[John Casler]

Want to switch from DISH to DIRECT TV, but I want 5.1 digital sound but don't want HDTV just yet and don't have 1080i HDTV capability anyhow.

They won't give you the 5.1 digital output box unless you sign eup for HDTV (another $10) a month)

Making the assumption that someone might have one lying around for cheap aa

Will have an extra DISH receiver to trade if that helps anyone, and I even still have the early EchoStar DV3 (one of the first DVR's ever) which I never used, except for a tuner.

Trade would be great, if possible.

[F-100]

John,
  Wish you had post a week earlier. I just donated one to Goodwill last week because it was sitting in my garage collecting dust.

[Russtafarian]

John,

DirecTV may not let you hook up an old box.  When my neighbor signed up for it, I gave him a direcTV box that I wasn't using anymore to save him hardware costs.  DirecTV wouldn't let him use it.  They insisted in coming out and installing all new hardware for "free" then locking him into a 2 year contract.

I switched to Verizon FIOS because I can drop kick the box back to them without penalty after football season when I don't need ESPN and NFL Net anymore.  No chance of that with DirecTV.

Russ

[John Casler]

John,
  Wish you had post a week earlier. I just donated one to Goodwill last week because it was sitting in my garage collecting dust.

Just my luck 

That is kinda what I was looking for, and since you live out here, I coulda driven out and picked it up.

Wonder if Goodwill has sold it?

[John Casler]

John,

DirecTV may not let you hook up an old box.  When my neighbor signed up for it, I gave him a direcTV box that I wasn't using anymore to save him hardware costs.  DirecTV wouldn't let him use it.  They insisted in coming out and installing all new hardware for "free" then locking him into a 2 year contract.

I switched to Verizon FIOS because I can drop kick the box back to them without penalty after football season when I don't need ESPN and NFL Net anymore.  No chance of that with DirecTV.

Russ

Hi Russ,

I asked DIRECT TV and they would require I get the stock box at sign up, but the fellow led me to beleive all I would need to do would be "swap" boxes, and plug in the card.

I will verify this before making a move.

Thanks for the caution.

Since I have Verizon "everything" DSL, cell, phone company, I wonder if I can get the FIOS? 

I'll look into that too.  I am really "downsizing" my Sat TV.  All I ever watch on it is the news at night, American Idol, SuperBowl and RoseBowl.  Not worth $50 a month.

[JimL]

I think you can get digital 5.1 output from their DVR box, which wouldn't require the extra HD fee.  It would, however, require $5.99/mo DVR fee. 

That's what I have right now.  I sure do like the DVR functionality.  I believe I have the HR15-100 receiver.  Not all channels have a 5.1 signal, though.  If I remember right, it was just the movie channels that sent a 5.1 signal.  Maybe that's why they said you would need the HD upgrade.

Jim

[WGH]

All I ever watch on it is the news at night, American Idol, SuperBowl and RoseBowl.  Not worth $50 a month.

Does your area have OTA digital TV? I get all the shows you mentioned for free using a separate digital tuner.

[Russtafarian]

John,

Unless you've just got to have cable channels (CNN, Cartoon Network, ESPN), sign up for your converter box coupon and get one when they come out in a few months.  A modest HD antenna will get you all the L.A. OTA digital channels (for free) and the converter box will output them as analog video to your present TV.

http://dtvfacts.com/converter-box-coupons/

Did a little more research on this and the cheap converter boxes don't have digital outputs, only RF, composite and stereo analog audio.  On the other hand they only cost $20 with the government converter box coupon.

Samsung has a HDTV tuner box with all the digital and analog A/V outputs for about $170.  That's about 6 months worth of DirecTV subscription.

[woodsyi]

John,

I had to double check and dig around a little first but I have a Hughes HDVR2 which is a DirectTivo receiver.  It does 5.1 and has Toslink digital audio out.  I think Tivo and Direct TV separated and you may have to use their DVR service but it was just $5.00 more for the service as mentioned.  DVR really does make it easy to see shows because it will record every show you program. 

Anyway,  you can have it and the remote for the cost of shipping if you want it.  I was going to donate it to Goodwill soon just like F-100. 

[WGH]

John,

Unless you've just got to have cable channels (CNN, Cartoon Network, ESPN), sign up for your converter box coupon and get one when they come out in a few months.  A modest HD antenna will get you all the L.A. OTA digital channels (for free) and the converter box will output them as analog video to your present TV.

http://dtvfacts.com/converter-box-coupons/

Don't know if the boxes have Dolby Digital SPDIF or Toslink connections but there's a high probability that they do.

I signed up for a couple of those $40 coupons, and Walmart has digital tuners right now for $50 but there is a catch...

The approved tuners I checked out that are on the coupon list (though I admit I did not look up the specs on all of them) DO NOT have any type of digital output, no 5.1 just 2 channel analog stereo and also NO DVI, component, or SVIDEO output.

A popular digital tuner to get is the Samsung SIR-TS360 (eBay), even though it has a DirectTV label it is also capable of receiving OTA signals without any hookup to the DirectTV service. You do need the DirectTV card inserted for the box to work, that is just the way the software operates.

[John Casler]

I think you can get digital 5.1 output from their DVR box, which wouldn't require the extra HD fee.  It would, however, require $5.99/mo DVR fee. 

That's what I have right now.  I sure do like the DVR functionality.  I believe I have the HR15-100 receiver.  Not all channels have a 5.1 signal, though.  If I remember right, it was just the movie channels that sent a 5.1 signal.  Maybe that's why they said you would need the HD upgrade.

Jim

Hi Jim,

Thanks for responding but I don't use the DVR funtion for my limited watching.

I was also thinking that the DAC in my receiver had to be better than the one in a SAT box, so that was also a small motivation.

Thanks for looking in.

[John Casler]

All I ever watch on it is the news at night, American Idol, SuperBowl and RoseBowl.  Not worth $50 a month.

Does your area have OTA digital TV? I get all the shows you mentioned for free using a separate digital tuner.

Yes the OTA idea was one I looked into (I live in a condo complex and it has an attenna on the roof, but the antenna has never worked, and I can't get enough interest in it for them to take the expense to make it work.

But the other downside, is that we are positioned on the West Side of Century City High rises, and Mt Wilson (where all the local transmitters are, is "exactly" on the other side of all the High Rises.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[John Casler]

John,

Unless you've just got to have cable channels (CNN, Cartoon Network, ESPN), sign up for your converter box coupon and get one when they come out in a few months.  A modest HD antenna will get you all the L.A. OTA digital channels (for free) and the converter box will output them as analog video to your present TV.

http://dtvfacts.com/converter-box-coupons/

Did a little more research on this and the cheap converter boxes don't have digital outputs, only RF, composite and stereo analog audio.  On the other hand they only cost $20 with the government converter box coupon.

Samsung has a HDTV tuner box with all the digital and analog A/V outputs for about $170.  That's about 6 months worth of DirecTV subscription.

That would be the PERFECT solution, but with Century City between me and Mt Wilson, it won't work.

I tried a Set top antenna too, but absolutely nothing came on that could be watchable.

[John Casler]

WOW    Thanks.  Let me check with DIRECT TV to see if it can be used as a "receiver/tuner", and I'll contact you.

Thanks.

John,

I had to double check and dig around a little first but I have a Hughes HDVR2 which is a DirectTivo receiver.  It does 5.1 and has Toslink digital audio out.  I think Tivo and Direct TV separated and you may have to use their DVR service but it was just $5.00 more for the service as mentioned.  DVR really does make it easy to see shows because it will record every show you program. 

Anyway,  you can have it and the remote for the cost of shipping if you want it.  I was going to donate it to Goodwill soon just like F-100. 

[John Casler]

I want to thank all who responded to my request.

In looking over and exploring all the options, I found an even better alternative (I hope).

My whole venture was to "downsize" my DISH network bill, since all I ever use it for is watching the "news" and maybe the SUperBowl, the Academy Awards, the Grammys, and the RoseBowl, and if I was going to "switch" I wanted the "digital audio output" so my receiver DAC was doing the processing and sometimes even get 5.1 sound, rather than updated DPL via analog 2 channel outs.

These are all available on the loacal channels, but I cannot use an atnenna in my area for logistical reasons.

So I contacted my local "CABLE" company which has an "unadvertised" package of all the local networks, "IN HD DIGITAL", for only $12 a month (compared to $30-$50 for DISH or DIRECTV) with NO CONTRACT!!!!

All I need is to use either a VCR tuner (for my projector) or if I want HD, I can pick up a SAMSUNG DTB H260F (which would be paid for in 3-4mo)

I post this in case others might be in that same boat, and might need to investigate the options (which may not be advertised)

Again, thanks to ALL who responded with info or offers.