Another HDTV question

[LwnmwnMan2]

I really can't believe I'm even asking this... but...

The wife, yes the wife, watching QVC, YES QVC, has decided we, yes WE need a new flat screen TV!!!

The special of the day or whatever was a 46" Sharp Aquos.

My question is not going to be what TV is the best, that'll be determined with our own taste and research.

What I'm wondering is, is there any way to hook up the surround sound wirelessly?? If so, how about the satellite dish?? Where the wife, and I, would like to hang it, is on a "fake" wall that separates the kitchen / dining room area from the living room in the upstairs of a 70's style Wausau split house.

It's a wall that goes up about 10' in an area with a vaulted ceiling of about 12'. Also, there's no part of the wall that touches an outside wall.

The basement is completely finished off with sheetrock / tongue and groove on the ceiling.

I know of the easiest, most likely way to run the satellite cable, but are there other options?

Thanks.

[TNFL]

Wireless satellite may be a problem. Cable, through broadband, with a wireless hub(s) may be possible though.

Good luck though, it sounds pricey.

[mamohr686]

The only way to get full HD is through a HDMI cable. You need a coaxial cable from your dish to the receiver, and the HDMI or component cables to your TV. The other option would be cable, through a provider that uses cablecard technolgy. Your going to need a power outlet for the TV, so if you need an outlet installed you could run cables throught the wall at the same time. Yes, you can get wireless surround sound but the sound quality is worse (I think it's due to the conversion to wireless signal).

[SomethingFishy*]

 Originally Posted By: mamohr686

The only way to get full HD is through a HDMI cable.

Component video cables will also pull the HD signal, the only thing that HDMI does is simplifies the cabling process and adds the audio channel.

[LwnmwnMan2]

We don't have a cable provider where I live, so that's out of the question.

We're not that far into the sticks, just a 'dead spot' as far as cable companies are concerned.

I can drill a hole through the wall, since directly on the back side of the wall is the refrigerator and power outlet.

I was trying to figure out a way to get the wires to the TV witout seeing them, but I suppose I could just get a piece of channel and use that instead.

I could also move the satellite receiver from the TV downstairs and run a wire up through the floor right below the fridge as well.

Wireless would have made everything much easier, but I also realize that it would not have provided the best signal.

[DTro]

Check out the Terk Leapfrog.

I don't think you can recieve an HD signal with it (not exactly sure), but it's got some pretty good reviews and claims of up to 150' through walls.

[wallmounter]

There is now wireless HDMI technology out there, but it is not cheap at all.

On second check, it is slated to be available "soon"

[Shack]

LM2,

What Dtro said sounds like somthing worth checking into. I would also post this over in the Home Improvment section and The Equipment area. Some one who does not make it down here, might know up there.

Good luck.

[mamohr686]

 Originally Posted By: SomethingFishy

 Originally Posted By: mamohr686

The only way to get full HD is through a HDMI cable.

Component video cables will also pull the HD signal, the only thing that HDMI does is simplifies the cabling process and adds the audio channel.

1080P is full HD and is only available through a HDMI cable, 1080i is available through your componet cable.

[DTro]

 Originally Posted By: mamohr686

 Originally Posted By: SomethingFishy

 Originally Posted By: mamohr686

The only way to get full HD is through a HDMI cable.

Component video cables will also pull the HD signal, the only thing that HDMI does is simplifies the cabling process and adds the audio channel.

1080P is full HD and is only available through a HDMI cable, 1080i is available through your componet cable.

Yes, but the only way to get a true 1080p signal is with HD-DVD or Blu-Ray

[Shack]

Dtro is correct!

This is why I canceled my HD channels from my Sat. provider. I feel you get a better picture, but not a true HD picture. Plus the fact you have to upgrade box's/receivers every 6 months (HD ready guy). Plus they cut the HD channels in half with Dish Network and raised the price (I miss Monster Vision). The only channel that blew me away was Discovery, the rest where almost them same as normal. Now a true HD-DVD, A good HD player and the components (Blue, red, green and orange) is the best I have seen. I do not have the “Blue-Ray” yet.

[DTro]

I guess I wouldn't go that far. However, I haven't seen the HD picture on Sat so I'll hold my judgement. I've read elsewhere that people refer to it as HD-Lite.

I'm pleased with the picture I get through Comcast at 720p and 1080i.

I challenge anyone to try to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 50" or under set at 10ft away.

[Shack]

For $20 extra a month and then they drop like 13 channels from when I signed up, I would go that far. The Voom package used to have like 30 channels, then they dropped it to like 12-13 channels and I have them same channels on my regular dish channels (with Voom, they where in HD). I had to pay more to get the cool channels they started out with and a couple more. I said forget that.

Go figure with Sat. and Cable. What do they think we are , suckers?

[Shack]

I do miss Monster Vision. It was all the old monster/horror movies from the 50's,60's, 70's and eighties (even nineties) in High Deff, 24/7... Vince Price, Bella Lugosi and others.

I also liked a “new movie” channel they had (like HBO).

When I made that called to ask them about my HD channels and then to cancel my HD channels, I also scaled backed my $120 a month bill to $50 a month and did voice why I was doing this and have not looked back since.

Any Dish Network HD people from the last 2 years know what I am talking about.

[LMITOUT]

I've been a subscriber for a little over 2 years and don't know what you are talking about honestly. I still have Monster HD and have never had to upgrade my receiver. This year more satellites are going up which will mean even more national channels in HD in the near future. Unfortunately both satellite companies sunk to a new low with HD-Lite due to their haste in adding as many HD channels as they can to the already overloaded satellites they currently have in the air.

[Shack]

I should clarify, I was one of the originals to have the first Voom/HD package. It was one price and life was good. One day about a year plus ago, I came home from work and hit my channel and nothing was there. I called Dish and they said I still had HD channels, but Monster and the other 12-11 channels I had, would need me to upgrade to another package. At this time I was paying $120 a month for my service’s threw Dish. I blew a nut and the same time brought down my bill from $120 to $50 (minus Voom, HBO, Max and others). I Know this had to of occur to other people. Basically HD had gotten popular, and Dish wanted to make some money. IMO

They can not just upgrade you to another package, so they take what you have, so you call them to upgrade. I just came to an end with it. Sorry for the rant.

[Shack]

Also, I have the 811 HD receiver, I was told I would need to upgrade to another receiver to get the HD signal by the sales rep. at the time of the phone call. She said they upgrade every 6 months.

I still get HD local channels in HD, I think (they look HD).

Its hard to tell, they just had some channels I liked only in HD.

[LMITOUT]

Many of the channels are in MPEG-4 format now (all will be eventually) and a new receiver is required to view them, but they've had those receivers for over two years now because I have one. That may be part of the reason for your troubles.

[Shack]

LMITOUT,

You are correct on the MPEG-4 thing, but if you call Dish and ask them about the 811, they will tell you it is an outdated receiver.

3 or so more years ago, I got Dish network. I had the guy come out and install my system and got to talking with him. One of the things he told me was in the first 3 days of activation, you have the company (Dish Network) by the ballz and this is the best time to try and get some extras. Since I had an HD ready big screen, one of the extras was to upgrade my receiver to an HD receiver, which I did. At that point they only had one 20-30 channel package for HD options (now they have more). I signed up for it. A year in a half (or so) ago, one day out of the blue, the HD channels package I signed up for was cut in half. I called DishN and they said “we have made some changes to our HD format and you will have to upgrade to another HD package to get the channels I lost with an added cost involved” at this time the gal also said “Oh, sir I see here you have the model 811 receiver, you will need to update the receiver to be able to upgrade to the next package it will be an addition charge of $350-$500, would you like me to bill it to you account and send a tech out to install it”. Up in till then, I had not been that impressed with Dish Networks HD any ways. Like I said the Discovery channel HD (Blue planet) was awesome but I could almost see nothing different between other channels and movies.

Basically I did not have any troubles, I was just getting the “dangled the carrot in from the donkey” routine, plus I sleep better at night paying $50 instead of $120 a month. Again, I was paying way more per month than I ever would have dreamed and I did that for almost 2 years ($2880.00@) and then they want more. I almost switched to Direct TV.

[DTro]

I don't even want to say what my cable bill is....

I have:

One standard box

One HD box

One HD box with DVR

couple of premium movie channels

high speed internet

who know's what else I'm paying for

Let's just say I'd be happy with a $120 bill

You bring up a good point Shack, I think I need to reevaluate my "needs".

I can't give up HD....that's like crack

I can't give up my DVR... that's like crack on crack

I can't give up my internet....that's probably in the meth category

I could tell the wife we need to get rid of the standard box that she uses in her area

guess I'm screwed

[Shack]

I look at it this way, when I dropped my package at Dish, I shifted the effort of TV watching to FM . This a lot cheaper .

Also, I am not that big of a TV guy. If I sit down and watch a movie, I like HD-DVD.

[LMITOUT]

Oh, well then it's obviously the MPEG-4 switchover that got you and probably a lot of other people. It had to be done though or there would be no growth in the available HD channels. Hard to cough up the dough for a new box, but you could have used that one for more than 6 months. As I mentioned before, I'm on my first box which is over 2 years old now, but it is MPEG-4 compatible too so the change has been transparent to me.

[LwnmwnMan2]

shack - fwiw, I'd run on hsolist and see what MPEG-4 receivers are there.

I've always waited a year or so for the new technology to get out, and then buy a used receiver.

You then just call up DishN and tell them that you're replacing "a" receiver with "b" receiver. We've done this 3-4 times, upgrading DVR receivers at 1/2 the cost of new.

It's got to be something that you're not in a hurry for, and it's got to be something that you're happy to have last year's technology with.