Questions, Comments, and Answers...

Answer: Yes, there is loss associated with all coax cables. RG11 has lower loss than RG6, but RG11 still has about a 4dB loss per 100 feet (as compared to a 6dB loss per 100 feet with RG6 coax). It doesn't matter whether the signal is HD or not. The distance you are talking about is a challenge. You probably need an amplifier closer to the dish at that distance. I would put an amplifier around the half way point (at about 135 feet). If you already tried that, then my only other suggestion is to call a Dish service technician and see what he comes up with. Good luck.

Answer: Yes. The 722 receiver from Dish allows you to record a show and use the second tuner to watch live programming at the same time. The 722 also allows you to watch a pre-recorded show while recording two different programs at the same time.

Answer: The standard Dish receiver can output 480 lines of resolution. If you upgrade to an HD Dish receiver (612/622/722) it will deliver 1080 resolution. The main differences in the HD DVRs is the 612 only has one tuner where the 622 and 722 are dual tuner DVRs.

Answer: I don't see how connecting your PC to your TV through a VGA cable would affect your Dish DVR. I don't think this had anything to do with your loss of signal, especially since you said no connections were routed to your Dish DVR.

Answer: Yes, however you will have to get an additional DVR. This will allow you to record 2 additional shows at once. Since you are an existing customer this is going to cost somewhere between $100-$200.

Answer: Yes, I have heard that as well about Dish only supporting up to 3 HD receivers. I have had both Dish and DirecTV. I did like Dish DVR menu and options better than DirecTV. Remember that if you just get a HD receiver with Direct that it is not a DVR so you cannot pause and rewind your shows unless you are watching a recorded show from your DVR (through the whole home DVR). This took me a little getting use to when I switched from Dish to Direct TV. It is true that DirecTV will allow as many HD receivers as you want (they of course will charge you $5 for each additional receiver per month).

Answer: You can get 2 HD dual tuner DVRs which will allow you to operate 4 televisions and watch 4 different programs at the same time (on different televisions). However, you will only have HD on two TV's and standard reception on the other two. As far as I am aware Dish can only support 3 HDTVs in a single home setup.

Answer: No, it does not require re-wiring. As long as you have a coax cable (typical cable wiring throughout the house) then you can connect a DVR satellite receiver.

Answer: Well that depends on what you consider a fortune? You will need to purchase 2 additional HD receivers. They both don't have to be DVRs, but now that you are use to pausing and skipping commercials I doubt that you will want to go without a DVR. This is going to cost you a couple of hundred dollars for the equipment (probably around $300 with installation) and an additional monthly increase for the two additional DVRs which will run at least $10 a month. I consider that close to a fortune!

Answer: Yes, but you will probably need to upgrade your satellite dish as well. This depends on which type of dish you have installed. If your satellite has 3 circular cylinders pointed at the dish it is probably a HD dish. You also will need to pay for the HD upgrade as well (as you will need HD programming). All in all, it may be better to just eat the cost and have a Dish technician come out and install things properly.

Answer: You don't need a DPP-44 switch. The Dish 622 is a Dual tuner DVR and can support two televisions. I assume you already have that hooked up properly. All you need is a cable splitter (on coax in and two coax out) connected at your second TV. Use the splitter to allow a second and third connection. You will have to route a coax to your third television. And you will only be able to watch the same channel on your second and third TV sets.

Answer: Yes, you do need a new satellite when you upgrade to HD. As you are probably aware, this is free for new customers, but costs money for existing customers. Your only way to avoid paying for this HD upgrade is to switch to DirecTV. You will not pay a penalty to Dish if you have met your contract terms which are usually one to two years.

Answer: Yes, generally speaking. Both the Dish and DirecTV in North America are mounted facing south. You will need to align the Dish satellite as it has a slightly different angle and direction that Dish, but you can mount them in the same general location.

Answer: I do not believe there is a way to transfer recorded shows from one Dish DVR to another. The only way I know to do this is to attach an external hard drive to your Dish DVR (which does have a one-time setup fee). You can transfer and recorded show to the hard drive. Then you can unplug the external hard drive and connect it to your second receiver and watch any show that has been transfered to the hard drive.

Answer: I don't Dish has a better signal than DirecTV. I also don't think it has anything to do with installing a tripod. In fact, installing a tripod may be easier in some cases. My guess is that the tech from DirecTV doesn't want to have to come back again. If he installs your satellite on a tripod, then it is possible that it may move position and loose signal, which would require a tech to come back out. I say if Dish Network will install a tripod, then drop DirecTV and go with Dish.

Answer: Yes, however you will have to buy another reciever. This is the only work around as the dual tuner DVR only has two tuners, and if one is used to record a show, then you only have one tuner left to watch TV.

Answer: You can do this, but I would not recommend it. First off, Dish will do this for you for free. They know that when someone moves they have the option of changing companies. Therefore, they will do everything to keep you as a customer - which includes installing the satellite at your new home.

Answer: No. Dish Network and Directv satellites are not compatible. Niether are the recievers.

Answer: Unfortunately DirecTV does not support the PIP feature with the dual tuner receiver. The only way to get PIP with DirecTV is to connect two receivers to the same television and use the picture-in-picture feature of the TV. This of course is expensive and not worth the money.

Answer: Yes. Think of the whole house DVR as a connection between the three receivers. Since you are considering two DVRs, then you would be able to access any of the DVRs from any receiver.

Answer: I disagree with DirecTV's customer service representative because I do not see how they can guarantee better reception during weather. Now there could be a problem with your current setup that is affecting reception and once DirecTV installs their satellite receiver you may get a better installation and therefore better overall reception during bad weather. I have had both Dish Network and DirecTV and I have experienced reception issues very rarely (about once a year during a bad wind storm). They both seem about the same.

Answer: I assume you are already a Dish customer. Usually Dish Network will give away free equipment to new customers only. However, current customers have to pay for new equipment such as DVRs and high definition receivers. I can suggest a couple of options. First, you can switch to DirecTV if you are past your contractual commitment. They will probably give you several new customer incentives which include a free DVR. The second, option is to call Dish and tell them you are considering switching over to DirecTV and they may be able to offer you a free DVR.

Answer: Since DirecTV dropped TIVO I personally think Dish Network has a better DVR. I personally like how I can record and watch different shows on both televisions with one receiver. You cannot do this with a DirecTV DVR. I also like how I can start watching a show upstairs while I clean the kitchen, then stop it, go downstairs, and continue watching the show from where I left off.

Answer: Good question, but I do not have an answer, nor do I think you will ever get an answer. If I had to guess, I would think that they would both perform about the same in similar weather situations.

Answer: I recommend switching to Dish Network. DirecTV can do this as well, but you will have to upgrade to a new receiver which costs money. If you switch to Dish, you will get the new receiver free, plus a reduced monthly fee for the first few months. Ask for the dual-tuner receiver!

Answer: Yes, with the Dish HD Dual tuner receiver you can record up to two shows at the same time with the option of either recording standard or high definition programming. You can than watch these recorded shows on either TV. You can start watching a show on one TV, stop it, and finish watching it on the second TV.

Answer: I have found that hail and very heavy rain can occasionally cause a temporary (1 to 2 seconds) loss in satellite reception. I have never had a signal loss of more than a few seconds in the more than the 5 years I have had the Dish Network.

Answer: You will most likely need to have DirecTV come out and change the satellite(s) on your roof. This is because they probably installed a satellite that cannot except an HD signal.

Answer: You can watch a recorded show on either TV (HD or SD) while recording two HD shows. You cannot watch a live TV show while recording two shows, because you are limited to watching one of the current recording shows. To summarize, you can be watching two different recorded TV shows while recording two TV shows at the same time.

Answer: No, the Dish Network and DirecTV receivers and satellites are not compatible.

Answer: No, you would not get any better reception. If you have a satellite receiver, you should be getting a clear picture. I bet you have something wrong with your television or the connection between the satellite receiver and your television.

Answer: There are "upgraded" connectors than need to be installed between all your coaxial connectors. I know when the DISH network service man installed my dual tuner he searched for and replaced all the old connectors to improve quality. I would call DISH and ask them to come out and check things out.

Answer: Yes, you will be able to use the new LCD TV with standard DISH. The LCD will "up-convert" the picture to 720 pixels. It won't look great, but it will probably look similar (or a little worse) to a normal standard television. I recommend upgrading to HD programming as it usually is only $10 to $20 a month, and a much better picture.

Answer: I am sure there is a switch you can buy to get 6 televisions connected. I personally would recommend calling the DISH and get a technician to come out to your home. I believe there is some technical details besides just changing the switch such as cabling requirements and distance limits.

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