DirecTV Questions

[Bluray Freak 2009]

Hi again Right now I have Comcast (Basic Cable) but the prices are insanely high so I have convinced my family to switch to DirecTV but I have a few questions they are below

1.I would like to purchase the DirecTV Receivers myself not rent them so I went to Bestbuy and they told me even if you purchase the receivers from us you are still renting them from DirecTV is this true? The reason I want to own them is because I heard you can swap out the internal Hard Drive for a bigger one?

2.The next question is related to the DVR’s the pricing is $5.00 for the service but is that per DVR or does the $5.00 cover all the DVR’s in the house? We have 8-9 TV’s in the house one in each room plus a small one in the kitchen. I tried to find the answer to this question before asking here but could not find one.

3.The Coax cables in the house is very old so that will have to be replaced does DirecTV charge for the cable itself or is it free or is it better to just purchase the cable from Monoprice and let them use the Monoprice Cables?

4.I heard that a Feature was coming called Multi-Room Viewing will I need to replace all of my Receivers to use that feature or will it be just a Firmware Update, does anybody know a release date for that feature? I know they are currently Beta Testing that feature for several months now it seems.

5.I was reading that DirecTV recently launched a new Satellite that is going to be used to broadcast 3D does that mean we will need new DirecTV Receivers or will current ones be upgraded via firmware.

Thanks in Advance for the Replies

[lokir1]

I have directv but dont have ne dvr boxes so i cant say for the 5.00 service or per unit question but im leaning towards its just 5.00 for all the units as when i purchase nfl superfan i can watch it on ne of the directv boxes in my home
The coax cable is included in the installation remember u get free install up to 4 rooms everything need is included free additional rooms will cost you though
The boxes are never purchased from directv they are rented but you can purchase them from retailers and do w/e u want to em like upgrading the hdd but you get pros and cons with that:
1 If you buy it its yours yes but whenthry upgrde services that require new boxes your stuck with YOUR box while renting will garner them to update free of charge
2If you have kids or if you or a friend spill somthing on the box/'s renting and optiong for the 5.00 a month insurance will again garner directv to replace free of charge your remotes or damaged box/'s while if its bought your screwed
3 If you buy box's and satellite equipment its free completly But maintaing aligning wiring is yours to do

[BluDomain]

Originally Posted by Bluray Freak 2009

....

You are better served if you go to the premiere forum
where the experts reside. If you read through the various
threads chances are you'll find the answers.
http://www.dbstalk.com/index.php

[MrFattBill]

Originally Posted by BluDomain

You are better served if you go to the premiere forum
where the experts reside. If you read through the various
threads chances are you'll find the answers.
http://www.dbstalk.com/index.php

Funny I was going to mention both DBS and http://satelliteguys.us/

lokir1 you never OWN the boxes, UNLESS you buy them from someone that already owns them (older boxes purchased outright years ago) they stopped selling them a few years back. If you want to buy an old one fore some crazy reason (ebay, craigslist) call DirecTv and give them the serial number and access card number and they can tell you if they are actually owned boxes (old Tivo boxes would be an example of this) Also any of the boxes that are capable of getting the current HD feeds will all be lease only units since they switched from MPEG2 to MPEG4 for their HD feeds.

As for the hard drive upgrade, you can hook up an external sata drive, you don't want to open the actual receiver itself as you don't own them and directv WILL charge you for them if the seal is broken.

Hope this helps.

Bill

[rob 14]

they dont give a **** about HD boxes only HD DVR`s

[Bluray Freak 2009]

Thanks For Your Help Guys

[Galley]

The $7 monthly DVR fee covers every DVR in your home. There is, however, a $5 per receiver mirroring fee.

[Bluray Freak 2009]

What is a mirroring fee

Thanks In Advance For Your Replys

[Moefiz]

How many DVR would you be hooking up...

[Galley]

Basically, each receiver is capable or ordering PPVs, etc., so DirecTV almost has to treat them as separate accounts, even though any programming you order will appear on any receiver on your account. The fee is to cover administrative costs, as I understand it.

[MrFattBill]

Oh and if you do order any PPV do so via your online account as this will send it to all of your boxes and not just one like if you order with the remote.

Bill

[Bluray Freak 2009]

I will be hooking up 8 receivers but I do have two guest rooms that I am not using now so if I put DirecTV in there later on the numbers of receiver's will go up to 10.

@ MrFattBill

so if I order the PPV events through my online account instead of my remote all of the Receivers will get the PPV show and my other family members could watch them in their own room at the same time I am watching the show in the living room.

I would also like to know if any one has seen the HR23's in Bestbuy yet.

Thanks In Advance For The Replys

[Moefiz]

Hooking up 8 receivers....make sure you get Direct Tv to give you a cost to hook em up first...

[MrFattBill]

Originally Posted by Bluray Freak 2009

I will be hooking up 8 receivers but I do have two guest rooms that I am not using now so if I put DirecTV in there later on the numbers of receiver's will go up to 10.

@ MrFattBill

so if I order the PPV events through my online account instead of my remote all of the Receivers will get the PPV show and my other family members could watch them in their own room at the same time I am watching the show in the living room.

I would also like to know if any one has seen the HR23's in Bestbuy yet.

Thanks In Advance For The Replys

Yes to the PPV thing. As for adding rooms later that WILL extended you contract out to 2 years from the date of the change, if that matters to you. Also that many hook ups will be well beyond what they will do for free. Check the 2 forums that were mentioned as you may be able to find someone to help you do the rest if you don't want to pay DirecTv or their contractor to do it.

Bill

[Bluray Freak 2009]

I have to pay $5 a month for receivers 2-10 for as long as I am subscribed to DirecTV and if I Cancel the service before 24 months I get charged a fee.

So for my situation I would be paying 5$ Per Receiver monthly for as long as I am a DirecTV Consumer so that would be for 10 Receivers If I get that many the total would be $50 Monthly. If All The receivers are DVR's that's another $7 for all the DVR's in the house so it will raise the total price to $57. If I choose the Premire Channel package that is $83 with HD Channels I would be paying $150 Per month.

[thelastz28]

Do you really need 10 TV's?

[FlipperWasIrish]

Originally Posted by Bluray Freak 2009

I have to pay $5 a month for receivers 2-10 for as long as I am subscribed to DirecTV and if I Cancel the service before 24 months I get charged a fee.

So for my situation I would be paying 5$ Per Receiver monthly for as long as I am a DirecTV Consumer so that would be for 10 Receivers If I get that many the total would be $50 Monthly. If All The receivers are DVR's that's another $7 for all the DVR's in the house so it will raise the total price to $57. If I choose the Premire Channel package that is $83 with HD Channels I would be paying $150 Per month.

Sooner or later you will have to contact them. So why don't you save time and call Direct TV now and tell them your layout and the find out the cost from them? Then you can make informed choices about what you want from them. Perhaps you won't hook up all the TVs.

[MarkG]

Originally Posted by Bluray Freak 2009

I have to pay $5 a month for receivers 2-10 for as long as I am subscribed to DirecTV and if I Cancel the service before 24 months I get charged a fee.

So for my situation I would be paying 5$ Per Receiver monthly for as long as I am a DirecTV Consumer so that would be for 10 Receivers If I get that many the total would be $50 Monthly. If All The receivers are DVR's that's another $7 for all the DVR's in the house so it will raise the total price to $57. If I choose the Premire Channel package that is $83 with HD Channels I would be paying $150 Per month.

Like the above poster said. Do you really need 8-10 TV's hooked up?

The $50 a month just for receivers does sound insane, but actually, if you were going to do the same with comcast digital cable, you'd be paying $8 a month for each additional outlet (receiver). In my area, HD DVRs are a joke where each dvr is $15.95 a month.

[mewantyblu]

My direct tv bill runs around $150-$180 a month , but I get sunday ticket , the premier package (all movie channels) , and playboy tv , but am thinking of losing some channels. @ the OP , not sure how many recievers one dish can handle but its only 4 on mine , I heard they can add some box or something to expand the # of recievers , but am not sure what its maxes out at . Either way thats a lot of tvs you got

[MrFattBill]

Originally Posted by mewantyblu

My direct tv bill runs around $150-$180 a month , but I get sunday ticket , the premier package (all movie channels) , and playboy tv , but am thinking of losing some channels. @ the OP , not sure how many recievers one dish can handle but its only 4 on mine , I heard they can add some box or something to expand the # of recievers , but am not sure what its maxes out at . Either way thats a lot of tvs you got

The device you speak of is called a multiswitch. You would use this with the older LNB's (4 lines into the house then out to as many TV's as needed depending on the multiswitch). DirecTv now offers a SWM where only one line comes into the house to a power inserter and a different type of switch to feed the TV's. I personally have a WB616, which has 6 inputs (4 from the regular dish and 2 from other dishes) and it feeds up to 16 outlets (directv did NOT supply because I only needed 4 outlets at install time. I purchased it my self from http://www.solidsignal.com/)

The other thing the OP will want to think about is that if he gets an older setup up (Non SWM) he will need to feed 2 lines to each DVR he plans on having.

I agree he should contact DirecTv at this point and see what they have to offer.

Bill