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2 edits | DirecTV will be fine As much as people like to bash them, the satellite companies provide a useful service:
- As an alternative to cable TV, where the monopolistic cable company delivers a subpar, overpriced product, and alternatives such as FiOS are not available
- TV programming delivery for rural areas not served by cable and mobiles (RVs and even minivans/SUVs)
I do wish though, that the satellite/TV programming industry had not gone all out to wipe out C-Band BUD for the home user as it was in the old days. I wish I could get more HD channels on BUD because I want master quality programming, and BUD is really the only way to go (if you don't have FiOS).
What is really killing the sat companies are the requirement to carry local channels, instead of one national feed of the affiliates. I can understand the need to preserve local advertising by affiliates though (I do work in the industry). | |
 djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
kudos:1
 ·Verizon Wireless..
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·VOIPo
·PHONE POWER
| I don't see a lot of people bashing DirecTV. They offer a quality product with reasonably competitive pricing. The thing that makes me balk at it is the higher upfront costs and liability in purchasing equipment and the long term contracts.
DirecTV lost me around the time they began offering the HD TiVo based units at $1,000 a piece, when I could rent two boxes with similar functionality for $20/month from Comcast. $20/month vs $2,000+$5/month access fee was a no-brainer. To make matters worse, at the time it was pretty well known the units would be made obsolete with the transition to MPEG-4 and the spaceway satellites.
When one of my 6412s died, Comcast came and replaced it free of charge. Boy would it suck if a $1,000 HR10-250 died 13 months after purchase.
That whole situation has improved but it's still not there yet. Most of the offers I see are either a free HD RECEIVER or a free DVR - not a free HD DVR. Sometimes they offer HD DVR upgrades and good deals with Sunday Ticket - but I don't want Sunday Ticket!
I think DirecTV's push to offer 100+ HD channels has done a tremendous amount of good for HD fans, whether they're DirecTV customers or not! Even though I'm not currently their customer, I see DirecTV as a great option.
-- Rob
--
AT&T U-Hearse
Your funeral. Delivered.
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 en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | I actually liked DTV.
Free hardware, free install (I've still got the existing dish and tuners).
DTV lost me as their prices started to go up, and triple play on cable made it a better deal
DTV: $65 (after taxes) for 3 tuners on Plus
POTS: $58 (after taxes)
DSL: $27 (after taxes)
TWC: $99/month for HSI, VoIP, Digital TV
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
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