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Thinking About Switching to Dish but Have Connectivity and Price Questions?

1744 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Neil64
Hello All,

I have been with Direct TV since 1996 and have a SD Tivo DVR from 2001 that works like a champ.

I want additional programming + HD so I am leaning to Dish as my new service provider. I am thinking about America's Top 250 and adding HBO when the 3 month promo ends.

My question are both technical about connectivity and also price conscious.

Connectivity:

Currently have a SD Tivo output using the house's RG-59 to feed all TV. Also connected to the Tivo is our roof top antenna that distributes HD local programing to our HD TVs through the same RG-59 cable network.

Entrance level - I have (1) HD TV next to the TiVo and one SD TV approximately 20 feet from the Tivo.

2nd Floor - I have (1) HDTV receiving Direct TV Tivo signal and OTA HD local programming on it's RG-59 coax cable. I also need at least (1) if not (2) other RG-59 cable run to 2 other bedrooms to pipe TV where there is currently none. I am told Dish will run the cable for no charge????

Basement - I have (1) SD connected to the RG-59 network to receive SD Tivo output.

So all in all, all of my HD TVs can watch either OTA programing while the SD watch Tivo or everyone watches the same programing.

My Tivo has only phone line connectivity. No internet connectivity.

So what receiver should I choose if I switch to Dish?

From what I can tell, the 722 makes the most sense if I want to keep my current TV similar as I could output the HDMI output to the TV right next to the 722 and connect the RG-59 output to my existing RG-59 network. And this DVR would only cost me $6/month in fees, right? Does the 722 have OTA connectivity and the ability to pipe it to other TVs using the RG-59 output? So this limits everyone using the RG-59 network to watch the same show while the HDMI can watch something different, right?

If I choose the Hopper, there is no OTA connectivity, right? I guess I can get around this by using one of the RG-59 cables (A/B) strictly for the OTA and the other one for Dish. How many Joeys would I need and how much would they cost? I have read that a RF modulator can be used to send HD signals to the RG-59 network so additional Joeys are not needed. Is this right?

In the ling run, which DVR am I better off with and which is the cheapest? I hate paying a montly fee to each TV and might be willing to settle for just SD at most of the TVs. Also, should the insurance plan be added due to unreliable hardware?

As the Hopper is the newest DVR out there, I assume it is going to have the best interface, features and will be what Dish designs future features and services for.

Any thoughts which direction I should go?


Thanks...

Neil
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To kind of duplicate what you have today, go for a single 722k plus OTA tuner module. Run the TV2 output from it to all your other TV's via you existing coax plus the couple of other new runs you want to make. You can also backfeed your OTA antenna itself on the same RG59 as the RF output from the 722k, so you can tune to the analog channel Dish is on as well as other analog and digital channels from OTA independently. If you do that, you may want an amplifier for the OTA signal.

I wanted HD (without the Joey fees), so I personally took a different approach. I have a single hopper feeding several other HD TVs wirelessly (using ActionTec MyWireless TV transmitters/receivers, expensive new, but cheap used). My OTA antenna feeds every TV through my existing coax, entirely separate from the coax my sat uses. That way I have HD sat on the HDMI input of each TV as well as OTA on the antenna input of each. I had to buy a Dish UHF remote for each TV (got several model 32.0 remotes cheap from ebay).

Independent viewing of Sat content of course will require more receivers or (or Joeys with the Hopper system). You can mirror any hoppers or joeys in SD like you do today over independent coax runs using modulators. Keep in mind you'll need some sort of 3rd party RF remote solution if mirrored Joeys are far away. UHF range on Joeys isn't that great. UHF range on Hoppers is excellent due to the external antenna.

I would pass on the protection plan.

As P Smith said, the other stuff has already been asked and answered in great detail several times.
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