Anyone else think these press releases are bad news?

[hancox]

McD! Good to see you 'round these parts!

Don't mind charper1. There have been a bunch of cable trolls around here during CES. I think charper's BS meter needs a couple of notches down on the squelch!

(No offense, charper, I know McD/dreimiller from another board)

As for your decision, I'm on the same fence now. Currently have E*, looking to get D* probably Feb/March. I have a feeling some of these problems will sort themselves out by then, but it is a tough choice. I have a feeling I might wimp out and get the H10 HD receiver (the newest D* one just hitting the shelves now).

A twist on your problem is that I could already get my HD locals in MPEG2 via a 3LNB dish with D*. Lord knows what will happen when MPEG4 and/or the spaceways light up.

 

[dreimiller]

Hey hancox. I've lurked here before but this news from DirecTV finally got me to post.

I think the whole issue is boiling down to TiVo for me. Comcast might make some financial sense, but I don't want to leave DirecTV. If I can confirm that I'll be able to use the HD TiVo record non-local HD up until the time that the contract between TiVo and DirecTV expires in 2007 then I'll buy the HD TiVo. If DirecTV can't guarantee that then I have a problem. I wouldn't buy the HD TiVo and I'd have to decided whether it made sense to spend money upgrading my Sony SAT-T60 DirecTiVo or if it made more sense to sell it and my Mistubishi HD receiver and switch to Comcast.

I hate decisions like this. I went through this same stuff back when I bought my HDTV 3 years ago and it took me 6 months to finally buy one.

 

[hancox]

non-local as in national? I think that's a fairly safe bet, considering UltimateTV is still supported, 2 years + after contract.

I think your only problem would be the CT HD locals on D* (fairly safe bet on them being MPEG4), as well as any nationals that end up on the spaceways (which is anybody's guess right now). Depending on where you are, OTA might make this a non-issue. For me, it's huge, because I'm stuck in the middle of 2 DMAs, neither of which cater to my area. The only saving grace is that I'm technically in the NYC DMA, which makes HD over DBS cake.

One other thing to consider - depending on whether or not you've been with D* for a while, the HD upgrade credits the retention people are giving might make this a less painful decision. Most people claim "they're on the fence" falsely to try and get them, but you actually are, so it's morally ok. There's a mega thread on AVSForum about this, as well as the retention #'s here, so worth a look.

Me - I still have another month, so I'm hoping that this settles down a bit by then.

 

[dreimiller]

Yes, by non-local HD I meant ESPN-HD, HBO-HD, etc. From what I've read here and at AVS Forums and DBS Forums I'm pretty sure that they will remain MPEG2 for at least the next couple of years and if they go MPEG4 they'll probably simulcast them in MPEG2 for a while during the transition period.

So I think that I'll be ordering an HR10-250 from ValueElectronics today to get it for this weekend's sale price of $850 with free shipping and a 5 year extended warranty (hopefully they won't have sold all 50 of them that they are selling at the price this weekend already).

The one negative thing that I'm pretty sure is going to happen is that when CT HD locals go up on the satellite in MPEG4 format they'll take away my DNS NY/LA feeds for CBS, NBC and Fox (including their HD feeds) so I won't be able to record the major networks in HD unless I can pick them up OTA. A new receiver and dish would at least let me watch them in HD, though. I'm hoping the ATSC tuner in the HR10-250 does a much better job for me than my Mitsubishi SR-HD5 does.

 

[hancox]

I think you might be wrong on the DNS. AFAIK, it's a "grandfathered" type thing now, so PLEASE DON'T DROP THEM!

Ugh, is that the "promise module?" Now I know why you might be on the fence about purchases, that kind of fiasco would leave a scar on me, for sure. From what I've heard, the OTA tuner on that thing stinks, and the HD Tivo gives you a better one, and 2 of them to boot!

 

[hancox]

Found this on another board... it's "on topic"

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=216598

 

[hancox]

PS - make sure you read up on those retention credits prior to activiation - they're handing out some good money on this...

 

[dreimiller]

My Mits HD receiver is a set-top box, but one of the reasons I bought my Mits HDTV was because there was the option of the Promise Module when it was eventually released. However, it turned out to be too expensive to be a realistic option for me so I've never bought it.

I called DirecTV on Dec. 23rd regarding the programming credit and I have a note on my account for $250 credit upon activation of the HR10-250, so I'm all set there.

The one thing I may try to do is to call back and see if they'll give me a newer dish. Mine has the 3 individual LNBs and apparently there is a problem with the notch filter on it because I lost most of my channels from Sat. C over the summer that I eventually solved (sort of) by putting an attenuator on my Sat. B line on the dish. However, all of the channels on Sat. C still have a low signal level and they break up in mildly rainy weather. If I'm going to spend $850 I want good reception. I have a clear line of sight to all three satellites so a new dish should solve the problem completely for me.

 

[Alan Gordon]

I think you might be wrong on the DNS. AFAIK, it's a "grandfathered" type thing now, so PLEASE DON'T DROP THEM!

Once HD locals become available to him, he will lose the DNS (or O&O qualifications)... it was in the new legislation.

~Alan

 

[dreimiller]

Read these on some other boards... they're "on topic".

SHVERA, DNS, LIL and You (Dan Collins/DBS Forums - 12/27/2004)

D* HD Distant Nets qualifications/exceptions (Bschneider/AVS Forum - 12/31/2004)

Seem like pretty accurate interpretations of the new SHVERA law. I said in my previous message that I was pretty sure I'd lose my DNS when CT HD locals became available. Re-reading those messages makes me feel less sure. Since CT SD locals are already available and I already have waivers for the DNS that message then the addition of CT HD locals may not change anything for me, or maybe they'll take away the HD DNS networks and just leave me the SD channels. Who knows.

But I ordered my HR10-250 today. I can't wait for it to show up.

 

[robert luzzi]

hey guy,

cable in any name (adelphia, cox, comcast, time warner or armstrong) stinks, and that includes the modem.

directv and verizon dsl is tits

............bob

 

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

We have extended the sale one more day, so it expires Midnight 1/10/05.

So I think that I'll be ordering an HR10-250 from ValueElectronics today to get it for this weekend's sale price of $850 with free shipping and a 5 year extended warranty (hopefully they won't have sold all 50 of them that they are selling at the price this weekend already).

We have extended the sale one more day, so it expires Midnight 1/10/05.

-Robert