What to Expect During Satellite Service Installation

Across the country, users are making the switch from cable to satellite television services. Through the excitement of the impressive channel line-ups and the stories of perfect pictures we all too often forget about the satellite television installation process and how it will affect us.

Being a former on-demand cable technician I was concerned about the various aspects of the satellite television installation such the placement of the dish, the use of existing cables and whether I would have to cut down any of the beautiful trees in our yard. As I awaited the chime of the doorbell the heavy cloud of trepidation loomed overhead. If I had only known what to expect I would have been anxiously anticipating their arrival. From the speed of service, the professionalism of the technicians, and the quality of the equipment we were amazed by our satellite television installation.

For our satellite system we chose a Direct TV package after querying our friends and family about their service. Although the company has online ordering we spoke directly with a Customer Service representative. In a world ruled by instant gratification we were delighted to learn that our installation would occur the very next day.

Who installs the satellite equipment?
Are you a DIY network viewer and think you can do this satellite television installation yourself? For this one you may want to sit back and relax since the major satellite TV providers offer free installation as part of their package.

Direct TV sent out a professional local contractor to do our installation. Our team consisted of three technicians - one for receiver setup, one for dish installation and another to run cable. The install team was very professional and a pleasure to work with.

Will my landscaping be affected?
The satellite dish will need to be setup with a clear line of sight to provide you with the best picture quality possible. I do not recommend modifying your landscaping unless the satellite installation technician believes it is necessary.

Since our property is heavily wooded we were delighted to learn that the satellite dish could be placed on the roof of our home. This allowed us to receive incredible DirecTV picture quality while preserving the aesthetics of our landscaping.

Can my existing wiring be used?
It is preferable that the existing wiring be used during the satellite television installation. Additional wiring is only necessary if conditions exist that prevent its use such as placement of the dish or if you purchased a DVR package.

Satellite DVR receivers require that two cables run from the satellite to the receiver which will allow you to record more than one show at a time or view a show while you are recording another. If extra cabling needs to be installed in your home the installation technician will explain the options to you.

Finishing the installation:
After the satellite dish has been setup the technician(s) will tune the receivers and then spend some time showing you how to utilize the remote controls.

The installation of our Direct TV satellite television equipment could not have been easier. As the crew drove down the road I was left with one hurdle that I could only pass by myself. With over 200 channels I would have to settle on something to watch.

The Undefeated NFL Sports Package from DirecTV

DirecTV is 18-0 when it comes to its undefeated NFL sports package. What can sports fans expect when they subscribe to DirecTV satellite TV programming packages? First, over 35 individual sports networks on its lineup, which is more than any other television provider out there. The Sports Pack package from DirecTV includes 35 sports networks from national and regional outlets. However, the satellite TV provider offers more than just network coverage.

The best reason to subscribe to DirecTV is for the NFL Sunday Ticket feature. This sports package allows viewers to watch NFL regular season games that may be unavailable on local affiliates.

Therefore, if you are a major fan of a team, but do not live close enough to local affiliate stations to watch regular season games, then NFL Sunday Ticket has much to offer you. NFL Sunday Ticket is co-managed by the NFL, and they have chosen to work exclusively with DirecTV at least until 2010. Therefore, NFL Sunday Ticket is the only way to get full coverage of all your favorite teams. DirecTV also offers NFL coverage in HD TV via the NFL Network, not to mention other sports-oriented HD channels such as ESPN.

The SuperFan package, available as an add-on feature, allows viewers even more interactive options. SuperFan lets subscribers watch up to 12 NFL games in HD (in addition to other HD sports channels) along with access to Game Mix, Red Zone, Short Cuts and Highlights on Demand. The Game Mix lets sports fans watch eight NFL games simultaneously, and in HD, along with statistics as to the game’s score. The Red Zone Channel acts as a virtual remote control, allowing viewers to “flip” back in forth between various NFL games taking place according to major happenings, like scores and key turnovers. Short Cuts recaps NFL games within a 30-minute time frame and has two channels total, one for the AFC and one for the NFC. There is also an option for Highlights-on-Demand, which delivers a 3-4 minute recap of every single NFL Sunday Ticket game.

One of the most exciting developments to take place in 2008 has been the “SuperCast” feature. This feature allows NFL fans to watch Sunday Ticket programming on their computer. SuperCast allows for live streaming content of NFL games, including the Red Zone channel, on your desktop. You can watch content straight from your computer and in full screen mode or in a mini-mode window. With this technology you could even watch coverage away from your home and on a laptop, or get updates via cellular phone.

Now that the NFL season has just begun, it’s about time that you take advantage of one of the many great DirecTV deals on sports packages today! Root for your favorite teams and keep up to date with the latest goings on in the season with just the click of a button. Just imagine throwing a Super Bowl party in HD format! Now that’s a party worth going to, even if the San Diego Chargers are the odds on favorite to win. DirecTV is the NFL’s biggest fan and has the extra features on their satellite TV offer to prove it.

DirectTV vs. Dish Network

You may have already decided that satellite television offers numerous advantages over cable TV. However, there is still this pressing issue: which satellite TV provider is the more reliable and affordable choice? The two major satellite TV providers are DirectTV and the Dish Network. Dish Network was launched in March of 1996 and is registered as a Nevada corporation though their corporate office is in Colorado. DirectTV is based in El Segundo, California and was first founded in 1994.

First consider the similarities between Dish Network and DirectTV. Both services offer satellite transmission, all-digital programming, HDTV, DVR systems, and over 250 program channels. Therefore, the biggest differences to take note of will be in the subscription fees as well as the unique programming.

Both companies offer free satellite TV equipment, as well as installations in up to four rooms of your house. DirectTV offers a variety of channels, 265 of them, which include premium movie channels, music channels, PPV events, international shows and sports packages, The DISH Network offer 280 channels also, with a comparable line up. Most users agree that while Dish Network does offer plenty of movies and foreign programming that DirectTV has more sports packages, including the NFL Sunday Ticket, and Mega March Madness.

How have the companies fared in customer service? Both companies offer customer support via online or toll free phone service 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Both DirectTV and Dish Network occupy the top two spots in customer satisfaction among all cable or satellite providers. Both companies are dedicated to offering top-notch services as well as constant technical support to their customers.

Both companies are comparable thus far; the only factor that separates them may very well be the pricing. Dish Network does have some cheap deals, like 100 channels for $42.99 per month. However, DirectTV offers 150 channels for less—about $34.99 per month, which is a difference of $8 for 50 more channels. If you want the “total package” then compare Dish Network’s 280-channel deal (with music channels) for $99.98 to DirectTV’s 265 channels for $86.99. It’s true that Dish offers more channels. However, review some of the details. DirectTV offers more sports programming, more HD channels (57 compared to HD’s 27) and a difference of $12.99.

DirectTV has also branched out into bars, restaurants, hotels, dorms and hospitals with their special package for businesses. In addition, the DirectTV Mobile and DirectTV Airborne have allows even mobile or air bound viewers enjoy DirectTV’s lineup. There are advantages and disadvantages to signing up with both companies, though these are only minor differences in price and total channels available. When pitted against cable television, both services offer tremendous advantages that can’t be ignored. When it comes to choosing one however, choose the provider that offers the best deal on a month-to-month basis. DirectTV offers include great specials for its new customers, such as deals for free satellite TV equipment and free installation. DirectTV currently has over 16 million customers, thereby making the company the number one choice in satellite TV.

Direct TV Profits Up

Direct TV continues to show that it is a true leader in satellite television. Its profits keeps rising as more and more subscribers jump on the bandwagon. Exclusive programming is surely a reason for this. If you want to get the most high-definition channels with sports packages you won't get anywhere else, DIRECT TV is really the only choice. Forget cable! It can't even begin to compete!

The satellite company says its first quarter earnings for this year have already shown a 10.4 percent increase. More subscribers are coming in from around the US and Latin America. Direct TV says it has added 200,000 new subscribers in Latin America. This totals 3.5 million people or a 24 percent increase. Venezuela and Argentina have shown to be particularly strong. Things have been even better in American with 275,000 subscribers added. This is a jump of 5.2 percent to a total of 17.1 million people. It seems more people are buying into the high-definition concept and that might have to do with the marketing push with television sales. The increased screen resolution and sound quality have pushed consumers to tell their friends and family about positive experiences.

Not only have profits increased for Direct TV satellite television, but share prices have risen as well. Shares rose $1 to $26.80 which is a whopping jump of 3.9 percent. The lowest shares have been in the last year are around $18.20, so people are making big profits by sticking with the company. Company revenue rose 17 percent to $4.59 billion from $3.91 billion making it a huge investment option.

Direct TV has also increased its profits because people are spending more money with the company. This doesn't mean their prices have gone up, it just means that people are snapping up their exclusive programming because it's awesome! The average subscriber pays $79.70 a month for everything including their equipment rental and pay-per-view sales. That is an increase of 8.6 percent from a year ago and represents a huge chunk of the satellite market.

It seems their exclusive sports programming has been a huge money-maker for the company. They offer three packages that can't be found anywhere else. This includes the NFL Sunday Ticket, NASCAR HotPass and Mega March Madness. The NFL Ticket shows an average of 14 games every single Sunday. In addition, you can get highlights downloaded every Monday morning to ensure you won't miss a single second of the action. The NASCAR HotPass puts you right in the driver's seat...literally! They have front windshield screens and access to communication between the driver and the crew. You can't get closer even if you're at the track! Finally, being at home gives you the very best seat. Mega March Madness has been snapped up by basketball fans. The feature allowing you to watch four games on the same screen has, in itself, shot up profits. It seems Direct TV knows the key to making money is with exclusive programming. In fact, it makes about half a billion dollars difference!

NFL Sunday Ticket is Here!

The wait is over. The Direct TV NFL Sunday Ticket is here. This year it pays to have satellite TV. Not only do you have access to every Sunday game, you also get the NFL Network which will air a handful of games late in the season. NFL Sunday Ticket is exclusive to Direct TV and if you don't live in your teams city, there is no other way to catch all their games this season.

Check out what some of these fan sites have to say about their team and what Direct TV is bringing to the table.

Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
St Louis Rams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins

Toss on your protective gear and get ready to tackle another great season. If you have an HDTV don't forget to order your Direct TV SuperFan and get all your games in HD!

Portable DIRECTV

Each year families across the country load up their campers, RVs, and pickup trucks with tents, camping gear, and lots of marshmallows to spend a little quality time in nature enjoying the outdoors. What is a guy or gal to do after they’ve hiked for a few hours, collected a handful of nature treasures along the way, and watched the birds fly around for hours? Watch a little DIRECTV of course.

Summer camping can be fabulous but missing the game or catching it on a radio just doesn’t fit the bill. I stumbled upon a little gem while I was scheduling my DirecTV HD DVR recordings online for our camping trip and fell in love at first sight. The DIRECTV Sat-Go is a portable TV system that can easily fit into any vehicle. Whether you are packing up your teardrop camper, the truck with your tents and gear, or getting ready for a tailgate party this satellite-to-go system will be your best friend.

The Sat-Go is a receiver, antenna, and television combined into one unit. When I first saw this component my first concerned was size. I thought the unit might be too bulky to fit among my camping gear but was delightfully surprised to discover that it has a relatively small footprint. With the unit in the closed position it is 19.5” wide, 5.1” high, and has a depth of 19.5”. The unit has a built-in handle making it easy to carry and only weighs 27.2 pounds.

Image quality is not an issue with the Sat-Go. It comes complete with a 17 inch LCD monitor. Three millions cells make up the LCD Panel. Pictures can be watched in normal, zoom, or wide screen mode. This unit has component and composite A/V inputs and composite A/V out to easily hook up additional equipment on the go. Sat-Go has five preset color tones which can be selected to display pictures under certain settings. Viewers can modify contrast, brightness, sharpness, color and tint settings making this unit very customizable.

Two speakers come integrated into the Sat-Go. Users have the ability to set the television up to automatically switch audio whether the program uses Dolby Digital audio or an alternate language. Sat-go has two languages settings, English and Spanish, and comes with eight closed caption settings.

A small IR remote can be used to select channels or make menu changes. The Sat-Go makes it easy to control the content that you would like to watch including giving you the ability to select Pay-Per-View movies or programs. An added benefit of the unit is the Parental Controls. You won’t have any need to monitor your children’s viewing while you are gathered around the fire with the adults.

The unit also has the ability to easily sort through programs using the category and search functions that DirecTV subscribers are already familiar with. The Sat-Go is like taking a little piece of home with you while you are vacationing, on the beach, or at the campsite. A clear view of the southern sky is all that is needed to get good quality television from anywhere your adventures find you.

Visit DirectStarTV today for the best DIRECTV Deals and Offers

DIRECTV Plus HD DVR

I recently had the misfortune of sitting down at a friends home that has yet to move from DIRECTV’s HD receiver to the new DIRECTV Plus HD DVR. I left the room during what was described to me as the most incredible play in our team’s history. To my dismay the replays had already finished. I picked up their remote control expecting to hit the rewind button only to remember they don’t have the Plus HD DVR. All I can say is that my friend missed a classic and I found myself longing to watch the game back home.

The DIRECTV Plus HD DVR is an amazing receiver that makes your viewing experience incredible. This receiver can display the DIRECTV HD channels with its high-def capabilities as well as record your favorite shows with its DVR system. High-definition can be watched in mpeg-2 or mpeg-4 format and the receiver is standard definition mpeg-2 enabled.

Subscribers with this DVR can record up to 200 hours of SD and 50 of HD. The ease of use in recording a show or series is impressive. Direct TV makes it easy to setup recordings via the web, your mobile phone or while sitting at the TV so that you will never have to miss a program. I was pleasantly shocked to discover that I could use my mobile phone to setup a recording of the Boston Celtics game while I was out to dinner with friends.

Recording a series gives you tons of options with the ability to specify how many shows to save, whether to record repeats, start or stop times and how long to keep the episodes. If the network changes the time and day of my series DIRECTV handles all that for me. There is no need to change my recording information.

The DIRECTV Plus HD DVR gives me incredible control over my viewing experience. Any program that is being watched can be paused to refill the popcorn bowl or rewound to watch a scene over for up to 90 minutes of programming. I can even record two shows at once or watch a separate show from the one I am recording. There is little more that I could ask for with this DVR. I can even turn on Parental Controls to prevent the younger generation from getting to unapproved content.

Top of all the control this receiver give you over your television watching with the amazing audio and video quality and it is hard to believe that more people have not made the switch from a standard DVR to the DIRECTV Plus HD DVR. Images are sharp and crisp with brighter colors while the sound quality is superb. This receiver is even Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound capable making it a versatile component that can be easily integrated into your home theatre system.

As an added bonus this receiver allows me to share photos and music that have been stored on my PC through my HDTV. PC’s must be Intel Viv processor technology-based for this feature.

Once you get the DIRECTV Plus HD DVR you will never want to go back to a standard receiver. The gang will just have to watch the game from my large-screen HDTV so that we will not miss a single throw, catch, or score next time.

The Channels of DirecTV

You know that, if anything, Direct TV Satellite TV offers a variety of channels. In fact, the high number of channels that Satellite TV offers has actually influenced cable companies to increase their own offerings in order to stay competitive. If you are thinking about switching to Direct TV you may be interested to know what channels you will actually get with your new H21 HD DVR Plus Receiver. Let’s start with the basics.

Never fear, traditional network television is still here. You can still catch up on all your favorite reality shows, sitcoms lampooning variety shows and traditional dramas that criticize reality shows. In other words, all of the big networks, from CBS to FOX, to NBC and ABC are represented. The major networks are also available in high definition TV in many areas. You also get the top basic cable networks such as TNT, CNN, E!, USA, the TV Guide Network, TBS, FX, Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi Network. You can also watch the most popular cable companies like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel, Starz, Sundance, and the IFC.

What about channels for sports lovers? You already have ESPN, but that might not be enough for die-hard fans of the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA. You can also have special channels, such as the Regional Sports Network, the NFL Network, The Tennis Channel, NBA TV, The Golf Channel and CBS College Sports. You can get a variety of other sports-related channels with the Sports Pack. If music is your preference then you can get music oriented programming from MTV, VH1, BET MHD and VH1.

Some packages include channels from XM Satellite Radio, including favorites of the 1940’s through the modern age. You can also find the Oprah and Friends Talk Channel, The Rhyme and Raw for uncensored rap and multiple Spanish stations. There are numerous channels devoted to On-Demand Programming, such as the interactive YES network, CNN, E! News, Comedy Central, AMC, A&E, Animal Planet and Nickelodeon. There are also a host of religious channels, including God TV, Trinity Broadcasting Network, National Religious Broadcasters and The Church Channel. As far as adult programming goes, there is no shortage of content with two Playboy Channels, numerous Adult Pay Per View films, TEN Clips, Real Adult, Juicy Network, Fresh, Spice and Hustler TV.

Of course, many channels that used to be available on DirecTV have since been reprogrammed. However, there are more channels to come in 2009, which will coincide with the new satellite launch that has been reported. Some confirmed channels thus far include the MLB Channel, additional HD Channels, including ABC Family HD, Disney Channel HD, ESPN News HD and Toon Disney HD. Three more confirmed channels will include the Pursuit Channel, the MTN and the Gospel Music Channel.

Satellite TV offers more original content than cable television and for less of a price. When it comes to programming, Direct TV can offer viewers unique content as well as on-demand entertainment. On-demand channels, and even live TV can be rewound or paused using the DVR (Digital Video Recorder) option. Keep an eye on the news, sports, entertainment and business world with Satellite TV!

FCC Extends DTV Transition for DirecTV and Dish Network

FCC Extends DTV Transition for DirecTV and Dish Network

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced this week that it will extend the DTV Transition date for satellite television providers, DirecTV and Dish Network, until 2013. This is a big win for the satellite television providers which have been working to get a wealth of high-definition channel options out to customers. Both companies are pleased with the FCC’s decision and the commission’s understanding of the challenges presented to satellite providers to comply with the DTV deadlines.

The digital TV (DTV) transition began back in 1996 when broadcast TV stations were authorization an additional broadcast channel by Congress. The U.S. Congress authorized this distribution so that these stations could begin a digital channel and still continue their analog broadcasts. Congress met again later on this same issue and mandated that there would be a date when these stations would stop broadcasting in analog. The date was set for February 17, 2009.

Federal regulators decision to give DirecTV and Dish Network extended time does not apply to cable providers or broadcasters. Broadcasters are required to make the switch to digital programming in February 2009. Cable companies have until February 17, 2012, to continue to deliver channels in analog. The FCC will revisit this date in 2011. At that time they may extend this date.

The DTV transition will provide a few benefits to consumers:
· Public safety groups will have more of the broadcast spectrum to use for communications.
· Broadcasters can off high-definition programming to consumers.
· These same broadcasters can use a process called multicasting to provide more than one standard-definition channel at the same time.
· Wireless broadband companies will be able to purchase through auction additional parts of the broadcast spectrum. This could provide consumers with new wireless services.

Consumers that have already purchased digital cable or satellite television services will not need to make any changes to their systems or programming to prepare for the DTV Transition. Direct TV and Dish Network subscribers are already experiencing the benefits of digital television with the tremendous programming options and picture quality these services provide.

Compare DirecTV to Dish Network

DirecTV and Dish Network have been in a race to provide more high-definition channels to their customers by attempting to launch new satellites into space. Only one of these companies was successfully in their recent launch. DirecTV’s satellite, DIRECTV-11, made the successful launch and will increase the satellite provider’s programming capability from 90 HD channels to 150 channels. Dish Network currently carries fewer high-def channels than DirecTV. Their recent lack of success in launching their satellite puts them even further behind Direct TV.

All eyes right now are on DirecTV after the recent success of DIRECTV-11. Consumers new to high-definition television are craving the superior quality programming and forsaking standard-definition. Not only are consumers pleased with the possibility of new programming that DirecTV will be offering but they are overwhelming the impressive equipment that is being used by the company. Consumers were awed by the five-LNB satellite dish and the PLUS HD DVR allowing subscribers to record up to 50 hours of pure HD programming or 200 hours of standard-def. Dish Network has a tough road to follow with the continued technology advances of DirecTV.

As the countdown draws near for broadcasters to make the switch from analog to digital consumers may have numerous concerns and questions. All of these can be answered by visiting the Digital TV Transition webpage at http://www.dtv.gov/ . This is a great way to learn about the change and how it will affect you in the future.