I have DTV and a 42 HD Plasma monitor is on its way to me now. Obviously, I need to get an HD receiver. With DTV going to MPEG4 presumably later this year, does it matter what I buy? Am I correct in my understanding that TiVo won't work with current HDTV receivers and MPEG4? What if I pass on TiVo, will the DTV-supplied HD receiver still work with DTV's new MPEG4 format? (I would just as soon wait on TiVo and DVR, but I do want HDTV ASAP. Thanks for your help!
TV Psychic
Unregistered guest
Posted on
When the MPEG4 format is implemented none of the MPEG2 receivers (TIVO or not) will work. Most people think the Sat companies will assist with the expense of the new receivers but not if you bought them from somone besides your own provider.
In other words, you think DTV will risk losing thousands of customers? I don't think so and that has not been my experience. Whenever the technology has required a different receiver, they have provided it to me at no additional cost, even when I purchased my original receivers from a third party retailer. Where do you get your info that they will simply leave many of their customers to their own devices?
I finally got hold of a techno-geek pretty far up the technology food chain at DTV and asked him about the change to MPEG4. He said about the same thing as Mr. Wiley. DTV will provide a patch or fix or new receiver as needed for current customers at no cost or low cost. However, he also recommended that rather than spending $400 on an HD receiver now, which will definitely be obsolete by early 2006 or even sooner, (as early as September, possibly!) just wait and DTV will provide either free or at low cost, a receiver for all current customers that will allow them to receive HD signals if they have an HD monitor. He said if you have to have it now, go to E-bay and buy a used receiver and pay DTV to connect a new dish for $50.00. So when my HD plasma monitor arrives, I'm just going to stay with a standard digital signal until DTV provides an HD receiver for me. If anyone has any updates or corrections to this info, please post. thanks!
I bought a Digiwave DG7000 (HD receiver?) on eBay. It was listed as "DG 7000 FTA RECEIVER FORTEC LIFETIME ULTRA PANSAT". Do you have any info on it? Do you know of program files for it? Thanks for your help.