Jane E.

Dear Brooke,

Like you, I live in a rural area, where we receive two broadcast networks
(poorly) and cable is still not available. So when I had the opportunity to
get a dish, I jumped at the chance. There are wonderful educational
offerings on some of the channels, but a lot of junk to sift through, also.

I don't know how satellite television differs in Canada from here in the
States, but our dish has several different packages at various prices. I
think the smallest package includes Discovery, Learning Channel and the
History Channel. Also Animal Planet, which my youngest adores. If you get
the network package, it includes public television. And for my older
children, the Independent Film Channel has foreign language movies, so they
can listen to French and Spanish. A caveat, however, many of those movies
are NOT suitable for children--we watched a French comedy the other day
which I thought was hysterically funny, but I sent my youngest out of the
room.

Jane

> From: Campbell & Wyman <brynlee@...>
> IS there a dish you can get which allows you to pay for only the channels
> you choose?? Any advise?? And which channels are worth having???
> Thanks
> Brooke in BC
> brynlee@...

Jane E.

> From: Rhiahl@...
>
> In a message dated 9/6/99 3:02:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> vriche@... writes:
>
> << This is also true of Primestar. >>
>
> I dumped primestar, worst system I've ever owned.

That's too bad, Charlotte, because I love Primestar. Always gotten great
service, completely free, and the price is comparable to all the others. I
looked into DISH network because they were offering free replacement, but
that's only on one box, one TV, after that it costs plenty--would have been
about $400 for me to switch over. Primestar has now been bought out by
DirecTV, we are waiting for the changeover. And we'll continue to lease,
not own the dish (so that means free service still).

Sorry your experience was so bad.

Jane

Campbell & Wyman

We live in a rural area and we can only get 1 station here unless I
subscribe to cable which is about $45 Cdn. a month. I would love to see the
Learning Channels and the Discovery and History ones as well...however, I
refuse to pay for cable being that we rarely watch TV (maybe once or twice
a month). It seems an exorbitant sum to pay for a few stations.

IS there a dish you can get which allows you to pay for only the channels
you choose?? Any advise?? And which channels are worth having???
Thanks
Brooke in BC
brynlee@...

Jane E.

> From: Linda Wyatt <hilinda@...>
>
> Personally, I recommend a C-Band dish rather than a digital dish. Besides
> being able to pick and choose your programming, there is *lots* that is
> available in the clear (free).
>
>
> Linda


Dear Linda,

Tell us more! I've never heard of a C-band dish!

Jane

[email protected]

In a message dated 9/6/99 1:49:38 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
brynlee@... writes:

<< IS there a dish you can get which allows you to pay for only the channels
you choose?? Any advise?? And which channels are worth having??? >>

DishNetwork. They used to allow pick and choose I think they've gone to the
package thing though. Anyway, they have a really good timer and lock out
system and the system itself the box and dish can be had for under $100.
Plus, the pay per view movies are cheaper than the local video store.

www.dishnetwork.com

Charlotte

Barb and Vince

This is also true of Primestar.
Barb

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DishNetwork. They used to allow pick and choose I think
they've gone to the
package thing though. Anyway, they have a really good timer and lock out
system and the system itself the box and dish can be had for under $100.
Plus, the pay per view movies are cheaper than the local video store.
www.dishnetwork.com

[email protected]

In a message dated 9/6/99 3:02:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
vriche@... writes:

<< This is also true of Primestar. >>

I dumped primestar, worst system I've ever owned. They were soooo bad I
didn't spend a dollar for programming the first six months because to make up
for their mistakes, they kept giving me free months. Primestar can't compete
with Dish Network not in customer service, parental controls or programming.
Not to mention their dishes are oversized.

If you check your local little nickel there are a lot of satellite companies
offering to replace Primestar with Dish Network for free. Also, TCI used to
associate itself with Primestar. They were soooo bad TCI dumped em.

Charlotte

Linda Wyatt

> From: Rhiahl@...
>
> In a message dated 9/6/99 3:02:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> vriche@... writes:
>
> << This is also true of Primestar. >>
>
> I dumped primestar, worst system I've ever owned.


Personally, I recommend a C-Band dish rather than a digital dish. Besides
being able to pick and choose your programming, there is *lots* that is
available in the clear (free).


Linda

--
Linda Wyatt
hilinda@...
http://www.lightlink.com/hilinda
Learning everywhere, all the time.
Algebra before breakfast
"A lie, you see, no matter how often or how vociferously repeated, may be
mistaken for the truth, but it does not become the truth." - Adam Crown

[email protected]

In a message dated 9/6/99 6:10:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
jaelise@... writes:

<< I
looked into DISH network because they were offering free replacement, but
that's only on one box, one TV, after that it costs plenty--would have been
about $400 for me to switch over. >>

I don't understand this... I had primestar replaced by Dish, and it cost me
$200 for two television boxes. I noticed that the system of a dish and one
converter is now under $100. One of the other things I like about them is
that they offer the service of a free dish if you leave the dish you now own.
Good practice since the next homeowner would already have their system
hooked up.

Charlotte

Barb and Vince

>>>>>>>>>>>> I dumped primestar, worst system I've ever owned. They were
soooo bad I
didn't spend a dollar for programming the first six months because to make
up
for their mistakes, they kept giving me free months. Primestar can't
compete
with Dish Network not in customer service, parental controls or programming.
Not to mention their dishes are oversized.
If you check your local little nickel there are a lot of satellite companies
offering to replace Primestar with Dish Network for free. Also, TCI used to
associate itself with Primestar. They were soooo bad TCI dumped
em.>>>>>>>>>

We have had Primestar for three years now without one single problem. We
have called a few times with questions and the customer service has been
very polite and friendly. We have complete control over channel lockouts,
rating lockouts, timers, etc. By the way, our dish is fairly small. It has
been great. Maybe it has improved since you had it, Charlotte?
Barb

[email protected]

In a message dated 9/6/99 6:43:10 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
hilinda@... writes:

<< Personally, I recommend a C-Band dish rather than a digital dish. Besides
being able to pick and choose your programming, there is *lots* that is
available in the clear (free). >>

Wih these you have the advantage of hundreds of companies to get your
programming through... My mother plays price war with these guys every year
and last year she paid $150 for the year, full program servicing.

Charlotte

[email protected]

In a message dated 9/6/99 7:15:21 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
vriche@... writes:

<< Maybe it has improved since you had it, Charlotte? >>

If they are still as bad as they were when I had them, they'd be out of
business....

No kidding..

Charlotte

Linda Wyatt

> From: "Jane E." <jaelise@...>


> > Personally, I recommend a C-Band dish rather than a digital dish. Besides
> > being able to pick and choose your programming, there is *lots* that is
> > available in the clear (free).
> >

> Tell us more! I've never heard of a C-band dish!

C-Band is also fondly known as "BUD" for Big Ugly Dish. It's the kind of
satellite dish that originally was all there was, until just a few years
ago. It moves, to point to whichever satellite you are choosing to watch
at the time (there are maybe 20 or so different ones up there).

In my opinion, the best thing about C-Band is what they call "Wild feeds"-
it's the way companies that sell programming to TV stations *get* the
programming to the stations. The stations all have dishes and record
programming that way- and so can you. Stuff comes on at very odd times,
though, so you have to try to figure out what is on when. You can find
schedules, but they tend not to be up to date.

The most fun wild feeds are not the regular tv shows- it's the news feeds.
Direct news feeds, the stuff that the networks use and stations cut down
for their own nightly news. You get all of it, and if it's a big event,
you get nearly 24 hour raw footage coverage, unedited.

You also get footage of "off air" stuff, which can be *very* funny.
Newspeople swatting bugs while waiting for the broadcast to officially
start, that sort of thing.

You can get Canadian satellites, and in some parts of the country, you can
pick up the Mexican satellites, too (but not here).

It costs more to get the system in the first place, but the programming
costs can be much less, and you get more stuff. The wild feeds are all
free. "cable" and premium channels still cost, as do networks. There are
some restrictions on whether you can get the networks, a very odd law, but
that's an issue with the little digital dishes, too.

Linda

--
Linda Wyatt
hilinda@...
http://www.lightlink.com/hilinda
Learning everywhere, all the time.
Algebra before breakfast
"A lie, you see, no matter how often or how vociferously repeated, may be
mistaken for the truth, but it does not become the truth." - Adam Crown

[email protected]

In a message dated 9/7/99 8:11:31 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
hilinda@... writes:

<< C-Band is also fondly known as "BUD" for Big Ugly Dish. It's the kind of
satellite dish that originally was all there was, until just a few years
ago. It moves, to point to whichever satellite you are choosing to watch
at the time (there are maybe 20 or so different ones up there). >>

West Virginia state flower.

Charlotte