With more than 375 channels to choose from, satellite TV programming offers far more TV listings and viewing options than cable or over-the-air TV.

Satellite TV also gives you access to music channels, pay-per-view movies, sports packages, adult channels, and international programming.

DISH Network Satellite TV Programming

DISH Network programming packages start at $19.99 per month.

They also offer pay-per-view movies and events, adult programming, and sports packages. International programming includes: African, Arabic, Armenian, Asian, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Israeli, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, South Asian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Urdu channels.

DISH Network has the biggest variety of movies, music, and shows and the most HD (high definition) programming of the two satellite TV providers.

Here are DISH Network’s current satellite TV programming packages:

Dish Family Pak

This package includes the following program channels:

Angel One, Animal Planet, Biography Channel, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, BYUTV, CCT-9, CCT-E&F, CNN Headline News, Colours TV, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, CSTV, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times, DIY, EWTN, Fine Living, Food Network, FOX News Channel, Great American Country
(GAC), Hallmark, Hallmark Movie Channel, HSN, Kids Tunes, NASA, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (East), Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (West), Nicdelodeon Games & Sports, Nicktoons, QVD, RFDTV, Shop at Home, Shop NBC, TBN, The Outdoor Channel, The Science Channel, The Weather Channel, TV Land.

America’s Top 60 ($29.99 per month)

This package includes the following program channels:

ABC Family, America’s Prevue TV, Angel One, Arts & Entertainment (A&E), Beauty & Fashion Channel, BYUTV, Cable News Network (CNN), Cartoon Network, CCTV-9, Classic Arts Showcase, CNBC, Colours TV, Comedy Central, Country Music Television, Court TV, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Daystar, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel (East), Disney Channel (West), Documentary Channel, Drive TV, E! Entertainment Television, ESPN Alternate, ESPN2 Alternate, ESPNews, ESPN, Eternal Word Television Network, FEC/PAEC, Food Network, Free Speech TV, Good Samaritan Network, Headline News Network, Healthy Living Channel, The History Channel, HITN, Holistic Television Network, Home & Garden Television, The Home Shopping Network, Horseracing TV, iSHOP, Jewelry Television, The Learning Channel, Lifetime, Link TV, Men’s Channel, Music Television (MTV), Music Television 2 (MTV2), NASA, Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite (East), Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite (West), Northern Arizona University/University House, Pentagon Channel, QVC Shopping Network, Research Channel, RFDTV, The Sci-Fi Channel, Shop At Home, Shop NBC, Spike TV, The Travel Channel, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Turner Broadcast System (TBS), Turner Network Television (TNT), TV Games Network, TV Guide Channel, TV Land, TV Outlet Mall, University Of California, University Of Washington, USA Network, VH1, The Weather Channel.

America’s Top 120 ($39.99 per month)

This package includes all of the channels in the America’s Top 60 package, plus the following program channels:

Altitude Sports & Entertainment, American Movie Classics (AMC), Animal Planet, BBC America, Black Entertainment Television (BET), Bravo, CD-70S Songbook, CD-Acoustic Crossroads, CD-Adult Alternative, CD-Adult Contemporary, CD-Adult Favorites, CD-Big Band Era, CD-Blues, CD-BYU Radio Network, CD-Classic Rock, CD Classic Ambience, CD-Contemporary Christian, CD-Contemporary Instrumentals, CD-Contemporary Jazz Flavors, CD-Country Classics, CD-Country Currents, CD-Easy

Instrumentals CD-Euro Style, CD-Fiesta Mexicana, CD-Hawaiian Music, CD-Hot Hits, CD-Jazz Traditions, CD-JukeBox Gold, CD-Kid Tunes, CD-Latin Styles, CD-Light Classical, CD-Modern Rock Alternative, CD-New Age, CD-New Country, CD-NUJAZZ, CD-Power Rock, CD-Reggae, CD-Urban Beat, College Sports Television, Comcast Sports Net Chicago, Comcast Sports Net West, Comcast Sports Net Mid-Atlantic, Discovery Health, ESPN Classic, FOX News Channel, FOX Pittsburgh 2, FOX Sports, FOX Sports Arizona, FOX Sports Bay Area, FOX Sports Cincinnati, FOX Sports Detroit, FOX Sports Florida, FOX Sports Midwest, FOX Sports New England, FOX Sports New York, FOX Sports Northwest, FOX Sports North, FOX Sports Ohio, FOX Sports Pittsburgh, FOX Sports Rocky Mountain, FOX Sports South West, FOX Sports South, FOX Sports West, FOX Sports West 2, FOX Soccer Channel, Fuse, FX, G4, Galavison, Game Show Network, Independent Film Channel, International Music Feed, Madison Square Garden, MSNBC, New England Sports Network (NESN), NFL Network, Noggin, Oxygen, Pax TV, Sirius BBC Radio 1, Sirius Boombox, Sirius Elcis, Sirius Love Songs, Sirius Margaritaville, Sirius Underground Garage, Sirius 60′s Vibration – 60′s Hits, Sirius Alt Nation – Alternative Rock, Sirius Area 63, Sirius Back Spin – Old Skool Rap, Sirius Big 80′s – 80′s Hits, Sirius Bluegrass – Bluegrass Music, Sirius Blues – Classic Blues, Sirius Broadway’s Best – Broadway Musicals, Sirius Buzzsaw – Classic Hard Rock, Sirius Classic Rewind – Recent Rock, Sirius Classic Vinyl – Early Rock, Sirius Classical Voices – Opera, Sirius Disorder – Free Form Rock, Sirius Faction – Rock/Hip Hop/Punk, Sirius First Wave – Classic Alternative, Sirius Hair Nation – 80′s Hair Bands, Sirius Hard Attack – Heavy Metal, Sirius Heart & Soul – R&B Hits, Sirius Hip Hop Nation – Uncut Hip Hop, Sirius Hot Jamz – Jam Bands, Sirius Jazz Cafe – Smooth Jazz, Sirius Left of Center – College Rock, Sirius Mexicana – Refional Mexican, Sirius Moving Easy – Easy Listening Hits, Sirius Octand – Pure Hard Rock, Sirius Outlaw Country, Sirius Planet Jazz – Contemporary Jazz, Sirius Pops – Classical Favorites, Sirius Praise – Gospel Music, Sirius Prime Country – 80′s & 90′s Country, Sirius Pure Jazz – Classic Jazz, Sirius Remiz – Dance Club Mix, Sirius Revolution – Christian Rock, Sirius Runbon – Reggae & Tropical, Sirius Shade 45, Sirius Gold 50′s & 60′s Hits, Sirius Hits One – Top 40 Hits, Sirius Soul Revue – Classical Soul, Sirius Spa 73 – New Age, Sirius Spectrum – Worls Class Rock, Sirius Spirit – Christian Hits, Sirius Standard Time – Standards, Sirius Symphony Hall – Symphonies, Sirius Super Shuffle, Sirius The Bridge – Mellow Rock, Sirius The Coffee House, Sirius The Globe, Sirius The Pulse – The 90′s & Now, Sirius The Roadhouse – Classic Country, Sirius The Strobe – Classic Disco, Sirius The Vault – Deep Cuts Classic Rock, Sirius Totally 70′s – 70′s Hits, Sirius Universo Latino – Latin Pop Mix, SiTV, Soap Net, The Speed Channel, Sports Alternate 1, Sports Alternate 2, Sports Alternate 3, Sports Alternate 4, Sunshine Network, Telefutura East, Telefutura West, Toon Disney, Turner Classic Movies, Turner South, Univision, Univision West, WE: Women’s Entertainment, WGN Superstation.

America’s Top 180 ($39.99 per month)

This package includes all the channels in the America’s Top 120 package, plus the following:

7890 – 4 Decades of Music, Biography, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, CNBC World, Discovery Health, Discovery Home, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel, Dish Music – 50′s & 60′s Hits, Dish Music – 70′s Hits, Dish Music – 80′s Hits, Dish Music- All That Jazz, Dish Music – Beach Party, Dish Music – Classic Soul, Dish Music – Country Music One, Dish Music – Expressions, Dish Music – Hitline, Dish Music – Hot FM, Dish Music – Italia, Dish Music – Love Songs, Dish Music – Moodscapes, Dish Music – New Orleans Jazz, Dish Music – Piano & Guitar, Dish Music – Roadhouse, Dish Music – Tropical Breezes, Dish Music – Urban Adult, Do It Yourself Network, Encore

(West), Encore Action, Encore Love, Encore Mysteries, Encore Wam, Encore Westerns, ESPNNU, Fine Living, FOX Movie Channel, FOX Reality TV, FOX Soccer Channel, The Golf Channel, GOL TV, Great American Country, Hallmark Channel, History Channel International, Lifetime Movie Network, Military Channel, The Movie Channel (West), MUN2, National Geographic Channel, Nick Toons, Nickelodeon Games & Sports, The Outdoor Channel, The Science Channel, TMC Extra West, VH1 Classic, Wisdom Television.

America’s Everything Pak ($74.99)

This package includes all the channels in the America’s Top 180 package, plus the following movie channels (31 movie channels in all):

Showtime Unlimited Package, Starz! Super Pak, HBO Package, Cinemax Package.

Note: For more programming information, ordering information, and the latest bonuses and free offers from DISH Network, click on the links below.

DIRECTV Satellite TV Programming

DIRECTV satellite TV programming starts at $41.99 per month.

They also offer pay-per-view movies and events, adult programming, and sports packages. International programming includes Chinese, Filipino, Italian, South Asian, Spanish, and Vietnamese channels.

DIRECTV has the most sports program packages of the two satellite TV providers, including the popular NFL Sunday Ticket.

Here are DIRECTV’s current satellite TV programming packages:

Total Choice ($41.99 per month)

This package includes the following program channels:

A&E Network, ABC Family, America’s Store, American Movie Classics (AMC), Animal Planet, BBC America, Black Entertainment Television(BET), Bloomberg Television, Bravo, BYU TV, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, The Church Channel, CNBC, CNBC World, CNN, Comedy Central, Country Music Television (CMT), Court TV, Current TV, Daystar, DIRECTV FREEVIEW Events, Discovery Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Disney Channel (East), Disney Channel (West), E! Entertainment Television, ESPN, ESPN CLASSIC, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, EWTN, FINE LIVING, Fit TV, Food Network, Fox Movie Channel, Fox News Channel, Fuse, FX, G4 Videogame TV, Galavisin, Game Show Network, Hallmark Channel, Headline News, HITN TV, Home & Garden Television, i Independent Television, Independent Film Channel, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Link TV, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, National Geographic Channel, NFL Network, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (East), Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (West), Noggin/The N, Outdoor Life Network (OLN), Oxygen, PBS You, QVC, RFD TV, SCI FI Channel, Shop At Home, ShopNBC, SOAPnet, Speed Channel, Spike TV, Superstation WGN, TBS Superstation, The Church Channel, The History Channel, The Learning Channel, The Weather Channel, The Word, TNT, Toon Disney, TRAVEL CHANNEL, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Turner Classic Movies (TCM), Turner South, TV Guide Channel, TV Land, TV One, Univision, USA Network, VH1, WE: Women’s Entertainment, World Harvest Television, XM: America, XM: Audio Visions, XM: Beyond Jazz, XM: Bluegrass Junction, XM: Bluesville, XM: BPM, XM: Chrome, XM: Cinemagic, XM: Deep Tracks, XM: Ethel, XM: Frank’s Place, XM: Hank’s Place, XM: Highway 16, XM: KISS, XM: Lucy, XM: MIX, XM: Nashville!, XM: RAW – XL, XM: Real Jazz, XM: Soul Street, XM: Special X, XM: Spirit, XM: Squizz – XL, XM: Suite 62, XM: Sunny, XM: The 40s, XM: The 50s, XM: The 60s, XM: The 70s, XM: The 80s, XM: The 90s, XM: The Blend, XM: The City, XM: The Fish, XM: The Flow, XM: The Heart, XM: The Joint, XM: The Loft, XM: The Move, XM: The Rhyme – XL, XM: The System, XM: Top 20 on 20, XM: Top Tracks, XM: VOX, XM: Watercolors, XM: World Zone, XM: X Country, XM: XM Caf, XM: XM Classics, XM: XM Pops

Total Choice Plus ($46.99 per month)

This package includes all the Total Choice programs, plus the following channels:

The Biography Channel, Boomerang, Discovery Home & Leisure, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel, Discovery Wings, DIY – Do It Yourself Network, Fuel, History International, PBS KIDS, The Science Channel, SOAPNet.

Total Choice Premier ($96.99 per month)

This package includes all the channels in the Total Choice Plus package, plus the following program channels:

Action, BLACK STARZ!, Cinemax (East), Cinemax (West), Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic), CSTV: College Sports Television, Empire Sports Network, Encore (West), Encore (East), FLIX, Fox Sports World, The Golf Channel, HBO, HBO (West), HBO Family, HBO Family (West), HBO HDTV, HBO Latino, HBO Signature, HBO2, HBO2 (West), Love Stories, Madison Square Garden (MSG), MoreMAX, The Movie Channel, The Movie Channel West, Mystery, NBA TV, New England Sports Network, The Outdoor Channel, SHOWTIME East, SHOWTIME Extreme, SHOWTIME HDTV, SHOWTIME Showcase, SHOWTIME TOO, SHOWTIME West, STARZ! (East), STARZ! (West), STARZ! Theater (East), Sundance Channel, Sunshine Network, True Stories, VH1 Classic, WAM!, Westerns, YES Network.

Note: For more programming information, ordering information, and the latest bonuses and free offers from DIRECTV, click on the links below.

Click on the following link for more information on free satellite TV systems and service, or these links for programming information, ordering information, and the latest special offers from DISH Network satellite TV or DIRECTV satellite TV.

Brian Stevens is the senior editor for www.TheSatelliteTVGuide.com. and has written extensively on satellite TV programming.

Written By: Brian Stevens

Lets face it, Internet readers, most of us are guys. And as red-blooded American guys, we all have mens desires, mens needs. Dont play coy. You know what Im talking about. We want it faster, more creative, more imaginative, and not to put too fine a point on it, slimmer. We know well have to pay for it eventually we always dobut wed rather not break the bank just for a little nighttime fun. Theres a wide variety out there to choose from, so point us in the right direction and well happily engage in the hunt. But why do they make us work so hard to get it? Sure, were tech-savvy geeks, even nerds, but does that mean everything has to be some huge intellectual puzzle? Is there a way to make these people give up the goods with a bare minimum of confusion? Im talking, of course, about home consumer electronics, specifically satellite television systems.

Look, Im sorry if I led you on, but I hope Ive provided a more interesting introduction to the world of home satellite equipment than most industry vendors have. Take a look, for example if you dare at RapidSatellite.com, a one-stop Internet shopping point for satellite TV. A recent search turned up the following entries:

DIRECTV DVR80 3-Room 70 Hour DIRECTV DVR Satellite TV System w/ TiVo (1) DVR80 (2) D10 with Standard Dish, Multi-Switch & Standard Installation

DIRECTV DVR80 3-Room 70 Hour DIRECTV DVR Satellite TV System w/ TiVo (1) DVR80 (2) D10 with Triple LNB Dish & Standard Installation

DIRECTV 3-Room 70 Hour DIRECTV DVR System w/ TiVo (2) TiVo Receivers (1) Hughes Director Receiver with Standard Dish, Multi-Switch & Standard Installation

DIRECTV 3-Room System (1) HR10-250 200 Hour (STD) 35 Hour (HDTV) DIRECTV High Definition DVR w/ TiVo (2) DIRECTV Receiver System with Triple LNB Dish & Standard Installation

A little help here? Those ads are about as welcoming as a brick wall, and they present us with more acronyms than the U.S. military. For pure reading pleasure, they rank somewhere between Finnegans Wake and the book of Leviticus. Am I buying satellite TV service, or naming robots for science fantasy sequels?

Relax, Luke Skywalker. Scanning through orbital space may not be like dusting crops, but well work our way through this thing together. Lets start with the first ad.

DIRECTV DVR80 3-Room 70 Hour DIRECTV DVR Satellite TV System w/ TiVo (1) DVR80 (2) D10 with Standard Dish, Multi-Switch & Standard Installation

Okay, first things first. DirecTV is a national satellite TV subscription service owned by Hughes Electronics and, in large part, Fox Entertainment. In order to watch DirecTV programming, one must first by a dish to collect the signals beamed to Earth by the satellite. Then one must buy a set-top box to decode those signals. Lastly, one must have a TV of some kind to display the imagery represented by those signals. The first ad is trying to sell us a hardware package thatll allow us to watch DirecTV, but it adds a few nifty bells and whistles. For example, this package includes another device called a DVR80. And what exactly is that? It looks like a license plate.

Good guess! No, a DVR80 is a brand of receiver manufactured and sold by RCA. To be more precise, it receives DirecTV signals as well as TiVo interactions. TiVo is a kind of DVR, or Digital Video Recorder, manufactured by the TiVo company. A Digital Video Recorder does exactly what it claims to do: It records video, not on tape as a VHS video recorder would, but as digital data in a dedicated hard drive. The DVR80 is capable of recording up to seventy hours of digital material, just as promised obliquely in the ad. What the ad doesnt make clear is that the amount of material the hard drive can store depends on how detailed the information is. Just as a VHS tape can hold anywhere from two to six hours of material, depending on the image quality, so do DVR image recordings suffer when recorded at the seventy-hour setting. The DVR80 has Dolby Digital sound capability and comes with a universal infrared remote control. When sold separately, it retails for anywhere between $100 and $150.

The comparison to VHS tends to minimize what TiVo can do. The hardware and allows for instant replays of live TV, plus the ability to skip through commercials while a program is airing. The Season Pass feature tracks the users favorite shows, even if they change network time slots, and records them each week automatically. Its even capable of predicting which unfamiliar shows the user might like, based on his or her previous recordings. Simply put, TiVo is neato.

But what in blue blazes is a D10? Isnt that Eminems Detroit rap posse? No, that would be D12, Slim Shady. A D10 is nothing more than the set-top box that receives DirecTV signals. It features an Advanced Program Guide interface, and is capable of receiving signals from several DirecTV satellites to the tune of over 225 channels. The box itself costs about $50 retail. A multi-switch is, well, a switch designed to allow more than one set-top box to receive information from the same satellite dish receiver. Some models feature built-in amplification. The model offered with this package has three different outputs to send video to TVs in three different areas of a house. Other multi-switches are designed to allow one satellite dish receiver to provide video to more than one home. As might be easily guessed, DirecTV does not encourage the sharing of its video offerings by entire neighborhoods of houses. It does, however, promise to install these devices for you, at a combined package cost of only $47.95. What a bargain! Its a good thing RapidSatellite doesnt charge by the acronym.

The second ad presents only one new complication, the Triple LNB Dish. A Triple LNB Dish, also known in DirecTV parlance as a Phase III Mulitsatellite Dish, is an 18 by 20 dish receiver that collects broadcast signals from three different satellites. Customers with high-definition TV sets will definitely want to upgrade to Triple LNB, because without it, its impossible to receive satellite broadcasts in HDTV. LNB stands for low-noise block. Its the device that hangs off the arm of the satellite dish and looks sort of like a flashlight. So what does it do? To find out, we first have to crane our necks and stare up into orbit. The DirecTV satellite at 101 degrees has 32 transponders, numbered 1 to 32 for some reason, each of which sends a group of channels. Back on Earth, an LNB converter responds to changes in the voltage transmitted by the DirecTV receiver by looking at either the odd- or even-numbered channels. A Triple LNB Dish, not too surprisingly, includes three LNB converters, each operating independently of the other two. That way, three different DirecTV receivers can look at three different stations on three different transponders. Long story short, it means Mom can watch HGTV while Dad checks out Sports Center. Meanwhile, their progeny have gathered around a third TV set to enjoy Aqua Teen Hunger Force, all at the same time. Thanks to DVR and TiVo technology, its entirely possible that all three programs were recorded weeks ago.

As for the third ad, a Hughes Director is the standard receiver offered with basic DirecTV packages. How standard? Many DirecTV vendors are now offering the device free with purchase of a dish receiver. Still, its a perfectly adequate receiver, with many of the features offered by the snazzier DVR80. While it cant record video, it does offer a WatchWord search feature that scans through DirecTV program menus and alerts the user when favorite shows are about to come on.

The HR10-250 receiver is a much pricier alternative, cashing in at somewhere around a thousand bucks. Still, as Ferris Bueller once noted, It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. It contains four tuners and a built-in DVR with TiVo. These four tuners allow for two HD shows to be recorded at once, even as the user watches a third prerecorded show. The 250 gigabyte hard drive holds about 30 hours of HDTV, or as many as 200 hours of non-high-def video (at 480 lines of pixels). PCWorld critic Cathy Lus review of the HR10-250 decided, Cost aside, the DirecTV HD DVR is the best way that I’ve found to watch and record HD. She gave it four and a half stars out of five. Thats pretty good for a machine whose profoundly uninspired name makes it sound like a tax form.
About the Author

Sarah Gustafson is a freelance writer and contributing author to http://www.dishtvreview.com, a site that provides satellite TV news and consumer buying advice.

Written By: Sarah Gustafson

It’s undeniable – shopping for a new satellite tv system can be tough. Take a look, for exampleif you dareat RapidSatellite.com, a one-stop Internet shopping point for satellite TV. A recent search turned up the following entries:

DIRECTV DVR80 3-Room 70 Hour DIRECTV DVR Satellite TV System w/ TiVo (1) DVR80 (2) D10 with Standard Dish, Multi-Switch & Standard Installation

DIRECTV DVR80 3-Room 70 Hour DIRECTV DVR Satellite TV System w/ TiVo (1) DVR80 (2) D10 with Triple LNB Dish & Standard Installation

DIRECTV 3-Room 70 Hour DIRECTV DVR System w/ TiVo (2) TiVo Receivers (1) Hughes Director Receiver with Standard Dish, Multi-Switch & Standard Installation

DIRECTV 3-Room System (1) HR10-250 200 Hour (STD) 35 Hour (HDTV) DIRECTV High Definition DVR w/ TiVo (2) DIRECTV Receiver System with Triple LNB Dish & Standard Installation

A little help here? Those ads are about as welcoming as a brick wall, and they present us with more acronyms than the U.S. military. For pure reading pleasure, they rank somewhere between Finnegans Wake and the book of Leviticus. Am I buying satellite TV service, or naming robots for science fantasy sequels?
Relax, Luke Skywalker. Scanning through orbital space may not be like dusting crops, but well work our way through this thing together. Lets start with the first ad.

DIRECTV DVR80 3-Room 70 Hour DIRECTV DVR Satellite TV System w/ TiVo (1) DVR80 (2) D10 with Standard Dish, Multi-Switch & Standard Installation

Okay, first things first. DirecTV is a national satellite TV subscription service owned by Hughes Electronics and, in large part, Fox Entertainment. In order to watch DirecTV programming, one must first by a dish to collect the signals beamed to Earth by the satellite. Then one must buy a set-top box to decode those signals. Lastly, one must have a TV of some kind to display the imagery represented by those signals. The first ad is trying to sell us a hardware package thatll allow us to watch DirecTV, but it adds a few nifty bells and whistles. For example, this package includes another device called a DVR80. And what exactly is that? It looks like a license plate.

Good guess! No, a DVR80 is a brand of receiver manufactured and sold by RCA. To be more precise, it receives DirecTV signals as well as TiVo interactions. TiVo is a kind of DVR, or Digital Video Recorder, manufactured by the TiVo company. A Digital Video Recorder does exactly what it claims to do: It records video, not on tape as a VHS video recorder would, but as digital data in a dedicated hard drive. The DVR80 is capable of recording up to seventy hours of digital material, just as promised obliquely in the ad. What the ad doesnt make clear is that the amount of material the hard drive can store depends on how detailed the information is. Just as a VHS tape can hold anywhere from two to six hours of material, depending on the image quality, so do DVR image recordings suffer when recorded at the seventy-hour setting. The DVR80 has Dolby Digital sound capability and comes with a universal infrared remote control. When sold separately, it retails for anywhere between $100 and $150.

The comparison to VHS tends to minimize what TiVo can do. The hardware and allows for instant replays of live TV, plus the ability to skip through commercials while a program is airing. The Season Pass feature tracks the users favorite shows, even if they change network time slots, and records them each week automatically. Its even capable of predicting which unfamiliar shows the user might like, based on his or her previous recordings. Simply put, TiVo is neato.

But what in blue blazes is a D10? Isnt that Eminems Detroit rap posse? No, that would be D12, Slim Shady. A D10 is nothing more than the set-top box that receives DirecTV signals. It features an Advanced Program Guide interface, and is capable of receiving signals from several DirecTV satellites to the tune of over 225 channels. The box itself costs about $50 retail. A multi-switch is, well, a switch designed to allow more than one set-top box to receive information from the same satellite dish receiver. Some models feature built-in amplification. The model offered with this package has three different outputs to send video to TVs in three different areas of a house. Other multi-switches are designed to allow one satellite dish receiver to provide video to more than one home. As might be easily guessed, DirecTV does not encourage the sharing of its video offerings by entire neighborhoods of houses. It does, however, promise to install these devices for you, at a combined package cost of only $47.95. What a bargain! Its a good thing RapidSatellite doesnt charge by the acronym.

The second ad presents only one new complication, the Triple LNB Dish. A Triple LNB Dish, also known in DirecTV parlance as a Phase III Mulitsatellite Dish, is an 18 by 20 dish receiver that collects broadcast signals from three different satellites. Customers with high-definition TV sets will definitely want to upgrade to Triple LNB, because without it, its impossible to receive satellite broadcasts in HDTV. LNB stands for low-noise block. Its the device that hangs off the arm of the satellite dish and looks sort of like a flashlight. So what does it do? To find out, we first have to crane our necks and stare up into orbit. The DirecTV satellite at 101 degrees has 32 transponders, numbered 1 to 32 for some reason, each of which sends a group of channels. Back on Earth, an LNB converter responds to changes in the voltage transmitted by the DirecTV receiver by looking at either the odd- or even-numbered channels. A Triple LNB Dish, not too surprisingly, includes three LNB converters, each operating independently of the other two. That way, three different DirecTV receivers can look at three different stations on three different transponders. Long story short, it means Mom can watch HGTV while Dad checks out Sports Center. Meanwhile, their progeny have gathered around a third TV set to enjoy Aqua Teen Hunger Force, all at the same time. Thanks to DVR and TiVo technology, its entirely possible that all three programs were recorded weeks ago.

As for the third ad, a Hughes Director is the standard receiver offered with basic DirecTV packages. How standard? Many DirecTV vendors are now offering the device free with purchase of a dish receiver. Still, its a perfectly adequate receiver, with many of the features offered by the snazzier DVR80. While it cant record video, it does offer a WatchWord search feature that scans through DirecTV program menus and alerts the user when favorite shows are about to come on.

The HR10-250 receiver is a much pricier alternative, cashing in at somewhere around a thousand bucks. Still, as Ferris Bueller once noted, It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. It contains four tuners and a built-in DVR with TiVo. These four tuners allow for two HD shows to be recorded at once, even as the user watches a third prerecorded show. The 250 gigabyte hard drive holds about 30 hours of HDTV, or as many as 200 hours of non-high-def video (at 480 lines of pixels). PCWorld critic Cathy Lus review of the HR10-250 decided, Cost aside, the DirecTV HD DVR is the best way that I’ve found to watch and record HD. She gave it four and a half stars out of five. Thats pretty good for a machine whose profoundly uninspired name makes it sound like a tax form.

About the Author:
Sarah Gustafson is a freelance writer and contributing author to http://www.dishtvreview.com – a site that provides satellite TV news and consumer buying advice.
Written By: Adam Short