DirecTV guys - in here

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CocheseUGA

CocheseUGA

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After getting the royal screw from Comcast today (after two whole days of service), I'm about to make the switch on the TV side to DirecTV.

A few questions:
-rep said that I could cancel my contract if I had poor service. True, or bullshit?
-I get Comcast HD DVR and it works on my SDTV (output 480p through component, good picture). Will the DirecTV HD DVR output in 480p through component?
-outages - how much do you have and how annoying is it?

And anything else you would care to share. Staying with Comcast for TV is 99% out of the question after the last two days.
 
Outages aren't too bad as long as you live in a clear weathered place. In SD we don't have much of a problem, but in Denver it was ridiculous. Every time it snowed the TV went out. Im happy with it though.
 
#1: I think they have a policy that within 30 days, you can have your service terminated for any reason and not pay any fees. I have never heard of someone getting poor signal, as long as you have a clear view of the south sky.

#2: I am not sure, but I am fairly positive that the HD-DVR can output 480p through component.

#3: I live in central texas, and there are very few outages. Only when there is really, really heavy rain coming in from the south does it go out. Never once has it just gone out for no reason.
 
Thanks for the responses thus far. I'm going to get on the phone with them again either tonight or in the morning and confirm what the guy told me, and I'm going to take the plunge. I hate commitments, but Comcast lost me as a TV customer.
 
With DirecTV it is not as fast as cable. What I mean is when you push next channel on your remote, it will say whats playing on the station but it takes about 2-3 seconds to see picture.

My families DirecTV only went out in heavy thunderstorms and that's like for 10 minutes tops.

In short it's an alternative to cable, and it is pretty good.
 
I don't have it currently since we can't have satellites in our condo building (no external owned spaces since there are no balconies, patios etc.), so I'm stuck with Comcast. Though they've generally not been bad for us.

But I loved DirecTV when I had it for 3 years or so at my prior place. Outages weren't common, just in very hard rain or snow. Still could be annoying if it went out during a big game or something, but it was usually only out for 10 minutes or so tops and most often less.

Can't comment on contracts as they didn't have those. Also a shame that the ended their partnership with Tivo as the DirecTivo was kick ass and from what I read back then the DTV DVRs weren't nearly as good.
 
I think that I heard that by mid-year Tivo will be taking over DirecTV's DVRs again. I also heard that the current DVRs will get a firmware update with new tivo software when this happens.
 
OK, here's what happened with me and Comcast:

I ordered on Monday. I called in, because they are running an ad that if you order by 2pm, you get same-day install. Yeah. Didn't happen until Wednesday. Ordered the Triple Play HD Starter, but that's not what I ended up wanting. I really should have ordered the HSI/Phone pack and got my programming that I wanted for $7 more. Now, they tell me if I want the channels I originally wanted, I'm paying at least $25 more a month. Well, fuck that. I'll stick with them for HSI (because it's 3x more than I can get with DSL), but phone and TV are going elsewhere. I can't believe they'd rather lose $85 a month than let me pay $7 more and get what I want.
 
DirecTV is better than cable. You get more channels, many more choices for sports if that's your thing, and you get to see shows live as they air in the Eastern time zone even when you're on the west coast.

I have had DirecTV for 8 years and love it. I just got their HD service and HD DVR receiver last week. Like the one guy said, there's a 2-3 second delay when switching channels (only on the HD DVR; not the regular receiver) but it will indeed output 480 through component cables. There's a "format" button that allows you to switch between resolutions and screen formats (full screen, widescreen, crop, etc.).

I'm not familiar with what Comcast offers, so I cannot compare the two, but DirecTV is an excellent value.
 
I've been a directv subscriber for 11 and a half years now, and the only major issue I've had was actually from comcast because their retard rep thought I was stealing cable even though, you know, it was hooked into a fucking satelite dish about 14 inches away, so he stripped my cables and stole my connector. fucking prick. Suffice to say, comcast will NEVER get my TV business. The only outages are during extremely heavy rainstorms. They are actually far more rare than they were at my old house (same town), so I'm guessing part of it is how exactly it is installed. Still using the same receiver after all that time too. I need to upgrade to a HD/DVR, but just haven't yet. It's a little pricey, but as I understand it, Comcast is even worse. I still have it for the same reason I bought it in the first place: NHL center ice. This is the best year of it yet. They have made every attempt to get every game possible. A game this week they even ran with a french broadcast, because that was the only one that aired. Hockey is 70-80% of the television I watch, and DTV does an exceptional job there. I wish I had on demand, but with Netflix/360, there's really not even that much desire for it any more. My parents have had to have their comcast serviced at least half a dozen times this year. I've had DTV serviced once, ever, and that was comcast's fault. Really can't say much more than that.
 
Make sure you find someone with a AAA Card and order through the number on the AAA website it will save you another $10.00 amonth for 24 months plus you get all the current promos.

p.s.
Here is the number to call if you find a valid membership number 1-800-242-9114.
 
I remember when the Packers vs Eagles playoff game years ago. I think that was the 04 season. It came down in buckets durning the 3rd quater and I was at my friends house and we lost the signal for like 15 minutes. This part of So Cal it tends to rain harder then a lot of So Cal. That was the only time I had seen the conection cut out.

I missed even more of the game cause I had to help my friend get his trash cans cause the street flooded and they where flying down the street.
 
I live in TX too, very few outtages if ever, definitely the best tv service that i could imagine there being...
 
I think I'm going to switch to DirecTV as well, I think Cox is raping me right now... I pay about $130.00 a month for Internet, Extended Cable with an HD + DVR box. When I was researching DTV I'm pretty sure it came to be a little cheaper at an introductory price but then about the same later (which is fine since Cox only offers like 20 channels in HD, where as DirecTV offers much more so I've heard.)
 
I'm starting to consider it myself. I have charter and they're looking to increase the rates by an additional $25 per month for our current package. In addition, random pay-per-view movies keep showing up on our account which we did not order, and its always a pain in the ass to try and remove them.

The only thing I'm unsure of is that I have two rooms which I would like to hook up. I'm assuming you need a box for each room, but unfortunately DirecTV's website was not very helpful. I need to make a decision before this coming Friday if I want to switch because that's when this month's billing cycle for cable will run out.
 
I think with DirecTV you do need a box in is room.

With Dish they have one box that will work in two rooms (two tuners and has an RF remote for the second room. My parents have it with the box on the big screen downstairs and the TV in their bedroom upstairs.
 
I'm likely going to switch as well in the next few days, so I have a few questions:

1) They have promos going on now where package monthly prices are locked in for 12 months. For the regular price they show, is that inclusive of HD DVR use as well as the leasing of an extra receiver? I wanna get it for at least two TVs.

Or will I have to pay a monthly fee as well for the use of their receivers? I know for HD access you have to pay a monthly fee, but that's inclusive of the package I'm selecting.

2) Are receivers "tied" to accounts? I have friends who have extra DirecTV receivers unused, so will I be able to use theirs or are those locked out?

3) This is a channel specific question: the channel "Fox Sports Net", that also covers the regional teams right? The only team that's on FSN are the Pacers, so I wanna make sure they'll be televised as well and I won't be stuck on FSN Atlanta or something funky.

Thanks for the help.
 
[quote name='SteveMcQ']I'm likely going to switch as well in the next few days, so I have a few questions:

1) They have promos going on now where package monthly prices are locked in for 12 months. For the regular price they show, is that inclusive of HD DVR use as well as the leasing of an extra receiver? I wanna get it for at least two TVs.

Or will I have to pay a monthly fee as well for the use of their receivers? I know for HD access you have to pay a monthly fee, but that's inclusive of the package I'm selecting.[/QUOTE]

No. Each extra SD receiver is $5 a month.

2) Are receivers "tied" to accounts? I have friends who have extra DirecTV receivers unused, so will I be able to use theirs or are those locked out?
Click to expand...

Have no idea, but if they own them, you should be able to use them. Leased, probably not.

3) This is a channel specific question: the channel "Fox Sports Net", that also covers the regional teams right? The only team that's on FSN are the Pacers, so I wanna make sure they'll be televised as well and I won't be stuck on FSN Atlanta or something funky.

Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

Looking at my channel lineup, I get like 50 FSNs. I don't know about regional lockouts, but I could always get NESN's Red Sox games when I worked at Blockbuster and we had a display.
 
[quote name='SteveMcQ']I'm likely going to switch as well in the next few days, so I have a few questions:



2) Are receivers "tied" to accounts? I have friends who have extra DirecTV receivers unused, so will I be able to use theirs or are those locked out?

3) This is a channel specific question: the channel "Fox Sports Net", that also covers the regional teams right? The only team that's on FSN are the Pacers, so I wanna make sure they'll be televised as well and I won't be stuck on FSN Atlanta or something funky.

Thanks for the help.[/QUOTE]

2) I'm pretty sure that you can use other receivers...I had two old DVRs from a different account, when my wife signed up with a new account, and I gave them the card number and was able to use them without any hassle.

3) You get whatever FSN that exists in your area...if you're in Indiana, you get the indiana Fox Sports net, if you're in Atlanta you get their Sports channel. Of course, if you get the premium (or whatever it is called) you get ALL of the regional sports channels (but not any of the pro games they broadcast--you need to get their sports packages for that)


Hope this helps.
 
I think I'm qualified enough to answer those questions, as I've been doing some research on DirecTV.

1) Last time I checked, they throw in the HD DVR box with no money down, but still charge you a fee for it each month. So you would have to buy another HD DVR box if you want two, I believe they are $199.99

2) Unless there is some way around it, you have to get the receivers from DirecTV or an authorized third party. I e-mailed them about it (since you can get receivers for fraction of the cost on eBay) and they told me that they won't activate it.

3) Pretty sure it would be whatever region you are in, so it would be FSN Arizona for me.
 
With FSN you get whats in your region, but can pay for the sports package (or get a package that includes it) then you get all of them. Pro games from out of region will be blacked out--and I think college games that are on ESPN Gameplan etc. are also blacked out.
 
Are we allowed to do a refer a friend in here? As it would technically be saving money for fellow cags? $10 a piece? Obviously it would be through pm but if mods wont allow it please delete and accept my apology!

 
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