Direct TV experience

[hemi68charger]

Hey gang..
Kim and I are looking into the possibilty of switching providers. We currently have AT&T Uverse. It's been ok, but MAN, it has gotten majorly expensive...... We thought about switching to Direct Tv for their TV and internet service. Because they use AT&T as their internet provider, I think I can keep my long-stating att.net email address...

Any thoughts on internet speed and HD services..

[Cooter]

It ain't no better with Direct TV on my side. Costs me over $90.00/month just for TV. However, there are a few of the 100 or so channels I can't live without so I bend over. good luck. Bill started out around $45.00/month.

[Troy]

I have Direct Tv for TV only so I have no experience with their online service. I use cable for that. My internet is more important than TV and I get what I want for cheaper than any of the "package" deals. Honestly, if it weren't for 2 shows that aren't available online and getting Reds games in HD I wouldn't even have TV service. The initial prices are cheap but the rates go up after the "trial period". It easy to spend $100 or more on just TV channels. Too much if you ask me. If I had kids and a family it might be different.

Troy

[hemi68charger]

I have Direct Tv for TV only so I have no experience with their online service. I use cable for that. My internet is more important than TV and I get what I want for cheaper than any of the "package" deals. Honestly, if it weren't for 2 shows that aren't available online and getting Reds games in HD I wouldn't even have TV service. The initial prices are cheap but the rates go up after the "trial period". It easy to spend $100 or more on just TV channels. Too much if you ask me. If I had kids and a family it might be different.

Troy

Yeap, I have kids and a wife and they all have their own genre of shows ( plus I have a TV in the garage - gotta have that ). My bill with Uverse is a staggering $240ish and that's crazy...

[Dans 68]

I've had DirecTV for years and have had good experiences. It can get pricey, but the service and viewing options are great. And I need to watch my World Champion Giants in HD also. 

Dan

[jar1292]

When I bought my house 8 years ago it had DirecTV I kept it for about a year but I travel for my job and some times wasn't home for 2 to 3 months at a time so it was a no brainer but to cancel. For about five years I would get at least 2-3 phone calls a month asking why I disconnected and if they offer me such and such would I consider subscribing again. I tell ya they are sure persistent, even after I asked repeatedly to be taken off the phone list. THAT is the reason that I would never go back to them, they wouldn't listen!  To this day I get at least 1 letter in the mail a week from them. Although I understand the letters, as they are just advertising. it was the never ending phone calls that drove me away. By the way I am home now on the weekends and I hardly even turn on the regular T.V. life is so much more better with out it. 

[moparguy01]

I've had some serious issues with Direct TV. Now i have Dish network. I originally got the Direct TV with the DVR style boxes. The DVR only ever worked on one of them, so 2 of the other tv's it did not work with. The bills have gone up for no reason, but if you call and bitch them out they put it back where it was and act like they did you a favor. The picture quality was decent, if there was no wind, rain, snow, cars driving by, neighbors farting in its direction, etc. the signal was terrible, and we had them out numerous times to try to fix signal issues. Finally I talked to a guy from Dish TV and he came and helped me align the dish correctly, something at least 3 Direct TV techs could not do, and then signal only sucked with incliment weather. Then for some reason, 2 of the boxes died within hours of each other. They sent out new ones. The new ones were used, beat up, and did not work. They then decided I could drive the "new" boxes down to their main office, 20 miles away, and exchange them, or pay shipping to ship them to them, and ship new ones to me. to which I told them they need to send a box to me postage prepaid, as I'm canceling their service. The box never came. 2 months later I get a bill for $1183 for keeping the equipment that didn't work. That took over 2 weeks to get sorted out, when they finally sent a tech to pick it up from my house, as I told them if I delivered it to their office, it would be thrown through their front windows. a month after that a collection agency calls regarding on 1183 dollar bill from them. Which my lawyer quickly sorted out when we informed them they were going to be sued for harassment as I kept proof of our emails back and forth, and records of phone conversations.

They leave me alone now. So I can honestly say I would not recommend them.

[ODZKing]

Another opinion.  I now have Verizon Fios for TV and internet.  Best I have ever had for both.
However I did have Direct TV for TV before this.  I didn't change because they were bad, only because when Fios came around they had a great package deal.  I had Verison DSL which wasn't bad but this is way better.  The cable here is Time/Warner from and OLD old cable system and it is AWFUL.  I would be without before I went back to them. Their customer service is the worst.
I can recommend Direct with some advice.  You can deal with them a bit.  Tell them you want all the latest equipment and DVR etc for no extra, things like that.  You push them enough (and telling them that Dish is knocking on your door - they hate that) and you can probably get a good deal.
As far as their internet, I can't comment.  My 

[cdr]

dish & direct   go poof when it rains --------ie jeff gordon is getting passed by the # --poof its gone i missed it 

[ODZKing]

dish & direct   go poof when it rains --------ie jeff gordon is getting passed by the # --poof its gone i missed it 

The newer dish's do not have a problem with just rain. 
However electrical storms do cause an issue.  It passes quickly but it does happen briefly.

[Troy]

I have had some sort of dish for 12 years now and haven't had any weather problems in at least the last 3-4 (when we got a new dish). The newest one in my apartment has had zero issues in any weather (sleet, rain, snow, wind, etc.). Even with the really old dish it was pretty good when aligned correctly. Oddly enough, the underground cable would go out more often than the satellite.

FIOS isn't available to everyone. My sister loves Dish network and, apparently, so do many of the people in my neighborhood (judging by the number of new dishes). They don't offer internet service so you'd still need to get that separately (but, as I mentioned, I already do that).

Troy

[Dans 68]

I have never had a problem in Nor Cal with DirecTV. Even up in the Sierra's at a cabin with snow partly covering the dish. Guess I'm one of the fortunate....  

Dan

[69 OUR/TEA]

LOL,I just switched from 9 years Direct TV to ATT Uverse.

[472 R/T SE]

We moved in our new house in '97.  Back then there was a package that you could buy the dish & receiver & install yourself for $99 if you ordered Sunday Ticket.  No brainer for me.  About 6 or so years ago when we got the DVR & they replaced the dish & now the service never goes out.

Little secret I learned from the Chiefs forum.  When you call DTV ask for "retention" & then explain to them how Dish & cable are beating down your door.  What can you do to appease us.
I didn't try it until last year.  They wanted to charge for the new HD DVRs' & as a long time customer I found it highly unacceptable.
I ended up getting all the installation free.
2 years of free rental of the DVRs'.
FREE NFL Sunday Ticket.
3 months of service for FREE.  The bill still shows up with the charges but at the bottom are credits every month.

I've tossed around getting the package with internet since they've taken such good care of us but the thread I started here asking about it was a resounding no.

[bill440rt]

We had Indirect TV years ago.
DVR boxes went one after the other, and every time they replaced our "new" box with a refurbished one. They didn't last. We went without TV longer than we had TV. Once the promo rates were over the monthly bills skyrocketed. Bye-bye, Indirect TV.
Then switched to Cablevision for TV, phone, & internet. It's been good ever since. Have DVR boxes on all TV's, all the HD channels, etc. No problems.
And I still get Indirect TV ads in the mail begging to "come back". No thanks.

[hatersaurusrex]

DirecTV gives a $10/month discount for referrals as well.   You and the referrer both get the 10 bucks off so before you pull the trigger you might want to pick one of the guys here who helped you out and ask their account number and save you both some cash.   Of course if you'd like that guy to be me since I'm the one who told you, my feelings won't be hurt

[mrsskip68]

DirecTV gives a $10/month discount for referrals as well.   You and the referrer both get the 10 bucks off so before you pull the trigger you might want to pick one of the guys here who helped you out and ask their account number and save you both some cash.   Of course if you'd like that guy to be me since I'm the one who told you, my feelings won't be hurt

This is true. Did that with a family member awhile back. But you can add more than one! 

[Indygenerallee]

I relieved myself of that waste of money and time, I have a antenna and digital converter box and pay nothing to watch TV. I still get Fox,ABC,CBS,NBC so I can watch the news and regular TV shows. and I have Netflix ran through the PS3 for $8.00 a month so my kids can watch all the cartoons they want. Cheap enough for me!

[hemi68charger]

DirecTV gives a $10/month discount for referrals as well.   You and the referrer both get the 10 bucks off so before you pull the trigger you might want to pick one of the guys here who helped you out and ask their account number and save you both some cash.   Of course if you'd like that guy to be me since I'm the one who told you, my feelings won't be hurt

Yeap, heard about that too. Got that information prior to me submitting this thread... Unfortunately, I can only reference one person. 

[W4ATL]

I buy Direct TV for my parents that live out in the country. It goes out during heavy rain storms but otherwise works well. I would say keep your U-verse if it works well for you. Can't see where Direct will be much cheaper.

I just completely dropped cable/satellite and installed an outdoor TV antenna and get HDTV for free now. You would be surprised at the number of channels you get. You won't see Jersey Shore, Honey Boo Boo, Duck Dynasty or ESPN but you will get the major broadcast channels (depending on how far away from a major city you are.) When I want to watch something on ESPN I just go to the sports bar. Still cheaper than $90/month every month. I have a DVR similar to the one below to record shows and then watch later. You can skip over commercials like the cable DVR you pay extra for each month.

http://www.amazon.com/Channel-Master-CM-7000PAL-Digital-Recorder/dp/B0033TJPJW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1358357629&sr=8-3&keywords=channel+master+dvr

[4cruzin]

I would love to get rid of the Xfinity crap I have now as the price just goes up and up when ever they feel it needs to . . . . then I have 7 HD TVs and 1 HD box . . . . . can't afford to pay rental on all the boxes as it is $15 dollars for each one a month.  Over $100 a month just to rent the boxes . . . . .     Then I called one of the dish companies and they require you to buy their boxes so no rental fees but the up front cost was over $500 just for the boxes . . .

[Lord Warlock]

You can call xfinity cable and discuss reduction of service, and they'll drop the price for you for a limited period of time,  i called last month because the bill for cable tv and internet had just gotten to high to deal with and they cut it in half for six months, sure it will go up eventually but then i'll cancel most of the tv service and go with no pay channels or just basic cable, and possibly reduce the blast internet to just normal cable internet to save 15.00 a month.  They offered to give me a package of the same premium channels i had for a year at 99 dollars a month if i added xfinity phone service, but i really didn't want to bundle everything into the cable company, sometimes its nice to have a phone to call when the cable fails. 

Only time i used direct tv was when i got a box, dish for free from a friend, and learned how to program the card myself, but tired of that quickly after having to reprogram the card every other week, the hardware cost as much as paying for service.  So i went legit and paid for cable instead.  I did however get free pay channels for several years from owning my own descrambled box until the cable company went full digital, been legal now for over 10 years.

[472 R/T SE]

DirecTV gives a $10/month discount for referrals as well.   You and the referrer both get the 10 bucks off so before you pull the trigger you might want to pick one of the guys here who helped you out and ask their account number and save you both some cash.   Of course if you'd like that guy to be me since I'm the one who told you, my feelings won't be hurt

Yeap, heard about that too. Got that information prior to me submitting this thread... Unfortunately, I can only reference one person. 

Well, that's simple enough.  What information do you need from me...buddy ol' pal?   

[hemi68charger]

Well, I went with DirectTV. It wasn't a smooth install, but that shouldn't surprise me. I had them install it on the pole in the back yard next to the garage hidden from view from us and the neighbors. I like the picture, works better than Uverse in getting the full screen image in HD instead of the narrowed version. I don't like I have to order HD boxes so my kids can watch recorded channels. The standard boxes don't have any functionality other than watching live TV. Heck, you can't even pause it...... So, we got the main Genie, 3 HD clients, 2 HD boxes for the kiddos and a standard box for the upstairs hobby room for Kim...