Direct TV Equipment
If you want the best in home entertainment, you need Direct TV. Of course, to
get Direct TV, you will need to secure all of the best possible equipment
for your system. Often, this equipment is available in packages. But after time
you may find some hardware upgrade material to suit your changing needs.
Receiver
Probably the most important piece of equipment you will buy for your Direct
TV satellite dish is the receiver. Without this, all of the other equipment is
useless. The satellite receiver is the device that takes in all of the digital
code that has been compressed by the satellite in orbit and transmitted down
to earth.
The receiver then takes this signal, expands it and unscrambles it in order
to give you the clear digital picture and sound that you are looking for. It
also allows you to change channels and run your satellite system through a VCR
and/or DVD.
You will need a separate receiver for every TV in your home that you want to
have access to the satellite channels. Although you can have more than one TV
hooked up to the same receiver, it would require both TV’s to be watching the same program.
HDTV Receiver
This is the exact same as the standard receiver, but with one simple difference.
The HDTV receiver is specially designed to receive and decode high definition
signals from the satellite.
Without an HDTV receiver, you will not have access to these channels and essentially
your investment in high definition television hardware will be futile. That
said, if you do choose the HDTV receiver from Direct TV, you will be getting
the absolute best picture quality there is in the world, without exception.
So if you like a clear picture, HDTV is well worth the money.
TiVo Receiver
Like the HDTV receiver, the TiVo receiver is on the cutting edge of home entertainment.
It is what is called a PVR or a Personal Video Reorder. Basically it allows
you to watch whatever you want whenever you want.
The TiVo receiver works like a computer's hard drive. What it does is receive
the digital signal from space which is sent in the form of an MPEG. This is
a highly compressed data file that is used by most computers to play video.
Because it is so compressed, the TiVo can record hours of the signal, while
still maintaining the highest level of digital quality. In fact, it can store up to 250
hours of programming.
You can program TiVo to record a show at a particular time or you can program it to search out and record your favorite shows. You don’t even have to know when they are on. But what might actually
be the most remarkable feature is the ability of TiVo to go looking for similar
programs and make suggestions based on your viewing habits.
Satellite Dish (Antenna)
Obviously, we all know what the satellite dish is. It’s that roundish device
that collects the signal that is sent to space and then sends it to the receiver
to be decoded. Clearly, you'll need one of these to have Direct TV.
Direct TV’s satellites are some of the smallest in the business and will never
be a monstrous eyesore on your lawn. They attach conveniently to the side of
your home and never need to be moved or rotated. The only requirement for people living in North America is that
they face south.
Satellite Dish Cover
Satellite dishes are built to last, especially ones from Direct
TV. However, not all of us live in sunny Arizona. So, for those of us who live in upstate
New York, we need hardware that will protect our
equipment from hellish weather.
Occasionally the weather can get real rough. A satellite cover will
protect your dish and help it from losing signal quality. In fact, the added
protection may even comparatively improve your picture quality when the weather
gets really rough.
Patch Cords
Patch Cords are a basic and essential piece of equipment for your Direct TV
satellite. These connect your Direct TV receiver with your television and VCR
or DVD.
You will also need a length of coaxial cable. This connects your receiver to
the dish itself. You will recognize this cable as the long, thick one that you screw into your receiver. Most installers will have plenty on hand.
