New to HDTV and Dish...

[goredie]

Hello everyone. I am completely new to HDTV and Dish Network so please excuse me if my questions seem stupid.

I recently bought a HD-ready TV from bestbuy. I was under the assumption that the only difference between HDTV and HD-ready was you needed a top box to decode the HD feed.

So I called Dish and ordered HDTV with DVR and they are coming on Wednesday. I got to thinking and called Dish back several times and have gotten 3 different answers for this question.

If I have a hd-ready tv will I need to purchase a separate decoder for my dish receiver or will the dish do it for me?

One person told me yes I would need to buy one another told me that I didn't and the last said he honestly had no idea. Not really the start I would have liked.

I just don't want to spend 200 bucks if I don't have to. Thanks again!

 

[jbcheshire]

You will need to let us know what equipment Dish will be installing on your set up to be able to answer your question correctly.

 

[boy921]

Hello everyone. I am completely new to HDTV and Dish Network so please excuse me if my questions seem stupid.

I recently bought a HD-ready TV from bestbuy. I was under the assumption that the only difference between HDTV and HD-ready was you needed a top box to decode the HD feed.

So I called Dish and ordered HDTV with DVR and they are coming on Wednesday. I got to thinking and called Dish back several times and have gotten 3 different answers for this question.

If I have a hd-ready tv will I need to purchase a separate decoder for my dish receiver or will the dish do it for me?

One person told me yes I would need to buy one another told me that I didn't and the last said he honestly had no idea. Not really the start I would have liked.

I just don't want to spend 200 bucks if I don't have to. Thanks again!

Welcome aboard and I suspect that before long you will be very well versed in all of this. If your TV is HD ready you can get digital OTA with a terrestrial antenna or maybe from a cable company. To get HD reception from satellite, you will need an HD capable receiver. Too bad the TV's don't have the ability for HD satellite. Currently, there isn't a lot of HD content on E* (Dish Network) but I think they will try their best to keep up with future competition. There is a lot of talk about a shift from the current MPEG2 to MPEG4 which may have some impact on you decisions on getting additional satellite HD receivers now or in the future. Read through the posts and you will become more knowledgable.

Currently you can get a 921, 811 receiver for HDTV satellite reception from E*. There are model 6000 available for purchase through some outfits like EBay. In the near future E* is releasing a 942 that will do HDTV.
John

 

[goredie]

I'm sorry it's the 811 dish.

 

[mdonnelly]

Hello everyone. I am completely new to HDTV and Dish Network so please excuse me if my questions seem stupid.

I recently bought a HD-ready TV from bestbuy. I was under the assumption that the only difference between HDTV and HD-ready was you needed a top box to decode the HD feed.

So I called Dish and ordered HDTV with DVR and they are coming on Wednesday. I got to thinking and called Dish back several times and have gotten 3 different answers for this question.

If I have a hd-ready tv will I need to purchase a separate decoder for my dish receiver or will the dish do it for me?

One person told me yes I would need to buy one another told me that I didn't and the last said he honestly had no idea. Not really the start I would have liked.

I just don't want to spend 200 bucks if I don't have to. Thanks again!

If the receiver you're getting is a 921 or an 811, you'll get HD. If not, you won't.

 

[boy921]

I'm sorry it's the 811 dish.

The 811 does not record to a hard drive like the 921. The 942 will have DVR.

 

[goredie]

The 811 does not record to a hard drive like the 921. The 942 will have DVR.

I should have been more specific. I am getting the 811 in one room for HD and the other room will have a DVR reciever - which I do not know.

Dish network had a great deal going - no commitment, no purchase, and a free 6 months of HD package.

 

[boy921]

I should have been more specific. I am getting the 811 in one room for HD and the other room will have a DVR reciever - which I do not know.

Dish network had a great deal going - no commitment, no purchase, and a free 6 months of HD package.

Cool, hopefully the second receiver is a 522. The 522 has named based recording ulike the other current DVR's. It can also be shared at the same time between two receivers. The 510 is pretty nice too. Call them back and find out. Hopefully you won't have a long wait and will get a CSR who knows what they are talking about and are US based!

 

[goredie]

Cool, hopefully the second receiver is a 522. The 522 has named based recording ulike the other current DVR's. It can also be shared at the same time between two receivers. The 510 is pretty nice too. Call them back and find out. Hopefully you won't have a long wait and will get a CSR who knows what they are talking about and are US based!

Just got off the phone with Dish. I am getting one 811 and one 522. So I should be all set!

 

[boy921]

Just got off the phone with Dish. I am getting one 811 and one 522. So I should be all set!

Pretty good then. Soon you will want to have the ablility to record things in HD. Start saving.

 

[SimpleSimon]

If your TV is HD ready you can get digital OTA with a terrestrial antenna or maybe from a cable company.

Unh. Point of clarity. "HD ready" does NOT mean the box has an ATSC (Digital OTA) tuner.

 

[jbcheshire]

What Simon says is true. So, you will need the 811 to get your HD channels and your locals in HD if you purchase an OTA to connect to the 811.

 

[goredie]

Unh. Point of clarity. "HD ready" does NOT mean the box has an ATSC (Digital OTA) tuner.

That was my question and I thought was already answered. It's HD-ready which means I only need the 811 in order to get HD channels and OTA channels.

Right? I do not need to buy extra equipment?

 

[sprintcarcrazy]

Correct, the only thing you may want is a DVI-D cable if your TV accepts one, DIsh will furnish Component cables but not the DVI-D cable. Results differ in using the DVI-D Cable. By JVC LCD looks great with it, but my Sharp LCD looks better from the 811 using the component cables.

I am about 35 miles from local stations and I can pick them all up Digital by using the Zenith Silver Sensor, about $20 from Buy.Com If you are getting an install, I guess they will furnish that for you ??.

CBS and NBC do alot in HD, I have yet to see one thing from ABC in HD, but it may be that our station KMIZ that carrys fox and ABC are not transmittting anything in HD.

 

[goredie]

Yeah I am wondering if I should purchase an outdoor HD antenna for OTA HD. I guess I should buy an indoor one and see how that works out before I buy something that large.

ABC broadcast Alias in HD that is about the only thing I watch on ABC...

My TV doesn't have a DVI cable which I guess is ok because my DVD player looks 50X better and it's using prog scan component.