# Goodbye Directv and DirecTivo..



## maharg18 (Dec 4, 2002)

I've been a Directv sub since 1998, and a Tivo lover since 2001, but unfortunately I must say goodbye. I just moved into a new house with rediculously large, full trees that make any attempt at satellite reception futile, so unfortunately it's back to crummy 'ol Comcast for me.

As much as we complain about Directv's (over)compression, it still beats that grainy crap that Comcast sends out in my area, and I will miss my HR10-250 most of all. 

Hopefully the Tivo software for the Moto 6412 gets rolled out soon, and I look forward to seeing how the Series 3 works out as well....


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## Redux (Oct 19, 2004)

maharg18 said:


> new house with rediculously large, full trees


Three words: chain saw.


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## appleye1 (Jan 26, 2002)

Why on earth would you move into a house without a clear view of the southern sky? That's the first criteria I would use when picking a new house!


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## JordanG (Oct 11, 2002)

The newer tivo software and series 3 won't fix your analog channels...


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## Dkerr24 (Oct 29, 2004)

appleye1 said:


> Why on earth would you move into a house without a clear view of the southern sky? That's the first criteria I would use when picking a new house!


I use same criteria for broadband internet... if the house doesn't have DSL or cable, it's no deal.


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## maharg18 (Dec 4, 2002)

appleye1 said:


> Why on earth would you move into a house without a clear view of the southern sky? That's the first criteria I would use when picking a new house!


Indeed that is usually my criteria as well, but the house was too nice to pass up...


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## maharg18 (Dec 4, 2002)

JordanG said:


> The newer tivo software and series 3 won't fix your analog channels...


I know, but atleast it will return me to that familiar, reliable Tivo interface as opposed to what Comcast offers now..


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

You need to think outside the box to find possible dish locations.
How about on a pole in the north side of the yard. You might be able to get a line over the trees that way.
Or how about mounted at the base of the trees to get a line of sight under the trees.


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## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

Redux said:


> Three words: chain saw.


 :up:


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## maharg18 (Dec 4, 2002)

JimSpence said:


> You need to think outside the box to find possible dish locations.
> How about on a pole in the north side of the yard. You might be able to get a line over the trees that way.
> Or how about mounted at the base of the trees to get a line of sight under the trees.


I've tried thinking outside the box, but have been unable to find a suitable location thus far, and the neighbors probably wouldn't like to see a dish in the front yard, but even there aiming over the house would be unlikely to work. I haven't 100% given up, but it's not looking good.


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## TivoIsForLovers (May 30, 2006)

:down: That really sucks


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## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

maharg18 said:


> I've tried thinking outside the box, but have been unable to find a suitable location thus far, and the neighbors probably wouldn't like to see a dish in the front yard, but even there aiming over the house would be unlikely to work. I haven't 100% given up, but it's not looking good.


How about the top of the trees. U can suspend it with balloons and a teather  Any thing is better than cable. i would go as far as to hire a tree hugger and tell them you will destroy the trees unless they camp out at the top with your dish


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## Dkerr24 (Oct 29, 2004)

Maybe you could place landscaping around the dish in the front yard to disguise it? Like most here, I can't imagine going back to cable TV.


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## nhaigh (Jul 16, 2001)

JordanG said:


> The newer tivo software and series 3 won't fix your analog channels...


I've just upgraded from DirecTV to Comcast in anticipation of the S3. The digital distibution of local channels below 100 (cable box) are as good as DirecTV ever was in my area.

I still feel it is unfair to compare anlogue service with digital.


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## arc6th (Jun 26, 2002)

nhaigh said:


> I still feel it is unfair to compare anlogue service with digital.


You're exactly right. The cablecos are at a distinct disadvantage. The cablecos which supply inferior analog channels will lose more & more business as their customers purchase larger & larger monitors revealing the flaws of the analog signals.

The analog channels on Chattanooga's Comcast are unwatchable on 36" and larger monitors. One with a decent a/v system and discriminating taste in our town would select Comcast only if there is no clear view to the southern sky, as they say.


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## DPMGR39 (May 21, 2005)

Alan, I find comcast unwatchable, period!! I live in Rossville, hello.


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## maharg18 (Dec 4, 2002)

The Comcast digital channels look to be on par with Directv to me, but the analog channels suck hard, and unfortunately many of the most popular channels are still on the analog tier. On my 50" plasma they look like arse, to put it kindly...


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## LostCluster (Feb 11, 2002)

nhaigh said:


> I've just upgraded from DirecTV to Comcast in anticipation of the S3. The digital distibution of local channels below 100 (cable box) are as good as DirecTV ever was in my area.
> 
> I still feel it is unfair to compare anlogue service with digital.


Channels numbered below 100 typically are sent by analog NTSC even on digital boxes. There are some systems that replicate their enitre analog band with duplicate digital signals in the hundreds, but those are pretty rare.


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## Phantom Gremlin (Jun 20, 2002)

LostCluster said:


> There are some systems that replicate their enitre analog band with duplicate digital signals in the hundreds, but those are pretty rare.


I think this is starting to change dramatically. Locally Comcast now advertises "100% digital" and it's true, because they've duplicated the low analogs (except maybe public service channels?).

It's not really so hard for them to do. A single QAM channel can carry 38 mbits/sec in 6 MHz bandwidth (equivalent to the bandwidth of a single analog channel). Comcast can easily digitize 10 or more analogs into 38 mbits. So 70 analog channels probably only costs them 5 or 6 QAM channels. Not a big deal.

What I think Comcast is preparing to do is to drop many of the analogs to free up bandwidth. Locally analogs go up to about channel 70 but I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to cut back to about channel 33 in a few years.


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## JasonRossSmith (Jul 21, 2005)

Phantom Gremlin said:


> What I think Comcast is preparing to do is to drop many of the analogs to free up bandwidth. Locally analogs go up to about channel 70 but I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to cut back to about channel 33 in a few years.


Gosh, I hope Cox doesn't do that in Nebraska. I only have basic cable and the picture is fine on my 36" Sony. I wouldn't want to pay more for digital...

Maharg18 - Have you thought about mounting the dish right in the trees to the south? Just trim a few branches, etc. I saw this once in Colorado, you couldn't hardly even tell it was there the next year...

Heck of a long cable run though.


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## kgm32 (Jun 1, 2006)

Phantom Gremlin said:


> I think this is starting to change dramatically. Locally Comcast now advertises "100% digital" and it's true, because they've duplicated the low analogs (except maybe public service channels?).
> 
> It's not really so hard for them to do. A single QAM channel can carry 38 mbits/sec in 6 MHz bandwidth (equivalent to the bandwidth of a single analog channel). Comcast can easily digitize 10 or more analogs into 38 mbits. So 70 analog channels probably only costs them 5 or 6 QAM channels. Not a big deal.
> 
> What I think Comcast is preparing to do is to drop many of the analogs to free up bandwidth. Locally analogs go up to about channel 70 but I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to cut back to about channel 33 in a few years.


This makes sense...it would force most people to get a digital box for every TV in the house at 4.99 per box.


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## tmissey (Dec 8, 2005)

I had this problem, I took the chainsaw and rooftop mount. Although the wife griped about the missing trees...


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## dshinnick (Jun 6, 2003)

I'm still hung up on why "chain saw" is three words....

:O)


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## maharg18 (Dec 4, 2002)

Well I'm sitting here watching my Moto 6412 DVR, so far so good, although I've only recorded 1 show so far. Analog channels still suck, but the HD does look quite a bit better than D*. One thing's for certain, Tivo is MUCH more user friendly. This Comcast remote is rediculous!


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## Imageek2 (Aug 12, 2002)

maharg18 said:


> and the neighbors probably wouldn't like to see a dish in the front yard


Put the dish in one of those big fake rock covers and bury the cables underground!


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## BigFoot48 (Jul 1, 2003)

Up in a tree? In a hole with cover? Pruned hole?


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## Rhughes (Jan 14, 2001)

maharg18 said:


> I've been a Directv sub since 1998, and a Tivo lover since 2001, but unfortunately I must say goodbye. I just moved into a new house with rediculously large, full trees that make any attempt at satellite reception futile, so unfortunately it's back to crummy 'ol Comcast for me.


Have you actually tried it? Remember, the dish is not looking south per se, but up at a very high angle (depending upon your longitude.) You are pointing at a spot that is 25,000 miles above the equator. I wouldn't throw in the towel unless you have already tried a dish in several locations. We ran into this situation often when camping in our motorhome. We would get into spots with so many trees it seemed impossible. But when we put the dish up, there it was!


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## maharg18 (Dec 4, 2002)

Rhughes said:


> Have you actually tried it? Remember, the dish is not looking south per se, but up at a very high angle (depending upon your longitude.) You are pointing at a spot that is 25,000 miles above the equator. I wouldn't throw in the towel unless you have already tried a dish in several locations. We ran into this situation often when camping in our motorhome. We would get into spots with so many trees it seemed impossible. But when we put the dish up, there it was!


Yep I've tried several locations, so far none have worked out.. I too have shot through trees with success before, but we seem to have the right combination of big, medium, and small trees all bunched in together that seem to create a wall.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

I'm sure a 20' mast on a tripod off your roof would work just fine.


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## painkiller (Jun 23, 2005)

What about your telco provider?

Might they be running fiber through your community (maybe, sometime, soon,...)?

(I don't know if Verizon extends to your neck of the woods, but if this thing called FIOS is in your future - it could be a possible answer to your situation.)


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## maharg18 (Dec 4, 2002)

Nope we're Bellsouth country around here. I haven't heard of any plans for TV service.


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