Satellite Info Please

[white-eagle]

digital to analog converter boxes do have some differences.  we bought 3 as all 6 of our current tv's are analog tuners.  we have a magnavox from walmart which we bought first.  absolute junk, but cheap.  it works but the tuner is below average, no volume control and no passthru.  if you just want something to use for a year, i guess it's ok.
next we bought a sansonic.  $60 less the coupon.  good tuner, remote will control sound and channels, has the usual other bells and whistles.  i'd pay the extra $10 again.
we just bought an insignia at Best buy cause their the only source i found easily.  $60 less the coupon and seems to work well also.  has everything but pass-thru, tuner works good and the remote controls sound and channels.  watch best buy.  they are trained to upsell you to all sorts of junk, but don't seem to understand the converter boxes, other than their new TV's are better and they tell you to get a new antenna.  BS!

basically, plug the antenna wire in, run the "out" cable back to the TV or use the video/sound RCA jacks.  run the setup which will search for digital channels.   i use the rca jacks so i can just switch back to analog channels easily.  the new digital stuff is on my "video 1" channel which i tune with the converter box.  all the rest i use the tv remote.  i used a splitter to bring the antenna to both the converter box and to the back of the analog TV.

Digital does not seem to go as far as analog.  the government hosed us again.  make everyone buy a new TV or boxes or something, but nightly news worked and works still the best on analog for a few channels.

whew!  that's the over the air stuff.

for Internet for just a few months, get a verizon phone with broadband and a tethering cable.  i call them up and pay $2 per day to use it for my connection.  if i didn't need it everyday, i'd turn it on once a week, tell the kids where i am, check my maps and fuel prices, then turn it off again.  Internet for $8 month.   Trust me, if i didn't need it for work, i'd only turn this notebook on once a week, if that.

as far as satellite and HD, i'd still bet on Directv with their KA satellite.  i don't know if Dish has any plans or the money to orbit one.  if i were KVH and sold bubbles, i'd be pushing Dish HD as the best future bet.  the question is, whose future are they looking at.
i borrowed my brother's receiver and i just pay him the extra receiver cost each month.  HD satellite for $7/month.  what a deal.  i use it to demonstrate the antennas.

i hope i answered the questions.

[Zeroclearance]

Nick,  I converted to Dish because DTV wanted to upgrade me to there new HD sat retro, but required me to pay $200 per every Tivo HD receiver that I have.   I have 4 that I purchased at $800 each and now they are scrap.   Yes, they would give me one for the 6 or 7 years that I have been with them.  On top of that,  you have to lease each new unit plus pay the fee.    It left a sour taste in my mouth.   Talking with KVH, they said that I would have more options for HD with Dish.   

I wish that KVH would offer a rebate/upgrade offer.

[white-eagle]

i requested info from our Distributor who sells us Dish, Directv, Winegard, KVH stuff concerning KVH and HD for DTV or Dish.  His answer is below>

>"Since the majority of KVH's equipment is geared towards DTV that shows what they corporately think. This is the channel tally:
                          DIRECTV   Dish
National Channels in HD   61   64
24/7 RSNs in HD                   11              0
PPV Channels in HD                   15     5
DNS/Locals in HD                     8     4
Total National Channels in HD   95   73
Games-only RSNs in HD    17   25
Total with Games-only RSN's    112   98

I haven't seen anything on the KA bubble in some time."<

His comment about the KA bubble was in response to my questions becuase at one point KVH was trying to make a bubble that could handle the 2 different LNB's required.

This is to somewhat document what works and what doesn't.  we don't sell Dish or Directv at this point.  We just sell and install the automatic and manual antennas to get satellite Internet or TV.
Just providing info.
zeroclearance, that sour taste would have caused me to upchuck all over my rep.  whew!
 

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Tom,

KVH is no longer favoring DTV, infact they are pushing Dish more then ever.

His comment about the KA bubble was in response to my questions becuase at one point KVH was trying to make a bubble that could handle the 2 different LNB's required.

I have seen with my own eyes, a duel band, 5 lnb 12" high inmotion Dome at KVH in operation! The reasons I was given that it's not in production yet

was ISO certifacions and Pattens. We think they are also holding back because they have not milked enough porfits out of the current line yet...

Nick-

[white-eagle]

His comment about the KA bubble was in response to my questions becuase at one point KVH was trying to make a bubble that could handle the 2 different LNB's required.

I have seen with my own eyes, a duel band, 5 lnb 12" high inmotion Dome at KVH in operation! The reasons I was given that it's not in production yet
Nick-

That's what they (our Disti) told us also, 3-4 months ago.  "wait on it, we've seen it"

we had a similar instance when 3 years ago, we certified with another company that said they had an Internet dish similar in appearance to the A7, but with Internet.  Hasn't shown up yet, either.

But who knows, KVH is a very qualified company.  maybe they can make magic.