Satellite TV Installation Made Easy

In this day and age, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who has never had an encounter with some sort of "Home Entertainment Service Installer" at their home, whether it was cable, satellite; or more recently, fiber-optic services. I have been installing satellite systems for Dish Network and Direct TV for over half a decade and have pretty much seen and done it all. I'm going to share with you my knowledge for all of you adventurous types out there that would like to perform your own satellite install. Everything from running appropriate cable in your home if it doesnt already exist to connecting you HD Service to your brand new HDTV!

#1 The Basics...
Satellite technology allows you to receive hundreds of digital channels on your home television, which is far more than your conventional cable television service offers.

Here is an interesting fact that you should know. By contrast, "J.D. Powers and Associates" and "Consumer Reports" gives better scores to the major satellite TV providers than to any other cable TV company!

Thats pretty self explanitory. Satellite, whether it be Dish Network, Direct TV, or your local satellite retailer, simply out performs any cable provider. You simply get alot more for your money!

When considering satellite TV, there are some questions you need to ask yourself and then consider before making your decision. You will find that Dish Network or Direct TV will satisfy all of your potential viewing needs for the present and the future.

How Many Rooms Do You Want?...
How many receivers or rooms will you need? The prices and fees may vary between providers. Both providers offer a four room install with free installation. Both services also charge a $5/month lease fee per reciever that you have installed. Dish Network has a considerable advantage over DirectTV in this regard, which is throuroughly explained later on in this lens. This is definitely a major consideration for the consumer.

What Do You Want To Watch?...
Viewing preferences are extremely important. If you are an avid sports fan, and love to watch live sporting events, you would need to do price comparisons on these packages and any other add-ons such as premium channels (i.e. HBO, Showtime, Cinemax). Is there a cost difference? Is it too great or comparable? This is also extremely important because this desision could alter your hardware configuration. Simply put, different programming comes on different satellites which could change the type of dish and satellite receivers that you need. These details will also affect where you would aim your satellite dish.

What is your satellite service primarily for?...
Television service and internet service are both provided from these major competitors.

What Is This Going To Cost Me?...
Which provider has better pricing is obviously very important. Service providers these days now team up with eachother to provide bundle deals with combined TV, internet, and phone services. This marketing scheme allows them to provide the customer with a so called "full-service" product. By doing this they can provide the customer with all three of their services with the convenience of one, often discounted monthly bill.

Is Installation Really Free?...
Yes! Installation is 100% free! There is no upcharge for any labor, for four rooms and under, with both Dish Network & DirectTV. The two companies constantly advertise free installation, and that exactly what they mean and standby. There is alot of retailer/sub-contractors out there that will try to charge you additional labor once they arrive at your home. I have been installing satellite systems for quite awhile and I have very rarely come across a situation where I've had to charge my customer. Technicians will often try to charge you for running additonal cable in your home and I'm here to tell you that there is no charge as a new customer! Additional labor fees can be charged for subsequent cabling requests. Dish Network and DirectTV provides the customer with all of the hardware and labor that is required to install a four room system. Completely free of charge. If you do come across a technician that tries to charge you for additional labor, politely inform them that you are supposed to receive up to a four room installation for free and that you will be making a phone call to the Service Provider to confirm. The technician will either quickly change their tune or leave. This is not a problem if he/she leaves, because more then likely thats really not the technician you want to install your system anyway. You would then just give the service provider a call and they will quickly get another technician out to you. Remember that "new accounts" are gold mines and you will receive royal treatment if you are not rude or vulgar.

Consider these few questions before making the plunge and you will be able to fully prepare yourself to achieve your own personalized viewing experience.

Now that Ive got your feet wet in the world of satellite, let me formerly introduce you to the heavy hitters!

The Nitty Gritty...
I have installed both services and if installed correctly there are very few differences between the two "Satellite TV Giants". There are a few minor fundamental differences that I will go over with you.

#2 The Tuner Wars!
The first major difference between these two services is that Dish Network offers dual-tuner receivers. When released in 2003, these were a huge hit, and quickly placed Dish Network ahead of the pack as I mentioned previously. These wonderful devices now allowed the customer to just have one receiver(box's for the average Joe) installed in their home to seperately operate two TV's with different programming. And of course two receivers will give you four locations with seperate programming. Customers love this design feature because for one, they only have to pay one $5 a month lease fee for every two rooms that they want hooked up. Secondly the customer doesn't have to have a receiver taking up space in every room that they have. The second room that is hooked up to the dual-tuner receiver will just have a UHF remote that will allow the customer to control the programming in that room. Direct TV doesnt have this equiptment therefore you have to have and pay for a "box" in every room.

#3 Anything Good on TV?...
Of course there's the age old question. What do you want to watch? Both DirectTV and Dish Network offer and extensive list of high quality, 100 percent digital programming for you and your family. All major networks as well as you local channels are included. Of course premium channels will cost you some extra money per month. Both services also have a wonderful variety of international programming as well. Everything from German, Brazilian, Mexican, Polish, Japaneese, Chineese, & Arabic. The list goes on and on. Now here is the dividing line between the two satellite giants when it come down to programming.

If you happen to be a big NFL Football fan such as myself you might be aware that Direct TV offers their highly acclaimed "NFL Sunday Ticket" football package that allows you to watch numerous games live on gameday! It's the diamond that has DirectTV heralded as the leader in Sports programming. The package however is pretty pricey, but to die-hard football fans, it is well worth it. DirectTV invests billions of dollars to ensure that none of their competitors can get a piece of their sports programming dynasty.

#4 The World Has Gone HD Crazy!...
If you haven't yet experienced what many are calling the "HD Experience", then its time to jump on board. To reduce the picture quality of HD to just words on my lens would do it injustice. You really have to see it for yourself to trully appreciate it. You can visit your local electronics store such as Best Buy and Circuit City, and a salesman should gladly show you thier HD demo. The difference is truly amazing. I'm not here to sell you a product either. Im only here to share with you what I already know and have experienced in the field.

#5 Don't Freak Out!...
To clarify for everybody, the 2009 Digital conversion does not mean you need to rush out and purchase $3000 worth of HD equiptment. So when I advise you to go take a look at the new HD products (i.e. TV's, receivers, cables), I don't mean to walk into your electronics store and let the 21-year-old kid that needs your commision to pay for his night of partying, convince you to buy thousands of dollars worth of "Home Theatre Equiptment". The conversion is just to digital service instead of outdated analog service. Not a mandatory conversion to HD!

#6 For Those Who Are Feeling Froggy...
I know that I have given you quite a bit of infomation in this lens and from experience I realize that the average consumer is going to be overwhelmed. That is why every satellite service provider offers installation. Dish Network and DirectTV offer installation for free, but for those who would like to venture into the deep waters of satellite installation by themselves; I am offering you tutorials for you to complete your own installation below. I have also left my lens open for you to contact me with any questions or conscerns.

Dish 500 Plus & 1000 Plus Dish Installation
Install a Dish 500 Plus & 1000 Plus Kit for a four orbital location setup. This will provide all of you HD and International programming needs.

Dish 500 and Dish 300 Pointing Angles for 119° W and 110° W
These are the Dish 500 and the Dish 300 Pointing angles that you will need for self installation anywhere in the country. Basically where to point your dish!

DISH Pro Plus Twin LNBF Installation
Basic Dish 500 with a DPP Twin LNB for the standard install. This is the basic installation instructions for most customers.