Mikie2times Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 I'm sick of not getting all the Bills games so I'm looking into making the switch to Direct TV. Just a few questions concerning the installation. I believe I have a clear site to the southern sky, if not it's very close, if I don't have the view will the installation guys just tell me and leave? Do they charge you anything? I have no home phone line connected right now, I have the jacks but we just use cell phones. How much (ball park) would be the cheapest plan I can get. I don't have phone line jacks in the upstairs bedrooms, the jacks are downstairs, can I still get DTV in the upstairs bedrooms with a multi-system hook-up? I imagine running new cable wiring for the house would be a pain, do they actually take care of all that junk in the install? Hopefully I get some answers I want and this thing works out. I'm convinced my cable company is Satan in sheep's clothing. All I want is my Bills games and my rates to stop increasing. If I get that I can truly be a happy man.
PIZ Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 Call Directv and ask them if they can give you your coordinates. It goes by your zip code. Ask for your elevation and your azimuth. Then get your compass and see where the satellite is located. As far as someone coming to set it up, I THINK you only have to pay IF they are successful in getting you a signal.
flomoe Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 Hey Mike, I hope I can help you with your questions. First off, you might want to check the Directv web site for answers, www.directv.com, they have a pretty good q & a section. First, you need a clear shot of the southwest sky, which, unless you live in a cave in the bottom of a valley, it's pretty easy to get a shot. Second, the phone line, I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have a dedicated phone line though it is highly recommended. Check with your local phone company on prices but I believe you can get something for <$15/month. Third, the phone jacks in the upstairs aren't necessary again but it helps. If you are good with working with your hands, there are a few different types of splitters available at Radio Shack and other electronic stores. Look for a clerk that looks like he has a clue and he or she should be able to set you up to install this yourself. The installers of Directv are very good at running new cable necessary for their service. They do, however, have an additional installation charge for any lines that need to be "fished" through a wall. My suggestion would be, since the person doing the install is an independent contractor, is talk to him before he starts any of the work. You might be able to work out a cash deal right off the bat and he'll spend the time running whatever cable you need. *NOTE* If you plan on possibly adding TIVO down the road to your system, inform the installer that you need another cable run to where you would have the TIVO. Directv is awesome for all the football games and I'm sure everyone on here would agree with me that having it is one of the greatest inventions ever. Good Luck
macaroni Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 Usually installation is free, and as far as connecting to a phone line my installers said that it was unnecessary unless I wanted the ability to use the remote to order Pay Per View. Keep in mind, that only applies to your DirecTV box ............ TiVo is another story that needs a phoneline for it's periodic updates. I would highly recommend getting TiVo with your DirecTV, because DirecTV without TiVo is like a day without sunshine ...................... and a day with out sunshine is like ...... well ..... ahh ... er ..... night.
dib Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 I havent had my phone connected to the reciever for years, and unless you want to order movies it isnt necessary. In fact it got to the point that the modem in the receiver was interferring with my phone service so I pulled the plug on the sat. reciever.
Guest guest Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 They came to my house to install and informed me that I needed a 6ft pole attached to my chimney in order to get DirectTV. There was no charge
crackur Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 but remember they only do "basic installations"
Fezmid Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 To add to the good advice (maybe I should write a DirecTV faq...), remember that because the installers are independent contractors, some are better than others and some are downright BAD. If it looks like a difficult install, some will just say, "Nope, you can't get a signal," when in fact you COULD if the ywanted to go to the roof and find the right location (I always use our very own Nervous Guy as the poster child for that). The "Free installation" covers running cables to the receivers but only through one exterior wall if I recall. However, since they are independent contractors, you can work something out and it's not too pricy; when I had two wires run from the dish to my basement (through the attic, through the 2nd floor wall, through the 1st floor wall, and into a central location in the basement), they only charged $195 (and then promptly forgot to charge my credit card somehow. Go figure ). Also, DEFINATELY get a DirecTiVo and not a regular receiver. It costs $5/month extra, but is an AMAZING technology and you will never watch TV the same way twice again. We've got two (bedroom and living room) and will be adding the HighDef TiVo once I finish the basement (that isn't leaking anymore!! WOOHOO!). If you want a reason to get the TiVo, I'll use what my wife said. We have an original DirecTiVo that we bought for $99 in December of '01 (I think?) and they were in VERY short supply a few months later. So much so that the ywere being sold on eBay for $500-$600 that summer. The new model was supposed to be released in November-December, so in July I asked my wife if we should sell it to make a $400 profit and she said, "No way in hell are you taking that TiVo out of here!" She doesn't like using many technological things, but she figured out how to use the TiVo easily and she loves it. That says something right there IMHO. Anyway, good luck! Let us know if you have any more questions! CW
ch19079 Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 Usually installation is free, and as far as connecting to a phone line my installers said that it was unnecessary unless I wanted the ability to use the remote to order Pay Per View. Keep in mind, that only applies to your DirecTV box ............ TiVo is another story that needs a phoneline for it's periodic updates. I would highly recommend getting TiVo with your DirecTV, because DirecTV without TiVo is like a day without sunshine ...................... and a day with out sunshine is like ...... well ..... ahh ... er ..... night. 4353[/snapback] its free instalation, as long as its the standard mounting to a house. anything else will cost 50 bucks. no phone line is required, i dont have one, and i got direct TV. but its alot easier to order PPV things with a phone line, since you just push a few buttons on the reomote. also: if there is a storm, you may loose a signal for a few min. this isnt to bad, but a few min. seems like hours when your just sitting there waiting.
Mikie2times Posted August 23, 2004 Author Posted August 23, 2004 Well it sounds like everything should work out then, my biggest concern was the stupid phone line, the FAQ's I read online said you need it for pay per view/Sunday ticket. I guess from the responses I received that is untrue so good new their. I was also concerned about my view to the southern sky only because if the view had to be southeast it would be a no go. Looks like 16 games of Bills football will be my destiny this year as the only clear view we have to mount a dish is to the southwest sky! As for running the cable I think it will be a pretty extensive undertaking, however if its under 250$ I will certainly be able to justify the cost. Thanks for the responses guys....I will get a DTV guy out here ASAP.
flomoe Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 Don't forget getting the TIVO, you won't regret it and I think they have a deal for $79 going on right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
spidey Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 but remember they only do "basic installations" 4429[/snapback] Hey Fez one question I have on Tivo have you tried using wireless to send signal from Tivo to a remote television? Also does Tivo have an RF remote so I could control it from a different room? I am getting ready to get my HD receiver and thinking I want Tivo as well but have the concern orecording in one room viewing in another. PM me or post advice
Fezmid Posted August 23, 2004 Posted August 23, 2004 Hey Fez one question I have on Tivo have you tried using wireless to send signal from Tivo to a remote television? Also does Tivo have an RF remote so I could control it from a different room? I am getting ready to get my HD receiver and thinking I want Tivo as well but have the concern orecording in one room viewing in another. PM me or post advice 4926[/snapback] I've never done any sort of distribution like that before; if you did it wirelessly, you'd have poor signal from what I understand, and probably only mono sound. That's a deal breaker for me. OhBF does modulation -- but you need physical cables run to various rooms for that. I might look into that myself, but not now. TiVo has an IR remote, but you can get RF->IR converters so you could go that route for the remote. Hope that helps a little. CW
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