OK, so because I'm such a great wife, I just ordered my husband a new TV for father's day. link to TV

My question is this. I currently have DirectTV with a DVR receiver. I do not want to lease their $399 DVR/HD receiver. So, what do I need to buy for a receiver/tuner/antenna? I don't undertand most of this stuff. Can anyone recommend a brand/model/etc? For what it's worth, I only receive one channel via antenna. I live in a very remote, wooded area, so I don't know if signal is an issue? If I buy an HD receiver, will it work in conjunction with my DVR one from DirectTV?

 

I'm kind of confused by your question. What exactly are you trying to do? From what I did understand is you have DirecTV satellite with a DVR receiver. That's pretty much all I understood.

My guess is that you're trying to figure out how to get HD to your new TV. This leads me to believe that you do not have any HDTV setup in the house right now. If this is the case, you have a couple of options...

1) Call DirecTV and upgrade to their HD service. You'll need a new satellite dish as well as a new receiver in order to get HD channels. If I remember correctly you'll also need to subsribe to their HDTV package. As you mentioned the HD-DVR is expensive, but if you want the HD-DVR, that's what you'll have to do.

2) Call DirecTV and upgrade to their HD service. Instead of getting the HD-DVR, just get their regular HD box, no DVR. I believe there is little to no charge for this. You obviously will lose DVR capabilities, however, you'll be able to get HD programming for much cheaper then if you get the HD-DVR.

3) Call DirecTV and upgrade to their HD package. You can also get an OTA (Over The Air) antenna where you can receive HD broadcasts of your network channels for free. From the sounds of your location, this is probably not very likely to happen, but still, may be worth looking into.

4) Cancel DirecTV and order cable with an HD box. They do not charge any large fees for the box. In fact, if you have cable and only one cable box, there is no charge for the first box... even if it's HD. Now, that's how it was in NY and NC. Not sure about Maine. You'd need to contact your local cable company to verify if they have the same pricing structure.

So, the short answer is that you'll need an HD box with HD programming. If you stay with satellite you'll need a new dish as well. If you go cable, you can just get an HD box as your cable box.

I personally have cable with an HD-DVR. The box is free, the DVR service is $6.95/mo. I also have a second HD box (non-DVR) for the bedroom. That box is $8.95/mo, not b/c it's HD, but b/c that's what you pay for an additional receiver, HD or not. Before we signed up I did a comparison between Satellite and Cable, and while cable appears to be more expensive monthly, when you add up the cost of equipment for satellite to get HD, DVR, multi-rooms (plus the cost of the packages), cable ended up being quite a bit cheaper. Just something to mull over.

 

I knew after I wrote that it was confusing. OK, I do not currently have an HD setup. I do not yet have the TV that I bought, it will be here Wednesday. As I mentioned, I was trying to avoid having to purchase the $400 receiver from DirectTV to be able to get both HDTV and DVR service, not to mention the cost if I have to purchase a different dish (mine is about 6 months old). So, I'm trying to avoid option #1 because of cost.

I use my DVR service a LOT, at least 4-5 times a week, and am not willing to give it up. Not to mention that I'm under a 2-year contract with DirecTV. So, option #2 is out of the question.

As I mentioned, I only receive one network channel with an antenna, (CBS), so it is not likely that I will buy the special antenna (the tuner is built in on my new TV) just for that one channel. So, Option #3 is out as well.

Also as mentioned before, I am under a two-year committment with DirectTV, so I can't canel and go with a cable service. Not to mention, that I only have one cable service to choose from, and it's not very desireable. So, scratch #4.

So, I guess my question was, and still is, can I just buy a different brand of HDTV receiver, such as this one Samsung HD receiver link and receive the HDTV "signal?" without subscribing to a service. And if I have that hooked up, can I somehow use it in conjunction with my DVR receiver from DirectTV?

 

I am not too familiar with DirecTV, but I believe you need to get your equipment through them. I am not sure. Even if you can buy your own equipment like that, you'll still need to subscribe to their HD package in order to receive HD programming. Once you subscribe they'll send you a new satellite card to slip into the receiver so it knows what your account is permissioned for. As for hooking up two receivers in parallel so you can use both (one for HD, one for DVR), I am almost positive they do not work that way. I know I've never heard of such a setup.

The biggest thing you have to keep in mind is that in order to receive ANY HD programming from DirecTV, you need to upgrade your dish as well as the receiver(s). Buying the receiver you linked, even if it would work, wouldn't allow you to see HD content. You need a bigger dish which will be repointed to a different satellite in space PLUS the HD receiver AND the HD programming package in order to see anything in HD through DirecTV. That receiver (whether it be the one you linked or one from DTV) is but one step in a multi-step process to be able to view HD content.