Direct TV HD package...

steveinaz

Got hooked up (finally) this Saturday and I am happier than a tornado in a trailer park. I should have done this last year when I bought the TV.

The HD is awesome--watched the play-offs this week, wicked. Color, color, color, crystal clear picture. My DVE settings from my Blu Ray worked very well, needing only a little tweak here and there. I can't wait until all US TV goes this route. What a difference from plain vanilla digital cable. I've got about 34 HD channels.

rskarvan

Yep... DirecTV HD is fabulous!!!

mantis

With all the changes I wonder if there Picture quality has Improved over what It was with HD. I have found there HD picture quality to be soft and sometime blurry compared to Verizon Fios and Comcast cable.
I don't see Direct TV that much anymore. I have however Installed the new H21 HD box which was Gloss Black. It was on a older Plasma from Sony. So I really didn't get to see if the picture quality has been improved.
With comcast keep raising there prices and not offering anymore HD programs, I would gladly switch back to Direct Tv. I thought I saw like 70 HD channels.

Dan

skipf

The only complaint I have about DirecTv HD is that they don't offer my local channels in HD even though the stations broadcast in HD. What's up with that? Really pisses me off as all the play-off games are on the local channels.

steveinaz

You should get all of your local channels...call them.

billbillw

skipf wrote: »

The only complaint I have about DirecTv HD is that they don't offer my local channels in HD even though the stations broadcast in HD. What's up with that? Really pisses me off as all the play-off games are on the local channels.

You are probably down the list of DMAs to get HD locals. Where in S.C. are you? Directv is launching another satellite in March that should open up the rest of the country to HD locals shortly after that. In the meantime, you could just use an antenna to get HD locals.

billbillw

mantis wrote: »

With all the changes I wonder if there Picture quality has Improved over what It was with HD. I have found there HD picture quality to be soft and sometime blurry compared to Verizon Fios and Comcast cable.
I don't see Direct TV that much anymore. I have however Installed the new H21 HD box which was Gloss Black. It was on a older Plasma from Sony. So I really didn't get to see if the picture quality has been improved.
With comcast keep raising there prices and not offering anymore HD programs, I would gladly switch back to Direct Tv. I thought I saw like 70 HD channels.

Dan

The older MPEG2 channels (channels 70-79) are not the very best quality (especially TNTHD), but all of the newer MPEG4 channels look extremely sharp and are better than Comcast in my opinion.

Steve, Glad to hear you are enjoying the new programming.

Bill Ayotte

skipf wrote: »

The only complaint I have about DirecTv HD is that they don't offer my local channels in HD even though the stations broadcast in HD. What's up with that? Really pisses me off as all the play-off games are on the local channels.

I've got all of my locals in HD, and they look awesome. You guys are right about some of the older channels looking a little shaky, but I mostly just watch the Discovery channel in HD.....I'm far from a nature geek, but every time I flip by it, I end up staying.

steveinaz

Strange but, this morning my standard def channels looked much better than when first installed, did my dish break-in?

Seriously...

Bill Ayotte

steveinaz wrote: »

Strange but, this morning my standard def channels looked much better than when first installed, did my dish break-in?

Seriously...

I noticed the same thing after about a week, and I have no idea why either.

I know that mine has updated three of four times in the three weeks I've had it, I've got the gloss black HD-DVR.....

steveinaz

Cool, I thought I was going nuts...I've got the "non-DVR" H21 HD receiver (black).

polkatese

Here in SoCal, DTV is in the process of moving MPEG2 local channels (81-89) to the upper band (MPEG4 I presumed) 393-399. Also, they just rollout software improvements to all of my HR20. The way to tell whether your box get an update is by pressing the YELLOW button (TV Options). This is a new feature. The update goes in cycle, though. I have three HR20 and it tooks DTV a week and half to roll out the update in these boxes. As far as SD update, I wasn't paying attention, so I can't really tell if it makes PQ difference.

Welcome to the world of DTV, Steve. It beats cable for sure, in my case.

steveinaz

The picture on CNN Headline news (Standard def) looked much better this morning--of course not as good as CNNHD, but darn close for standard Def.

The first couple days the SD channels looked really soft, almost fuzzy--I was a little disappointed, but today they are looking much better--every bit as good, if not better than Cox digital cable.

skipf

I'm in the Columbia area. Did hear they plan to offer local channels in HD sometime in Feb. Guess that's when the new satellite will be in operation. Haven't gotten an antenna for that reason, but will hook up a set of rabbit ears and see if they will work.

billbillw

Skip, the satellite isn't being launched until March, so I doubt you will see them before April at the soonest. Which HD box do you have? The newest ones (HR21/H21) don't include an OTA tuner, so you might be out of luck when it comes to getting anything with rabbit ears unless your TV has a built in HD tuner.

univera

I just had Comcast installed in my new home because DTV was going to take nearly a month to get an installer out. My Comcast pic was not as sharp on HD and "clearly" not as sharp on the digital stations. My boxes are silver, 8300HDC DVR. I had them come out and test everything. The tech said all the lines were good, but the boxes were not outputting properly. You can check your signal by going to channel 001, holding and pressing the "select" button" and waiting until it flashes, then continue to hold and press info on the left side. This will bring up a tech screen. Look under "RF Parameters" and "Tuner."

He said that an acceptable signal should be between -7 and +7. Even though my box shows it's outputting correctly, the box is bad since all other variables had been ruled out. He also said these boxes are refurbed, so it wouldn't surprise that they aren't outputting properly.

The tech said he has replaced many boxes which instantly improved picture quality.
No local HD on DTV in Charleston yet...Haven't replaced my boxes yet to see if it improves picture.

skipf

I've got the latest model HD-DVR reciever, and it doesn't have a port for an external antenna like the earlier ones did. When I had my Panni plasma installed, I had them drop an antanna coax to the box next to the floor so I can connect an OTA antenna if desired. The Panni does have a tuner. Guess I'll go ahead and get an antenna to watch the stupor bowl in HD. Standard resolution makes me think my eyes are going bad now that they are spoiled by HD.

Rivrrat

I just ordered an hd/dvr upgrade from Directv, and when the installer got here, he couldn't do it because I didn't have two rg6 feeds for the receiver.

It would've been nice if they told me that before he came out. I've been on vacation long enough to make the runs.

So I ask the installer how many people run into this. He said abot 90%.

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

billbillw

Rivrrat wrote: »

I just ordered an hd/dvr upgrade from Directv, and when the installer got here, he couldn't do it because I didn't have two rg6 feeds for the receiver.

It would've been nice if they told me that before he came out. I've been on vacation long enough to make the runs.

So I ask the installer how many people run into this. He said abot 90%.

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Uh, the installer is supposed to install the 2nd line if needed. Its part of their workorder. Sounds like he was being lazy.

polkatese

yep, he is. All mine are single tuner, since it takes a major effort to fish a second line for each (I have two storeys house), and to do it cleanly (i.e. inside the wall). But, in every case, the tech offered me to do it (as part of their workorders), and I declined. FYI, my issue is running the coax from the multiplexer in the garage to each of the location, 2 in second floor, and one in the living room. I wish splitting DTV signal is as easy as installing splitter at the receiving end, ala cable.

steveinaz

The H21 and HR21 don't have OTA capability.

mantis

I would go as far as getting the new 5 lnb installed or do it myself to see it go. Then I could do the side by side compare.
I did this a few years ago with my Mitsubishi HD box then. Comcast killed it dead.

Dan

Rivrrat

billbillw wrote: »

Uh, the installer is supposed to install the 2nd line if needed. Its part of their workorder. Sounds like he was being lazy.

The only way to get to where he needed to be was to open up walls, the ceiling and drill through stucco. RAF (Rat acceptance factor) is no visible cables allowed.

I don't have a problem with doing it, but I had a problem with them doing it. I'll order enough cable from Monoprice to do a home run all the way back to the box, order a cable for a subwoofer to put in at the same time, and get ready for more sheetrock work.

BlueMDPicker

steveinaz wrote: »

Got hooked up (finally) this Saturday and I am happier than a tornado in a trailer park. I should have done this last year when I bought the TV.

Cool! I finally, this past weekend, connected and configured the little OTA antenna I bought a year ago. The playoff games made a believer out of me. WOW!

My problem has been whether to stick with DirecTV and upgrade to HD receivers or switch to my phone/internet provider (Verizon FIOS.) To get the FIOS "bundle price" I have to give up (or pay extra for) some of the key calling features of the phone service I've had for years with their "Freedom" plan by being forced to take "Freedom Essentials". After spending far too long on the phone with Verizon (talking to the proverbial brick wall), I've pretty much decided to go with DirecTV. Glad to hear you're happy with their HDTV! That makes the decision even easier.

shahmichael@ver

I just switched from comcast triple play,hd service to Direct tv and the pq is very good,as good as comcast,less expensive,better dvr.I did everything through verizon,phone,internet and Direct,I get discount on bill for having all three and comes on one bill.I would not go back to comcast unless I had no choice.:D

Rivrrat

I have two 100' rg6 coax's and one 35' digital audio coax on their way from Monoprice.com. I'll open up the flippin walls Thurs hoping to get a delivery Fri. Then I'll call the jackasses back and try this all over again.

I suppose while everything is open I'll run cat 5 over to the puter too. This will be the third time I've had the walls and ceiling open to run a/v wiring.

shadowofnight

skipf wrote: »

The only complaint I have about DirecTv HD is that they don't offer my local channels in HD even though the stations broadcast in HD. What's up with that? Really pisses me off as all the play-off games are on the local channels.

Go here... http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx ...add in your specifics ( address..etc ) and see which OTA ant. they recommend. You will not believe how much better then Directv the uncompressed HD signals look like. I live in the sticks and went with this one... http://antennasdirect.com/DB8_HD_Antenna.html ...I get all the locals and like 8 more channels...the quality is unbelievable.

I send the RF feed into my H20 ( The OTA channels get a dash insignia ) ...its worth mounting the extra ant 1,000 percent. I love my directv...and its quality is great...but the OTA ant is a great addition.