posted 02-04-2004 11:34 PM         

DIGITAL CABLE: QUALITY, CHOICE

What it offers. Improved picture and sound quality. Up to 200 or so channels, with extensive movie and sports programming (much of it not available on analog cable at any price) and commercial-free music.

Don’t confuse digital with HD. All digital content is not high definition; some of it is standard definition. HD programming is often available on HBO, Discovery, and Showtime. You may get some HD broadcasts from ABC, CBS, NBC, and other networks, but much of it may not be transmitted in true HD by your cable company. Ask your company what it offers, and be specific and persistent. Even company personnel may be confused about what’s actually available in HD.

Other pluses: Interactive program guides allow improved navigation of channels. Some programs have Dolby Digital audio, which provides multichannel sound if you have the appropriate audio setup.

What you need. Digital cable is now available in almost all areas. You have to rent a digital cable box for each TV from the cable company. For HD programming, you need a special HD cable box and an HD-ready TV. Within the next year or so, you may be able to get digital broadcasts, including HD, by plugging the cable directly into the TV rather than into an external box.

What it costs. Digital cable adds about $10 to $20 a month on top of standard cable costs. The separate boxes for each TV cost about $5 a month each.

Comments. Digital cable is the only way to get video-on-demand, which lets you watch programs whenever you like.

SATELLITE: RIVALS DIGITAL CABLE

What it offers. With satellite TV, you have a choice of providers--a refreshing change for those cable subscribers limited to one cable company, which is the case in most areas. DirecTV and EchoStar’s Dish Network both operate nationwide.

Like digital cable, satellite gives you picture and sound quality that’s comparable to DVD plus up to 200 channels of programming, including commercial-free CD-quality music channels. Movie and sports programming is strong, with a wide range of choices. Local channels are available (at extra cost) in many but not all areas. However, satellite does not carry the community and school channels that cable must supply.

HD programming is largely limited to premium channels like HBO and Showtime. The major networks’ HD programming is generally not available, but you may be able to get it using a roof antenna.

What you need. Your home must have an unobstructed "view" of the transmitting satellite, which orbits in the southern skies. A small dish is mounted outdoors, and a satellite receiver sits near your TV. To get HD, you must have an HD-ready TV, a second or larger dish, and an HD-capable satellite receiver. (See Nuts & bolts of satellite TV.)

What it costs. Both DirecTV and Dish Network offer basic service packages that start at about $25 to $30 a month, plus $6 for local channels where available. High-end packages run about $75 to $80 a month.

Figure on paying $100 or so for a basic dish/receiver package, unless you get a promotional package offering free hardware in exchange for a year’s programming commitment. A separate receiver is required for each TV that you want to tune independently.

Comments. It can be a major inconvenience if local channels are not available in your market; check carefully before choosing this option. So far, satellite costs haven’t been as volatile as cable’s, but there’s no guarantee that they will remain so in the future.

posted 02-04-2004 11:36 PM         

The nuts & bolts of satellite TV

With a foothold in only one out of five households, satellite TV is still unfamiliar to many consumers. DirecTV and EchoStar’s Dish Network, the two leading nationwide providers, hope to change that. They’re wooing cable subscribers with promises of a wide range of channels and services, including high-definition (HD) programming.

The programming--described in detail in the main report--isn’t all that different from what digital cable has to offer. The equipment is a bigger point of departure. Here’s a detailed look at the hardware issues involved.

With satellite TV, you’ll need a dish antenna/receiver combination designed to work with the service you’ve chosen, much as you need a cell phone that works with the phone carrier you’ve selected. You can generally buy hardware directly from the service provider, or you may be able to get it free as part of a promotion.

You can also buy the equipment at an electronics store or from a satellite-system dealer/installer. With both DirecTV and Dish, there are several brands of equipment that are designed to work with those services. Installation can be tricky, so you might want to let a professional handle it.

Basic packages including a dish antenna, receiver, and remote cost about $100. If you want to watch different channels on two TVs at the same time, you’ll need a separate receiver for each set. You can use one receiver with two sets, but you’ll get the same channel on each.

Packages with a receiver and dish capable of receiving high-definition (HD) signals start at about $500; you must have an HD-ready TV as well. To get HD programming on DirecTV, you need a special dish that can address several satellites at once; for Dish Network, two dishes are required.

Some receivers have a hard drive for recording TV fare, much like stand-alone digital-video recorders from TiVo and ReplayTV. Recording models start at about $400. Some receivers have two tuners so that you can watch picture-in-picture on any TV and record two programs at once.

posted 02-05-2004 07:51 AM         

DirectTv
Dish network
Digital Cable
over the air HD tuner
VOOM

Directv has 12 Million subscribers and about 7 HD channels.

Dish has only 5 million and 8 HD channels including CBS

Digital cable with HDTV is new and may not be in your area.

I live too far away from a city to receive over the air HD signals.
www.Voom.com new sattelite provider ...just launched a sattelite and can deliver 36 HD channels!

I Have Dish but don't want to buy new equipment as of yet, since the other sattelite companies are aware of Voom and are trying to catch up.

Warning: DirectTv's HD receiver is INFERIOR to the quality of the Dish 6000 Receiver. (600 has been upgraded to a newer model # BTW)

If you go with satellite equipment, you CANNOT find better service and prices over www.allsat.com trust me on that one!

I have a Sony 57" HDTV and know someone in the sattellite business who talks regularly to the CEO of both Dish and DirectV...So I have a bit of current knowledge on HDTV.

The CEO of Dish had promised 50 HD channels by end of 2003....That hasn't happened yet....

posted 02-05-2004 09:27 AM         

One more question...if I buy the 811 tuner then I don't need to buy a HD tuner from Best Buy. Also, I presume VOOM has a similar tuner to the 811 tuner which I can buy to ensure HD programming.