On Screen!
Jan 27 '00
I still remember my first satellite dish. It wasn’t my dish, actually. It was my neighbor’s dish. I was living in a “cabin” located in a remote valley in Northern Washington State. I had a wonderful view of the mountains and relished my return after another long stint on an overseas job. I returned home one day to find that my neighbor had obviously sold out to NASA. I no longer had my wonderful view of Hart’s Pass. It was totally blemished by a satellite-tracking dish.
I soon found out that NASA had not invaded the Pasayten Wilderness. My neighbor had purchased an x-band satellite antenna for his TV viewing pleasure. Enhance? That’s not the correct word, as we had NO TV reception in the area. Although we had the best programming available, watching the deer, bear, and other critters, none of it was electronic. He invited me over and we swiveled the antenna from satellite to satellite viewing the various offering. I paid no attention. I missed my mountains, and I was positive that I’d soon miss my wild friends. This device would certainly cause sterility and they’d no longer breed the offspring that I so enjoyed. I resorted to notifying the Forest Service that the device was erected on their land, which it was, and Smokey the Bear came by and made him move it. We have, understandably, not spoken to each other since that time.
I tell this tale so you might understand my aversion to satellite dishes. Europe is filled with them. Every house and apartment has at least one. While we Americans were building Cable TV networks, Europe entered the space age. Still, though I spent a lot of time staying with European friends, being treated to the Satellite receivers and programming, I did not change my view. Satellite dishes, even the small European type, were evil. My local cable company, with their “reduced service for increased rates” business plan finally changed that. I gave up and went shopping.
I like to think I did it right. My first purchase was Primestar, which was not a purchase at all. It is a lease. They provide everything you need, send someone to install the system, and since they had some free programming that went along with the installation, my cost of the first three months was a wash with what I saved on paying for the cable non-service. The true benefit of my plan is that the installer dealt with my lovely wife. He explained that the dish had to have a clear view of the sky and couldn’t be hidden in the bushes. He bore the brunt of mounting the dish on the garage for all to see, overcoming here protestations with practiced skill. Me? I took notes.
I took notes on how he overcame my wife’s every argument. I especially took notes on his answers to my dumb questions. I found all satellite dishes were not alike. Some were “single LNB” which could only feed one receiver. Others were “dual LNB,” capable of handling many receivers. Yes, I could hook multiple TV’s to a single receiver, but they would all be on the receiver’s currently selected program. To have multiple programs running simultaneously, I needed multiple receivers. Since the Primestar I ordered was a single LNB with one receiver, I spent a lot of time lugging the receiver back and forth between the living room and the bedroom. (Since then, I have discovered a wonderful device, an infrared repeater, that allows you to change stations on the living room receiver from the bedroom.)
At the end of the three-month trial, I was ready to purchase my own dish. (I could have purchased the Primestar equipment, but opted not to do that. Their dish was noticeably larger and they didn’t have the amount of available channels offered by other Satellite TV providers.) The installer came back and retrieved his system. I got an added bonus. He left the cables in place. I would not have to fight the Black Widows he’d encountered under my house. Further, it was a simple matter to mount my new DSS in the same place that Primestar had vacated. No fuss. No bother. No spousal counseling.
When searching for a provider, my first choice was one that would allow Internet access. I have visions of download speeds in gigabytes per second. After some research, I found the technology was not yet there. In fact, my 56K modem would beat the satellite. I was dismayed, but not beaten. In time, it will be there for me. I turned and again reviewed the providers from my fresh perspective. I opted for the RCA system. Direct TV had as many options as the others with two additional features. I could get a program package to let me watch any football game I wanted. Better yet, since I rarely watch TV, it had a greater selection of digital streaming music channels.
The installation was a snap, particularly since the cables were in place. It took me under an hour. My wife was upset that we didn’t have any local stations. I explained that there was a law, (which has recently been changed,) which forbade satellite vendors from carrying local channels. Even if the law were not in place, each of her favorite stations would have to have a satellite uplink. It wasn’t going to happen. If she wanted to watch the local PBS stations bimonthly “gimme” telethon, the regular TV antenna would have to stay. She grumbled and moaned, but had the foresight to ask about the mobile home. I showed he the offered mount for the dish. It was a simple matter to take the dish with us when we “camped.”
She was less than pleased at my description of satellite “footprints.” The DSS did not change satellites. It would aim only at the one that serviced Direct TV. That satellite only beamed signals to the U.S. If you ventured too far into Canada or Mexico while “camping,” you’d escape the “footprint” and she’d miss her “Joys of Gardening” show.
Problems? Not really. I was taken aback early one morning when the telephone rang and the TV answered it. It seems that you need the telephone line for more than ordering pay per view. The satellite companies use it to upgrade the software. Is this a problem when I’m camping? No. If mother can’t contact its kid by telephone, upgrades can be downlinked through the satellite.
Other problems? No. We purchased the dual LNB and a spare receiver. I can play my music through the home entertainment system in the living room, and she can watch her program in the bedroom. It’s perfect. On those rare occasions when want to watch TV, but I’m outvoted on the larger living room set, I sneak into the bedroom and watch the ”History Channel.”
Would I recommend the RCA DSS and Direct TV? You bet. The picture and digital sound beats my old cable service hands down. In their defense, I have friends who use Primestar and others using DISHTV who are very happy with their service. Everyone’s happy with Satellite TV. The programming prices are on par with cable and you get better service. The initial expense to purchase the equipment is now half of what I paid. Unless you’re an apartment dweller whose balcony faces the wrong way, or you live in one of the gated communities whose covenants prohibit even the small 18 inch DSS dishes, I can think of no other arguments against it.
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Epinions.com ID:
happy2000usa
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Member: Wayne Arnold
Location: Tracy, California, USA
Reviews written: 97
Trusted by: 171 members
About Me:
Writer, editor, beta tester, pilot, traveler. I'm an easy mark, always evaluating new software.
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