Better than cable
Written: Apr 12 '01
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Pros: picture quality, channel selections, music channels, pay per view options, sports packages,
Cons: installation, loss of local channels.
The Bottom Line: The hughes networks and directv provide an excellent picture, wonderful sound, and many options not available from cable.
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| sirtayls's Full Review: Hughes Networks D2532 DIRECTV |
When my wife and I first moved into our house, we naturally assume that we would use the cable system provided by our local carrier. When we looked into the price and how many channels we actually received, we decided to see what satelite TV could provide. Turns out we got more channels for the same price.
What we found was that for the same price as basic cable we would get more channels, better picture quality, and more options for viewing. We went to our local retailer and found a great deal, which helped with our decision. We got two receivers and free installation, which finalized our decision.
The channels are neatly laid out in themes. A huge advantage over cable is that you get a virtual TV guide. It lets you see what programs are coming up for up to the next three days on any channel. If you miss a movie that you were interested in watching, you can find out if and when it will be on again. If you see an episode of Law And Order on later tonight, you can hit the information button and it will tell you the basic plot line of the episode, so that you can see if you want to watch it, or if it is one you have seen. If it is on later on, you can set it to turn on automatically when the show begins.
The menu gives you many options. Each show is marked with a rating scale, similar to that of a movie. You can program your box to not allow any show above a certain rating to be seen.
One of the best features is the music stations. You get a total of about 25 different music stations to listen to that play themed music 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without a commercial interuption. There are as many different channels as you can think of ('80s, '70, '60s, pop, classical, jazz, and so on.) This is perfect when you are hosting people, since you can turn it on and not worry about changing CDs or tapes once they end. If you hook your system up to a stereo, you don't even need to keep the TV on. Just tune the channel in and turn on the stereo system.
Another great feature is the sports pacakages. I am a HUGE hockey fan, and grew up in New York. Unfortunately now that I live in California, I can no longer watch my Rangers play their games. The satelite provides a package in which you can get nearly every single NHL game, plus the first two rounds of the playoffs. I get to watch not only the Rangers, but any other team that may be playing that night. They have similar packages for basketball, football, baseball, NCAA sports, and soccer.
You also have an option of "renting" movies via pay-per-view basis, simililar to renting movies from blockbuster. You pay a small fee (I believe $3.99) and the movie comes on. What is nice is that most of the movies are all day passes, so you can watch it a couple of times, or if something comes up during the first showing, you can see it again later on.
The two downsides of the system are the installation and the loss of local channels. Installation is not something I would have even attempted on my own. It involved many complicated tasks, and I don't see how most people could have done them. Then again, I am not a do-it-yourselfer.
The loss of local channels only affects customers who are not in or around a large city. If you get an indoor antenna, you can get most local channels, but since we live in palm springs, the nearest CBS station is in Los Angeles. You can pay a small additional fee to get the local stations, but you have to go through FCC rulings first, and it is a bit of a hassle.
Overall though, I am a very happy satelite customer.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 139
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Epinions.com ID:
sirtayls
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Location: Columbus, Ohio
Reviews written: 38
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Middle school teacher in Columbus, Ohio
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