# Read/critique my article: Ordering Satellite TV Service



## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Over the years, people have suggested that I make a web page somewhere about satellite TV service to help people who are new to it. I've been meaning to do that for a long time, but finally got around to starting some work on it. I plan to expand on this and get into specifics for each company, but what I've got so far is a general over-view.

If you're up to it, read it over and give me your feedback. Any constructive feedback is welcome. Hopefully, it will help out a lot of folks.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

*Customer's Guide to Satellite Television*

This guide is intended to help those who are considering switching to a satellite-based television provider in the USA, meaning either DirecTV or Dish Network, though much of the information here will be true for satellite TV providers in other countries. It should also be of help for those coming back to satellite TV or folks who are current subscribers but are moving to a new home.

To begin, satellite TV is different from other types of TV providers in that you don't have a hardwired link to the provider, but rather receive the TV signals that are rebroadcast from satellites in space on your own dish-type antenna. That is both a strength and a weakness, depending on your point of view.

*Establishing Line-Of-Site (LOS)*

The primary consideration for getting satellite TV is: will a dish (antenna) be able to receive the signals from the satellite? If the answer is "no", then you're stuck with an over-the-air (OTA) antenna, cable, or one of the telco TV providers. So, how do you know if a dish will work for you?

If you live in a single-family home, your chances of getting satellite reception are probably pretty good. The radio signals coming from the satellites are very weak, which is why a dish reflector is necessary to gather enough signal to be usable by the satellite receiver set-top box. The dish will need to have a clear Line-Of-Site (LOS) to the satellite(s) that carry the content you are trying to receive. This means that there can't be any objects between the satellite and the dish; objects like leaves or tree branches, roof overhangs, or other buildings.

There are a number of ways to determine if you have LOS to the satellites from your home, but perhaps the best way is the website DishPointer, which works with Google Maps to show you the LOS angle to each individual satellite from any area of the country. Simply enter your address and select a satellite orbital location, and DishPointer will draw a line on the satellite map in the direction of the satellite. You can move the pointer around to "try out" different dish mounting locations to help find a suitable spot (though there may be additional mounting considerations that may limit dish placement).

Below is a table showing the satellite locations typically used for both services:

[table missing - to be added later]

If you live in an apartment, condominium, townhouse, or rental home, your options may be much more limited. A federal law called "OTARD" (the Over The Air Reception Device law) allows renters to install dish antennas up to 1 meter in diameter in their "exclusive use" area, typically a fenced in patio or balcony, without needing landlord permission, provided the dish is contained within the boundaries of the exclusive use area and isn't attached to the building.

What does this mean for you? Essentially, it means that when you choose an apartment, you'll need to make sure of a few things if you want satellite TV:

-	You need an "exclusive use" area, such as a fenced-in patio or balcony, that is exclusively for your (the tenant's) use. Landings, common corridors, and un-fenced "back yards" generally are NOT protected under the law.
-	Your "exclusive use" area needs to be facing the right direction, generally south, and it needs to be clear of obstructions, such as trees or adjacent buildings, and not have an overhang that will block the signal.
-	You may need to pay for a custom mount, such as an antenna tripod, a non-penetrating roof mount (often used on balcony floors), or other mount that isn't included in a standard installation. Such is the cost of apartment life.

Apartment units that have balconies with clear southern exposures often have waiting lists, as experienced tenants hold out for units where they can get satellite TV.

If your unit does not have a suitable "exclusive use" area, you are at the mercy of your landlord giving you permission to mount your dish somewhere on the building or in a "public" area. In the majority of cases, this permission is denied, so if satellite TV is important to you, you'll want to choose your unit carefully.

Folks living with HOAs (home-owners associations) are given considerable protection under OTARD. The dish must still be mounted on your property (be careful; condos and townhomes are often set up where the roof and outer walls are considered HOA property, not the "owner's" property), but while the HOA can *request* that you have your dish mounted in a certain place or a certain way (i.e., hidden), they cannot prevent you from getting a signal if you can get one from somewhere on your property, and they cannot force you to pay for costs beyond a standard install in order to comply with their request. Federal OTARD law trumps HOA covenants, though many HOA boards won't agree until they've met with their lawyers.

*Choosing Your Provider*

Now that you've established that you have a clear LOS to at least one of the sat providers, it's time to make a choice. In the United States, there are two mainstream satellite TV providers: DirecTV and Dish Network.

DirecTV began in 1994 and is best known for their sports carriage. DirecTV carries all of the premium sports packages (which require a separate subscription), and is the exclusive provider of the NFL Sunday Ticket package. Beyond sports, DirecTV is a full-service TV provider, carrying the premium movie providers such as HBO and Showtime, cable networks such as ESPN, USA, Discovery, etc., and locals coverage in most DMAs.

Dish Network began in 1996, evolving out of Echostar, a "big dish" C-band satellite provider since the 1980s. Dish's strengths are their premium movie channel coverage, their large variety of International programming, and their unique "Duo" dual-TV receivers, where a single receiver can independently feed 2 separate TVs. Dish is also a full-service TV provider.

While there are a few other providers of satellite-based TV in the US, they are niche services that don't provide mainstream television programming and are therefore outside the scope of this document.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

*Programming*

The single most important factor in choosing a provider is the programming they offer. If you can't get the channels you want, why switch from what you currently have?

Both providers are constantly evolving their programming as TV networks are created, merge, or die off, and as additional satellite bandwidth becomes available, allowing the services to expand their offerings. I recommend that prospective customers take some time to browse the websites of both providers and look at the packages that are offered. Don't worry too much about price at this point; the price of the base programming package may or may not be very representative of your actual monthly bill. Just concentrate on the channels you are looking for, and determine the minimum packages that you can live with. Then look at the add-on offerings, such as the premium movie packages, sports packages, International (i.e., foreign language) packages, and so on. Make a list of package names and prices.

Some people may find that one provider or the other is automatically eliminated at this stage, due to not carrying programming seen as "essential" to that person's viewing habits, but most folks will likely find options on both services that will meet their needs.

*Equipment*

The next step is choosing the number and type of satellite receivers (set-top boxes) you will need to get the programming you want at each TV. Unlike analog cable, satellite signals as picked up by the dish antenna are useless to a TV; they require a satellite receiver to decode, unencrypt, and convert into signals the TV can use.

I recommend making a list of the TVs in your house and mark whether each one is HD (high definition) or SD (standard definition), and whether or not you want DVR (digital video recorder) service on that TV. Once you made your list of your current TVs, project at least a year into the future, and note any likely changes. Will you upgrade the living room TV, and migrate that old TV into the master bedroom? If so, adjust your list. This is important because you will get the best deals on equipment during your initial sign-up, and upgrading within the first year may be very costly or not even possible under normal business rules, so you're likely going to have to live with the choices you make for at least a year.

With DirecTV, things are simple. There are 4 types of receivers:

-	SD receivers
-	SD DVRs
-	HD receivers
-	HD DVRs

You'll generally need a receiver at each TV, so your list will help you determine which type of receiver you'll need at each TV. Note that DirecTV will normally lease you up to 4 SD receivers with no up-front lease fee, and those that credit-qualify will usually be able to get an additional "advanced" receiver, up to an HD-DVR, for free as well. Additional advanced receivers will require an up-front lease payment (non-refundable once your receiver is activated) and may come with additional installation costs. Leasing receivers will require a 2-year (24-month) commitment, with an ETF (early termination fee) of $20 times the number of months remaining in the commitment, if you cancel.

Dish Network works things a bit differently. Dish has a lease limit of 3 receivers per account (you can have additional receivers, but you must buy them outright), potentially feeding up to 6 TVs. Dish's receivers are either "Solo", designed to run a single TV, or "Duo", designed to run 2 TVs. This means 8 receiver types instead of DirecTV's 4, as you can get a Solo or Duo version of each variant.

*Some facts about Duo receivers:*

-	The receiver will be placed near the "TV1" and the TV1 remote is IR only, so it will need LOS to the receiver. The TV2 is connected via coax (there are also composite RCA outputs, but such connections are considered custom and not part of a standard installation), and the TV2 remote is RF (radio) so that it can communicate with the receiver through walls. There is a small antenna on every Duo receiver that picks up the signals from the TV2 remote.
-	The TV2 output is limited to SD (standard definition), and is an analog NTSC signal. The receiver has an agile, stereo modulator and by default sends the TV2 signal out on channel 60 (air) or channel 73 (cable). Most TVs can receive one or the other without a problem, but picture quality can be affected by the capabilities of the tuner in the TV.
-	Duo DVRs can be run in "Single Mode" or "Dual Mode." In Single Mode, all resources are dedicated to the TV1, so both remotes change the TV1 channels and both satellite tuners are available to TV1. Also, both sets of outputs show the TV1 content. In Dual Mode, the TV1 and TV2 outputs are different, and controlled independently by their own remote.
-	Duo DVRs "share" the recorded programs, and the hard drive space, between the two TVs. This allows you to start a show in one room, pause, and finish watching the show in the second room, for example.
-	Duo DVRs only have 2 satellite tuners, so each TV normally operates like a single-tuner DVR. This means if you are recording a show, you can't watch something else live (you can watch something previously recorded) without taking over the tuner from the other TV.
-	Because Duo receivers have two video output processors, they can offer internally-generated PiP (Picture-In-Picture), but only in Single Mode.

You must be careful when ordering receivers with Dish Network, as their CSRs are trained to "interpret" your order to use Duo receivers whenever possible, and they assume that all Duo receivers will be used to feed 2 TVs. If you have other intentions, make them crystal clear to the CSR, and then call back to verify your order. Don't wait until installation day to make those changes or it will often be too late.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

*Pricing*

Now comes time to add up the costs. A spreadsheet makes it easier, but you can do it on paper too. First add up your programming costs by adding the cost of each package, plus extra services such as HD and DVR Service. This is the monthly fee for your FIRST receiver. Then, add the additional receiver costs for each additional receiver you have. Now you have your total (minus tax). Remember that as a new customer, you most likely have a discounted monthly fee as part of your New Customer Offer, and that discount will expire eventually, usually 6 months or a year after starting service. Be sure to calculate your costs once your discount expires.

Now that you can see true costs, you can make any adjustments necessary to balance your viewing needs with your budget.

*Retailer vs. Direct Ordering*

Both satellite companies will let you call them directly and place an order, and both also have local independent retailers who can offer you the same prices and services that you'd get if you called directly to the company. So why choose one over the other?

In general, I recommend using a local retailer. A local company is going to be familiar with any local issues you might have, both with programming (Can I get locals via sat? Are they in HD? Etc.) and with local construction issues that could affect installation. They will also be more flexible when it comes to custom installation options. They may "speak your language" a bit better than a CSR in a call center somewhere, and usually will have a local office where you can talk to someone if you need to. And, if necessary, you can always go to corporate if you need service and can't get it from the retailer. Yes, there are some bad retailers out there, but many are fantastic and can do installations that corporate simply won't do.

Now that you are armed and ready with information, you can place your order and get the ball rolling. The next step is the installation&#8230;

*Installation*

Getting your satellite system installed properly is vital to having a good experience with satellite TV. A satellite system potentially offers much more than cable can, but installation can be more complicated. The more you know and understand how things work, the better the likelyhood of you getting a good installation.

Both DirecTV and Dish Network offer a free, *standard* installation. If it helps, replace the word "standard" with "basic", and you get the idea. A "standard" or basic installation is a no-frills, simple installation designed to get your system working in a minimum amount of time and for a low cost to the company. The majority of customers are satisfied (or at least, willing to live with) a standard installation. Some customers may prefer a custom installation, which comes with custom installation fees payable to the installer or the installer's company at the time of the installation.

In general, a standard installation includes mounting the dish, using the supplied standard mast/foot assembly, to your roof (asphalt tile roofs only), eave/fascia board, wall, or chimney of your house. RG6 coax cable is run from the dish on the outside of the house either to your external main wiring junction (the box on the outside of the house where the prewired cables meet) or to the individual rooms where the receivers will go. The installer will drill through one outside wall, using a bushing and silicone sealant on the outside and a wall plate on the inside, to provide a connection as close to the back of the TV/receiver as possible.

There are local variations. In areas where basements are common, the standard install may include running all cables into the basement and drilling holes through the floor to bring the cables into each room. In some areas, a tech may run cables through the attic and drill through the ceiling and bring the cables down that way (this is not "standard" and may be considered custom work, or may be impossible, depending on the construction of your home).

If your house was pre-wired with RG6 coax cable, most installers will be happy to use that whenever possible.

*Custom Installations*

Depending on your home's construction, or your wishes, custom dish mounts and/or custom installation work may be required. Generally, if you need a mount other than the standard mast/foot that is supplied with the dish, you can expect to be charged for a custom mount. Common custom mounts are:

-	Antenna tripods, commonly used in apartments or other places where a permanent mount isn't possible.
-	Under-Eave mounts, usually L or J-shaped, that mount to the exposed rafter tails of a roof overhang.
-	Pole mounts - a steel pole cemented into the ground, with cables trenched (usually directly buried, but custom installs may include conduit at an additional cost).
-	Non-penetrating roof mounts (NPR) - a "tray" or "sled" mount designed to use concrete cinder blocks as ballast. NPRs are frequently used on flat roofs (thus heavily used in commercial installs) or on apartment balconies. As the name implies, they just use weight and surface area to prevent movement, and don't penetrate the roof's surface.

There may also be custom charges required to complete an installation to a customer's specifications. Wall fishes, where cables are run down the inside of a wall (and are thereby hidden) are a common request, and are always custom work, and not always possible. Both satellite companies have limits on how much coax cable they will provide, and lengths beyond those limits are charged by the foot. And other items, such as HDMI cables, Ethernet connectivity, hooking up other components, and so on, will be custom work.

If you know you will be wanting custom work, let the installer know immediately upon arrival, and if you're working with a local retailer, let him know up-front, so that the installer is scheduled more time on the job and has the materials needed when he arrives.

*Preparing for the Installation*

Getting your home ready for your install will help ensure things go smoothly and quickly. You should have a TV set in every room where you'll be having service installed, and if at all possible, have the factory TV remote available. The TV should be plugged in and powered on so that any obvious problems with the TV set itself will be visible. Pull the TV out from the wall and clear off a space for the receiver. Any knick-knacks or breakables should be moved/removed so that a bump doesn't cause something to be broken. Make sure there is an available, working 3-prong power outlet for the receiver at each TV location. As best you can, figure out which rooms already have cable service, and where the outlets are, plus the locations of any phone or Ethernet jacks, as external connectivity is more important than ever. If you know where your pre-wired cable junction is, that will help too.

The installer is going to need access to each room that is getting service, plus anywhere there are cable junctions or routes. This often means access to the attic or crawl-space entrance (usually in a closet), and in many newer homes, access to the structured wiring cabinet, which is also often in a bedroom closet (most often in the master bedroom closet these days). Essentially, he'll need access to the entire house, so make sure you don't have any locked, inaccessible rooms on install day.

The installer will almost always be up on a ladder all around the house to install the dish and run the cables, so take a walk around the outside of your house and clear away any obstructions or animal droppings, and make sure you can unlock/open any gates. If possible, discontinue watering a couple days before the installer arrives, to reduce the chance that he'll accidentally track mud into the house. Keep the local weather in mind, as that may limit the options the installer has on that day.

*Installation Day*

Hopefully, your installer will call you and give you an ETA so you know about when he'll be there. Both sat companies have been working very hard lately to reduce the number of late or missed appointments, but understand that each situation is different, and a tech is not allowed to leave the job he's on until he is finished and everything is working.

Probably the most important advise for Installation Day is: be home. In any household, there will be one person who either knows the most about what's going on, or cares the most how it's done. That person should be home and available to answer the installer's questions. If you leave your install to an uninterested third party, that person may well approve something that you don't agree with. If you aren't there to help direct the install, don't blame the installer for a choice you don't agree with... Both companies offer installs 7 days a week, so you don't have to miss work to be home.

Your installer should do the following when he arrives:

-	Introduce himself and verify the items on your work order.
-	Have you escort him on an internal walk-around of the house, looking at each room that will get service. He'll be checking for any existing cable/outlets and the locations of each TV/receiver.
-	Perform an external site survey, locating any cable junctions, evaluating any existing cable runs, and looking for suitable locations for the dish.
-	Explain the results of the site survey to you, including his proposed dish mounting location and cable routing. If you need a custom mount, he should give you your options and costs at this point, before any work has begun.

Once you and the installer have agreed on the installation plan, the installer will begin working. Please do not make any changes to the plan once work has begun, as "simple" changes may mean the installer has to un-do and re-do a lot of work, which could mean custom labor charges for you.

Do keep an eye on the installer, and make sure he is following the installation plan that you agreed to. Check on his progress at least every 10-15 minutes. If anything unexpected comes up, he should bring the issue to your attention immediately.

Offer your installer a cold bottle of water (please do NOT offer beer or other intoxicants) or a soda, with water being preferred. Offer the use of your restroom (installs can take several hours).

Once the dish is mounted and the cables run, the installer will set up the receivers and program the remotes to work your TVs, if possible. Note that not every TV will be supported by the satellite remote. Brand new TVs may have new codesets that aren't available in the remote's memory, and combo TV/VCR or TV/DVD units often have non-standard codesets. For folks who are used to cable, there are a few things you won't find on any sat receiver:

-	A clock on the front.
-	A switched power outlet for your 1970's TV.
-	Adjustable volume outputs for y our 1970s TV.

The installer will normally hook up your receiver to the TV using the best type of connection possible, with certain limitations. The supplied cables are about 6 feet long (2m), so if you need longer cables than that, you either need to purchase them from the installer (if he stocks any) or supply your own. Both companies now offer 6' HDMI cables with all HD receivers, and coax or "RCA" composite cables for SD receivers. DirecTV doesn't include any cables in the receiver boxes (except retail packaging), but installers should be supplied with 6' cables, and the installer will provide the cables to connect each TV, up to and including HDMI.

Whenever possible, the installer will need to hook your receivers up to your land-based phone line, or for HD receivers, to your Internet connection via Ethernet. Anything you can do to make that easier for the installer will be greatly appreciated. Both companies use the phone line to allow PPV (PayPerView) ordering via the remote control, to display Caller ID information on-screen (if you subscribe to Caller ID service), and to report "system health" problems (low signal strength or receiver errors) which will result in a call made to the subscriber to set up a free service call to correct the problem.

In addition, connecting Ethernet to your Internet connection with an HD-DVR also allows downloadable OnDemand content and other features, and clearly more features will be delivered this way in the future.

Once all of your receivers are connected, the tech will "activate" those receivers, which will authorize your programming packages for those receivers and link them to your account. You will be asked to sign your contract and a work order stating that the installation was completed and everything is working properly. The tech should give you a contact phone number to all in case you have any problems. Please, call that number if you need help, as calling directly to corporate will often result in a back-charge to the tech, even if the tech wasn't at fault. Give the tech the opportunity to help you directly. If you get voice mail, leave a message and wait a couple of hours for a call-back before you call corporate. He may be on a ladder or under a house and may need some time to get back to you.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

place holder


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

another place holder


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

last place holder


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Real nice BattleZone.

You might want to mention that a phone line is not needed, however, as it reads as if it is.

Also, here's a couple of minor corrections:



BattleZone said:


> *Programming*
> 
> Don't worry too much about price at this point; the price of the base programming package may or may not be *very* representative of your actual monthly bill.





BattleZone said:


> -	A clock on the front.
> -	A switched power outlet for your 1970's TV.
> -	Adjustable volume outputs for *y our* 1970s TV.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Excellent!

Another minor correction, post #4, Installation Day, paragraph 2,
"Probably the most important advise..." should be advi*c*e.


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## VDP07 (Feb 22, 2006)

With your permission, I will be giving all of my customers copies of the "Preparing for the Installation" and "Installation Day" sections of your article. Why I've never thought of it before, I don't know. Considering all the obstacles (some very disgusting) we face when doing installs, any help from the customer would be great. I can only imagine how nice it would be if a customer followed all of your suggestions in the "Preparing for the Installation" section. Thanks and keep up the good work.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

There needs to be a section about DNS as well. Its much different between the companies. They need to know that with D* they can apply for their own on the website if an account is established and with E* they have to get them from a seperate provider. Locals are usually the biggest factor so maybe a link to each site where they can enter their address for locals.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

VDP07 said:


> With your permission, I will be giving all of my customers copies of the "Preparing for the Installation" and "Installation Day" sections of your article.


Please do. I give my own retail customers a "bullet point" list version of this list and it is a HUGE help. I'm adding more detail for this (intended to be) website article because folks who are already seeking information will tend to take the time to read it, while run-of-the-mill customers who "just want TV" won't always read quite that much information. If you just hit the individual points without the explanations, that is good enough, and they'll ask you if they have questions.

I'm in the process of writing up separate DirecTV and Dish Network-specific sections, but I wanted to start with the overview, which applies to both.

Thanks for the feedback, folks. Keep it coming.


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