Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dish

Recreating the perfect pineapple salsa

joshrholloway — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:21:29 -0800

How do I duplicate at home this absolutely perfect pineapple salsa I just found? After being spoiled with my favorite recipe of all time at a local burrito place, the shack closed down and the perfect pineapple salsa went with it. This was four years ago. I've spent that time searching for something as close to that recipe as I could find, and just about a week ago I found an almost-perfect analog that is served at a regional "build-your-own-burrito" chain.

This chain seems more stable than the hole-in-the-wall the original perfect salsa came from, but nonetheless I want to try to recreate this perfection in my own home in case they do close down or I have to move, or just to save money. Now that I have a sample, I realize I'm going to have to do a lot of trial and error, but are there any techniques to this sort of thing that make it easier? What are the most typical ingredients to pineapple salsa that I should try first?

Can I convince DirecTV to upgrade me or should I switch to Dish?

chndrcks — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:20:59 -0800

Should I stick with DirecTV or switch to Dish? OR: Can I get DirecTV to upgrade my receiver for free? (I've read this previous question but there are some differences in options and preferences)

I've had DirecTV since 2005 and have always been happy with their service, but I'm looking into upgrading to HD and can save a not insignificant amount of money with Dish (Comcast is more expensive).

DirecTV has a reputation for good customer service, which is important to me and is part of the reason I chose DirecTV when first signing up. We've been thinking about upgrading to HD-DVR, and to do so we would have to get a new receiver - we currently have an old DirecTiVo receiver (from 2005). I've called DirecTV twice and the best (they say) they can offer me is the receiver for $200. In addition, adding the HD package ($10/month) will bring our monthly cost to around $77.

With Dish, we can get the channels that we want, plus their HD and DVR for $67-$77 (depending on which package we go with) a month and we wouldn't have to pay the $200 for the new receiver. Also, we would get a -$15 /month promotion for the first year.

The biggest sticking point right now is the $200 for the receiver. I've been happy enough with DirecTV that I wouldn't mind the extra per month cost (there are more channels, even if they're not on our 'must have' list - and their customer service at least until now has been good).
Is there a way I can convince DirecTV to upgrade my receiver for free or less than $200? Here are the ways I'm a good and bad customer for DirecTV:
Pro:
-Customer for 4 years
-First upgrade in 4 years (first person I talked to said this would help)
-I've had premium channels (HBO) in the past
-I've referred a friend (did the actual referral so DTV knows)
Con:
-No current premium channel subscriptions
-Last summer and this summer we put the satellite on vacation mode (so we didn't get or pay for service for ~4 months each year)

I thought my next step would be to call directv and tell them I'm thinking about switching to Dish, is there something else I should try first? Should I tell them that I'm thinking about switching because I can get the free receiver?

If they still won't budge - should I switch to Dish? My concerns are:
-Customer Service
-DVR cool features
-DVR ease of use

I've never experienced Dish's customer service, but for some reason I have a bad impression of it (probably just a sense I've picked up from the internet). Those of you who have it - how is the customer service? How does it compare to DirecTV?

How is the DVR service? I get the impression that neither will live up to the DirecTiVo that I have right now - is one significantly worse than the other?

Does either offer cool ways to connect my service with my computer? (e.g. an easy way to stream shows from my DVR to my computer) It looks like I can schedule recordings from the web or iphone with both, but does one company offer other features that the other doesn't?

Have Satellite Dish, Will Watch TV

Effigy2000 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:57:42 -0800

The house I'm renting has a satellite dish up on the roof, and I'm pretty sure I know where the wall-plug for it is indoors. What kind of equipment and cables would I need to do/buy to easily (and importantly, cheaply) access satellite TV and watch it on my television set? I'm in Australia, if that matters.

I can't do it captain, I don't have the POWER

sourbrew — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:35:54 -0800

So a friend of mine asked me a question about the new Star Trek movie. (probable spoilers inside) Basically he wants to know if raising the shield during warp has been done previously or if it violates the principles of warp as established in previous Star Trek universes. I've done some google searches but have been unable to find a definitive answer, although there are apparently other people wondering this as well.

Foods that originated in the United States?

wastelands — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:23:38 -0800

Where can I find a list of foods that originated in the United States? Wikipedia has this list, but it's more of a list of "commonly consumed" foods in the US, rather than strictly ones that originated here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_dishes

How to protect my wall from the cat dish

kosmonaut — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:22:35 -0800

Cat fanciers: is there a convenient way to keep dried bits of food from getting on the wall next to the cat food dishes? We keep our cat's food and water dishes on the floor against a wall. Over time, the wall area near the dishes builds up a nasty spattering of dried food all over it. The wall can be washed, of course, but we'd love to have a way to keep it from getting dirty in the first place.

Rather than affixing something to the wall semi-permanently, I was thinking that it would be great if there was some product that was a platform for the dishes with a little divider sticking up in the back that would guard my wall from the dish area. It might look sort of like a little stage. A unit like this could easily be rinsed off in the sink from time to time. Does anyone know if this (or something similar) exists?

If not, then how do other cat fanciers protect against this kind of wall mess?

I'm a Comcast customer is looking to expand my TV horizons.

bamassippi — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:27:25 -0800

I'm a Comcast customer is looking to expand my TV horizons. The wife and I are looking into DVR options. We currently use Comcast (Seattle, WA) w/HD channels and, due to our apartment complex, do not have the option of Dish/DirecTV.

I would prefer a TiVo HD recorder due to TiVo's position in the market ad an industry leader. What successes/failures/thoughts do you have on TiVos current DVR technology

Is Comcast's DVR technology worth it? Obviously, the month-to-month payment is more wallet-friendly than the investment of a TiVo, though I didn't know if the end result was any better.

Thoughts?

What chickens are these?

nat — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:23:10 -0800

What are these (dishware) chickens? My mother recently inherited this set of chickens (photos here and here, but we can't figure out what they are for.

Each chicken has a base and a lid, and are roughly egg shaped, but that's not the correct size, unless chicken eggs used to be alot smaller (that's my hand in the pictures for size reference; I'd say that the small size is c. 60% the size of a modern grocery chicken egg). There are four of the smallest size, one of the medium sized, and then one much larger that may not be from the same set.

Evidently they were my great-grandparents', and my grandfather used to play with them as a kid- so they were around by the 1930s. There are no markings on the bottom or sides to indicate where they were made or what they were used for.

My mother only remembers playing with them as a kid, and doesn't remember their ever being used. We'd really like to know what their purpose was before they turned into family kid's toy!

And I especially like the sweet black beans

oflinkey — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:11:10 -0800

Is the fact that I really like eating the banchan more than the meal at my local Korean restaurant looked at as odd? I hate to admit this, but I think I almost love banchan more than many of the dishes I eat at the Korean place. The ladies at the restaurant seem to think this is weird. I am wondering if they think of it the same way I would if someone came into my (imaginary) restaurant and really, really liked eating horseradish and relish.

I know that banchan is often translated to "side dishes", but I have had some Korean acquaintances in the past tell me that it is more in between condiment and side dish. Just wondering what those Mefites in know had to say.

I need cable/internet. Should I go with Comcast, DirectTV, or DISH Network?

decrescendo — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:03:14 -0800

I need cable/internet. Should I go with Comcast, DirectTV, or DISH Network? I just moved into a new apartment in Arlington, VA and I need cable. I have a 50" Panasonic plasma and I want as much HD as possible. I'm pretty sure we'll have line-of-sight to the satellites, as well.

I despise Comcast because of its internet throttling/bandwidth and it's horrible customer service (I should have cable already but they screwed me over).

Do I go with satellite? If so, do I get DISH or DirectTV? Have you all had problems with rain fade, reception in storms, etc.?

And if I get them, should I go with Comcast shitty internet or Verizon? Or do they have satellite internet?

We're lazy, I admit it.

TheNewWazoo — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:17:09 -0800

We're contemplating moving into a house with no built-in dishwasher... without which we cannot live! What are your impressions of portables? What are good some good brands, and are there any caveats to hooking them up that we should be aware of?

Where do I get a tiny water dish

hungrysquirrels — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:33:38 -0800

I want a pet rock for my cubicle. Obtaining the rock isn't a problem, however I also want a mini water dish for it. Don't ask. Anyone know where I could obtain a 1" or so pet water dish?

Help me find new soap dish holders for my tiled walls

acoutu — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:01:07 -0800

How can I fix a peeling soap dish in my tile? Both of my bathrooms have soap dishes or soap holders built into the wall. The dishes are peeling and starting to rust (where exposed). I have not been able to find lookalike (or even same size) soap dishes anywhere. I've been to a lot of tile stores, bathroom stores, hardware stores, etc.

I can't just paint the dishes myself. This is a pretty upscale condo in an even more upscale neighbourhood. Whatever I do has to look good.
I don't want to retile the bathrooms. I've got small kids and I have been through the process of demo and retiling before. I also don't want to be paying big bucks to replace tiny soak dish folders. The current tile is in excellent condition.
In a best case scenario, I would simply find soap dishes that fit and put them in. It looks like I can just undo a screw and take them out.
I'd be willing to consider electroplating, dipping or some other professional service. However, I don't know anything about that, let alone where to find someone to do it. I'm in Vancouver, Canada.

Any suggestions for what I can do? Thanks.

Dish Network Vs. DirectTV Vs. Uverse (from those who've had two or more)

monkeybutt — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:05:32 -0800

Dish Network Vs. DirectTV Vs. Uverse (from those who've had two or more) I just got a fancy new HD LCD and need to upgrade my service to HD. I am currently on Dish and quite satisfied, but I'm not blindly loyal.

My criteria obviously includes picture quality, value and comprehensive availablity of HD channels (including local), but I place a heavy weight on the usability of the system. Part of the reason I'm partial to my (pre-DVR programming fee) DishNet PVR is that it is *so* very pleasent to use. Much more streamlined than TiVO in the opinion of both my wife and myself.

I've come to value the opinion of MeFi contributors and I'm interested in hearing from folks who have had two or more of the services I'm considering (Dish, Direct, uVerse). I've searched the archives and most posts covering this topic are quite old. Any fresh perspectives?

And before anybody asks: I'm not terribly interested in the NFL Sunday Ticket, so that is not a consideration. I have lots of diehard friends with it who have bigger TV's and throw better football shindigs than I do (so I mooch off their Ticket).

The only clear benefit I can see to uVerse is the "bundle" pricing and the chance to upgrade my internet connection above 5Mb.

Thoughts? Comments?

I suck at washing dishes.

stormygrey — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:56:28 -0800

How do I clean my non stick pans? This is kind of goofy, but apparently I can't wash dishes right. Most everything I just throw in the dishwasher. However, I can't seem to hand clean my nonstick pans without the pan forever smelling like dish soap.

I soak, I scrub, everything, and I can still smell it. So what's the trick.

Secondly, can I really not just stick them in the dishwasher on the gentle cycle or something? What would happen?

Caught Between an HD Rock and a Hard Place...And a Hard Place

JLobster — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:34:08 -0800

I have just moved from Berkeley, CA to Austin, TX and have to move my TV service with me. We were using DirecTV in Berkeley and I was perfectly happy with my (hacked) HR10-250 HD TiVo unit. Now I am faced with a choice. D*, cable or Dish? What service do I go with if I want to have TiVo and HD? I seem to be screwed in one way or another. More inside... I called D*'s Mover's Connection and they will only install the 5 LNB dish for free, which according to them, does NOT work with the HR10. So if I want HD and a PVR, I have to go with their HR20, which by many accounts has gotten terrible reviews with a few "ehs" thrown in. Then there's the whole "HDlite" controversy.

If I go with Time Warner Cable, I can get their crappy HD DVR or I can get the TiVo series3 with two cable cards. HOWEVER, I will not get all their extended national HD feeds for some technical reason that no one wants to explain, plus I will be paying more per month and that's without the TiVo monthly service added in. Add in the fact that I also have to spend around $500 for the hardware and it is not attractive either. If I can upgrade my cable cards in the future to get those extra national feeds, this would be the way to go, even with the extra price. I don't want to pay extra for a (semi-?)crippled setup.

Option 3 is Dish. I never liked them, their DVR or more recently, the fact that they are owned (or at least pushed) by AT&T. I do hear that their HD is the best quality.

I would like to stick with a TiVo interface because it is easy to use and my wife, while very technical, does not like unintuitive interfaces or massive retraining.

What to do? What to do? If it matters, I live in the Milwood subdivision in the Northwest part of Austin.

What cool stuff can I do with a satellite TV dish?

kdar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:32:10 -0800

I have a Dish Network satellite dish + satellite receiver that I never returned after I cancelled my contract with them. What cool things can I do with it? I'm moving in a few months, up to NYC, where I certainly won't have the space for it to sit in storage (or the desire for Dish network). So what can I do with this bulky, awkward, as-far-as-I-can-tell-useless hunk of hardware? Does anyone actually buy these things?

(Yes, I paid the fee. It was a snafu and a waste of money and all that. Please refrain from pointing this out to me; I'm well aware already.)

Can my landlord prohibit me from installing a satellite dish?

soonertbone — Thu, 17 May 2007 08:13:29 -0800

Can my landlord prohibit me from installing a satellite dish on my apartment's property? I live on the first floor in an apartment building with six apartments. I'm wanting to get Directv but was recently denied permission by the rental company. At first, they tried to deny me permission because it would be damaging to the building. When I explained that there are a few ways that I could install the dish without having to mount it to the building, they then changed the argument: Now, they say that allowing me to install it would "be setting a precedent for everyone else that wishes to have satellite service as well."

Two questions:
1) Is this allowed? It seems like such a screwy reason for denying me permission that I feel like it has to be challengeable in some way.

2) If it's not allowed, should I challenge it? I've always had good relations with all my landlords, and I'm hesitant to raise too big a stink about it. What might happen if I do?

Help me find the best TV and/or Internet solution(s) for a multi dwelling unit

twiggy — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 12:49:06 -0800

I need help with crafting a multi-dwelling (Condo) solution for TV and/or Internet service The short version: 24 unit condo looking for both business and technical advice on serving TV and/or Internet to all units in the most cost effective manner possible.

The long version:

I need help with both the technical AND business / search aspects here because google has not been my friend. I can't seem to find companies that specialize in providing TV or internet to multi dwelling units. However, I know they exist because my condo building currently has a contract with a company for DirecTV installations which requires we buy equipment from them if we want Satellite TV. Therefore, while everyone else gets free DVRs and other stuff, we have to pay hundreds of dollars (they quoted me $350) to get set up.

Individual units can opt for Comcast, but not Dish Network because there is no Dish Network satellite on our roof.

Details on that from a technical perspective: Not all units face the right direction to have their own dishes, and the condo has rules against mounting dishes to the masonry so basically a lot of the units absolutely have to connect to the big dish on the roof. Since we (currently) have an exclusive contract with this one DirecTV contractor, we're stuck.

What I want to know:

1) Is it realistic to expect to find some kind of a discounted deal on TV and/or internet service for a 5 story condo building with 24 units if we can get with some company on it?

2) From a technical perspective, this current company insists that the reason we need to buy hardware from them is that it requires special tuners to work with the dish on our roof. Is this true?

3) Is it technically feasible to install our own dish(es) on the roof and just let people sign up for DirecTV or Dish Network on their own? Do both companies require you point your dish in the same direction - allowing us to save on costs there by using one dish to serve people options?

4) This stems from the fact that Comcast is a godawful nightmare for myself and several of our residents, but the ridiculous up front costs from this company, and being limited to DirecTV and not Dish, is causing us to seek out alternative solutions.

5) Does anyone have an inside track on what the deal is/will be with WiMax? Sprint is supposed to roll it out in Chicago within the next year, but nobody knows: Is this just going to be cell-phone-internet stuff, or will people actually sign up for WiMax like they do DSL / Cable internet?

While a group discount would be great, we'd also be happy just to have a technical solution where people could sign up for Dish, DirecTV or Comcast just like everyone else can and for the same prices. Paying this premium for boxes just because they connect to a shared dish seems to be a wasteful expense, and being locked out of Dish as an option is unattractive as well.

I need your recipes.

thirteenkiller — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 09:38:53 -0800

Feedmyfamilyforaweekfilter: Now that we finished the lasagna, what other full meal sorts of dishes can I make in my big glass lasagna pan? I made a giant pan of lasagna early this week that was great fresh out of the oven and made great leftovers. I brought the last piece to work for my lunch today. I'm looking for ideas for other things I can make that will be good like that. Being a good Midwesterner, I am naturally acquainted with the full array of tater tot + cream of mushroom ensembles and no longer find them particularly exciting. So, anyone have any cool ideas to share? Things with protein and vegetables and complex carbohydrates and not too much grease would be best, and meat and dairy are yummy and fine!

Can I view CC information on my monitor?

jlub — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:03:28 -0800

Can I view the closed caption information on my plasma monitor which is hooked up to my dish network receiver? I have a Panasonic plasma monitor that I use for my TV. I bought a monitor instead of a TV because I didn't need an intergrated tuner or speakers. The one feature it doesn't have that I would like is to be able to view the closed caption information. I have a dish network 501 receiver, hooked up through s-video. None of this is HD.

Is there any good solution for this?

My best friend: TV

crapples — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:30:15 -0800

I have Dish Network and my DVR has a USB port on the back. Is there a way to transfer programming from the DVR to my laptop? What is needed to make this happen?

Oh my God, you killed Mega Cosmos! You bastards!

evariste — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 14:34:28 -0800

Greeks and Greek-Americans: what happened with Mega Cosmos on Dish? Are they moving to cable or to a different satellite company, or are they simply not going to be available in the US any more? This sucks.

DirectTV or Dish Network?

ryecatcher — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 09:47:38 -0800

What's better...DirectTV or Dish Network? I hate my Time Warner Cable Moxi and unfortunately got rid of Tivo (for lack of HD, but Tivo is the standard to which I compare everything). And no, now is not the time to spend the 800 bucks on the Tivo HD.

Specifically, I'd like to know about the DVR and HD components on both. And yesh, I've gone to AVS forums and so forth...but it all gets a little to technical for me.

And no one ever gives a straight answer.

FWIW, I live in Los Angeles with a pretty clear view of the sky.

Thanks!

Help a first time homeowner with all sorts of moving and decorating stuff!

twiggy — Thu, 11 May 2006 13:43:55 -0800

NewHomeFilter: I have a few questions about moving into my first new condo. I'm on a budget and green to the process with questions about: furniture (where to get), TV service (see inside), and lots... First and foremost: I have more junk than I know what to do with and I know I need to throw a lot of it out. My bedframe is falling apart, but the boxspring/mattress are fine. I'd like a nice looking bed to put my mattress in. Do I still need the boxspring?

I've just made a down payment and paid a ton of other cash toward my condo, so I'm on a tight budget. Ikea's prices look reasonable, but their "european style" beds are awfully low to the ground, so while I like the look of some of them, I'm not so sure about the logistics.

Eventually, though perhaps not right now, I'll want to replace my old and not so spectacular couch. Difficulty: I have non declawed cats.

I also completely suck at coordinating things. I can look at a well decorated place and appreciate it, but I cannot create one. How do I know that based on the color of my floors and walls, a couch, entertainment center etc will look decent in the room?

With regards to TV service - the association has some exclusive contract with a DirecTV installer. They want to charge me all sorts of fees to "install" each receiver, a fee to do wiring, etc. Then, after that, I still have to call DirecTV and set up service myself, so I'm not getting any sort of discounted monthly fee etc for using the large community dish installed on our roof. Unfortunately, my balcony faces a building (yay city living) so I don't think installing my own Dish (I currently have Dish network) is an option despite the FCC laws allowing me to use common elements for such a purpose.

I really don't want to pay the $200+ for new DirecTV receivers, etc etc, and then also have to pay $5/month on top of my DirecTV bill to have "available service in case something goes wrong" from this DirecTV contractor. On the flip side, I am worried that if I complain about this and seek other avenues, my first impression to my fellow tenants will be that of being a nuisance/complainer.

I'm also almost certainly running out of time to choose a moving service. Any recommendations for movers in the Chicago area for a relatively short move (from suburbs to city)?

Between repainting, replacing flooring in the bedrooms and other things, I have so much to take care of I'm admittedly kind of freaking out. Thanks ahead of time for any help you all can provide. Any general "new first time homeowner" tips would be greatly appreciated.