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.

[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]

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/programming/dishhd/programming/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?

[Spring~Fields]

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]

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]

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?

[Javy Pornstache]

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.

[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/9164122/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.

[HalMorrisRules]

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

[Red Heeler]

I have had Directv for many years without having it hooked to a landline. You can order pay per view stuff over the net without a phone line. If you get the FoxSports ($12) package, you should get the Reds games. I did when I lived in Tennessee. Last summer, I moved ten miles across the Georgia line and no longer get them. We just got the regular HD reciever ($100), not the HD DVR ($200).

[Jpup]

The cable company is coming today to install a box and all that. The one they are bringing is a single tuner HD DVR because they are out of the dual tuner units. They will bring one of those when they get one from Motorola. I decided to stick with local cable for the next couple of months because it is cheaper and I plan to buy a house within the next 5 months and will get Dish Network then. It will be early in the season and hopefully I'll move before the season starts. I can deal with what they offer until baseball starts.

Thanks for all of the help guys. I'll let you all know how it goes.

[deltachi8]

Thanks for the posting here, I too am going to be moving in the next few months and when I do, I will be gladly telling Time Warner to fly a kite.

[Handofdeath]

I have had Directv for many years without having it hooked to a landline. You can order pay per view stuff over the net without a phone line. If you get the FoxSports ($12) package, you should get the Reds games. I did when I lived in Tennessee. Last summer, I moved ten miles across the Georgia line and no longer get them. We just got the regular HD reciever ($100), not the HD DVR ($200).

I've got Dish and you have to have the phone line plugged in to order something like PPV or to upgrade your programming. But I don't keep the phone line plugged in and I don't think they charge me even though they say they will. And my programming guide updates just fine without it. I've had cable and satellite and I would choose satellite except for when it goes out during storms. Also I couldn't get the Weather Channel locally until just recently. Now you can get a certain form of it. Got to have the dish.:thumbup:

[jmcclain19]

One of the more interesting perks with DirecTV - is that if you move every couple of years - they tell you to leave the dish - and they'll install a new one at your new house free of charge.

My situation was a little different becaue I lived in an apt - so I took the existing dish with me - but I know others who have moved out - you just call them up and set up the date & tell them the new address and they come out for free.

Nice little perk.

[Jpup]

Well, it was an interesting afternoon. First of all the cable company was scheduled to be here at 1pm. I decided to run some errands and be back home before 12:30 in case they were early. I got back at 12:15 and the guy was hanging out in the driveway waiting. So, that went well.

He hooked up the box and he was amazed at the PQ of my TV. He said that they do this job everyday and mine is the best PQ of any television that he has seen. (Thanks to Avia and Sony, of course.) It really did look good, but no different than I was used to really. Then....

The guy wasn't gone for 10 minutes and the picture starting tiling really, really bad. I thought it was just ESPN HD that I was watching so I changed the channel and quickly realized it was happening on every channel. I called up the cable company and told them the problem. The lady on the phone said that she would send the guy right back out here. This was about 2:00. At 4:00 no one had showed up. So with the weekend coming up and me about to throw the box through the wall, I called them again. They redirected to someone who could get someone out here. By 4:45 I had another guy out here and he couldn't figure out the problem. The signal was great, he said. I let him know that I thought the box was screwed up. It was really acting weird to me, although I had never had one before. Between his comments about how wonderful my TV looked and him trying to tell me 10 stories, he went out and got another box to test it out. He hooked it up and fixed the problem.

I am really glad they got back out here before the long weekend or I would have probably just canceled my service. That is how mad I was trying to figure out the tiling issues. It all worked out and the PQ from the box is actually a little better than it was without it due to the box upscaling all the HD channels to 1080i, which my Tvs native res. is 1920 X 1080. 720 just didn't look too good on my set.

I also asked the guy why I they couldn't get FSN Ohio/Cincinnati since every county around us seems to have it. He gave me the company line that it would cost every customer as much as 8 bucks a month to add the channel and they didn't think it was worth it and they would lose customers. He said if they had the option to add it as a premium they would be glad to, but FSN would make them add it as a basic channel. I understand that even though I don't like it. I did let him know that I would be switching to Dish Network within the year just for that reason. He said that there customers they have canceled their cable because they refuse to get FSN South (UK games) and Disney Channel for the same reasons.

There is my story. :laugh: I'll get to do it again in about a month when they get me a new dual tuner box in from Motorola. The one I have now stinks because you can only record what you are watching. I also went to the MOTO site and got the user manuals for the box so that I can change everything whenever I want. :)