Dish Network?

I'm on STX and I used paradise satellite a few weeks ago. The owner posts here, I actually contacted him via this forum after having other distributor's not respond to my requests for info. Alan was fantastic and I am extremely happy with my service. Watching the Auburn LSU game in HD on Saturday night was a real treat, haven't watched HD programming since moving down here full time! I don't know if he does STT work or not, but I would recommend him. His handle on here is "Skysthelimit."

I paid $2500 total for a 6 foot (on a pole in the yard) and 4 foot dish (mounted to the side of my house), multi-switch, trenches dug in my yard for cabling with conduit, LNB's, a VIp722 DVR (great 2 tuner HD DVR unit), cabling to the second TV in the house etc. Sounds like a lot, but after playing with doing it myself I gladly paid it as it is a lot of work and is not as simple as it is in the states. This weekend with all the rain I had 0 "rain fade" even on 119 which I have the 4 foot dish pointed at. This is a testament to having a quality installtion performed.

I get about 8 HD channels and 250 or so SD channels. I got Cinemax for a year, HBO and Starz for 3 months, and the 250 top choice package. I also get some "on demand" programming that downloads at night onto my receiver. The finicky thing down here is the network channels. We are not eligible for any of the Dish networks "locals" so we have to buy them from another company called All America Direct. Right now I only have Fox as they are waiting on a "waiver" from the other network providers here in the USVI to turn on the other ones. You will get locals from Atlanta and San Fran once this is done..although its pricey at $3.50 per network. Its a bit of a game and within a month I should have all of the locals with ABC being the one that gives the most problems here since they are here on STX.

The week I put up my 2 dishes DISH network put a new satellite in the 110 orbital. Alan informed me that he can now receive this satellite with a 4 foot dish. I'm also hearing that you can receive both 119 and 110 on a 6 foot dish as well now with a dual LNB mount. I am missing some programming right now as there is a 3rd bird that you have to hit for more HD content at the 61.5 orbital that requires a 6 foot dish to receive. Since I already have one 6 foot dish I may have paradise come back and put another 4 foot dish on the side of my house to get 110 (now that you can get it on a 4 footer) and repoint the 6 footer to the 61.5 slot. I think this would let me get NHL Network and Versus in HD which is important to me (big hockey fan).

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions..you could probably go cheaper than what I did if you didn't want HD etc.

Sean

I'm glad you're happy Sean!
Figuring out the specific channels you're looking for and which satellite they are available on is one of the biggest challenges. That and getting all the HD. Before Echostar 11 (the new 110) ,119 was stronger and several people used one 1.8 to get both 110 and 119. I didn't feel the signal strengths obtained were optimal. Now it may make more sense, we'll see.

9/20/08 Dishnetwork has announced the new dish configuration for new subscribers stateside. Eastern arc and western arc. Eastern arc will be 61.5, 72.7, and 77 all on one little dish. International programming will all be on 118. In the future we might be pointing your dishes again. 🙂 They keep lighting up more satellites. It all boils down to Dish needing bandwidth to carry all the HD mpeg 4 channels (and future channels) and where you land in the footprint of particular satellites.

LipStick,
I used to work with a guy on STT/STJ but we had to part ways do to his business practices.
I've been refering people to Cal at Satellite Entertainment Services on STT. He's the only one I know of.
Most people simply buy a 4 ft dish for sat 119 and get a Dual SD DVR. They LOVE it! If /as your budget allows, add more dishes.
$600 - $700 should get you started with a nice system installed.