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Appears if I want to get E* for my vacation place & only use 6-8 months, the CSR said would be best to buy a receiver, then can do a no contract package & suspend for unused time for $5 maintenance fee.
I have (2) standard TV's now, but may upgrade (1) to HD later.
1) Which receiver would you recommend, weighing cost vs features (future) & most trouble free?
2) Any problem buying from an individual if it's "clean"?
I have (2) standard TV's now, but may upgrade (1) to HD later.
1) Which receiver would you recommend, weighing cost vs features (future) & most trouble free?
2) Any problem buying from an individual if it's "clean"?
34 Replies
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4115 views
N
My mistake. I misunderstood your posts thinking you had Dish at your primary residence and didn't catch the gist of post #7. Please accept my deepest heartfelt apology.
Nick
My mistake. I misunderstood your posts thinking you had Dish at your primary residence and didn't catch the gist of post #7. Please accept my deepest heartfelt apology.
Nick
S
The GreenDot MoneyPak is the one to use, period, IMHO(In My Humbled Opinion). The reason being that you can order invidual days of programming, and if there is ever a problem, Greendot will refund whatever money you have left on the card, plus the service charge you paid where/when you got it.($4.64 at WalMart). I have done this before, with no problems from the GDMP(Green Dot Money Pak) people at all. Very easy.
With the $40 prepaid card, you must use that amount, in it's entirety, on the programming you are buying. Can't pick and choose, like with the GDMP. So if have a $40 gift card, and order, let's say, Classic Gold 250, you would get 21 days of AT250, and nothing else.
With the GDMP, you can pick and choose. If someone is renting for 5 days, they can pick and choose 5 days of AT250, HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz for like $19 off of the GDMP for 5 days worth of programming from all of the above(this is just an example of course). Out of a $20 GDMP($20 minimum load up to $1,100 Maximum load + at least a $4.64 service charge). Then they can save/use the rest next time they come, and have another GDMP loaded with more money. So on, and so forth.
Since Dish has NO IDEA where the box is located, and who in the heck you are(on initial activation, all you give is a zip code, and that is it. No name, No Credit Card, No Social Security #, etc...) they can't send the locals, or the local RSN's for that matter due to FCC Rules and Regulations.
I think it is baloney too, but those are the rules. I still have never read a reasonable reason as to "why?" the FCC fears/disallows this(can't watch distant Networks out of NYC or distant RSN's out of, say, Phoenix, while living in Pittsburgh. Makes no sense to me. What are they afraid of?), other than the fact that they can
And, NO, the DP301 is not a digital converter for ATSC digital(Over the Air with an Antenna), or Clear QAM digital(Cable TV). It will accept analog for the time being, but not much longer since they will all be gone(unless moved back, again!!!) by 6/12/09.
So you will either have to get newer TV's(LCD TV's are getting so cheap right now, and have everything built into them. Especially cheap on the 26" and below. Even the 32" are becoming cheap), or get the converter boxes.
The TV's are surely not even close to as cheap as the digital converter boxes. Especially after the $40 goverment coupon.
The GreenDot MoneyPak is the one to use, period, IMHO(In My Humbled Opinion). The reason being that you can order invidual days of programming, and if there is ever a problem, Greendot will refund whatever money you have left on the card, plus the service charge you paid where/when you got it.($4.64 at WalMart). I have done this before, with no problems from the GDMP(Green Dot Money Pak) people at all. Very easy.
With the $40 prepaid card, you must use that amount, in it's entirety, on the programming you are buying. Can't pick and choose, like with the GDMP. So if have a $40 gift card, and order, let's say, Classic Gold 250, you would get 21 days of AT250, and nothing else.
With the GDMP, you can pick and choose. If someone is renting for 5 days, they can pick and choose 5 days of AT250, HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz for like $19 off of the GDMP for 5 days worth of programming from all of the above(this is just an example of course). Out of a $20 GDMP($20 minimum load up to $1,100 Maximum load + at least a $4.64 service charge). Then they can save/use the rest next time they come, and have another GDMP loaded with more money. So on, and so forth.
Since Dish has NO IDEA where the box is located, and who in the heck you are(on initial activation, all you give is a zip code, and that is it. No name, No Credit Card, No Social Security #, etc...) they can't send the locals, or the local RSN's for that matter due to FCC Rules and Regulations.
I think it is baloney too, but those are the rules. I still have never read a reasonable reason as to "why?" the FCC fears/disallows this(can't watch distant Networks out of NYC or distant RSN's out of, say, Phoenix, while living in Pittsburgh. Makes no sense to me. What are they afraid of?), other than the fact that they can
And, NO, the DP301 is not a digital converter for ATSC digital(Over the Air with an Antenna), or Clear QAM digital(Cable TV). It will accept analog for the time being, but not much longer since they will all be gone(unless moved back, again!!!) by 6/12/09.
So you will either have to get newer TV's(LCD TV's are getting so cheap right now, and have everything built into them. Especially cheap on the 26" and below. Even the 32" are becoming cheap), or get the converter boxes.
The TV's are surely not even close to as cheap as the digital converter boxes. Especially after the $40 goverment coupon.
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Thought some might find this encouraging. It turned out good but I still feel a little bad about it.
Had to drop by Walmart on my way to the store this morning, I had enough time but no time to spare either. As I was walking across the parking lot I noticed an older gent pushing his buggy with a confused look on his face. I said hello as I passed but he didn't respond...something was bothering him. I kept walking and then stopped and chided myself for being in too much of a rush. I turned around and asked him if he needed some help. Turned out he had NO idea where he had parked his truck. He told what color and model and looked around...nothing. I asked him if he had tried his key fob, he wasn't sure what I was talking about and got it out and handed it to me. Hit the lock and listened for a horn like my F150 does. Nothing. Finally I hit the panic button and we heard his truck...it was on the complete other side of the parking lot. He thanked me and I went on about my business.
I felt bad however because I almost didn't stop. I was so focused on what I had to pick up that I almost just kept walking without seeing if I could help. Years ago I wouldn't have hesitated. It seems that as we age it is easy to focus more on ourselves and ignore others which is why you'll see footage of these muggings in big cities and people just walk by the wounded victim who is laying on the sidewalk.
Moral to the story: Don't let your humanity die just because so many others have allowed theirs to.
Had to drop by Walmart on my way to the store this morning, I had enough time but no time to spare either. As I was walking across the parking lot I noticed an older gent pushing his buggy with a confused look on his face. I said hello as I passed but he didn't respond...something was bothering him. I kept walking and then stopped and chided myself for being in too much of a rush. I turned around and asked him if he needed some help. Turned out he had NO idea where he had parked his truck. He told what color and model and looked around...nothing. I asked him if he had tried his key fob, he wasn't sure what I was talking about and got it out and handed it to me. Hit the lock and listened for a horn like my F150 does. Nothing. Finally I hit the panic button and we heard his truck...it was on the complete other side of the parking lot. He thanked me and I went on about my business.
I felt bad however because I almost didn't stop. I was so focused on what I had to pick up that I almost just kept walking without seeing if I could help. Years ago I wouldn't have hesitated. It seems that as we age it is easy to focus more on ourselves and ignore others which is why you'll see footage of these muggings in big cities and people just walk by the wounded victim who is laying on the sidewalk.
Moral to the story: Don't let your humanity die just because so many others have allowed theirs to.
2 Replies
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18 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68763 Replies
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2685767 views
Supporting Founder
Lifetime Supporter
Comcast is the first to report, with a massive 274,000 loss in video subscribers.
In the 3Q of 2016, Comcast had 21.42 million video subscribers and was the #1 provider, now at 10.39 million and is the #3 Provider, YTTV is #2 ( who also surpassed DirecTV-8 Million and Dish-under 5 Million), Charter/Spectrum is #1.
cordcuttersnews.com
In the 3Q of 2016, Comcast had 21.42 million video subscribers and was the #1 provider, now at 10.39 million and is the #3 Provider, YTTV is #2 ( who also surpassed DirecTV-8 Million and Dish-under 5 Million), Charter/Spectrum is #1.
Comcast Just Lost 274,000 TV Customers & 144,000 Internet Customers In Just Three Months | Cord Cutters News
Comcast Corporation reported its third-quarter 2026 results on October 22, showing continued erosion in its domestic residential broadband internet and video customer bases as competitive pressures intensified across the connectivity market. The company recorded a net loss of 144,000 domestic...
cordcuttersnews.com
19 Replies
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731 views
Staff member
Pub Member / Supporter
Cutting Edge
The TPN Map Excel Presents all DIRECTV Channels:
Understanding the TPN Map
Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
National (50-States or wide/NAT+PR beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
Additional tabs provide:
OTA the (Over-The-Air) Database
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
Domestic Satellites
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8
Understanding the TPN Map
Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
2179 Replies
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953638 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Over the past year I have been tracking the changes on Western Arc. The past 3 months have had a lot of changes that I posted in the other MPEG2 Western Arc shutdown thread. Now that 129 is (basically) out of commission, here is where Western Arc stands. This is just a national channel list, (no local channels) based off what I can see and what others have contributed. Thanks to everyone who has helped me come up with the locations of some of the channels – I would try and list all of you out, but I know I would forget someone! As has been suggested in other parts of the forum, it would be great to collect the spotbeam data for those who could contribute!
A couple of pieces of info:
When I talk about number of channels on a transponder, all my numbers are unique channels – for example, channel 101 and 199 are the same channel mapped to two different numbers, but in terms of space, only takes up 1 channel worth of bandwidth on the transponder.
Finally, I have to give Dish a ton of credit. When it was 110/119/129, Dish had 82 transponders they were using – it took a lot to get it down to 50 transponders and figure out where all the pieces were going to go. What are the things they did to get there? Here are the things I saw:
A couple of pieces of info:
- Out of the 64 transponders between 110/119, there are currently 50 transponders that Dish is licensed to use. 22 are Spotbeams, 28 are ConUS transponders (14 transponders are licensed to DirecTV and Dish doesn't have access to them)
- Those 28 ConUS transponders are divided as follows:
- 10 are dedicated to National HD channels (ESPN, CNN, Disney Channel, etc). Dish is maxing out at 16 HD channels per transponder (note – in an earlier post I said there was one transponder with 17 HD channels, that was an error on my part. When I double checked my listings, one channel changed transponders). Before the transition, there was a maximum of 14 HD channels per transponder.
- 1 transponder is dedicated to adult content
- 2 are a mixture HD PPV Movies/4k channels
- 3 are set aside for HD Sports channels that are only on for live games (NBA League Pass, the PAC 12 alternate channels, some PPV events, etc); 3 SD PPV Sports Channels are there as well.
- 7 are for SD and/or music channels. Dish is maxing out at 26 SD channels per transponder thus far on the SD transponders.
- 5 transponders on 110 I have no channels listed but Dish operates. (they are labeled as ConUS on my chart below) There are other things that could be on those transponders, like RV Distant Networks, internal testing channels, etc, that I can't see. They might be able to be used for additional content, but I am not sure exactly what is on those transponders.
When I talk about number of channels on a transponder, all my numbers are unique channels – for example, channel 101 and 199 are the same channel mapped to two different numbers, but in terms of space, only takes up 1 channel worth of bandwidth on the transponder.
Finally, I have to give Dish a ton of credit. When it was 110/119/129, Dish had 82 transponders they were using – it took a lot to get it down to 50 transponders and figure out where all the pieces were going to go. What are the things they did to get there? Here are the things I saw:
- During this migration from 129, Dish converted 7 ConUS transponders on 119 into Spotbeams – that is how they ended up fitting on all the HD locals that used to be on 129. (for those interested, TP 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 are the ones that used to be ConUS on 119 that are now Spotbeam)
- Removed almost all SD duplicate channels that are offered in HD
- Converted remaining SD channels from MPEG2 to MPEG4
- There are also 2 subtle things that changed from the HD channel perspective
- At the beginning of the transition, Dish decreased the number of PPV Movie channels – prior to this transition the PPV channels HD PPV movies were 502-522; now they are 502-517.
- At the beginning of April when MLB, NBA, and NHL regular seasons were all going on at the same time and this transition began, there were a ton of games "joined in progress" for the HD feeds. That wasn't common since the days before the full time HD RSN's. The reason for that was prior to the transition, Dish had 4 transponders set aside for HD Sports – 2 transponders was the bandwidth set aside from the HD RSN's before Dish dropped the RSN's, then 2 transponders were for alternate channels. Now we are down to 3 transponders for HD sports.
255 Replies
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66638 views
I ran the Schedule S through ChatGPT to analyze the data quickly, and according to ChatGPT, the 16 transponders currently being used for SpotBeams on 110 is all that has been authorized by the FCC. So Dish might be using TP 01-13 for ConUS on 110 for the foreseeable future. If that is the case, Dish has a ton of space to bring in more HD channels nationally or use that bandwidth for something else.
I know my lists aren't perfect as I can't see all the test channels and behind the scenes channels, but for channels available to subscribers - there are no channels on 119 TP 01-08 and 10; and on 110, TP14 has only 4 channels. With Dish putting 16 HD channels per transponder right now, that is about 145+ slots for HD channels that are available if Dish does keep 110 as ConUS for TP 01-13.
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzzHaM8IAhI
Direct YouTube Link - I Tried Meta's New AI Agent… Meet Piggy
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzzHaM8IAhI
Direct YouTube Link - I Tried Meta's New AI Agent… Meet Piggy
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
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5 views
'Rockford Files' Reboot Gets NBC Pilot Order
I grow tired of all the reboots. Most I don't bother with but will depend on the actor chosen.
I grow tired of all the reboots. Most I don't bother with but will depend on the actor chosen.
21 Replies
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809 views
Pub Member / Supporter
America’s Fastest-Growing EV State Isn’t California—Not by a Long Shot
New data shows electric vehicle adoption is increasingly driven by state policies, electricity prices and charging access—not federal incentives
www.autoweek.com
The number-one US state for EV growth, according to the June 22 Yardi report?
Oklahoma.
It has no ZEV mandates and "minimal" incentives, Yardi says, but also has cheap electricity, high multi-car household rates (so, for example, a non-Lightning Ford F-150 pulls their trailers), and a consumer base willing to switch.
120 Replies
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1260 views
tomwellborn3rd (@wellborn.net)
This author has chosen to make their posts visible only to people who are signed in.
bsky.app
Never realized that Tesla is losing to BYD at manufacturing too, which IMO is Tesla's biggest accomplishment and area of innovation. Nice writeup about the state of play and how we got here though. I have no faith that we're moving any productive direction though sadly, most changes and efforts feel reactionary rather than rooted in making use of the time being bought by tariffs, with few exceptions.
So: how are the cars so cheap, and what is being cut to get there? The best public accounting comes from the Rhodium Group, which compared BYD, Geely, and Leapmotor against Tesla's Chinese operation, a fair comparison because it removes labor costs and shipping from the equation entirely. Their estimate is that BYD builds a car for about $4,700 less than Tesla builds a Model 3 in Shanghai, roughly 15 percent of the Model 3's price. The breakdown is the interesting part. Direct government grants account for about $292 per vehicle, which is 5 percent of the gap. The biggest single factor is vertical integration: BYD makes about 80 percent of its top-tier components in-house, against 37 percent for Tesla, and that eliminates roughly $2,369 per vehicle in supplier markups. Lower overhead, meaning cheaper engineering talent and administrative cost spread across enormous volume, accounts for another $1,719. And BYD pays its suppliers on 155-day terms, against Tesla's 60, which is worth about $214 per car in float. When people say the Chinese advantage is subsidies, the per-vehicle number says otherwise. When people say it is slave wages, the Tesla Shanghai comparison says otherwise too. The advantage is mostly that BYD decided, twenty years ago, to make its own batteries, its own motors, its own power electronics, and its own semiconductors, and Western automakers decided the opposite.
T
That's how Ford did it- vertical integration. He even set up a rubber plantation in S. Americatomwellborn3rd (@wellborn.net)
This author has chosen to make their posts visible only to people who are signed in.
Never realized that Tesla is losing to BYD at manufacturing too, which IMO is Tesla's biggest accomplishment and area of innovation. Nice writeup about the state of play and how we got here though. I have no faith that we're moving any productive direction though sadly, most changes and efforts feel reactionary rather than rooted in making use of the time being bought by tariffs, with few exceptions.
So: how are the cars so cheap, and what is being cut to get there? The best public accounting comes from the Rhodium Group, which compared BYD, Geely, and Leapmotor against Tesla's Chinese operation, a fair comparison because it removes labor costs and shipping from the equation entirely. Their estimate is that BYD builds a car for about $4,700 less than Tesla builds a Model 3 in Shanghai, roughly 15 percent of the Model 3's price. The breakdown is the interesting part. Direct government grants account for about $292 per vehicle, which is 5 percent of the gap. The biggest single factor is vertical integration: BYD makes about 80 percent of its top-tier components in-house, against 37 percent for Tesla, and that eliminates roughly $2,369 per vehicle in supplier markups. Lower overhead, meaning cheaper engineering talent and administrative cost spread across enormous volume, accounts for another $1,719. And BYD pays its suppliers on 155-day terms, against Tesla's 60, which is worth about $214 per car in float. When people say the Chinese advantage is subsidies, the per-vehicle number says otherwise. When people say it is slave wages, the Tesla Shanghai comparison says otherwise too. The advantage is mostly that BYD decided, twenty years ago, to make its own batteries, its own motors, its own power electronics, and its own semiconductors, and Western automakers decided the opposite.
The Tesla Cybertruck Is Dead, The Ford F-150 Lives - The Autopian
The Cybertruck was supposed to make the F-150 obsolete. It wasn’t supposed to be boring, like a Ford or a Chevy. It was supposed to be “more truck than truck.” It turns out, people just wanted trucks that were trucks, and CEO Elon Musk announced on X earlier this morning is that the Cybertruck...
www.theautopian.com
The Cybertruck was supposed to make the F-150 obsolete. It wasn't supposed to be boring, like a Ford or a Chevy. It was supposed to be "more truck than truck." It turns out, people just wanted trucks that were trucks, and CEO Elon Musk announced on X earlier this morning is that the Cybertruck is dying.
Ending production in middle of next year at gigatexas for cybercab production.
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Stumbled across this ... http://www.gaspricewatch.com/USGas_ZipSearch.asp
I found no local prices, although it did show stations at my location...
Added these to this post...
USA National Gas Temperature Map
State By State Gasoline Taxes
Gas Buddy
Ethanol Free Stations
I found no local prices, although it did show stations at my location...
Added these to this post...
USA National Gas Temperature Map
State By State Gasoline Taxes
Gas Buddy
Ethanol Free Stations
5566 Replies
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462312 views
