thinking about switching to satellite tv (??)

[Twidget]

Re: thinking about switching to satellite tv (??)

SBC sent me a package offer, phone service, DSL and satellite TV for one charge. The baby Bell in your area might have the same thing going.<br /><br />I am sticking with cable. The satellite had a habit of going out at inopportune times...like the middle of tornado warnings. <br /><br />I had satellite tv at my old house, it had to shoot through a mulberry tree for its signal, but was at 95%. I bought a new house 4 years ago, there are no trees in the whole neighborhood tall enough to block the signal. Best I could get was 85% and constantly lost the signal. Satellite company said thats too bad nothing we can do. Cable company is great, I get 3Mbs broadband, expanded digital cable and DVR for less than $100 a month.

 

[roscoe]

Re: thinking about switching to satellite tv (??)

Move to the country where you have only one option, then your choice is connect/or not..<br />Thats what I did. no cable, no dsl, not even dialup (that works).<br /><br />Directv satellite tv and internet.<br /><br />OK, there are option, c band, wildblu, dishnetwork, but none are cheaper or better than Directv.<br /><br /><br />Buy your own mini dish and receiver from BestBuy and install yourself. You will probably do a better job of the install. And you will not be tied up in a multi year commitment for the "free" receiver and install.

 

[Homerr]

Re: thinking about switching to satellite tv (??)

I have to disgaree Roscoe... C-Band is much cheaper than Directv. Of course... this depends on how many channels you will ACTUALLY watch... and not all the garbage channels that you don't watch and DirecTv makes you pay for.<br /><br />I use this palce for service: http://www.satelliteprogramming.com <br /><br />I use C-band for my TV. Very inexpensive.<br />I pay around $56 for 90 days of service for the basic 'G5' package. That's about $19/month.<br />You get to choose how little, or how many channels you want to watch. I don't have the digital set-up on it, but I can certainly add it if I wanted to. I don't watch much tv, so my old analog suits me just fine.<br /><br />I wouldn't give a squirt of p!ss for satellite internet. I had the 'DirecWay' service for a while, and they were absolutely horrible. I won't go into what they did to me, but all I can say is... I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy.<br /><br />If you have another form of internet avaialble, go for that instead. Dialup proved to be better than DirecWay in my experience. (Their downloads beat dialup of course.. that's IF it worked on a regular basis) <br /><br />As far as TV... if you have the room for a 8 to 10ft C-band... go for it. You can generally get the dish and the complete set up for free or nearly free from people who no longer use it.<br />Look around your neighborhood and if you see a small DirecTv dish next to one of the old C-bands, it's a good bet they aren't using the C-band anymore and will probably give it to you for taking it off their hands.<br /><br />Good luck!<br /><br />H.

 

[one more cast]

Re: thinking about switching to satellite tv (??)

Just remember if you don't like it you still have to pay for a years worth. When I switched to dish network my main problem was I no longer got the cable channels that I liked the most plus my closest "local" channel was New York city. No local news, no local weather on the weather channel,and no reception every time it snowed. I disliked so much that I kept my cable hooked up and had to pay for both. I ended up taking the dish to my daughters house and let her watch it because cable wasn't available in her area.

 

[roscoe]

Re: thinking about switching to satellite tv (??)

C-band are better and cheaper for your programming, but the last system I priced out a few years ago, was $2700. The cheapest one I've seen lately is $1500.<br /><br />Of course, if you can get a free base, mount, dish, actuator, and all the other parts- that work, and a receiver (new digital receivers are $1200) go for it.<br /><br />Homerr, let me know when you have a complete working system to give away, I'll pay the shipping.

 

[roscoe]

Re: thinking about switching to satellite tv (??)

And why are all these c-band sytems just sitting there, not being used, and being replaced with little dishes?

 

[Homerr]

Re: thinking about switching to satellite tv (??)

Because Roscoe.. they are old... and getting somewhat obsolete...The TV programs are all going digital... At least that's what the 'little dish' manufacturers want you to think.<br />Fact is... many TV channels did go digital, but some have switched back to analog due to the cost involved. So C-Band will always be around.<br /><br />The advertising for the 'little dish' is so prevalent (get it for free-this-and-that) etc...<br />The little dish is digital, has a bazillion channels, you don't have to switch satellites...etc... the 'BUD' (big ugly dish) is so large... take your pick why people are switching.<br /><br />I know of at least 2 complete set-ups right now that the owners want gone. One of them I'm going to keep for myself as it is a much newer dish than mine... The other set up was from a guy used to work with... but I haven't seen him for quite some time, so I dunno if it's still available. He had a complete digital 4DTV setup too.<br /><br />Based on a new set up, you're right... The little dish is the way to go. However, I wouldn't pay for a new C-band system. If you had to buy some equipment, you can get it off of EBay fairly cheap.<br /><br />Like I said... you can get them free or nearly free. Just do a little scouting. I bet you can find more than you can handle. (You'll probably have to buy the control cable, as most people bury it underground)<br />If you do find some to choose from, get one with a newer 'ram' type actuator. Mine is an old gear-type that no longer has parts available. That's why I want the newer one I found.<br /><br />I would switch back to the little DirecTv dish... but only if they would let me choose ONLY the channels I wanted to pay for and watch... and of course.. NO contracts!<br />I hear there has been quite a stink raised about this too. I've heard a lot of people asking DirecTv that they want to pay for only the channels they want to watch instead of the $50/month for 300 channels they'll never watch.<br /><br />Hopefully someday they'll listen.<br />Until then... I'm sticking with C-band!<br /><br /><br />H.