Anyone with DirecTV or Dish Network?

[Jpup]

After receiving all of my cable company's HD channels for free for the last couple of months, they turned them off this week. I only get the 4 broadcast networks in HD now unless I start paying another 22 bucks a month. It really makes me want to drop them and pick up Dish Network. The only problem with that is that I would have to get a phone line, I think, which makes little sense given that anything they would need should be done over broadband anyway.

Anyone with Dish or DirecTV? Do I have to get a phone line to use their service, is there another way? Who uses a landline phone anyways?

I just can't see paying 22 bucks a month for about 10 HD channels. I'm hoping they will just let me pay the 10 dollar a month HD channel charge and not make me get the box. Their website says that you have to get the box, but it's not really clear. BTW, I have a local cable company that isn't affiliated with any major carrier.

Are there any other alternatives for HD service? My landlord would have to sign off on one of the dishes, but he's not too high on the idea and I don't know if he would do it. For some reason he doesn't want me to put up a dish anywhere. I really want Dish or DirecTV anyway, but I am just waying all my options.

[919191]

I'm not sure your landlord can legally stop you. A dish can be mounted on a tripod. And if you only have one reciever, I don't think a phone line is needed. All the downloads come of the satellites. The phone line assures them that the reciever is where it is suppose to be, I think. There concern is with subscribers with multiple dishes that a neighbor could be using.

Check out the experts here.
http://www.highdefforum.com/
http://www.satelliteguys.us/forumdisplay.php?f=4
http://www.dbsforums.com/vbulletin/cmp_index.php

[Yachtzee]

Also, if you already have cable, in many cases they can use the existing cables and such, so they aren't drilling new holes in the side of the building.

[HalMorrisRules]

Originally Posted by Yachtzee

Also, if you already have cable, in many cases they can use the existing cables and such, so they aren't drilling new holes in the side of the building.

This is 100% true. Once the cable lines are attached to the structure, they no longer belong to the cable company. I am running 6 lines into the house and only one of them was run new by Dtv installers. I just hooked my multiswitch up to the existing cable lines and they worked just fine.

As far as your landlord letting you put up a dish, here is the law as set forth by the FCC:

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html

[jmcclain19]

I have DirecTV.


They told me I did have to have a landline. Dish Network actually wanted to charge me more a month for not having one at my last residence, which was the deal breaker. But now I've moved into an area where our cellphones are less reliable, so we had to get a home phone. The DirecTV install people over the phone told me that I did need a home phone to keep up to date. Yet the install guy never hooked it up and I've never done the same. I've never had a problem or a issue.

I use the Direct TV brand DVR which is somewhat new, and enjoy it.

However, my dad has DirecTV and has the TiVo brand DVR, and he too has never hooked up his phone line to the DVR, and about 2-3 times a day, the TiVo prompts him to do just that with a warning. "ATTENTION - You have not connected in 543 days" But you can just select "Do it later" and go about your business.

My current home was a new build, with cable ready connections, but no previous service, cable or dish. They had to install a hub outside just below where they mounted the dish on my roof, and I had to have a box put outside of the hub connections. But the house was already wired. It travels via coax- so if your house is cable ready, it's dish ready.

And usually they can mount it a few places. My neighbor had it mounted on his cinder block wall in his backyard instead of his roof. Mine is on the edge of my roof.

Previously in apartment living we had a tripod so we didn't have to drill into the apt walls.

Lots of options - let me know if you have any other questions. I'm not that up on Dish Network's nuances, only DirecTV - but I would recommend the switch.

[Jpup]

Originally Posted by jmcclain19

Previously in apartment living we had a tripod so we didn't have to drill into the apt walls.

Lots of options - let me know if you have any other questions. I'm not that up on Dish Network's nuances, only DirecTV - but I would recommend the switch.

Thanks a lot for the post. How does the tripod deal work? Also, the reason I want Dish is because they have a lot more HD channels. DirecTV has the same HD channels as my cable company, I think. Could you give me a list of the HD channels and the cost, so that I can make sure?

I think I'll just tell my landlord to go fly a kite and if he doesn't like it, I'll move. He doesn't want that.

[919191]

You just mount the dish on some type of tripod. It might move alot in the wind though. Dish does have the most HD channels, though, but alot of them aren't that interesting. Check out the Voom part of their HD package.

http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/p...ng/index.shtml

[macro]

My folks have had Directv for about six years and have never plugged their receiver into a phone line. I never had a problem when didn't plug in, either, but I keep it plugged in now so that the onscreen caller ID will work. The main reason they want it plugged in is to make sure your PayPerView purchases get called in by the reciever and thus placed on your bill.

Speaking of phone lines, can you use second and third Directv receivers without plugging them into phone lines?

[Javy Pornstache]

Originally Posted by macro

Speaking of phone lines, can you use second and third Directv receivers without plugging them into phone lines?

Yes. I have three receivers as well, and neither of the other two are plugged with phone lines. I didn't even have my main one plugged in, but, like you, I liked having the on-screen caller ID and we've ordered a few things over pay-per-view the last few months, so we've just left it in for now. From what I know, a lot of installers tell people it's necessary to have the phone line involved, but it is more a convenience for them for tracking purposes and easier billing on the bill for pay purchases as you mentioned.

[Spring~Fields]

Originally Posted by Jpup

Anyone with Dish or DirecTV? Do I have to get a phone line to use their service, is there another way? Who uses a landline phone anyways?

DishNet always tells us that we have to have a phone line connected to the box so that they can update the programming schedules. They tell us that they will charge a $5.00 charge if we don't have it hooked up. I say charge me $5 and you can have your disk back faster than a sat signal.

[919191]

Originally Posted by SpringfieldFan

DishNet always tells us that we have to have a phone line connected to the box so that they can update the programming schedules. They tell us that they will charge a $5.00 charge if we don't have it hooked up. I say charge me $5 and you can have your disk back faster than a sat signal.

I went probably 2 years without my phone line hooked up. They just tell you that. You need the line to pay for pay per view.

[OesterPoster]

I've been thinking about Dish or DirecTV, and was wondering what everyone does for high-speed internet when you go away from cable. DSL isn't an option where I live, so I can't go that route.

[Yachtzee]

Originally Posted by OesterPoster

I've been thinking about Dish or DirecTV, and was wondering what everyone does for high-speed internet when you go away from cable. DSL isn't an option where I live, so I can't go that route.

I just stayed with cable for the internet. Time Warner wasn't giving me a break on internet fees anyway, even when I was paying for their TV service. That being said, my internet goes out more than the satellite dish. Supposedly the phone company is looking to run cable TV/internet here in the future, so I'll look into that when they start offering it.

[VR]

I'm considering switching to the Dish because Direct TV has the limited HD channels.....and also charges $800 for a HD recorder. Does the Dish include the recorder?

[HalMorrisRules]

I remembered reading this story earlier this year about Dtv having their installers lie about the need for a phone line:

http://www.local6.com/problemsolvers...22/detail.html

In spite of all of that, I have been a Dtv customer for 6+ years and I am considered an "A-List" customer. I have two SD Tivo's, one HD Tivo and one of their new non-Tivo DVRs and I am not going anywhere. I had to go to Time Warner Tuesday because my Mother's DVR quit working. I stood in line for 15-20 minutes only to be told that even though I knew her name, address, phone number, SS# and blood type, they wouldnt exchange the DVR because I didnt have her ID with me. I asked her if she was joking and she assured me that she wasnt. I told her this just reminded me of why I left TWC years ago.

That having been said, I have phone lines hooked up to all but one of the Tivo's and they all work just fine with or without a phone line.

dbstalk.com and avsforum.com are two good sites to check out for additional info.