Express Vu or Star Choice

[EDSGOLF]

I'm thinking of getting a satellite dish, any comments or opinions or recommendations?

[golferboy]

Have had expressvu for years, no problems at all....go HDTV for the golf!

[Kilroy]

Golf is only available in HD for the Masters so far.
However, HD totally rocks.

[Colby]

I've had Starchoice for a while, they've been really good, and their HDTV lineup really improved in the last month.

[Ginker]

Golf is available in HD every week on the HD channels on expressvu in the 800's. Mind you, you need the HD reciever and an HD television. But well worth it, I love it. You can actually see the elevation changes much better.

[jeffc]

why not rogers digital with the HD PVR?

[Kilroy]

Golf is available in HD every week on the HD channels on expressvu in the 800's. Mind you, you need the HD reciever and an HD television. But well worth it, I love it. You can actually see the elevation changes much better.

Sorry scotty but what you are seeing is digital, not high def. As I said, the only real HD golf this season was the Masters. Yes they do broadcast on the HD channels, but that does not always mean it is in HD at the source. Soon I hope.

I have Rogers HD with the PVR and I love it.

[Colby]

why not rogers digital with the HD PVR?

Cause Rogers is evil! They suck you in and then split up their HD programs so you have to pay $$$$

[Barnie]

So he's not really seeing HD but the thinks he is? Reminds me of people taking sugar pills against their knowledge and suddenly feeling better. Has all this HD bizz just brainwashed us to consume and spend more money when were really not getting much more than before? I've never seen HD beside a regular digital signal so for me i don't really know the difference. Sounds like it's almost all a marketing scam.

[Kilroy]

No. HD is absolutely incredible. Not all content on HD channels is HD, that's all. The difference is certainly noticeable. If you have a big 16:9 screen all HD is full screen (no leterbox or pillarbox bars) and jaw dropping awesome. Hard to miss if you have the hardware.

[jeffc]

Cause Rogers is evil! They suck you in and then split up their HD programs so you have to pay $$$$

I was with Bell until a year ago. They had no HD PVR (it was just released). Rogers offered me a deal (their winback program) that provided me with a free, yes free, HD PVR for as long as I am a customer. I pay less now with Rogers than with Bell and the programming is by and large the same.

Get the PVR and if you have a high Definition set, get the HD one. You will wonder how you ever lived without it. HD broadcasts are amazing, the Masters, NFL Football, even NASCAR! There is more and more coming on, but it is still a little limited.

EDS, I think you had or were about to have a baby?

We have a 10 month old and it's great for recording, pausing, etc. shows when you don't have the time to watch them because you're doing all kinds of parental stuff. After my mom visited, she wanted to get one right away.

[Colby]

Starchoice has the HD PVR also, it just came out. I'm waiting until winter tho...

[Chambokl]

Whatever you do you have to go HD.

Picture and sound is great. All prime time show 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM are High Definition. The Super Bowl was unbelievable.

You have to see it to believe it. I have a rather cheap 52" screen TV and everybody wants to know where I got it. I have to tell them it is not the TV it is the receiver...

Good luck in your search...

Jean-Guy

[sharkhark]

I think that HD is the main factor here. Do you have, or are going to have soon, a HD capable tv? if no, then it doesn't matter who you go with and would likely be cheaper with starchoice as initial outlay for equipment is small.
However....if HD then I would say express vu which I got 5 months ago. They have the most channels.
I have a new 52" Toshiba DLP with extra cost hd receiver and I now find that I only watch HD. It is so breathtakingly awesome over regular digital that you find excuses to stay in the 800's channels. Example 'desperate housewives'. Not the most macho show to watch, but in high def it is so good, you just won't believe the picture. No sugar pill here!

Dan is bang on re: sports in high def, currently baseball i.e. tsn blue jays, all star game,masters, thats about it. The source must be hd otherwise the channel just looks the same. But try watching CSI HD, Tonite Show HD, pbs HD and it is crazy good.
p.s. I researched all the sat players and numerous sites said the service on Bell is horrible. They were dead on. Even though for product I recommend them, the customer service has been horrendous.
$200 in promised credits,5 mths later still not done. 5 mths no magazine guide & each month they aplogize and nothing happens. Each time you call you get lost in 'emily' their robotic automatic answering system, eventually you hang up in frustration as each call lasts an hour or more. Rogers in Toronto used to be great with one person solutions. My bell bill was all wrong last month, guess what, one long call to expressvu, then told must call seperately to bell phone, to fix them, then bell sympatico to fix it. So beware this if you give all your business to them.

[EDSGOLF]

EDS, I think you had or were about to have a baby?

We have a 10 month old and it's great for recording, pausing, etc. shows when you don't have the time to watch them because you're doing all kinds of parental stuff. After my mom visited, she wanted to get one right away.

Yup, had a boy, so a PVR may be good too!!!

Thanks for all the input, now I may be a bit more confused. I have a regular 50" Toshiba with no HDTV. Decisions, decisions! Leaning on Start Choice. I will call Rogers about this "winback program" and see if they'll offer a PVR.

[Ginker]

Also the HD channels are 5.1 dolby digital surround sound.....

[EDSGOLF]

Well, I have chosen Starchoice, will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the tips and comments.

[Evil Chris]

I opted for digital cable. No outages and the quality is equal or better.