TVG & Direct TV

[Lefty]

Got Direct TV hooked up a couple days ago. If I had known TVG covered the races as well as they do I would have done it long ago.

[SAL]

Lefty, can you tell me what tracks are covered and how much extra you pay? Been thinking about this option myself.

[Tom]

Sal,
I get TVG as part of the basic package with Dishnetwork. For a list of TVG tracks and schedules, fo to
www.tvgnetwork.com

[Lefty]

Sal, well right now i'm getting about everything; supposed to be a 4 mo. special, think it's $67 have 2 sets hooked up. when the 4 mos up prob cost me 50 or so cause I want Fox news, tvg, and the wife will want at least 1 movie channel.
Hey, what i'm saving in tips for my diet cokes at the racebook will pay for it.

[andicap]

If anyone wants to subscribe to the Dish Network (where TVG is on the basic package -- on DirecTv you have to pay extra and get the sports package as well --), I have a deal with the company where you can get installation in two rooms free and a two free receivers and a $49 credit toward your first bill.



If you're interested, email me.

[SAL]

Thanks Tom & Lefty. It sounds pretty reasonable. I'm paying $80 a month for digital cable, and the only premium channel I get is HBO. The dishes seem to offer a better value price-wise. And if I can get horseracing coverage thrown in, all the better.

I'm curious though, any comments on the signal quality? Are the commercials regarding the nightmares involved with weather, clouds, etc. affecting signals accurate?

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by SAL
I'm curious though, any comments on the signal quality? Are the commercials regarding the nightmares involved with weather, clouds, etc. affecting signals accurate?

It is all bunk. Very hard rain can cause Rain Fade, but it is only a problem if you live in certain states and the rain is super hard. I had it happen about 10 times in 6 years when I lived in Ohio. It lasted about one minute each time. Otherwise the picture is great. Here in California in the desert, you never have to even think about it.

[BillW]

Sal,

The rain problem is a little worse here than most places. I have about a half dozen instances a year during approach of a heavy front from the south (in the direction of the sattelite). About the same as the reliability of cable, although cable goes out at unpredictable times.

I wouldn't recommend using a dish to monitor weather under severe conditions though (I hate the rain fade during a hurricane :D )

Bill

[SAL]

I think I'm going to make the switch. Comcast is like the DRF around here for cable services. There's no competition except for the dish services. I was mainly worried about losing the signal. But I live in Northern California, and we don't have snow or severe weather here. So it shouldn't affect me that much.

[ceejay]

I've lost DishNet reception in moderate rain, but overall I'm happy with the service. I always lose reception in a heavy thunderstorm.

BTW, if you only want TVG and other basic cable, DishNet seems to be more cost-effective than DirectTV.

[BillW]

ceejay,

I've had trees get in the way. Even if they are not in the line of sight to the bird, but simply interfering with the field of the antenna. Make sure trees are trimmed WAY away from the dish. Moderate rain should not hurt if you are aimed correctly.

Bill

[ceejay]

Bill,

The trees are trimmed. If not, I would lose reception on those many windy days (I do live in Oklahoma). [What's the old saying, it's so windy here here because Texas sucks and Kansas blows. :) ]

[JimG]

I'm getting Direct-TV Thursday! Can't wait! Went with them over Dishnetwork as Direct has my local channels.

While realizing TVG may not be the greatest, it sure will beat nothing. I imagine I will enjoy the Fox Sports channels as well.

I trust others that have satellite tv are satisfied.

Jim

[BillW]

Originally posted by JimG
I'm getting Direct-TV Thursday! Can't wait! Went with them over Dishnetwork as Direct has my local channels.

While realizing TVG may not be the greatest, it sure will beat nothing. I imagine I will enjoy the Fox Sports channels as well.

I trust others that have satellite tv are satisfied.

Jim
Jim,

If you haven't already read elsewhere, Fox Sports Pittsburgh carries 6 to 9 hours a week of HRTV also, usually at 1:00 PM EST Mon. Thu. and Fri. TVG isn't all that bad although they pander quite a bit to their bread and butter, the California circuit. You can't blame them , but they sometimes go overboard in hyping a $2500 quarterhorse claimer running at LA.:) About the only thing they don't carry is SA, except for Oak Tree and Gulfstream.

Bill

[Speed Figure]

Dish network could be the better deal. On direct tv you must get the sports pack to watch TVG. On dish network it's part on the line up. TVG is far better than hrtv!

[ceejay]

Also, with the TVG basic package you can get an extra month free by paying for the year in advance.

[ceejay]

Originally posted by ceejay
Also, with the TVG basic package you can get an extra month free by paying for the year in advance.

With DishNet.....

[Alc]

Jim G You are going to love TVG. So much better than video streaming. Al

[Buddha]

I had DishNetwork for a while, and loved watching TVG. Like it was stated, it is better than watching streaming video. The only thing is sometimes there are some races during the day that might be taped delayed a few minutes, so you will have to stream if you want to watch live. All in all, very good IMO.

[JimG]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for tomorrow to come and the dish to be installed. I realize Dishnetwork had the better deal but getting my local channels on digital was a big plus for wife and I. That's why we went DirecTv. Dish did not offer that.

Jim

[kitts]

Can't resist jumping in here-Nevada gets a good deal for a change. The local cable company offers TVG as part of their "digital" package. The first few days the reception was very jerky but is now just great. My roommate and I are also movie fans so we have Digital (38 Premium Movie Channels) on all 4 TVs. The TV in the computer room is on TVG just about all weekend. Of course, there is the Nevada downside where we cannot legally bet on the Internet at all and only very limited phone betting which I do use. So no "online" betting but we can sure watch TVG which I do

[JimG]

Well...getting the satellite dish today was good news bad news. Due to my neighbors trees to the southwest I cannot get a strong signal for receiving local channels on DirecTV. Evidently, local channels are on a different satellite than the majority of the programming. The satellite that includes TVG gets a great reception (believe it is located at a slightly higher elevation) and has a strong (97%) signal. Hopefully that will be good where "rain fade" is concerned.

So...I decided to just get the dish on one television (mine of course next to the computer) and try it out. Now the plan is to keep basic cable as well. A little more costly but I gotta tell you...being able to watch TVG as I type this and have an online toteboard (ATR), and a betting account is about as close to perfect as an at-home horseplayer can have it, in my opinion. Since it turned out this way, it would have been cheaper to go DishNetwork but I could not send the installer away when I was so close to horse racing <g>.

Thanks to all for their prior feedback.

Jim