Can I get Eastern Arc when Replacing my 942?

[Jason Kragt]

I have been holding off on upgrading my 942 to a MPEG4 receiver. The only HD I really watch is from the networks, and I receive them very well using an outdoor antenna. Yesterday I finally received a letter stating that they need me to call and schedule a replacement for my receiver. I think I read somewhere else that a major decision regarding the TiVo lawsuit is due out October 1. I'm wondering if that might become a shutoff date.

Here is my question: Will I be able to get an Eastern Arc dish through upgrading my 942 to a MPEG4 receiver? I have heard that Eastern Arc is currently only for new customers and only for certain markets. I reside in the Grand Rapids, MI DMA. I don't believe we are an Eastern Arc market (yet), but I know our HD locals are only at the 61.5-degree location. My thinking is that if they are going to put up a 61.5-degree dish anyway, it makes sense to do Eastern Arc now.

Should I delay a little longer hoping that Dish relaxes some of their strict Eastern Arc eligibility rules? Is there anything I could say when I call to upgrade that would help my case? Am I being way too greedy here?

Also, I would like to see if I can get a 722 (rather than a 622) as my replacement receiver. It's part of that greed factor again.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Eastern Arc does not give you anything more then what you already have, so its not a worthwile upgrade even if you decided to pay for it yourself out of your own pocket.

When you get now you will get on EA. No more... and no less.

Hold off on EA for now. (But get your receiver replaced)

 

[petrozio]

Confused. I thought that EA would be a single dish option, and that everything is MPEG 4, lending to a better picture quality than the current MPEG 2 SD channels. This would be a worthwihile upgrade. Am I wrong?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Yes you are wrong. (Sorry)

The PQ is about equal to what you are seeing now. The resolution of the SD channels on EA is LESS the resolution on the current SD channels that you get now. While MPEG4 is being used the lower resolution makes the PQ almost a wash.

There is no reason for anyone to upgrade to EA now, unless your moving and want a one Dish solution.

 

[FitzAusTex]

I know that I want the one dish solution rather than two. I havent upgraded to Austin HD locals available since March yet (on 61.5), cause I dont want a 2nd dish. I'm waiting it out till E* makes the EA dish avail to customers whose HD locals are on 61.5, but who are currently using WA.

 

[Jason Kragt]

Thanks for the quick responses!

It sounds like I will be stuck with a 2 dish solution--Dish 500 + 61.5.

I have an additional technical question. I have a tree problem. The only location I have that can receive 61.5 is at least 50 feet away from my Dish 500. I have legacy (non-DishPro) LNBs. Will this cause a problem? I have a spot that can view the Southwest and a spot that can view the Southeast, but no one spot that can view both.

 

[petrozio]

So if there is no picture quality inprovement on MPEG 4, Is the only benefit reduced bandwidth?

 

[navychop]

It's a tradeoff. PQ could improve, or bandwidth decrease, or some amount of both. Dish has decided to reduce SD resolution, and that offsets any PQ gain. Might be better for HD, might be better overall in the future.

 

[JohnH]

Thanks for the quick responses!

It sounds like I will be stuck with a 2 dish solution--Dish 500 + 61.5.

I have an additional technical question. I have a tree problem. The only location I have that can receive 61.5 is at least 50 feet away from my Dish 500. I have legacy (non-DishPro) LNBs. Will this cause a problem? I have a spot that can view the Southwest and a spot that can view the Southeast, but no one spot that can view both.

It should not cause a problem, but they may upgrade you to DiSH Pro anyway.

 

[webbydude]

It's a tradeoff. PQ could improve, or bandwidth decrease, or some amount of both. Dish has decided to reduce SD resolution, and that offsets any PQ gain. Might be better for HD, might be better overall in the future.

Or to put it a different way, if you can live with having 2 dishes on your home, the chances of having a *BETTER* signal (because one of the dishes is dedicated to one bird) are increased.

 

[navychop]

Yep. I'm sitting pat with my two dishes.

 

[okiekevn]

if you switch to eastern arc you will be missing out on a few of the shopping channels though.

 

[NotMe546]

if you switch to eastern arc you will be missing out on a few of the shopping channels though.

God that would be a reason to cancel.

 

[kb7oeb]

If you only care about getting HD from your locals with your antenna there isn't any reason to upgrade your 942.

 

[Jason Kragt]

If you only care about getting HD from your locals with your antenna there isn't any reason to upgrade your 942.

...other than Dish shutting down all 942s, which it sounds like they plan to do in the next month or so.

It's kind of funny in that my 942 has been a rock-solid receiver since they stopped making any significant enhancements to the software. I'm usually an early adopter, but on this one, I'm holding out until the bitter end!

I do however already have plans to cannibalize it and redeploy the hard drive in a computer. My 942 will live on as an organ donor, so to speak.