The TV switch

Our family is dropping Satellite TV this month.  We have been with DirecTV for close to five years now.  We were with Dish Network for a little while before that.  Overall we have been happy with the service from DirecTV.  I do have some obvious complaints, but generally I was happy.


Well, this month we are finally making the big move to HD.  We got rid of our old box TV and entertainment center and purchased a 42" flat screen TV.  We found a fantastic deal, so we pulled the trigger.  We also bought a wireless blu-ray player as well. 

In order to make the HD change complete we needed HD programming.  We talked about upgrading our DirecTV receiver to an HD DVR, but that would increase our monthly payment and cost us some additional money upfront as well.  Both of us agreed that we both wanted a DVR.  This is something that both of us love to have.  Believe me, having a DVR is awesome, if you don't have one, I strongly encourage one.

We don't watch much TV and our time is usually very limited, so having the convenience of a DVR that allows us to watch something at our convenience is wonderful.  So we made an assessment of what channels we watched and how much we watched.  Over 80% of the programs we watched were on local programming.  This was telling.

So I began to look at our different options.  Upgrade?  Switch to cable?  Back to Dish?  All of them have programming packages that are expensive and we are only interested in a very small amount of channels.  Money was also a big factor as well.  We did consider switching to Comcast, but I simply won't commit on a promotional deal for a few months or a year.  I want a payment that won't increase by 50% after a year.  This tactic might work on some, but not me. 

After researching all the TV providers I kept asking myself one question.  Why can't they offer an "al a carte" option?  That way we could pick just a few channels that we actually enjoy and drop the rest that we never watch.  Why do I need 200+ channels?  I'm never going to watch 90% them.  If there was a TV provider that offered this, I would immediately jump on it.  Why has no one done this? 

After much thought and research we finally made a decision.  We are dropping satellite altogether and going with the local "over the air" HD programming.  There are several reasons we decided to do this.

1. We don't watch that much TV and most of what we watch is local programming anyway. 
2. It saves us A LOT of money each month.
3. We get the HD programming we want.
4. Netflix.  We can watch a lot of shows that we miss via streaming/DVD on Netflix. 

This left me with one problem, what about the DVR?  By going with "over the air" programming I believed that we would lose the possibility to record the shows.  So I began to search out my options.  Here is what I learned so far:

DVR possibilities for "over the air" or antenna programming:

•  A media PC/MAC - (This option can be customizable, but there are several requirements)
• TV inputs.  This can be integrated with the right setup, or you can purchase a separate TV tuner card.
• Windows Media Center.  This software comes with some of the newer Windows OS.  Like Vista and Windows 7 for example.  This software allows a nice DVR option. 
• A large hard drive.  Especially if you are going to record HD programming.
• A wireless remote that works with your PC.  This is usually included with a media desktop. 
• I'm not familiar with Mac, but I have been told that if you get the right Media setup, it offers a DVR option as well.
•  Tivo
• Tivo offers their units for "over the air" programming.  They even have dual inputs so you can record one show while you watch another.
• Pros:
• Very user friendly
• Good reputation
• Options for internet apps, like Netflix, pandora, etc.
• Cons:
• Required monthly payment of $13
• Cost of the unit.  Anywhere from $200-500
• Their units are not wireless, but you can purchase the wireless adapter for $80-100
•  Channel Master CM-7000PAL DVR
• This unit was difficult to find, but it was certainly worth the wait. 
• Pros:
• No subscription fee.
• Dual TV inputs.
• HDMI out.
• Cons:
• Cost of unit.  Starts around $350.

Needless to say, that we went with the channel master DVR.  No subscription fees absolutely sold me.  The unit will pay for itself within a year or two.  I have been very impressed with the ease of the setup, picture quality, remote, tv guide, and the HDMI output.  One thing I should mention is that it looks like the unit only allows 1080i output rather than 1080p.  This option will only matter to the real HD geeks.  No one will actually see or notice the difference.

One thing that I should mention in regards to going with "over the air" programming is an antenna.  There are many options that you should consider when purchasing one.  Your location being the first thing to look at.  Here is a free website that can recommend an antenna that will best suit your needs based on your location.  I opted with an external antenna that I placed on my existing satellite post, which increases my signal strength. 




I also purchased a Samsung Blu-Ray player for around $140.  I originally wanted a PS3 for my blu-ray options, but a PS3 is a bit overkill and it is much more expensive than what I needed one for.  I had two needs for my blu-ray player: 1) Netflix.  2) Wireless internet connection.  Some players out there don't have wifi built in.  So watch for that.  This player had both for a great price.  I would definitely recommend Netflix to people.  If you have an internet connection that can handle the streaming, I would recommend it.

So far I haven't experienced too many regrets.  I really enjoy watching football in HD.  Wow.  What a difference.  I won't lie that I do miss ESPN and Comedy Central.  But the selection of TV shows constantly increase on Netflix, so...I don't think I have too much to worry about.