questions about recievers, dishes and self installs

[whatusernamesareleft]

I am wanting to do a self install, and I was wondering if direct has that option instead of setting up a time for a installer. I assume I need to purchase my own SAT dish, if I do which one is best to get to do a mount on a side of a house?

I want 2 regular dvrs, as I don't like the idea of forced HD with the HD DVRS. I am not impressed by HD....and I refuse to pay extra for crap i don't need. Or can I ask to have that taken off?

 

[Jimbo]

I am wanting to do a self install, and I was wondering if direct has that option instead of setting up a time for a installer. I assume I need to purchase my own SAT dish, if I do which one is best to get to do a mount on a side of a house?

I want 2 regular dvrs, as I don't like the idea of forced HD with the HD DVRS. I am not impressed by HD....and I refuse to pay extra for crap i don't need. Or can I ask to have that taken off?

You'll want the newest dish probably, thats the Slimline 3 (99, 101 and 103 sats) Get that in case you decide that HD is worth your while. This way you won't have to upgrade at that point.
The SWM is actually the newest one, but if your not doing HD, I'm not sure if thatwill do anything for you or not.

I would find a good location and do a Pole mount.
I would keep it OFF the roof and the siding really isn't a great idea either, but can be done.

I would look into what HD REALLY looks like ahead of time, NOT at a Big Box store, find a friend or a High Quality Audio Video shop.

I cannot handle watching anything in SD ....

 

[whatusernamesareleft]

Can I get the HD Dvrs without the HD channels then? I do have one of them widescreen tvs.
My problem with HD channels are the advertisements are 10x worse and longer then regular channels, and them stupid black spaces on top and bottom still with a widescreen tv, I still have to expand it, I currently am with comcast and get some HD channels with my promotion.

 

[teachsac]

No difference in the commercial length. Except for a very few channels where there is no SD equivalent, they are simulcasts. Only a few of the premium channels - showtime, TMC, HDNet, etc.- show OAR. Most are either fullscreen, 4:3, or stretched. I personally prefer OAR to view the original intent of the director. A few older shows might be shown using windowboxing. Done correctly, there is no comparison between SD and HD. Like Jimbo, I do not watch SD anymore.

S~

 

[Jimbo]

Can I get the HD Dvrs without the HD channels then? I do have one of them widescreen tvs.
My problem with HD channels are the advertisements are 10x worse and longer then regular channels, and them stupid black spaces on top and bottom still with a widescreen tv, I still have to expand it, I currently am with comcast and get some HD channels with my promotion.

Then your watching channels that are NOT in HD, if it's in HD your screen will be filled.

 

[johns70]

Then your watching channels that are NOT in HD, if it's in HD your screen will be filled.

There's plenty of HD channels on DIRECTV that don't have HD programming on 24 hours a day.

For a person to say - I'm not impressed with HD they must not be really watching HD then.

 

[Jimbo]

Remember, just because it's an HD channel, doesn't mean that HD is always showing on it.

Check HDNet sometime, it's always HD.

 

[whatusernamesareleft]

There's plenty of HD channels on DIRECTV that don't have HD programming on 24 hours a day.

For a person to say - I'm not impressed with HD they must not be really watching HD then.

I think maybe I am thinking of them stupid widescreen dvd videos. Maybe that's why I am not liking HD.

 

[Jimbo]

I think maybe I am thinking of them stupid widescreen dvd videos. Maybe that's why I am not liking HD.

You gotta try something in HD, that is actually IN HD.

Try and see if there is a ball game on tonight for starters.
Something "Live" usually will look better than something Recorded.