Help me consider the right Dish Package & equipment

[BlueSnake]

I am considering switching from Directv to Dish. I am tired of waiting for Directv to get my LILs.

First of all I would like all the HD I can get.
Second my wife and I are movie buffs so we would like to have all premium channels.
My wife has to have Sci-Fi, Chiller, TNT, TBS, ... etc., anything that shows movies.

Please advise what package/packages we should consider.

We have 2 HDTVs & 2 regular TVs. What equipment will we need and will there be any up front costs?

One more question. Where in the sky are the satellites located for my area?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[ireadforumswhenimbored]

Sounds like the everything pack is for you. Gives you every english speaking channel that dish offers. Add Platinum HD on to that and you have EVERYTHING (both SD and HD).

As far as your sat locations, it depends on which system Dish is using in your area (you will either have a "western arc" setup in which the locations are very near your current direct tv sats. If your area is using the new "eastern arc" setup, you will instead face the south/southeast.

Either way you will be much happier with Dish's HD, as it is not nearly as compressed as Direct Tv's picture, and also provides you with a full-HD resolution (more dots on the screen).

You have three options for your receiver setup:

1- 612 single room HD-DVR
1- 211 single room HD
1- 222 two room receiver (one room is HD & one standard def.)

No upfront cost

OR....
1- 722 two room HD-DVR (one room is HD and one standard def.)
1- 222 two room HD (one room is HD and one standard def.)

The 722 is a $50 upfront cost

OR....(if you do not want a DVR)
2- 222 (total of two rooms HD, two rooms standard def.)

No upfront cost

[jclewter79]

If you are going to go with the Everything Pack, go ahead and get DVR's on all tv's. The everything pack includes DVR fees so you might as well.

[CoolGui]

If you are going to go with the Everything Pack, go ahead and get DVR's on all tv's. The everything pack includes DVR fees so you might as well.

I thought the everything pack only gave you one free DVR fee? If not, and they are all free, you might as well have two or more DVRs, but wouldn't it be a pain trying to go around to the correct TV that had the thing recorded that you wanted? :)

[harsh]

Gives you every english speaking channel that dish offers.This is utterly untrue. AEP does not include sports packages nor the adult channels (but you can add Playboy for $7).Either way you will be much happier with Dish's HD, as it is not nearly as compressed as Direct Tv's picture, and also provides you with a full-HD resolution (more dots on the screen).This is probably also untrue. Both companies contour and compress, but the current theories hold that DISH is somehow managing to fit more channels in the same space which suggests that more is lost.

I'd suggest two ViP722 receivers and AEP, but the jury is out with respect to Platinum HD versus Gold HD at this time.

I advocate staying well away from any setup involving the ViP222.

[harsh]

I thought the everything pack only gave you one free DVR fee?AEP covers all DVRs. The DVR packages only cover the first DVR.

[CoolGui]

AEP covers all DVRs. The DVR packages only cover the first DVR.

Very nice. If only I could access content between DVRs, then I would probably upgrade to AEP and two DVRs... I've been wanting HD in the bedroom.

[BattleZone]

Either way you will be much happier with Dish's HD, as it is not nearly as compressed as Direct Tv's picture, and also provides you with a full-HD resolution (more dots on the screen).


You have this backwards.

DirecTV MPEG4 HD:


1920x1080 resolution
5 HD channels per transponder


Dish MPEG4 HD:


1440x1080 resolution
7 HD channels per transponder


DirecTV is the one using full resolution, and is also allocating more bandwidth per channel, allowing higher bitrates and less compression.

It *is* true that DirecTV's old legacy MPEG2 HD was worse (1280x1080 resolution), but that's been irrelevant since DirecTV-11 came online and the legacy HD channels were mirrored in full-res MPEG4.

[Ivtec]

This is utterly untrue. AEP does not include sports packages nor the adult channels (but you can add Playboy for $7).This is probably also untrue. Both companies contour and compress, but the current theories hold that DISH is somehow managing to fit more channels in the same space which suggests that more is lost.

I'd suggest two ViP722 receivers and AEP, but the jury is out with respect to Platinum HD versus Gold HD at this time.

I advocate staying well away from any setup involving the ViP222.


What you mean stay awy of VIP222 setup??????

[harsh]

What you mean stay awy of VIP222 setup??????Is the meaning of what I said not clear?

[butters]

The VIP222 receivers are known to be buggy and riddled with problems. Lockups, reboots, signal loss, etc. My Dad's 222s lockup a fair amount and require a reboot sometimes more than once a day. While not everyone seems to have issues with them, there have been lots of complaints and no apparent solution.

[BlueSnake]

I got the 222K. So far there have been no issues. I can upgrade to a 622 within 30 days if need be, but so far the 222k has performed flawlessly.

[CoolGui]

You have this backwards.

DirecTV MPEG4 HD:


1920x1080 resolution
5 HD channels per transponder


Dish MPEG4 HD:


1440x1080 resolution
7 HD channels per transponder


DirecTV is the one using full resolution, and is also allocating more bandwidth per channel, allowing higher bitrates and less compression.

It *is* true that DirecTV's old legacy MPEG2 HD was worse (1280x1080 resolution), but that's been irrelevant since DirecTV-11 came online and the legacy HD channels were mirrored in full-res MPEG4.

Are you trolling?

[BattleZone]

Are you trolling?

Am I trolling? No, I posted factual information that's readily available here and elsewhere. Several dozen people at least can confirm what I posted, including a few moderators here.

What's your point?

[CoolGui]

Am I trolling? No, I posted factual information that's readily available here and elsewhere. Several dozen people at least can confirm what I posted, including a few moderators here.

What's your point?

I guess the point is the question was about choosing a dish network package... but if it makes you feel better because you have to defend DirecTV's honor... I guess you have to, right? :)

[BattleZone]

I was simply correcting someone who posted provably false information. I work for Dish Network, BTW. Even wearing a Dish Network hat right now...

[CoolGui]

Yeah, that's fine, but hadn't someone already corrected them? If you work for Dish Network, why don't you get to work on fixing that resolution discrepancy? :)

[BattleZone]

Yeah, that's fine, but hadn't someone already corrected them?

Kind of, but not with hard numbers. Folks come here for discussion and information, so don't be surprised to see both in these threads.

If you work for Dish Network, why don't you get to work on fixing that resolution discrepancy? :)

I have an installation company; I'm not Charlie Ergen... :lol: