HD - not sure what I'm getting in to...

[sgt-spam]

Hi - I'm new (as you can see from my post count) to HD and this forum...

I've gotten the OK from my wife to pick up a new HD screen, so in a week or so we'll be going to get the 50" Sony SXRD.

Right now we have two R15 D* receivers we are pleased with. I have a round dual-LNB dish with everything pre-wired from when we built the house. Pre-wired = two lines from garage attic (on which the dish is mounted) to the distribution point in the basement. Our bedroom is right beside the garage attic, so I have two more RG6 cables I can 'steal' and re-route to the garage attic if need be for a total of four cables to the distribution point.

Our theater room has four RG6 and four CAT5 connections where the TV will go.

I'm expecting to replace a R15 with a new HD DVR.

Plain and simply, what am I getting myself into? I'd like to better understand the wiring requirements of a new dish (whether that be 3 or 5 LNB), the OTA antenna D* is pushing on me, and the new HD DVR.

I'd also like to understand better what questions to ask or what to look for when I start talking to D* about purchasing the equipment and having it installed.


Thanks!

[Earl Bonovich]

3 and 5 LNB system need 4 SAT lines.

with the 5 LNB, if Locals are not available via SAT, then you will need an OTA antenna.

And on the 5 LNB, you will need an extra line. (With the 3, you can double up on one of the xisting ones)

The HR20 should be available during Q3 of this year... at least that is the last date that I have heard.

[sgt-spam]

3 and 5 LNB system need 4 SAT lines.

with the 5 LNB, if Locals are not available via SAT, then you will need an OTA antenna.

And on the 5 LNB, you will need an extra line. (With the 3, you can double up on one of the xisting ones)

The HR20 should be available during Q3 of this year... at least that is the last date that I have heard.

Thanks Earl.

I assume they will bring out a 3 LNB dish. According to what you've said I'll need four cables for the dish. D* claims I can put the OTA antenna signal on the same cables the sat. uses - is that correct? A total of four cables for dish and antenna?

In the event they bring a 5 LNB dish, I would need a total of five cables?

[Chris Blount]

Hi there and welcome to the forum! :welcome_s

What is stopping you from getting an HR10-250? They are getting relatively cheap these days and they work fairly well. Might be a good option if you don't want to wait for the HR20.

[Earl Bonovich]

Your best bet would be to run a 5th cable..

As the future HD needs are going to need that 5LNB (if you don't want the MPEG4 HD locals... if they are available), you could get away with the 3LNB for a long while...

3 LNB - 4 Wires will be fine
5 LNB - 5 Wires is what you will need.

As for teh HR10-250... it is a fine unit, but it uses a drastically different interface then your R15s

[sgt-spam]

Edited...

Thanks for the replies.

Sounds like I'll have to see if I can steal some cable from other pre-wired rooms through the attic to get a total of five up to the garage roof.

[dsanbo]

Edited...

Thanks for the replies.

Sounds like I'll have to see if I can steal some cable from other pre-wired rooms through the attic to get a total of five up to the garage roof.
sgt-spam.....
If your first "dip" into the HD "pool" is a 50" Sony SXRD.....Consider yourself truly blessed......!!:D
IMHO, this has to be one of -if not THE- best looking displays out there right now!!!
If you use top-quality components (cables, connectors, OTA antenna,etc.) AND have a professional satellite installation....You'll be a VERY happy viewer for a VERY long time.....!

[olgeezer]

Something you may check first Sony has excellent built in OTA tuners. You get richer more vibrant color through OTA locals than through locals broadcast over satellite. In your part of the country, you may get more OTA channels than provided on sat. Go to antennaweb.org and plug in your address.:D

[JM Anthony]

First of all, welcome to the forum. You've found a great place for high quality information that's saved my bacon more than once. Our sister site (AVS Forum) has some great threads on OTA reception advice. If you're close to a large city, you can probably find one and get a lot of local knowledge that will help you on that end. I live in Seattle, and we've got a couple of gurus, one of whom is a high end professional antenna installer, who have helped a lot of people out.

A good quality home theater set up can provide a great deal of enjoyment. And getting there is at least half the fun!! :lol: With the price of first run theater tickets being what they are today, curling up on the couch with a good movie or TV program is a good alternative. And besides, the popcorn is usually much better.

[boldie24@wideopenwest.com]

I too am a newbie to the HD world and have just purchased a Sony 50" SXRD as well. I can definately vouch for the OTA HD picture quality it produces. I don't have anything to compare it to yet since I am still waiting on my D* install but March Madness has been great along with primetime viewing and 24x7 HD broadcasts by our local PBS affiliate here in Chicagoland (WTTW). Very, Very happy with the Sony SXRD.

[sgt-spam]

Well, the cables have been run.

I've got two from my existing satellite install, and the other three pulled from nearby locations.

After close to 10 calls to D*, I have confirmed that when they come to do the install, they will put in the AT9 dish. One of the reps indicated that HD locals would be available to me (Cleveland, OH) in May, but I'm not sure if I have to subscribe to the HD package to receive that or not. Regardless, I think I'll have them install the OTA antenna while they're on the roof.

My dilema now is whether to purchase my HD recorder from them or online. According to the majority of the people I talked to at D*, there is no rebate or incentive for the HD DVR - I'd be paying them (leasing) $500. It seems that the HD TiVo has been selling on eBay for around $350.

D* also informed me that the HD DVR is the only HD receiver they offer that comes with a HDMI cable.

Ultimately, I think I'll want the D* HD DVR that has an OS similar to the R15's I already have, but I can't do without a DVR in the mean time. :-D

Any thoughts?


Thanks for the replies!

[CCarncross]

HD Locals, are part of the local package, not the HD package.

[JLucPicard]

Hi sgt-spam - welcome to DBSTalk!

First of all, if you subscribe to the locals you should get them in HD. Having said that, the HD locals of which the rep spoke are the MPEG4 locals, and they cannot be decoded by the HR10-250. Definitely have them install the OTA antenna. This is your only shot at HD locals with the HR10-250, if your signal is good enough where you are.

I think a lot of people would feel if you can get a better deal on the HR10-250 from someone other than D*, it would be good to go there because you would own the receiver. You would have to make sure that D* adds it to your account as owned, though, and not leased.

If I was making this decision for myself right now, the one factor that would maybe sway me is what will be done when the new HD DVR (MPEG4 version) comes out. Will there be a direct swap of the new DVR for the HR10-250 if that HR10-250 is leased (as in an equipment upgrade)? What will they be doing for upgrades from HR10-250 to HR20 (or whatever they will be called) if the HR10-250 is an owned unit? Any equipment upgrades done now, acording to their new lease model, will be leased equipment.

I think there's a better chance of the leased-for-leased swap being free or very low cost. Information on a swap of owned-for-lease has not been communicated by D* at all. Would it be a free swap, with the new unit now being a lease that would need to be returned to D* upon cancellation of service? Would they actually take possession of the 'owned' HR10-250 under such a swap, or would the installers not even bother to take them, as had happened with some recent swaps. And what will they charge in an owned-for-lease sceanrio? All questions that have not yet been addressed by D*.

I think one commonality that I have seen on this board is that if a person owns an HR10-250 and has adequate reception of OTA HD locals right now, they are not going to be too quick to swap out for the new HD DVR as the only benefit to upgrading to the MPEG4 HD DVR would be any national channels that D* adds that are MPEG4 format only - and the feeling/reality is, that will be some time down the road. I think common opinion is that the OTA HD locals, if you can get them, will be of better quality than the MPEG4 version - plus the MPEG4 locals will most likely be only the big four networks.

Since you've indicated that you will ultimately want the new HD DVR, I'd get an HR10-250 for whatever reasonable price you can and have it activated as a leased unit on your account.

[DonCorleone]

HD Locals, are part of the local package, not the HD package.

You sure about that? The site seems to imply that it's part of the HD package.

[Earl Bonovich]

HD Locals are not part of the HD Package, they are part of the LOCALS package.

Same as HBO-HD is part of the HBO Package, and SHO-HD is part of the Showtime Package.

The only things you get for the $9.99 HD Package is:
ESPN-HD; ESPN2-HD; Discovery-HD, Universal-HD, HD-NET, HD-MOVIES

Distant HD Networks are independent of the above three and are in a class all by themselves.

[Aria]

As for teh HR10-250... it is a fine unit, but it uses a drastically different interface then your R15s
I have a H20 and R10s. I have never owned the HR10. Since both are TiVo units, I assume the interfaces of the R10 and HR10 are the same or similar, right? So, I was wondering if the interfaces of the R15 and H20 are similar to each other? I find the search function on the H20 to be much faster than the search function on the R10. So, I'm hoping when the new HR20 finally comes out that it's search function will be faster like the H20.

[CCarncross]

ANd TNT-HD Earl....

;)

[Earl Bonovich]

Ahh... forgot about the TNT-HD (shows you how much I watch it.. :D )

The H20, R15, and the eventaul HR20 interfaces are all the same core design.
So going from an H20 to an R15 or an HR20 you should have no major obsticles in using the GUI

HR10 and the R10 interfaces are very similar as well.

[Wolffpack]

Ahh... forgot about the TNT-HD (shows you how much I watch it.. :D )
Why watch TNT-HD. Actors for most of their shows are short/fat/wide look-a-likes of other actors that were in the original shows. :rolleyes:

[JLucPicard]

Why watch TNT-HD. Actors for most of their shows are short/fat/wide look-a-likes of other actors that were in the original shows. :rolleyes:

LOL! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[frogg]

Why watch TNT-HD. Actors for most of their shows are short/fat/wide look-a-likes of other actors that were in the original shows. :rolleyes:
I feel that some are being a little too harsh on the TNT stretched/upconverted SD programming. I think that it looks pretty good-not as good as the HD stuff of course, but seems to be not nearly as distorted as what my H20 or my TV stretch formats produce. Actually I could be happy to have D* broadcast all SD in this stretched/upconverted mode. But maybe it's just me.:confused:

[JLucPicard]

Just you (OK, not just you).

The whole "downrez" argument aside, I can't see how they can take a program and stretch it to fit a wider screen and then call it HD. If it isn't true 16:9 format, I would MUCH prefer to watch it in 4:3 format - even on an "HD" channel.

[Wolffpack]

Stretch or no stretch should be a user choice. No network/station should make a decision like that for all viewers. I watch the true HD broadcasts on TNT, but I don't watch the stretched versions. If I want to watch non-HD programs (X-Files for example) I watch those on the SD channel.

[CCarncross]

It would be nice if when the shows arent going to be true HD picture, and they use that progressive stretch, that at least the guide didnt show them all as HD.....Pretty much every show listed in teh guide says HD by it....

[JLucPicard]

It would be nice if when the shows arent going to be true HD picture, and they use that progressive stretch, that at least the guide didnt show them all as HD.....Pretty much every show listed in teh guide says HD by it....

Absolutely! I couldn't agree more. There are things I like to watch on TNT, but would prefer to record SD in SD. The guide data is very poor for weeding that out.

[cabanaboy1977]

I too am a newbie to the HD world and have just purchased a Sony 50" SXRD as well. I can definately vouch for the OTA HD picture quality it produces. I don't have anything to compare it to yet since I am still waiting on my D* install but March Madness has been great along with primetime viewing and 24x7 HD broadcasts by our local PBS affiliate here in Chicagoland (WTTW). Very, Very happy with the Sony SXRD.

WTTW broadcasts everything in HD now? Even the kids shows? I'll have to check it out. MY OTA that's in the attic (came with the house) doesn't do anything for me and rabbit ears don't help, so the HD stations I get are the ones D* give me.

[sgt-spam]

Well...

My SXRD was delivered today! I haven't had much time to play, but so far, it's SWEET!

I'm scheduled for a D* HD install Saturday and I can hardly wait.

In the mean time I've got plenty to do in figuring out this TV!


WOOT!!


By next weekend, I'll be SET!

[hysteric]

Is the HR10-250 HD DVR compatible with the 5 LNB dish (AT-9?)?

I ordered an upgrade to the HD package (HR10-250 + dish) today from DirecTV and requested the new 5 LNB dish since I plan on upgrading to the MPEG4 DVR when it's available (thinking I'd then just have to upgrade to the new DVR, not upgrade the dish).

I was told by the DirecTV rep that the HR10-250 is not compatible with the 5 LNB dish and they will be installing a 3 LNB with my HD package this week.

I'd rather not have to upgrade both the DVR and the dish again in 6 months when the MPEG4 compatible DVR is available. Can anyone confirm/deny this?

Thanks!

[Wolffpack]

The HR10 will work with the AT9 however will not be able to receive the MPEG4 signals for HD locals. Good luck arguing with them though.

On the other hand, by the time the HR20 is available the new SlimLine dish may also be available. Quite a bit smaller and lighter than that huge AT9 hunk of iron. Waiting may not be a bad idea.

Are local HDs out for Seattle?

[hysteric]

Thanks for the help. We'll see what the installer shows up with Wednesday.

re: HD Locals in Seattle -- this morning the DirecTV rep told me June for Seattle area. Of course they also told me the 5LNB wasn't compatible with the HR10-250...

[hfhlt004]

I posted the below elsewhere today:


Disregarding costs, I still have a problem. My original Directv satellite with 2 LNB was installed years ago in my mutiunit townhome building. I do not have direct line of site, so the dish is on the roof and cabling comes down in the old rooftop antenna piping. Installers were out today to install my new Direct Tivo HD 10-250, and told me they could not do so, because internal wiring does not support it. They could only do wiring for one box., unless they drilled into the wall of the building. I was prewired for 2LNB (box in upstairs den and downstairs living room), but they can't do 5 LNB using internal wiring. This presents a real problem for exisiting SD satellite owners in complexes such as this.

I inquired if the slimline dish would work, and they didn't know what this is.

[JLucPicard]

You'd have the same problem with the slimline. Both use the same number of cables.

[hfhlt004]

You'd have the same problem with the slimline. Both use the same number of cables.

I did have the dish installed in Oct, but my big 5LNB dish was knocked over and damaged by the wind. It had not been properly installed and anchored, so they came out and installed the slimline dish.