Impressive
Written: Jun 01 '00
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Pros: Great picture, rearely goes down, affordable price
Cons: gets hectic as the number of TVs go up
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| JKalmbach's Full Review: RCA DS2122RD Single LNB DIRECTV System |
I specifically bought this model for my Dad as a Christmas present, and so far I have no complaints about the system. Before DirecTV, we were limited to just local channels via an antenna. The picture is extremely sharp and provides DVD quality picture. I wouldn't ever miss adjusting my antenna to get a perfect picture.
About his model itself, the menu system is quite user friendly and the setup was easy. The most difficult aspect was adjusting the dish to get the right signal. After that point, all you have to do is simply call 1-800-DirecTV ( see later for more details about this ). RCA dish will take two people, one pointing it and the other watching the TV setup program. I found that the RCA is the fastest at picking up channels compared to the other systems demoed at the store, and it also has a best looking guide of them all. ( Note: RCA recently redesigned their guide and it looks even better!! )
This is a good product for someone out in a rural area where cable is not available. In some cases, the prices beat cable, and they also offer more channels. DirecTV offers better picture quality & better options than most cable companies. If you already have cable, it might be worth looking into cause you could save some money. However, some bigger cable companies are competitively priced compared to DirecTV. In this case, the only reason to switch over would be the better picture quality &
the fact that satellite systems go down less than cable. Sound quality is up there with CDs, though I haven't tested the Dolby Digital 5.1 they have on certain receiver.
However, the setback to a satellite system is that you have to have a receiver for each channel that you want to watch. There is also an additional cost for each receiver after the first ($4.99). This is due to the upkeep on the access card that is needed to run each receiver. If you have a large house and are going to watch multiple channels at the same time, cable might provide a better option. If cable is not an option and you want to hook up four or so TVs on different channels.. you must really love your TV to pay the extra money :)
Another problem can occur depending on where you live. Certain zip codes are sold out to other companies and they have the rights to the area and can have different programming packages. In my area, I had to end up calling another number ( not the DirecTV # I mentioned above )and they charge more money for the programming package we choose.. so something to be aware of.
Overall, it's a great system and competes with cable in all situations, except for when excessive numbers of TV channels wanted at the same time ( you can go to multiple TVs from one receiver, but both will be watching the same channel ). It rarely goes down, except during a major electrical storm. I've never seen it go down for more than 8 minutes. A great system and highly recommended.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99
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Epinions.com ID:
JKalmbach
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Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 0 members
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