Need advice for Receiver purchase.....

[darrad]

Hi...Im new here and not real knowledgeable about satellite equipment so I thought I would ask the experts.

We are looking for a cheap additional receiver for our guest bedroom. We dont need an HD because the tv is old. We purchase and sell alot of stuff on EBAY but when I went to look the list of receivers was overwhelming!

We dont need anything fancy but we dont want to get a receiver with a balance owed on it or one that is out dated or anything.

So any advice would be more than appreciated! Thanks.

 

[boba]

If on Eastern Arc you will need a MPEG4 receiver so 211 is probably the cheapest.
If on Western Arc a 301/311 will probably be the best.

 

[darrad]

If on Eastern Arc you will need a MPEG4 receiver so 211 is probably the cheapest.
If on Western Arc a 301/311 will probably be the best.

Well, we are between Houston and Beaumont, Texas. Would that be the Western Arc ??

 

[Laddyboy]

Well, we are between Houston and Beaumont, Texas. Would that be the Western Arc ??

Yes, WA. I would opt for the VIP211 or 211K as it is not terribly expensive on eBay and is a VIP MPEG4/MPEG2 receiver. Eventually even the western arc will be all MPEG4 like the eastern arc so you guard a bit against obsolescence and have the luxury of having another HD receiver if needed. Whether the encoding switchover occurs within the lifetime of the receiver is anyone's guess. It can also be turned into a DVR by adding an external hard drive and paying a one time fee. You'll pay an extra $2 per month ($7 total) over a 300 series SD receiver ($5 monthly additional receiver fee). If you were leasing, the 300 series would be a safe hedge as it would be replaced by E* if encoding changed. I do not think E* is even producing SD receivers any longer. I think they may be just producing the VIP HD Series now.

 

[old corps]

Got a barely used 311 with manual and remote--NOTHING owed on it. $65 shipped UPS to you. Works great on Western Arc. If interested send me a personal message (click on my "name"/ old corps)

Ed

BTW, I OWN this receiver. It was NOT leased.