We have a new client that wants four HD Tivos installed so I started researching the upgrade schedule that D* has and found the following information which was all news to me till a few days ago. Maybe I've had my head under a rock, (we're not a D* dealer after all), but I thought it might be worth posting some of this info.

D* have a new HD DVR that they say will be out in April, (honest!), for $200!!! and is MPEG4/2 compatible, they showed it at CES, guesses range to about 40-50 hours of HD recording.

Their transition to more HD channels, (150 at last count with 1500 HD locals in various markets), requires their compression to change from MPEG 2 to 4 which as many of you know will reduce current boxes and multi-switches to paperweights, although I've not heard yet when MPEG2 will be turned off. It will also require a new, larger dish and more drop cables.

As far as I'm aware D* has no official position yet on whether or not they will replace boxes for clients that have chumped up cash for these earlier, pricey boxes. Rumor has it that clients in PST (me) and MST time zones will get free upgrades as this will be the first area to transition.

As also posted here it seems they may start a "lease only" program for new equipment, makes sense but haven't had this verified.

What I found disturbing is that I called D* and asked about installing these four MPEG2 HD Tivo's at $600-700 and they said "Sure!" There was no "Well sir, you may want to wait another two months and get a better box for $500 less".

Surely D* can't be that greedy....;~)

Huh?

Technology changes. the Mpeg 2 sats arent going to be turned off anytime soon.

Ya know that a surround receiver is going to come out in 2 months that has more features and costs less right?

Thats the nature of the industry. Things get better and cheaper all the time. If someone wants HD Tivo Now. They are getting a HR10-250. THats it. The fact that a new box MIGHT ship in 2-3 months with a completely different interface really has no bearin on what someone want to purchase today.

Guess what. If you wait 2 months to buy your next computer you'll spend less or get more......

Ummm. What they have installed now, will still work. What they install next month will still work years into the future. They have 14 million boxes out there now. How quickly do you think they will upgrade? B-) However, in preparation, I believe they have stopped production of 2 and 3 horn antennas.


My main reason for attending EHX was to make sure my beloved HR10-250 and its backup will still work for years into the future. I spent a bit of time in their booth.

You will need new boxes, switches, and a new dish to receive signals from the two new birds they have. Those signals will be most if not all MPEG4 to give your customers the widest data pipe available in the industry. So wide, in fact, CATV, their biggest competitor, won't be able to touch it. Besides, MPEG4 has a superior picture degradation method to MPEG2 *and* a lower data rate requirement.

Right now, many of their programming sources don't offer HD because they don't have anyone who can carry it. With DTV and MPEG4, that will change. FoodTV in HD will have a pipe to consumers that justifies their HD investment.


DTV will still use RG6-quad shield in their upgraded system. Only.

It must be able to carry signals up to 2GHZ in frequency (My Belden cable says its been swept to 2.1ghz. Works perfectly), not the minimally-acceptable crap they've seen installers use over the past decade.

Did you try contacting DirecTV?

Specifically, you cannot allow sharp bends around corners when running the cable. It will block signals inside the cable (honest!). Secondly, no metallic staples anywhere. Same effect.

I think that's it.

As long as your customer doesn't want any of the new MPEG4 channels (lives in a large enough metro area that OTA and DirecTV give them all the HD they want), the existing equipment will be working for years.

So the LG 3200A I own will become obsolete someday? That is a shame. I love it. I doubt that DTV can come up with a machine quite as nice as it.

Might want to watch some videos on the new dish.
[Link: solidsignal.com]

Also available on channel 592

Equally important from an automation standpoint will be, what's the automation scenario for the new boxes? The last I heard there was going to be a single (or a single set) of designs, fixed by DTV, so hopefully there will be a single, consistent control protocol that we can take advantage of, assuming that they get automation into the picture in these new boxes. I've heard that they have, but just vaguely and don't know the situation is going to be like.

The existing serial protocol, though spottily and inconsistently implemented, wasn't too bad, so hopefully it'll be that good or better.

One of my clients has a new box from last summer...called DTV and wants the newest hi-def stuff and the new box is $99. "What about the new box I just bought from you?? Why didn't you tell me a newer one was coming out??" They replied, "Well, we can credit you back $20 per month for 5 months. Will that be OK?" Yes.

Here's the latest lowdown from directv. directv will be offering customers with an existing hr10-250 an upgrade to the new hr20-300. the new hd dvr directv box will have a 300 gb hard drive. you will still only have to run 4 rg6 quad coax cables to the dish where the dish will have 5 LNB's now with a wider dish. the dish will have a multiswitch built in for the 5 LNB's to 4 outputs. the new dish needs to be aligned for 5 satellites now.

Wil
Home Theater Tech

Does anyone know if the new HD DVR will be a TIVO interface or a DTV one?

It will be a DirecTV box. DirecTV gave Tivo the boot last year and they parted ways.

We have installed the new R-15 DirecTV DVR and we were not impressed with it. Very cold and it has no personality. It reminded us of a CATV DVR.

Soon you will be able to get a Tivo box from Comcast. Another example of the greed of DirecTV wanting all the money. This one they may regret in the future.



DaveT

Was that an intentional statement?

I thought the comcast/tivo agreement had been broken?

boogers.. good info.

Where did you find the info about the hight bandwidth cabling requirements/no metal staples stuff? I'd like to touch up on that for my guys.

Great thread guys.

I was wondering if these new birds can hit Hawaii. Does anyone know, or have a link for info? My dishes might have to be really large. I currently have to set up 3 separate 1M dishes to get all of DirecTV programming... am I going to have to use 5 now?

I hope it's not as difficult to find out as it has been researching availability of Sirius and XM.

This is a great forum for satellite info:

[Link: satelliteguys.us]