I am having troble making a decision. I am not sure whether to buy a viewsat receiver which is obviously a cardless solution or to get a Rom 102 card.I know how to flash the viewsat receiver since I have already used Fortecstar Lifetime Ultra. However, I have never used a receiver that requires a card.After having done some research, programming the card Rom 102 seems to be quite complicated.It will not be a big problem though if I do some more reading and follow the instructions properly. The thing that I would like to know is that what are the benefits of having a ROM 102 card as opposed to having a Viewsat Receiver. In terms of picture and sound quality, which (card vs cardless) soultion would you guys rate high?Also,for which type of receiver (card vs cardless) there is more support available? In my area, I could a get a Viewsat Extreme for $200 and the Rom 102 card with the receiver would cost me approximately $350 (including programming).Please, enlighten me with all your experiences and expertises that you have. Any additional insights and help would be highly appreciated. Thanks a lot guys.
Go with Viewsat. It looks like they have the ENTIRE maprom code. That should save you a few hundred dollars. There won't be any difference in quality of picture or sound between auxed card and cardless.
Vini, I think a lot of folks never believed that VS had the whole Rom102 MAP. I will admit that I was one of them.
So, with lots of unanswered questions, the carded solution looked to be the safest for uptime - although way too expensive.
I would agree that now that VS has shut up all the critics, it really does look like a $200 well spent. Good advice to buy one.
The only "small" advantage that plastic has is that your down time will, at the most, be a few hours to a day; VS could go down for 4 or 5 days between ECMs, but that's not a big deal. And FTA should never be your only source of TV.
Well.Thanks a lot guys for your insgihts and advices.I think I am gonna go and get a Viewsat Extreme receiver. Either I get a Viewsat Receiver or a Rom 102 card, sooner or later, there is gonna be a new ECM.It's sort of like gambling.So, enjoy the TV while it lasts. Who knows? May be,in the future,they will swap the ROM 102 card or Viewsat will stop providing support just like other FTA receivers once they make huge profit.In my opinion, changing the card is equivalent to getting a new FTA receiver even though the card involves a lot more hassle.
