Oh Give Me A Home Where My Satellite . . . Oops! Wrong Song!
Written: Jan 02 '03
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Pros: Sharp clear reception and sound through digital signals; vast program guide
Cons: May not get a signal if raining/snowing hard; No Center Ice available with Dish Network
The Bottom Line: Digital satellite systems offer you the cleanest, sharpest picture on your TV, but you may want to upgrade your TV to take full advantage of the digital reception.
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| JDinPA's Full Review: EchoStar 2710 Digital Satellite System |
My husband has several "toys," but they all seem to revolve around his satellite system. We have changed and upgraded with the times over the years, even now dreaming to upgrade up from our enhanced performance big-screen TV and enhanced performance DVD, to take full advantage of the digital technology available with the digital satellite systems of today.
When my husband and I were first married we lived in NYC/Long Island and being able to catch all of his favorite teams was nothing but easy. We had cable then and he never had to miss a ball game, hockey game, football game or basketball game that his team played, either at home or on the road. Living in NYC/Long Island you had better bet the home teams were on local and cable TV!!!
Then we moved back to my hometown of Venice, Florida. New York teams broadcast down there??? Highly unlikely! Heck, Florida did not even broadcast most of their own teams games!!! My husband could not, would not deal with that!!! lol And so came our first experience with satellite television ~ we bought one of those huge mesh satellite dishes and subscribed to every sports network related channel under the sun (or moon if at night)!
After we could not take the heat any longer we headed on up to Northeastern Pennsylvania, our big huge mesh satellite dish packed securely away in the moving van. (Boy, just look at all the reviews to write about here! lol). We were moving out into the country, and the number one priority was to get the satellite hooked up and the TV plugged in! (Funny, yes, but more than close to the truth!!!). Hey, I mean there were games to watch!!!
Now just to give you an idea of how woodsy and remote we are, we hired a "Satellite Guy" to come hook it all up -- He finally found one spot where he could get good reception (any reception actually) a mere 250 feet from our house, AND he had to put it up on a 20 foot pole besides. Now, mind you, you are talking extra money -- he had to run that satellite cable 250 feet AFTER he dug a trench through the rocky Pennsylvania landscape! My husband assured me, that would be the last time we'd have to spend that kind of money!!! (Think again! lol ~ another article in the making!)
Anyway - my husband decided to get a digital satellite system IN ADDITION TO his big dish. So we had two different satellites, two receivers, and a few remote controls. Me, I'm lucky to know which one goes with with one!~
We bought the EchoStar 2710 with the Dish Network (it too sits way out, next to the other dish, except this time the "Satellite Guy" had to climb a tree and mount it up there!~ lol
The Dish itself is about 18" across, a silver gray color that really blends in well among the tree-tops. The receiver is controlled via remote control ~ the only buttons on the receiver is a manual Power button, and Channel Up/Down buttons (this is in case you lose the remote, or the battery goes dead).
If you wish to be able to order Pay-Per-View movies through your remote control you will need to have a phone line connected to the receiver. You can use your regular number, just add a plug in that goes to the back of the receiver - this is for transmitting information and for service upgrades ~ your phone will not be tied up or have any calls interrupted. The receiver has a built-in 2400 kbps modem that directly works with your remote control.
There are several output/input jacks on the back of the receiver for use with your stereo, VCR, or computer. We had the entire thing installed for us by a "Pro," as we wanted so many different options as well as linking the TV, stereo, computer and VCR's to both the Digital Dish and to the big Mesh Satellite. You should see all the wires and plugs and switch overs going on behind the big screen TV!!! I have disconnected, moved and re-installed the various units, but you had better believe I drew a schematic of where everything was and were it was going!
The EchoStar 2710 comes with V-Chip technology that allows you to set parental controls to what your household needs. We have 2 TV's with 2 separate receivers (so you can watch different programs on the TV's) and you can elect to have the controls set on one or the other, or both.
The Menu selections cover anything you might want to do with your dish. The menu totally replaces any TV or Satellite guide out there. Not only can you check out all the programs out there at any given time, but you can get descriptions and ratings of each program. You can set up your favorite program list (having up to 4 lists for different people in your household), or set up theme category listings (movies, sports, news, education, etc). There is a mail menu where you can read electronic messages that come through with info and updates from the Dish Network.
The Parental and System Locks Menu allows you to preset locks by program rating, or by certain channels ~ setting up this Menu does require you to choose a password. System Set-Up Menu lets you select which diagnostics, display features, check on the point dish and signal strength, etc. There is also a Browse Banner that lets you see what other programs are on, without changing the current channel ~ it is a transparent screen with only the writing for the data displayed. The Menu's are all easy to read, and there is always a Help option, or you can call for help to the Dish Network ~ they really are nice and do help you out at any time of the day.
The picture and sound quality you get with the EchoStar 2710 is sharp, clean, and with good resolution. Colors come through vibrant and realistic looking. We have High Definition 53" big screen TV, and the picture we get is very crisp and clear. Sound quality would depend on the speakers you are using, surround sound system hooked up, or if you are only using the TV for sound ~ we have our stereo hooked up and we have not had any problem with any sound distortions coming through the receiver.
Some problems to be aware of are that you cannot get any local channels. You are getting satellite reception, that may not be from where you live. Our news comes from CNN, ESPN, and the big NYC news-stations, even though we live hours away. You can get pacific coast shows if you happen to miss them when they are on over in the eastern time zone. If we want to get local news we need to turn on the radio.
Your picture reception depends on the weather. When it is snowing or raining with any intensity the satellite signal cannot make it through to the dish, and thus you are left with a blank screen. Gusty winds can make your reception choppy with snow, lines, and "squared" digital color codes zipping across your screen. Sometimes in the middle of an important game (aren't they all???) the weather here will knock out reception for a second to hours.
If you have more than one TV, you can hook up the one receiver to all TV's, but everybody has to watch the same thing. If you want to have the option of being able to watch something else, you can have the one dish, with 2 receivers (or 3, etc) in your home. The kids can watch Scooby, while you watch the Islanders cream the Rangers in the Garden~!! Be aware, that you will be charged a second unit fee on your account with the Dish Network (runs about $5 a month). If you want the option of Pay-Per-View on both TV's, then you will need a phone line connected to both.
Ok, so after all this, do we like the EchoStar 2710 ~ Yes, it worked (note past tense) just beautifully. The only thing was The Dish Network does NOT offer Center Ice. So, into the box the EchoStar went--and back came the "Satellite Guy" to hook up our RCA with Direct TV (yes, that means another review!!! lol).
So, like any regular, normal, American family, we have a big dish on a pole, a digital dish in a tree, and another dish in a box in the garage. Ain't life grand!!! :o)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150
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JDinPA
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Member: ~*~ Judy ~*~
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