Thinking of DirecTV

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

So my family is tired of Time Warner and the price, but it seems to be the best we can get right now (digital cable, HDTV and Road Runner).

U-verse and Grande are not available in our area, so that's out. I was thinking about DirecTV.

I can't tell you what we're paying for TWC right now since I don't have it in front of me, but I'm going to start looking tomorrow at some places in town. Any particular places I should try for either good start-up deals, etc?

Any particularly good pieces of equipment we should look for?

We don't need a whole bunch of stuff: TV and HDTV (I saw on DirecTV's Web site that you can buy an Over-The-Air HDTV antenna for about $50 to get local HD (would that include the local FOX?), so I'd be down to get that right away.

Would like DVR, too, but not necessary.

Any thoughts or ideas?

NEW ADD: I also see that they may offer high-speed internet service, too. Anybody tried that?

Also, is it true you need a landline phone to have satellite? We got rid of our landline years ago since it's just a lot easier and cheaper with cell phones.

[SequSpur]

Dude, I have a coupon. If you use it, I got like a free month or something..;

Directtv rules, but there is a delay compared to time warner.. like 8 seconds, just don't be talking to someone watching the same game ending unless you want to know what happens..

But the pic is pure digital unlike time warner and its frickin cheaper and you can just add shit by logging into your account... no worker needed.

send me your digits and i'll call you tomorrow night.

[ZStomp]

8 seconds?
holy crap... i only noticed like a 1 or 2 second delay

no u don't need a landline telephone to have satellite service..

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

If you have a High Def TV, I'd go with Directv or Dish network, you can pickup fox with the OTA antenna, plus you get ESPN2 HD, both of which Time Warner doesn't carry

[leemajors]

directv dsl blows.

[01Snake]

Who wants that ugly ass dish on their house? Oh wait, you can stick it on a post and set in your front yard. Thats niiiice.

[cherylsteele]

Every time it rains, the picture goes out on Direct TV and Dish network.
Plus they will charge you a monthly fee for HDTV because their is an extra attachment for that. My mom's DTV goes out at least once a month....TW has rarely gone out in 3 yrs....except the time I forgot to pay the bill.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I understand about the signal quality with TWC...never had problems there. We have a second analog TWC hookup, so we could still have TV if it rains.

As far as asthetics go with a dish, that doesn't really matter to us since it'd be in the back of the house.

We will get HDTV for sure. Why have a HDTV if you're not going to use it?

Sequ, I'll get at you later...thanks.

[MoSpur]

I have had DirecTV for four years now. I have only called once to complain. I got the hook up after complaining. Check their web-site because they have promotions as to what you can get free. They have that DVR you are interested in. Its all good.

[MoSpur]

Oh yeah. It does not go out every time it rains. That is a myth. Mine has gone out a few times since I have had it when it rains very hard, but so does my in-laws (Time Warner customers). It doesn't go out more than what my in-laws does.

[maxpower]

You can get an OTA antenna at walmart..for way less than $50.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

If you have problems holding the signal during rain with any dish, try spraying it with Pam occasionally. When I had my apartment, the only allowable place I could mount the dish was also the side of the building that seemed to get the most rain. It went out fairly often, but always during Spurs games. :bang

I sprayed it with Pam and it rarely went out after that. My neighbor saw me spraying it one time and laughed but he wasn't laughing later when he had to come over and watch a game when his dish wouldn't hold a signal. Needless to say, he went out to buy a can the next day. :lol

[Kori Ellis]

Dude, I have a coupon. If you use it, I got like a free month or something..;

Directtv rules, but there is a delay compared to time warner.. like 8 seconds, just don't be talking to someone watching the same game ending unless you want to know what happens..

But the pic is pure digital unlike time warner and its frickin cheaper and you can just add shit by logging into your account... no worker needed.

send me your digits and i'll call you tomorrow night.

:lmao @ 8 seconds. It's about a second and a half.

[Kori Ellis]

Every time it rains, the picture goes out on Direct TV and Dish network.
Plus they will charge you a monthly fee for HDTV because their is an extra attachment for that. My mom's DTV goes out at least once a month....TW has rarely gone out in 3 yrs....except the time I forgot to pay the bill.

We have both TW and DirecTV. We had a slight problem with our DirecTV dish this year and they came out and re-set it, other than that -- no problems in five or six years. It doesn't go out when it rains. With TW, ours goes out every month or so.

Just goes to show you how different two people's opinions are on the same thing.

[CharlieMac]

I just switched back to TW after 8 months with Dish Network. I never had any problems with Dish Network though, i just got a sweeter deal through a friend that works with TW, other wish, I'd have stayed with Dish. I will say this though, Dish Network has a much better DVR than TW, but you can't replace OnDemand services.

[Kori Ellis]

but you can't replace OnDemand services.

I love Courtv and A&E OnDemand, but we have a lot of problems with it.

Ours only works about 20% of the time, other than that we get error codes. We have called TW twice to come fix it (well fix that plus that fact that WOAI only works about 1/2 the time -- and that messes up watching DOOL) and TW hasn't shown up.

[leemajors]

i've had the same TW box since i got a dvr here in austin and the i haven't had any problems with it besides my daughter enabling SAP throught the remote somehow - i had sound on half of my stations and called in for tech support - took secondary audio programming off and the problem was solved. it's amazing what a 18 month old mashing buttons can do. well i did have problems initially but made them run a new line from the hub on the power pole to my box and have had zero problems since.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

It looks like DirecTV is going to save some money (we're going to get some final numbers), so I think that'll probably be the route we go.

Time to find a retailer. I assume the rental fee for each additional box is standard ($5/month/per).

[Kori Ellis]

It looks like DirecTV is going to save some money (we're going to get some final numbers), so I think that'll probably be the route we go.

Time to find a retailer. I assume the rental fee for each additional box is standard ($5/month/per).

Can you rent your equipment from Directv? I thought you buy it all.

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

It looks like DirecTV is going to save some money (we're going to get some final numbers), so I think that'll probably be the route we go.

Time to find a retailer. I assume the rental fee for each additional box is standard ($5/month/per).

One warning about Directv is the HD box runs $300 bucks, but with it you can pick up HD channels with an OTA antenna, personally I think it's worth it for Cowboys games and 24 in HD

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

One warning about Directv is the HD box runs $300 bucks, but with it you can pick up HD channels with an OTA antenna, personally I think it's worth it for Cowboys games and 24 in HD

Hmmm...on the Web site, it says it will cost $100 for the HD receiver and I would get a $100 instant rebate for ordering online.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

As far as costs go, the additional receivers are apparently leased for $5/month/per.

The HD receiver is $99 with a $99 instant rebate and the OTA HD antenna is $49 (if somebody can direct me to a less expensive OTA antenna locally, I'm all ears).

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

Hmmm...on the Web site, it says it will cost $100 for the HD receiver and I would get a $100 instant rebate for ordering online.

Maybe the price has dropped recently, that would make it an even better deal

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Maybe the price has dropped recently, that would make it an even better deal

Whoohoo!

[T Park]

Hey Johnny I know its out, and I dont know EXACTLY how it works.

BUt the new MPEG4 recievers that just came out, I mean they arent cheap but heres the deal, I think you can get LOCAL OTA channels in HD, with this reciever, without a OTA antenna.

So like you get the triple LNB dish, and you get all the HD, PLUS OTA HD on the new MPEG4 satellite reciever.

Don't hold me to that, my dad is the expert in how itall works, but thats what I've been hearing since last winter is holding outfor theMPEG4 HD reciever.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

So my family is tired of Time Warner and the price, but it seems to be the best we can get right now (digital cable, HDTV and Road Runner).

U-verse and Grande are not available in our area, so that's out. I was thinking about DirecTV.

I can't tell you what we're paying for TWC right now since I don't have it in front of me, but I'm going to start looking tomorrow at some places in town. Any particular places I should try for either good start-up deals, etc?

Any particularly good pieces of equipment we should look for?

We don't need a whole bunch of stuff: TV and HDTV (I saw on DirecTV's Web site that you can buy an Over-The-Air HDTV antenna for about $50 to get local HD (would that include the local FOX?), so I'd be down to get that right away.

Would like DVR, too, but not necessary.

Any thoughts or ideas?

NEW ADD: I also see that they may offer high-speed internet service, too. Anybody tried that?

Also, is it true you need a landline phone to have satellite? We got rid of our landline years ago since it's just a lot easier and cheaper with cell phones.

:downspin:

[SequSpur]

During some events, the delay is 8 seconds, I have personally timed it myself.

Dude, if you want the hookup, just let me know, you don't have to pay for shit and they come next day to hook that mofo up with everything you need.

Keep on listening to the amateurs in here like Cheryl and you are going to be lost.

Yes, the rain has an effect on your system but dude, you can watch fukkin Caliente in digital... try that on the piece of shit time warner programs. :smokin

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

The HDTiVo runs around $300 and is well worth it. With HD, TiVo service, HBO, Showtime and the Sports Pak I pay roughly $90/month.

There has been talk from DirecTV that when HD Locals become available via MPEG4, you will get a voucher forthe new HD equipment you already have. So if HD locals aren't available in MPEG4 in your area, you need to get the antenna until it is.

And the rain and snow argument is weak. Every once in a while during a heavy storm, I lose the signal for a few minutes max.

[cherylsteele]

We have both TW and DirecTV. We had a slight problem with our DirecTV dish this year and they came out and re-set it, other than that -- no problems in five or six years. It doesn't go out when it rains. With TW, ours goes out every month or so.

Just goes to show you how different two people's opinions are on the same thing.
We also have DTV in the breakroom where I work and it goes out everytime it rains....I have not had this trouble with TW.

[KEDA]

Hey Johnny I know its out, and I dont know EXACTLY how it works.

BUt the new MPEG4 recievers that just came out, I mean they arent cheap but heres the deal, I think you can get LOCAL OTA channels in HD, with this reciever, without a OTA antenna.

So like you get the triple LNB dish, and you get all the HD, PLUS OTA HD on the new MPEG4 satellite reciever.

Don't hold me to that, my dad is the expert in how itall works, but thats what I've been hearing since last winter is holding outfor theMPEG4 HD reciever.


my parents are on the test program for that reciever

the satellite has 5 LNBs and weighs about 75 pounds, they had to bolt the dish, which is much larger too, to the frame of the roof at their house.

the only thing that sucks with the mpeg4 unit is that they have had to replace the box 5 times. The box will re-boot for no reason at a random time.

Directv actually gave my dad 2 boxes so if it started re-booting again they can just change them out without having to reorder another unit.

so far they like it, but they still dont get ALL the OTA HD channels, I think that ABC is the one giving them trouble.

[baseline bum]

How many channels are actually broadcast in HD? Also, how many are true HD, and how many are upsampled 480i (with the bars on the side)? Is ESPNHD 1080i, 720p, or 720i? How about the other channels? I'll pay extra for 1080i, but no freaking way if the majority of what I'm getting while paying for HD is 480i.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

HD Channel Lineup on all providers:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=419472

Resolution and Shows shot in HD:

http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5119938-1.html

[SequSpur]

all of the locals are now hd, damn near every sporting event is hd also, except for the fox sports bs.