeable future, so all it needs is SD. No DVR there. Don't need any DVR playback there.

I want to be able to tune each TV separately. This is a requirement.

Maybe I'm a complete idiot, but this tool (Dish Price Calculator) seems pretty confusing to me. I click "Add a TV" twice so it shows 3 old-school TVs and by default shows 2 "SD Duo" units. Clicking on TV#1, I switch to HD and with DVR - which changes one of the "SD Solo" unit to "HD DuoDVR". I click on TV#2 and change that to HD, then it shuffles the positions of the TVs (?) and changes the second unit to "HD Solo DVR". Clicking again on that (TV#2) I see it has added a DVR, which I did not ask for, so I switch it to "without DVR", now the units are HD DuoDVR (seems to be associated with TV#1 and TV#3?), plus HD Solo (associated with TV#2). Now clicking on TV#2, it's got a DVR on that one, too (which I did not ask for). If I change TV#3 to no DVR, then it changes TV#1 to no DVR, too. ??? This tool makes no sense to me. It seems to insist on adding a second DVR to either TV#2 or TV#3 if either of them are set to HD. It ends up listing the price as $72.99/mo ($52.99 for 1st 12 months), with two units: HD DuoDVR and HD Solo.

What exactly does "with DVR" and "without DVR" mean? I assume that means the ability to record and play back programs, but maybe they also mean the ability to just play back programs?

Using a different portal, when I feed it 3 TVs (TV1: HD-DVR, TV2: HD-Non DVR, and TV3 SD-Non DVR) it spits out the same prices ($52.99/month the first 12 months, $72.00 after that). Under "Receivers" is lists two: Rcvr 211/411 HD Solo, and Rcvr 622/722 HD Duo (2TV) DVR.

Would these result in the same hardware?

Thanks again!
 
What exactly does "with DVR" and "without DVR" mean? I assume that means the ability to record and play back programs, but maybe they also mean the ability to just play back programs?
with DVR means you have access to a DVR
without means just a receiver

TV#1 (downstairs) is the new HD set (or it will be once I open the box and lug that heavy old Sony tube away). I want a DVR on this set.

TV#2 (upstairs bedroom) currently is an older analog set but will eventually be replaced with a new HD set (not for a while though). It would be nice, although not necessarily a hard requirement, that TV#2 be able to play content that's recorded on the DVR that's attached to TV#1. We do not need a second DVR for TV#2 (for making additional recordings) - only playback on TV#2 from the DVR connected to TV#1 downstairs.
how long is "not for a while though"...if its say more than a year then the setup is easy. If you plan on getting a HDTV in the next 6-8 months then it changes

TV#3 (upstairs office) is a small, analog set, and it is not going to be replaced anytime in the foreseeable future, so all it needs is SD. No DVR there. Don't need any DVR playback there.

I want to be able to tune each TV separately. This is a requirement.
depending on when the 2nd tv will get a HDTV that does make a difference
If its more than a year they would set you up with
622/722 in main room. HD on tuner 1
bedroom would be tuner 2 of that 622/722 (SD only)
office would be a 211/411. This is a HD receiver that has the option to add a DVR. I dont think Dish would give you a SD311 because they (Dish) wants to help future-proof. Its $7 extra a month for the 211 or 311. The 211 while a HD reciever can work fine on a SDTV

so it would be the price package 39.99
$6 DVR fee
$7 extra receiver fee
 
There are no devices to "just play back programs." There are receivers and receivers with recording and playback.

If the second TV is to see recordings from the first, then you could pipe the first to the second in SD: RF or composite or in HD: HDMI or component. (Priced with shipping cables at monoprice.com.) If HD, the second would be using the TV1 output remotely. Both can be attached to different inputs of the TV, allowing HD when it is needed without independent control and SD independently. Remember HD recording can be viewed in SD.

I would recommend a 722/722k (2 inputs and 2 outputs plus OTA) for the "main" and a 621 (2 inputs, 1 output) for the next so recordings can be shared as needed. The sightly cheaper 211 cannot be shared although for $40 extra it can do its own recordings.

-Ken
 
As I. stated in another thread, you can have the best of both worlds. Get a 211 for the bedroom, activate an ehd for a 1 time/account fee of $40 and hook that to the HDTV via hdmi. Have the 722 home distribution coax hooked up to the antenna input of the tv. That way you can watch either source by selecting the appropriate input. Thee is a $6/mo Solo receiver fee for the 211 since it is not considered a dvr.
 
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