The television signals feeding in from a satellite dish (or dishes) and through a Low Noise Blocker (or LNBs) are in a format that basically no TV can decode and display. So between the dish/LNB and your TV, you need to install a DSS (digital satellite service) receiver .
Although many things about DirecTV and DISH Network are similar, the receiver is one area in which they diverge. DISH Network maintains tight control on the receiver business and sells its own brand of receivers directly to its customers. (You can choose from several models in different price ranges.) DirecTV has a more open outlook on the receiver business, so you can buy your receivers from a range of companies, such as Sony, Samsung, and RCA.
Regardless of how you get the receiver, you have a few decisions to make before you buy. Right at the top of the list, you're going to need to work out whether or not you want a receiver that's
- HDTV-capable: If you have an HDTV or an HDTV-ready monitor, you can get awesome high-definition programming through your DSS system. If you don't have one of these HDTV-capable TVs, you gain nothing from an HDTV-capable DSS receiver. You may still want to buy one if a TV upgrade is in your near future, but if you don't plan to upgrade for several years, you might as well wait. Receiver prices are always dropping, and you'll probably get a much better deal in a couple of years, even if you have to get rid of your existing receiver.
- Home theater-capable: You can use any DSS receiver in your home theater, but some of the cheaper receivers don't have the proper chips inside or connectors on the back to provide the highest quality home theater experience that DSS can offer. You should make sure your DSS receiver has at least an S-Video connector on the back, as well as a digital audio connector (coaxial or optical) for Dolby Digital surround sound (which some, but not all, DSS programs include).
- PVR-equipped: Some DSS receivers now come with a built-in hard drive-based PVR (personal video recorder). Although you can certainly add your own PVR to a DSS-fed home theater, the integration of these units is kind of nice because the program guide that lets you select what show you want to watch live is well-integrated into the PVR's recording scheduling system.
You might also want to keep an eye out for more prosaic features when choosing a DSS receiver. For example, some receivers have better (and easier to use) parental "lockout" controls that keep the kids from watching stuff you don't want them to watch. Others have remote controls based on RF (radio frequencies) instead of IR (infrared), so you can control them without a direct line of sight to the receiver. It always pays to check out the little details when you're making these investments.
A handful of TVs on the market don't need an external receiver to connect to a DSS dish. Several manufacturers, most notably Thompson, make HDTVs with built-in DSS receivers for DirecTV. (So far, DISH Network still requires a separate receiver.) This setup isn't necessarily a good thing because it limits your upgrade path and gives you twice as much that can break down in a single device. It does save room, however, if you're tight on space.
