Direct Tv ???

[SWANEEDB]

For all those who have Direct Tv, what are your thoughts. In the last couple months my monthly service charge went up around $45, now is $113 a month, only extra we have is the 'choice' channels, don't do any thing else like pay for view.

[waksupi]

I got a wireless Sony Blueray player. Cost around $80. For around $8 each, you can get Hulu, or Netflix. I go even cheaper than that. I have Amazon Prime, since I buy a lot there. $98 a year I think. For that, you get free shipping, free music, free books, free movies, free TV. There is also Crackle and other free movie sites on the Blueray, along with pay channels if you really think you want them. I haven't wanted them. Youtube also has tons of free movies and old TV shows. So basically, I get all the shows and more than I can use during the year for the initial investment, plus the Amazon charge. When I got my Bluray, I went to my IP, traded them my old modem for a wireless modem, free from my IP.

[jcwit]

I have no experience with Direct TV, but Up until this year I was a loyal Dish customer, had been loyal for 16 years but their fisco over Fox News and their increasing costs made us look elsewhere.

We went to Xfinity, our cost is $130 per month, but we have 250 channels, All the HBO & Starz channels, high speed internet & unlimited calling is all bundled for that $130 bucks. Plus Comcast is locked in for 3 years at that price, by then we'll likely be streaming most everything.

Yup, you're getting screwed, IMO.

[Smoke4320]

If you have Hi speed internet look at ruko3
Hulu, Netflix and amazon prime will give you plenty to watch for less than $17.00 a month

[dagger dog]

I have been with Direct TV since 1992, I bought and installed my first receiver, that was before they went to all leasing, up graded to HD and have 1 premium channel Starzs, with the newest Genie unit you can record up to 6 programs at one time and the DVR unit has 1 terabyte memory, you can set it up with your computer and acess Hulu and Netflix. My monthly bill runs 110.00 bucks, but I'm a homebody and it's worth it for my entertainment.

[gew98]

I have no experience with Direct TV, but Up until this year I was a loyal Dish customer, had been loyal for 16 years but their fisco over Fox News and their increasing costs made us look elsewhere.

We went to Xfinity, our cost is $130 per month, but we have 250 channels, All the HBO & Starz channels, high speed internet & unlimited calling is all bundled for that $130 bucks. Plus Comcast is locked in for 3 years at that price, by then we'll likely be streaming most everything.

Yup, you're getting screwed, IMO.
I'm somewhere about $120 a month with DTV. It sucks as it's all sat no landline where I'm at. If I could get highspeed internet I'd tell a bunch of them to take a hike. Used to have dish then DTV then dish then DTV..... they run you around with offers to get more for less but all the while it all goes up and up. If it were not for my wife's penchant for watching TV "so much" I would tell them all to go fug themselves.

[TXGunNut]

Had a falling out with DTV a few years ago. Went out twice, third time I pulled the plug. Then I realized how much time and money I'd wasted on TV. Pulling the plug is one of the best decisions I've made in the last few years.

[375supermag]

Hi...

I have been a DirecTV customer for several years.

As long as they have NFLDirect, I'll probably stay a customer. NFL is a big freaking deal at my house.

Even the dog hung out in front of the 50" plasma screen during NFL games...I suspect he was more into the cheese and bologna trays, nachos, bacon-wrapped shrimp, etc than the football games but, Hey! He was there.

[Lever-man]

I have Dish but I'm close enough to pick up all the local channels, so every time they try to go up on my basic service I pull the plug. I hardly watch TV any way and only have Dish because my wife thinks she has to have it. It doesn't take long before they are begging me to re-connect my service at the old price.

[Handloader109]

OK, I'm not and haven't been a Direct TV subscriber, but was a dish subscriber for over 10 yrs. Got tired of them going up, and uverse became available and due to better internet, subscribed. Called up dish to cancel and the guy almost gave me my subscription. I had already changed, or I would likely have stayed with them. Truly a reduction from $110 to about $55 was offered. If it twer me, I'd be calling up direct TV and be working on a price reduction to keep me. I'll keep uverse till a year or so is up and swap to reduce cost again

[rancher1913]

I have antanna, get 3 and 3/4 channels, used to get more before .gov made everybody go digital. never in house enough to justify cable and internet works in tractor.

[Geezer in NH]

DTV, bundled with Fairpoint pay 98 bucks a month with some premium channels way better than 2 channels on a 500 buck directional antennae

Included in the bundle is phone free in NA and DSL at 17 meg, there is no cable optics in town and fee is cheaper than the radio limited internet at 100+ per month especially with son being a gamer and college student at a Univ.

[jcwit]

I hear you all, but my wife and I like NASCAR, FOX News, FOX Business, The Vikings, Hell On Wheels, Antiques Road Show, Old Movies from the 40's and 50's, Gunsmoke from the 50's & 60's, Father Knows Best.

Those claiming about not wasting time watching TV, at 71/72 just what activity do you wish me to do? LOL

And remember that $130 bucks gives us High Speed Internet and Unlimited calling, with caller ID.

[jcwit]

Oh Ya, I can record 4 channels and up to 300 hours of record time.

[jmort]

I switch back and forth from Direct to Dish every 24 months as soon as the contract expires. Equipment is better/new/improved and the service is cheaper as an incentive to switch. A guy who installs for both Direct and Dish told me about this a while back, and he was way right. That was some excellent advice.

[Plate plinker]

Internet based TV is eating the lunch of the CABLE/DISH services. I have a antenna for network stuff and unlimited net for whatever else.

[jcwit]

Internet based TV is eating the lunch of the CABLE/DISH services. I have a antenna for network stuff and unlimited net for whatever else.

Hows the NASCAR race going? LOL

[quilbilly]

I admit the high price but our neighbors who had other services have moved the DTV as well. We only watch about 15 channels and wish we could only pay for that plus a little extra for the service. We live in the forest but our only reception problem has been in heavy wet snowstorms.

[tmax64]

I have been a DirecTv guy for 10 years. Got fed up with them and signed up with Dish last Wednesday. Called to terminate my service and they put me thru to customer service rep. He brought my bill down $35 to within a dollar of Dish's contract and then thru in NFL Sunday ticket, 4months of Showtime and offered me MLB Extra Innings as well. The Sunday Ticket I have to cancel next year if I don't want it and the customer rep guy said I could call and "re-negotiate" next year. Called Dish back to stop the switch and even the Dish guy said he couldn't match that.

[smokeywolf]

We haven't been satellite or cable customers for about 13 years now. Wife had Amazon Prime because of her business with Amazon, plus we subscribe to Netflix and Hulu. On top of those three, whenever I find a movie or TV show that I know I'll want to watch over & over, I buy the DVD(s). Must have well over 500 DVDs in our library. Last DVD(s) we bought were 3 seasons of "Duck Dynasty", before that was, "The Cheyenne Social Club". Just watched "How the West Was Won" and "The Searchers" last weekend. Hulu just updated and added season 5 of "Blue Bloods".

I spend in one year what many spend in two months and have added 4 or 5 DVDs to our library that will get watched dozens, if not hundreds of times. I think one of my next DVDs will be "The War Wagon"

[reloader28]

Another Roku house here. Was with Dish for over 15 years, but didnt watch TV enough to justify the big cost.
With Roku it dont hardly cost anything and we can watch what we want when we want and RARELY is there a commercial.
The down side is, we watch more TV now.

[MaryB]

Yeah my DTV bill is up to $87 for nothing to watch... fall season will return some shows I normally watch but right now it is bad. Only 2 off air channels here that are not scrambled, there is a UHF translator station but their prices are ridiculous too for really bad channels and poor quality(I prefer my HD over normal video!). I do use Amazon prime a lot for movies. If a few shows I watched were available on the internet at the same time they were on normal TV I would dump DTV in a heart beat.

Being disabled I do watch a lot of TV, especially on bad pain days as a distraction.

[Plate plinker]

Hows the NASCAR race going? LOL

Who cares I never watched that stuff its boring.

[bangerjim]

I have had DTV for probably 14 years and really LOVE it. I do not worry about the $$. Entertainment is what I am after......in full surround 1080i HD! (many more channels of that than dish!) Full home hookup with 3 large screens and DTV receivers. Watch and record anything from any room.

If you call them and ask for a "special" you can many time get a great deal. I did and now have ALL the movie and HD channels +ALL the sports channels (do not watch any of them ) for about $42 less than I had without SkinaMax and sports package.

Never hurts to "ask for the order"

I have friends with Dish and after seeing what they get and they see what I have, they are switching. And both I and they get $10/month for 6 months discounts.

And I have 2 Roku's and 2 Apple TV's. Rarely ever use them. 60MB connection. Streaming is not that good....poor video and audio....unless you're watching on a 21" TV with 4" speaker.

I want the best and get it...............with DTV. And I lot track of how many HD channels I can record at one time with all those boxes!

[jcwit]

Who cares I never watched that stuff its boring.

That is an opinion, I guess!

[MT Gianni]

I have been a DirecTv guy for 10 years. Got fed up with them and signed up with Dish last Wednesday. Called to terminate my service and they put me thru to customer service rep. He brought my bill down $35 to within a dollar of Dish's contract and then thru in NFL Sunday ticket, 4months of Showtime and offered me MLB Extra Innings as well. The Sunday Ticket I have to cancel next year if I don't want it and the customer rep guy said I could call and "re-negotiate" next year. Called Dish back to stop the switch and even the Dish guy said he couldn't match that.


Glad to hear, I have been in the 24 month club as Direct and Dish refused to negotiate so it only made sense to switch because of the new customer programs. Big savings for the first 12 months, 1/2 for the second and when the high prices start switch it around. They have no customer loyalty so why should you?

[Duckiller]

Had Direct TV for about 10 years and wanted to go to HD TV needed a new dish/LGB Direct installers wouldn't do it unless I put dogs outside in 105* weather. Direct also charged me for NFL with out me asking for it. I have been very happy with Dish. Cheaper than Direct and their people don't lie like Direct does when I go into SAM'S Club.

[smokeywolf]

The only way for consumers to keep pricing competitive is to shop one vendor against the other. It's called "healthy competition" If you are ignoring pricing in an effort to try to be a "loyal customer" you're sabotaging the free market system.

Back when "service stations" were independently owned, shopping one station against the other is what used to keep gasoline prices down. Of course that no longer works since the big oil companies bought out the independents and set up a "marketing partnership" to fix prices.

Since big business owns those who legislate the rules and laws by which they must operate, the consumer is the only check and balance that prevents them from making the rules and "fixing" the prices to which you and I must adhere.

[Bad Water Bill]

Bought a dish about 12 years ago in January.

Almost froze my ----., off installing and finding the satellite just barely over the horizon.

Then it snowed and dish said I had to spend more money and buy an electric heater to melt the snow and ice.

Next came April and the trees started to leaf out and dish said cut down tree tops or install a 60+foot tower.

I would have to cut tree tops for a couple of miles of other folks trees to do the trim thing and that would never happen.

The dish made a very expensive target but the revenge was sweet.

Now I use the radio or internet to get my news.:bigsmyl2:

[GOPHER SLAYER]

We have had Direct TV since before they were called that. We love it. My brother had Dish and it was one nightmare after another . When I would call him and tell him there was a show he would like, he didn't get that channel. All he got for the flat rate was ****. One day a UPS truck delivered $425 worth of gear he didn't order. Dish refused to take it back. That hassle went on for months. What Dish does is low-ball you with a cheap start up rate and once you sign up for a year they drop the hammer.

[FredBuddy]

Our internet isn't fast enough for most TV (tried), and Dish wanted me to cut some trees, so here we are with Direct TV and not lovin' it. I did buy the little apple tv box, and Netflix works, much to the surprise of our ISP.

[jmort]

"I did buy the little apple tv box, and Netflix works, much to the surprise of our ISP."

I have had both Direct and Dish, and will more more time suggest, that every two years switch back and forth. Better pricing and better equipment. Direct is not "better" than Dish and Dish is not better than Direct except after you are done with the two year commitment. On my Dish cycle right now, for last four months, and the new equipment and pricing crush same package from Direct. In 18 months, I will probably be back with Direct, or just go internet only. Only have Dish/Direct for my wife/daughter. I am happy with mix of NetFlix, Hulu, Amazon and internet content from networks. Lot of great content right on History Channel etc. NetFliix streams best with the least internet banwidth.

[rakkal]

I actually called them and canceled after the 1 year promotional rate to switch to AT&T to complete the Uverse package. The next day, the called back offering to slash my prices back down and send me a $200 gift card. I decided to stay with them until they go back up, or this merger with AT&T finalize and I can wave the cancelation fee from DTV...

[Bzcraig]

I switch back and forth from Direct to Dish every 24 months as soon as the contract expires. Equipment is better/new/improved and the service is cheaper as an incentive to switch. A guy who installs for both Direct and Dish told me about this a while back, and he was way right. That was some excellent advice.

I do exactly the same! I'm resigned to switching every two years.

[Lloyd Smale]

I had just the opposite experience. I needed my direct tv dish moved. I set up an appointment 3 times and took time off of work to be there and they never showed up. Finally on the 4th appointment day the repair man showed up a 10pm when I was in bed. I not so nicely told him to leave my yard and the next day told direct to come get there ****. Ive had dish now for 3 years and its cheaper and the service is much better. the one time I had problems with my dvr a service tech was there the next morning
We have had Direct TV since before they were called that. We love it. My brother had Dish and it was one nightmare after another . When I would call him and tell him there was a show he would like, he didn't get that channel. All he got for the flat rate was ****. One day a UPS truck delivered $425 worth of gear he didn't order. Dish refused to take it back. That hassle went on for months. What Dish does is low-ball you with a cheap start up rate and once you sign up for a year they drop the hammer.

[Lloyd Smale]

this got me thinking that I haven't called in a couple years and got 15 bucks a month taken off my bill for a year. You don't usually have to even switch providers and go through all the hastles. Just call them and threaten too and they will usually give you the same introductory rates or any other specials they have going or if nothing else drop your rate.
I actually called them and canceled after the 1 year promotional rate to switch to AT&T to complete the Uverse package. The next day, the called back offering to slash my prices back down and send me a $200 gift card. I decided to stay with them until they go back up, or this merger with AT&T finalize and I can wave the cancelation fee from DTV...

[Petrol & Powder]

I dumped DTV a couple of years ago. There's so little on TV worth watching and I didn't like paying for a couple hundred channels in order to watch 2-3 occasionally.
I can receive over the air broadcasts from three networks for free (NBC, CBS, PBS) and actually prefer radio and the internet for my news.

About 90% of the time I'll pick a book over what is broadcast on TV !

[Lever-man]

I agree with Petrol & Powder most of what is on TV now is garbage. I would rather browse the internet, read, or work on one of my many projects than watch what is on there.

[Major 2]

I've been with DTV since 2003 no issue really until two weeks ago ..we had a lightning strike that fried the HDTV box & scramble the remote box in the Den.

Direct TV ... We waited all week for Tech to show up last Sunday @ 8 -10 AM ...he arrives a 1:30 PM - 3 1/2 hours late

Can't figured it out, is on his phone to someone the whole time he's here 3 1/2 hours, Moron doesn't know whats wrong , say's it the wires http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/Smileys/cowboys/rolleyes.gif he tried them pulling out !
He has 12' or more feet pulled , and we see the new Flat Screen & box he's been working on inside almost fall to the floor... we grab the inside wires , and yell stop pulling ! you almost pull the TV off the bookcase .
" Oh ! he said I didn't know it was still attached" ..... DUDE you just attached it !

So now we have , wires hanging off the Roof , 12 or more feet pulled from the crawl space scattered on the lawn
and still attached to the boxes inside
and all directions disconnected from the splinter box ....looks like spaghetti http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/Smileys/cowboys/rolleyes.gif

I ask him , do you have clue what you are doing ? ....I told him call and get someone here to that does !

He claims he did ...and someone is coming .... Bull !

He leaves ...we call Direct TV ...another Tech. come's out Monday 8 AM .....

New guy arrives Monday on time , he rolls his eyes and can't believe the mess he's left with .... he put it all back together .... writes up what the issue was, one inline band-with box replaced and one cable all above the floor in the house.
Nothing had to be pulled out certainly not 70 feet of cable from the splinter outside to the boxes inside running through the crawlspace under the house . Took him about 2 hour to repair the mess the MORON started...

Direct TV has offered $50 credit .... and an apology

[WILCO]

If you have Hi speed internet look at ruko3
Hulu, Netflix and amazon prime will give you plenty to watch for less than $17.00 a month

Yep! That's how I roll. I may even get one of these:

http://www.ccrane.com/!!MLUCVENogI7q5r8ubtJCg!/WiFi-Antennas-1

[bangerjim]

If you have Hi speed internet look at ruko3
Hulu, Netflix and amazon prime will give you plenty to watch for less than $17.00 a month

I have all that and cannot fine anything I ever want to watch. And most are lo-rez video/audio. OK for watching on my iPad, but not on 60"+ TV's with 5.1 surround stereo.

[jcwit]

Last night I enjoyed "I guess anyway" Lone Survivor.

PBS has a 3 of good programs on tonight.

Outdoor Network has loads of good shows tonight.

[Geraldo]

Everything on Directv is irrelevant save MLB extra innings, college football, and Nascar (my wife loves it). Ill be happy when I can go a la carte with those and nothing else.

[bangerjim]

Everything on Directv is irrelevant save MLB extra innings, college football, and Nascar (my wife loves it). Ill be happy when I can go a la carte with those and nothing else.


Hope you live long enough! Cable and satellite providers "invented" the word TIER!

Doubt they will ever drop that archaic practice. They always have put stuff you really want in a group of carp you do not!

[mold maker]

I'd love to get only 5 channels if I could pick them. That way I wouldn't have to hunt through all the junk.

[Geraldo]

I'd love to get only 5 channels if I could pick them. That way I wouldn't have to hunt through all the junk.

Set up a custom favorites list. You're still paying for the junk you don't want to watch, but you don't have to scroll through it.

[2wheelDuke]

It's raining pretty steadily right now. Back when I had DirecTV, it'd be unwatchable in this weather. The worst was when I had the DVR set, and it'd record a bunch of gibberish because it was raining when the show aired.

[bangerjim]

Rain? What is that?!?!?!?!?

banger

[DHurtig]

We are 7 months into a 2 year contract. Biggest mistake I ever made. Rain= no signal, Snow = no signal. Wind = signal cuts in and out. Have to reset the receivers on a regular basis. I didn't sign up for the service plan so they won't fix it. We only have basic service. Lost most of my favorite channels. About half of the channels we get are all infomercials. Direct TV is absolutely the worst service provider I have ever dealt with, bar none.

[MaryB]

DH you need to tweak the aim on your dish. It isn't hard, the receiver has a built in signal meter. I used to carry a little 7 inch TV with to do it but someone hollering as you make an adjustment, check signal, make and adjustment...

I have to retweak mine fairly often, the porch it is attached to shifts with changes from winter to summer and with how wet the ground is. I can see my screen from the dish so fairly easy job.

[bangerjim]

Yes! Realignment needed. I have only lost signal during SEVERE weather and the only for a couple minutes while the thunder head passed.

Read you manual. You CAN adjust it. Takes 2 people....one at the dish with a wrench and someone else at the TV to let you know what the signal bars are doing. Or just pay $50 to have it done professionally. Not a bad price for a guaranteed service.

banger