Analog cable to Direct TV or DISH - what to choose?

[gojeda]

G'day,

I have a Tivo S2DT working on the local analog cable service. I am thinking about upgrading to either DirectTV or DISH service.

I have seen some issues with the DISH service, such as the screensaver issue and what-not, but I am wondering what, in the end, would be the wisest choice for me to take.

I would be signing up for the middle of the road plans from either service, and I am not interested in getting much in the way of the premium channels. I would rather not lease the receivers either. If I can buy them off of ebay, I'll do so.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks.

[classicsat]

I generally would disfavor Echostar hardware, so would choose DirecTV, which would also give the opportunity to chose a DirecTV Tivo, and not really sweat the programming differences.

but I really would ask you to look at programming first.

[gojeda]

Programming is similiar in both services as I am not going for the premium channels or anything, so that isn't the concern.

My overriding concern is compatibility with my Tivo DTS2. I want for it to work as flawlessly as it does with analog cable.

[classicsat]

No satellite provider will offer that.

Generally DirecTV works better with TiVo standalones.

As far as satellite goes, the DT becomes a Single tuner withot cable. The second tuner only works on analog cable. If you are going to add satellite alongside cable you should be fine.

[gojeda]

No satellite provider will offer that.

Generally DirecTV works better with TiVo standalones.

As far as satellite goes, the DT becomes a Single tuner withot cable. The second tuner only works on analog cable. If you are going to add satellite alongside cable you should be fine.

Does the DT become a single tuner on, say, Direct TV for Direct TV channels 1-99, while the other tuner can do channels 99 and above?

I can't justify a cable and satellite bill and I can't justify crippling my DT into a single tuner.

Barring some details that I am missing, I guess I will stick with analog cable for the time being.

[ADent]

You would need two Satellite receivers to record two channels. But I think the DT is setup to only work with one STB - so only one tuner can be used.

If you want to go with SDTV I would and you like TiVo then FIND a DTiVo unit (they are hard to find, but still around). Dual tuners, $6/month for TiVo service, precompressed video (think High quality in the space used by Basic).

[classicsat]

Does the DT become a single tuner on, say, Direct TV for Direct TV channels 1-99, while the other tuner can do channels 99 and above?

I can't justify a cable and satellite bill and I can't justify crippling my DT into a single tuner.

Barring some details that I am missing, I guess I will stick with analog cable for the time being.

No, the one tuner does DirecTV, the other cable only. It is about analog cable, not channel numbers. Unless you want to set up a handful of receivers and channel modulators, or hack the TiVo hardware, you cannot really use the second tuner for DirecTV at all.

[gojeda]

Understood.....thanks for clarifying that.

[Stephen Tu]

If you are going satellite really best to sell S2DT in my opinion, S2DT only really great for analog cable. Get a satellite integrated DVR. Can still get DirecTV/Tivo combo but getting harder, & if HD model there are MPEG4 concerns, might want to get the NDS unit. Even sat DVR w/o Tivo, I would rather use one of those than Tivo S2DT because in my mind dual recording + perfect digital recording w/o reencoding + digital audio + no IR blasters/serial control issues outweighs better Tivo UI + HMO features, and the gap on the UI nowhere as big as it once was. Some parts of UI are better than Tivo.