What you need to know about DIRECTV's MPEG-4 equipment
By Matt Burns 
posted Dec 5th 2005 5:08PM
posted Dec 5th 2005 5:08PM
Oh, DirecTV; how you confuse us. Many of you already know that DirecTV is starting the transition over to MPEG-4 signals. MPEG-4 is more efficient because of better compression, but you will need new equipment. I want to make sure that you understand how this is going to play out less you waste a lot of money.
Who can get the MPEG-4 signal?
- Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco and Atlanta. There should be more soon. They are rolling it out by market size in a method reminiscent of the SD local stations a few years ago.
What type of new equipment do I need?
- First you need the H20 receiver paired with the new 5 LNB (AT9) satellite dish.
- Currently, you are going to use 4 of them but the 5th is there for future satellites. There is only 3 "prongs" on the end of the dish as the center one picks up 3 satellites and sends the signal down one wire.
- Yes, but you will not get the new MPEG-4 channels.
- DirecTV will love to upgrade your equipment but you do need to sign a two commitment. This upgrade is only available to the markets that have MPEG-4. There is a catch though as you have to surrender your old box if you go through DirecTVs upgrade service, so I would deal with rebates that Best Buy and Circuit City is offering; you can keep your old box.
- Seems to been fixed by a software upgrade.
- Yes, but you will not get the new MPEG-4 channels
- No. The one LMB that picks up multiple satellites send the signal in a format the the older boxes can not pick up. Do not upgrade to this dish unless you plan on getting the H20.
I just fired them. No MPEG4 HD DRV until next year and they wanted to charge me $300 for a second HD Tivo that still can't get local HD Channels (yeah OTA, but only if that works in your neighborhoods).
SO I had comcast come in and set me up with 2 Motorola 6412 running the MS foundation stuff. I'm actual paying a few dollars less then I was with DTV, no huge upfront equipment costs, no contract.
The boxes are so so, better then my HD tivo in some ways not as good in others all in all it's about a wash and they both could a lot better.
All and all though I'm happy to have made the change, so far.
Looking forward to checking out the new channels.
One clarification. The HDTivo will work with the AT9 dish according to a few posts I have read at AVS. So it can get you by till the MPEG4 HD DVR is released next year.
Tampa and a few other areas are supposed to be rolled out this month. I have read Dec 8th and also the 15th.
I called Directv the other day and they weren't able to provide any more information. I plan to call back on the 8th.
The new dish is harder to install so take advantage of the "free" upgrade and let someone else do the work.
As far as I know, they are only offering the big 4 in HD - FOX; CBS; NBC; and ABC. Any word as to when they will add the HD versions of PBS; WB; and UPN in each market?
hold on...I'm confused.
don't these statements contradict each other?
"There is a catch though as you have to surrender your old box if you go through DirecTVs upgrade service, so I would deal with rebates that Best Buy and Circuit City is offering; you can keep your old box."
"Can the new dish work with the older boxes?
No. The one LMB that picks up multiple satellites send the signal in a format the the older boxes can not pick up. Do not upgrade to this dish unless you plan on getting the H20."
Why keep the older box if it doesn't work with the new dish?
I was ready to upgrade, but then I found out I can no longer use diplexers to split OTA signals and the satellite signals. That would mean that I wouldn't be able to get any channels other than the 4 main networks in high def (e.g. PBS, WB, UPN) that I currently get via my over the air antenna. This seems to be a serious limitation to me at this time (plus of course the fact that there's no MPEG4 HD DVR yet).
wetnap, some early adoptors like to upgrade things as they can afford it. I am simply saying that the old boxes do not work with the new dish. Save your cash up and upgrade it all at one time.
But the real question is: Will they finally give us the full resolution of high-def (1920x1080) using mpeg4? Or are they going to short change us like they are with their current HD Box (downrezzing 1920x1080 to 1280x1080)?
how long can i keep the old box and dish? i want to buy an HDTivo, but dont want to have to replace it in 6 months or less. i am in Pittsburgh if that helps.
The new AT9 5-LNB dish is completely compatible with your older receivers, the old ones just can’t get the new MPEG-4 HD. The dish also has outputs to feed 4 individual receivers, new H-20s or old generation. There is also a companion 8 output mulit-switch if you need more feeds.
Bob
Frustrating to figure out just exactly what DirecTV has to offer in High Def. They now have CBS, NBC, Fox in Dallas transmitted via satellite using MPEG4 but they say they don't have a HD-DVR that handles MPEG4. WHo in there right mind not do DVR?? :-)
I would go with Comcast but they do not offer LOGO. It's a gay oriented channel but you know us homo's, we need our gay programming .. !!