Well, before I did anything, I read as much as I could here. Probably for about 1 month straight of just reading posts and reviews in my spare time. It paid off, as when I finally got my setup all together, I was up an running within hours.
Agreed. Read everything here. Read the FAQs. Check advertisers for specials and help - Sadoun even has a special going on now, IIRC. You'll need at least a 30" dish to get started.