TV ? for those in the Indianapolis area

[Popeye]

Here's the situation. Dad is 80, mind is as sharp as a tack, but he doesn't get around as well as he used to. Afraid of falls, fell on his butt in the snow yesterday in fact. To make a short story long, all he really has to do is watch TV and birds in the feeder. Gets only the broadcast channels.
Sis and I are thinking of trying to get him either SAT or Cable. Needs to be simple. His DVD player fustrates him....come to think of it, mine does too.
I've got Dish down here and have no problems with it. Alot of the cable systems I've had used a cable ready tv and it was pretty straight fwd. turn on the tv and change channels etc.
Anyway I'm looking for something simple to operate, has to cover his range of interests (History, outdoors and news etc)
What are you folks using and how do you like it? Not sure I can talk him into it even if I pay for it but..... I've got to try.... Thanks in advance, Pat

[Habe]

I have Dish Network and have had it for 5 or 6 years. No major problems with it. I live on the west side, north of the airport and even the flights into and out of the airport do not mess up the reception. Check their website for the chanel packages to find which one covers his interests.

[LCHIEN]

Here's the situation. Dad is 80, mind is as sharp as a tack, but he doesn't get around as well as he used to. Afraid of falls, fell on his butt in the snow yesterday in fact. To make a short story long, all he really has to do is watch TV and birds in the feeder. Gets only the broadcast channels.
Sis and I are thinking of trying to get him either SAT or Cable. Needs to be simple. His DVD player fustrates him....come to think of it, mine does too.
I've got Dish down here and have no problems with it. Alot of the cable systems I've had used a cable ready tv and it was pretty straight fwd. turn on the tv and change channels etc.
Anyway I'm looking for something simple to operate, has to cover his range of interests (History, outdoors and news etc)
What are you folks using and how do you like it? Not sure I can talk him into it even if I pay for it but..... I've got to try.... Thanks in advance, Pat

for a man with a sharp mind will more TV just dull it?
I can't for the life of me find anything worth watching on the cable I pay $45/month for. My wife likes to watch NBA games, other than that I wouldn't have it. 90 channels of mostly junk.

[Popeye]

I agree with you Loring, I pay... whatever...for 200 channels from Dishnetwork down here and watch maybe 12 on a regular basis but.... The cable and Sat providers have you by the short hairs. It's set up so you have to have bigger packages just to get what is worth watching.
I have the woodshop, dad used to love working on small engines. He loves to read but reading gives him a headache after about 30 minutes now. There is a ton of mind numbing junk on tv but there is also alot of good informative and interesting programing on The History Channel, Discovery, The Military Channel, TLC etc. Pat

[Popeye]

I have Dish Network and have had it for 5 or 6 years. No major problems with it. I live on the west side, north of the airport and even the flights into and out of the airport do not mess up the reception. Check their website for the chanel packages to find which one covers his interests.

Dad lives, and I grew up just south of you. Off High School RD, South of 67/Kentucky Ave. Sis lives in Mooresville. Pat

[Ed62]

I was reading the other day that doing crossword puzzles you have a hard time finishing helps the brain to stay sharp. If that's what you're after, maybe you should ask him if he likes them.

But a little exercise helps the body. Even if he only walks for short periods each day, with someone else, it might be beneficial. Being static with a TV might not be in his best interest. Just a thought.

Ed

[ejs1097]

I also have Dish and have the DVR. One thing (as I'm sure you know) is that it has the best remote I've ever used. It's extremely easy to use the DVR and it sounds like your Dad wouldn't have any trouble using it. My in-laws have a Cable DVR and it's remote is very combersome and frustrating. They've had a a while and still don't set up recordings, etc because they're not to sure how to do it. Plus if he has a newer TV and components, you only need Dish's remote. Recording/playing movies from TCM, AMC, etc would be easier for him then the DVD as well.

And you can refer him and get $5.00 off you bill for 10 monthes.

(if anyone wants a discount to install Dish, let me know)

[sacherjj]

I think either Dish or DirecTV will work fine. So will cable, but the picture quality will be worse. I've got a personal problem with the fraud commited on me by ComCast, so they are no longer an option for me. This is the whole reason that I am with DirecTV.

One other "out of the box" option: Indy also has GREAT over the air HDTV. This gives you quite a few more channels than current broadcast. WFYI has 3 channels available and the normal "prime time" programs look great. This would require an HDTV which is around $600 minimum for an HDTV with a tuner and possibly and outside antenna, depending on his location.

Yet another option: If he has a computer and can use a web site, NetFlix or Blockbuster online is also a good option. That and a DVD player is like an easy to use time shifting. For the price of Dish or DirectTV or cable, you can have many, many discs out. If I didn't have TiVo, I would wait until a series goes to DVD and watch it this way.

[Ed62]

Just a note about a DVR from DirecTV. If you get it from DirecTV, it will not be a Tivo. We found the Tivo to be much more user friendly than the DVR from DirecTV. LOML will not even use the one from DirecTV. Also, if you get one from them, you will be required to lease it with a contract that will keep you locked to them until the contract runs out. We have a Tivo that came from Best Buy or Circuit City about 4 or 5 years ago. It works with DirecTV just fine, and it's pretty easy to use.

Ed

[Ken Massingale]

We have the DirecTV DVR HR20 and are very happy with it. A learning curve changing from DirecTivo, but no big deal.