Did I hear correctly that Campus Apartment has its own private network which provides very cheap broadband/telephone/cable service if you happen to live within the boundaries of the network? Bill, do you know anything about this? Jonathan A. Cass
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Turner,Kathleen Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 6:45 AM To: William H. Magill ; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Theresa Tsai Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [UC] DirectTV or Dish Network Just an FYI in relation to DirectTV/Verizon -- we're moving this week, and were looking for phone/tv/internet options. Verizon put a package together for us that covers all three -- local phone service, DirectTV in three rooms (including the current DirectTV promotion that gives 3 free months of HBO and some other movie channel group), and DSL for about $15 less a month than I was paying for cable (TV+internet) through Urban cable works. So essentially I'm getting my phone service for free. Kathleen -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Theresa Tsai Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 12/3/2004 12:34 AM Subject: Re: [UC] DirectTV or Dish Network On 02 Dec, 2004, at 20:28, Theresa Tsai wrote: > Any preferences or experiences to share regarding DirectTV versus Dish > Network? This is a real moving target! Digital and HD tv is doing what computers were doing during the 90s -- prices are dropping and product features are improving every six months. All NEW (manufactured) TVs must be Digital, and Digital/HD broadcasts are "supposed" to become "the norm" in 2006 according to current FCC regulations. It depends on if you want HD signals or not. If you don't care about HD, the issue is basically who gives you the "deal of the moment." The primary trap with any of the deals is the "commitment" period. Most, if not all, of the "best deals" require a two year contract, with a very steep penalty if you terminate early. The secondary trap is that your "deal" may not allow you to "upgrade" your equipment before the end of the commitment period. The issues about customer support, billing and the like, all depend up upon WHO you get to install your Dish or DirecTV system ... everybody is doing it -- Verizon just started hawking DirecTV systems this month. DirecTV is now owned by Rupert Murdcoch. (Was formerly owned by GM's Hughes Electronics division.) EchoStar’s DISH Network is probably the weaker of the two since the FCC nixed their merger prior to Murdoch's purchase of DirecTV. DirecTV has substantially more subscribers than Dish. If you do want HD, neither DirecTV nor Dish is currently "a winner." Currently neither one offers much, and neither "free" PVR will record HD signals. The HD TiVo PVR for/from DirectTV is currently $1,000! Today Voom (www.voom.com) caries more HD signals than either DirecTV or Dish. (I believe that all three carry HDnet and HDCinema, but I don't know for certain.) = = = More HD specific stuff follows: The "best deal" currently on HD Widescreen TV is a 30 inch Sanyo available only at Wallmart for $650. Besides having an HD Tuner, it also has an HDMI interface! This represents the "tip" of the price drop iceberg for HD sets. Prices are expected to drop by about 30% or more over the coming year as more LDC production facilities come on line. Most of these sets are made in China, so the fact that the Yaun is pegged to the dollar is a big plus. Time Warner Philadelphia, aka Urban Cableworks, aka Wade Cablevision, currently offers the following HD channels: 201 (3) KYW-CBS 202 (6) WPVI-ABC 203 (10) WCAU-NBC 204 (12) WHYY-PBS 205 (29) FOX HD 206 (57) WPSG - UPN 207 (17) WPHL - WB 231 ( ) Discovery 260 ( ) HBO 261 ( ) Showtime Pay HDTV Tier (currently free) 287 INHD1 288 INHD2 289 TNT 290 ESPN [There are actually quite a few HD channels available over the air here in the city, including several I never heard of before -- Get a Terk HDTVi Antenna Pro - Indoor HDTV Antenna for $40, there is plenty of signal strength in UC. (Tweeter carries them at 14th and Walnut). The Terk HDTVi is an incredible antenna for VHF, UHF and HD. It's not your father's rabbit ears!] Note that while these are all HD channels, not all the material being broadcast is HD, especially on the local channels. Time Warner uses the Motorola DCT6200 set-top box for HD, and will be providing a PVR version in about 2 weeks. That version is probably going to be Paul Allen's Diego "Moxi Menu" system, (aka Broadband Media Center) but I haven't been able to verify that yet. (Comcast uses the Microsoft version of the Motorola box.) T.T.F.N. William H. Magill [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see < http://www.purple.com/list.html <http://www.purple.com/list.html> >.
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