 
JE
Can I Taste It? Mmmm
Premium
join:2000-12-15
Brooklyn, NY |  Anything NEW?
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Sr Tech
Premium
join:2003-01-19
New Fairfield, CT
 ·Charter Pipeline
| Re: Anything NEW? Here is an idea, everyone cancel your cable subscripstion's today. Never mind the rates going up, watch how fast they would drop. Really, why should I pay royalties to a channel that I would never watch, I think the cable companies have to redo thier contracts with the thier providors. I should only have to pay for what I want to watch not what the cable company wants me to watch,But really cancel your cable today. Get the whole country to cancell then watch.. | |
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| | kinneyr2
join:2002-01-24
Carlsbad, CA | Re: Anything NEW? One can only hope that DSL will come with broadband TV to compete with cable and satellite. Prices will fall when more competing players enter into the same market. Choice of provider and choice of channels will be the future. | |
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| | | batmanst
join:2003-12-23
Beverly Hills, CA | Re: Anything NEW? wise decision but go for 3.0/512 not 1.5/384 it would suck!
Upon reflection, I do not wish to post. Take me back!
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Ark
join:2002-06-08
Hudsonville, MI | Re: Anything NEW? I have 6.0/608 (5x static IPs) from SBC already, and its supposed to be 6.0/768 soon too. And basic phone service with no long distance or extra crap on it. That $57 to Comcast is just for basic TV, not any sort of Internet access or anything. | |
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pcscdma
Chocobo Chocobo Random Battle
Premium
join:2004-01-14
Winterset, IA
clubs:
| said by Sr Tech  :Here is an idea, everyone cancel your cable subscripstion's today. I could, but I've heard ISDN sucks.
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I triple dog dare you to click this. | |
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| Megladon13
join:2003-09-05
Minneapolis, MN | Next time my bill goes up i'm calling to have it shut off. Blockbuster has a watch all you want for 25 bucks a month, beats paying 50$ 60+ channels i dont watch. | |
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| chesney09
Premium
join:2004-07-26
Redford, MI
clubs:
| Re: Bring on A La Carte No, The Sat Providers are not doing a la carte. It'd be a while if there is any chance.
You are paying $94 a MONTH? HOLY SHEOT! I pay half that for my DirectTV with the 3 receivers, 2 of which are Tivo Receivers. ALL digital, digital sound. Granted, I don't subscribe to HBO or any other premiums.. But, honestly, 5-6-7 HBO's all showing the same movies all month long just on different schedules...? What is the point? Yes, I know, there are a few programs that people really watch.. IE: Sopranos...
But, honestly... Subscribe to Netflix or Blockbuster Home delivery and get all the movies you could ever want?!?!?! | |
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EL_TB
join:2003-05-03
Fairfax, VA | Re: Bring on A La Carte I oay 82 but thats with internet too. I really want digital cable so I can get HD service but I dont think its worth the price. Everything is so expensive! | |
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juilinsandar
Texas Gooner
Premium
join:2000-07-17
San Benito, TX
 ·AT&T DSL Service
| said by chesney09 :No, The Sat Providers are not doing a la carte. It'd be a while if there is any chance. You are paying $94 a MONTH? HOLY SHEOT! I pay half that for my DirectTV with the 3 receivers, 2 of which are Tivo Receivers. ALL digital, digital sound. Granted, I don't subscribe to HBO or any other premiums.. But, honestly, 5-6-7 HBO's all showing the same movies all month long just on different schedules...? What is the point? Yes, I know, there are a few programs that people really watch.. IE: Sopranos... But, honestly... Subscribe to Netflix or Blockbuster Home delivery and get all the movies you could ever want?!?!?! I like the package I have which includes 14 HBO's, 12 Cinemax, 13 Showtime's, 10 Starz, 4 TMC and 13 Encore channels. Plus iControl VOD channels for all premiums(except Starz) and The Anime Network VOD, among many others. I watch what I want when I want. And, it's not all about movies. There are some quality TV shows exclusive to the Premium channels: Entourage, Dead Like Me, Huff, Deadwood, Carnivale, The Wire...
I tried Netflix (5 at a time), and although the price was good, I didn't like the service. Too long of a queue for what I wanted.
Regarding your DirecTV receivers and Tivos, if they broke wouldn't you have to pay for new ones? At least if something happens to my DVR or cable box I can just exchange it for a new one at my local Time Warner Cable office. I don't mind paying for that peace of mind.
To each his own. 
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"I'm about 10 minutes from, if I lived here, I'd blow my brains out..." - Luke (Gilmore Girls) | |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| Re: Bring on A La Carte said by juilinsandar : I like the package I have which includes 14 HBO's, 12 Cinemax, 13 Showtime's, 10 Starz, 4 TMC and 13 Encore channels. Well if you count up those that are ACTUALLY DIFFERENT then you dont have as much choice. most of all those are time shifted east and west coast feeds of the SAME CHANNEL. e.g. hbo, hbo2 bla bla. . . . .
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You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth | |
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Slidetbone
Mazin Go
Premium
join:2002-11-10
Land O Lakes, FL
| said by juilinsandar :By the way, does DirecTV, or DISH network, already offer A La Carte programming or is the consumers union only going after cable companies? Nope. But there is NO WAY cable will ever compete with satellite pricing.
Adding tiers to DirecTV is much cheaper than the $90+ people shuck out to cable.
When cable goes over $100+ a month for simple tiers without a movie tier, then they will cry uncle and get off their high horses. | |
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·WOW Internet and C..
| Re: Bring on A La Carte said by Slidetbone :But there is NO WAY cable will ever compete with satellite pricing. Adding tiers to DirecTV is much cheaper than the $90+ people shuck out to cable. When cable goes over $100+ a month for simple tiers without a movie tier, then they will cry uncle and get off their high horses. There already are a few cable companies competing with the sat providers. Look into the over-builders. | |
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| | | NoOneButMe
join:2001-08-24
TX | Re: Bring on A La Carte why Bothere you will pay for the chans you dont get in the end its simple | |
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Drex
Beer..It's What's For Dinner
Premium
join:2000-02-24
La Place, LA | Yeppers Sure 'nough...my cable bill went up last month.
Hell, so did my house note.
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Star Wars Galaxies -- The best form of birth control on the market. | |
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SanJoseNerd
Premium
join:2002-07-24
San Jose, CA
| Nothing Will Change Here is what Consumers Union proposes:
quote:
CU and CFA propose merely to prohibit these unfair contracts between cable companies and broadcasting giants that contain tying arrangements (requiring transmission of several of a broadcasting companies networks in order to transmit a particularly popular one) or that require networks to be transmitted in a specific tier (such as expanded basic), which prevents cable companies from offering those channels a la carte or in themed tiers. This would free cable companies to voluntarily offer their customers themed tier programming (such as a sports or family packages) and individual channels a la carte, in addition to the expanded basic and digital tiers already available.
That's fine as far as it goes. But why do they think it will make any difference to consumers? All they're proposing is to change the contracts between cable operators and broadcasters, so that cable operators can choose to offer a la carte if they want to. But the cable operators have already made it plain that they don't want to.
If the Consumers Union proposal went into effect today, no major cable operator would offer a la carte. Consumers Union itself almost admits that this is so, by arguing that the major cable operators are largely responsible for the current bundling system. In fact, as Consumers Union points out, in many cases the cable operators and the broadcasters are divisions of the same company, so they already could offer at least some a la carte, but choose not to.
The whole proposal is a waste of time. Give it up. Just do what I do: don't subscribe to cable. | |
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Ark
join:2002-06-08
Hudsonville, MI
·AT&T Midwest
| Re: Nothing Will Change The whole themed package deal makes a lot of sense. I would really like to add on a few channels like The Science Channel and National Geographic, but they are only available in the highest tier right now, which is rather expensive. I don't want to have to buy 50+ sports channels just to get at that. Maybe individual ala cart won't work, but allowing choices of packages of groups of related channels instead of huge tiers would make a lot of sense to a lot of consumers.
Compare »www.dishnetwork.com/content/prog···sortby=1
to
»www.dishnetwork.com/content/prog···sortby=1
If I could just get that "Education/Learning" box (17 channel bundle) from the top tier, without all the other crud that comes with the extra tiers, it would be a lot better for me. | |
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Herbert Kornfeld
@ca.d | TV is bad, very very bad! Down boy. I don't get cable (or satellite or anything else besides broadcast TV) and never will.
"Sight for sore eyes,
I need an intermission.
If looks could kill,
I'd kill your television" | |
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Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-01
IA | I don't care Stop bitching and pay your cable bill.
If you think it's too expensive just cancel and get a life...
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anon43@gmail.com | |
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Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
·AT&T Midwest
 ·Site5.com
·Comcast
| My take... I have DirecTV and SBC DSL. I just reupped my DSL for another year and I am happy. Comcast was great in my area too, but I wanted a Directivo. That is beside the point though...
Everyone has a choice. I chose to go with Directv. Why can't others here just choose to go with Satellite instead of cable? I suppose for some people, they don't have a broadband choice, which is shameful. However, Cable does have its advantages, such as 3000/384 in my area and I am stuck on DSL with 1500/384. I would love more speed, but you get what you pay for I suppose.
As for all the discussion about a la carte programming, I haven't seen one shred of evidence that it is the solution everyone thinks it is going to be. Where are the studies showing it will save everyone money? It seems that some consumers want it, while others think it is a bad idea. I have mixed feelings on the situation. Will smaller cable channels be able to compete in a market like that? Will it really provide more of a cost savings in the long run?
Don't get me wrong, I have questions about it as well and if it is the best thing for consumers, lets get it done. However, where are the independent studies talking about this issue? Is there a cost breakdown I can look at? Any projections? Or are we just flying by the seat of our pants here?
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My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal | |
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milwaukee_guy
@sfldmi.ameritech
| Re: My take... What about all the mexican channels we now get and have to pay for?
I have nothing against mexicans, but I dont even speak/understand spanish and yet I am forced to pay for these channels with my 'bundle'.
As soon as cable hits the $50/mo mark here in Milwaukee, its off to the dish I go.
I am at $46 already. | |
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| | batmanst
join:2003-12-23
Beverly Hills, CA | Re: My take... Upon reflection, I do not wish to post. Take me back!
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| cooperaaaron
join:2004-04-10
Joliet, IL | You can't get the Dish Network / SBC Package ???? Or do you prefer Direct ? | |
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oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA | Re: My take... That is until TiVo starts their next round of TiVoSpam in March. I like my TiVos but will consider a cheesier DVR rather than pay to see advertisements when trying to skip past advertisements. | |
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asdfdfdf
@xtraport.net
| "As for all the discussion about a la carte programming, I haven't seen one shred of evidence that it is the solution everyone thinks it is going to be. Where are the studies showing it will save everyone money?...
where are the independent studies talking about this issue? Is there a cost breakdown I can look at? Any projections? Or are we just flying by the seat of our pants here?"
I'm sceptical of the benefits claimed for a la carte programming. Still, aren't we constantly being told about the superiority of the market (flying by the seat of our pants) versus academic theories of economic effects and attempts to prejudge the social and economic effects of different behaviors and policies?
Surely the market should be experimenting with many different approaches and hashing out the best solution. Isn't that what "innovative capitalist markets" are all about? | |
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Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
·AT&T Midwest
·Site5.com
·Comcast
| Re: My take... said by asdfdfdf:
"As for all the discussion about a la carte programming, I haven't seen one shred of evidence that it is the solution everyone thinks it is going to be. Where are the studies showing it will save everyone money?...
where are the independent studies talking about this issue? Is there a cost breakdown I can look at? Any projections? Or are we just flying by the seat of our pants here?"
I'm sceptical of the benefits claimed for a la carte programming. Still, aren't we constantly being told about the superiority of the market (flying by the seat of our pants) versus academic theories of economic effects and attempts to prejudge the social and economic effects of different behaviors and policies?
Surely the market should be experimenting with many different approaches and hashing out the best solution. Isn't that what "innovative capitalist markets" are all about?
I agree. There should be a step forward when it comes to a la carte programming and the costs. I saw a provider, can't remember which one, that had a la carte programming, but the channels were priced pretty high. $7.50 for some of the more popular ones. When I tabulated my channels up into that formula, I was paying more than 50% what I was paying now. I don't remember which provider it was, but it was something that made me question what the best method is. Lets see some real world quotes from different providers and let the consumers choose. If we can't see real world quotes, why can't we? Where are the studies for and against a la carte?
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My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal | |
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ilike2play
@comcast.net | Sat price increase I heard that the sat providers are also raising rates in Jan. I am waiting to see by how much, before I switch... anyone know??? | |
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| mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Sat price increase
I have not heard anything about it. If they did, it would only be the 2nd time in like 5 yrs. NOTHING like the yearly or even multiple times a year cable co's increase their's.
I was paying $65 a month to Comcast for 70 analog channels and 5 digital channels.
I now pay $52.95 for a two room DTV system with Tivo. I get 130+ digital channels.
I live in Adelphia territory now, and due to some problems, my cable TV is not trapped from the HSI line. I hooked up a TV for a minute the other day. Lets just say I am glad I have DTV. None of the channels compare... and some are down right aweful to the point of not being able to read text on the screen. | |
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woody7
Premium
join:2000-10-13
Torrance, CA
·EarthLink
·DSL EXTREME
| hmmmmmmmm........ I live in Torrance, ca, when I returned my cable box the guy asked why, I said the High price and low quality, after the 'digital' upgrade, I said dish was cheaper, and he said and I quote 'When it snows your signal will suck', I have lived here years and it has yet to snow....I think he realized his mistake after he said it....It was in December and it was 75+ outside.....Dish rocks and I haven't looked back....
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BlooMe | |
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| Dissman
join:2001-04-26
Youngstown, OH | Re: hmmmmmmmm........ I also have Dish Network... and i live in Ohio... we have tons of snow around here, and yet, i still have no problems with loss of signal, except in REALLY nasty thunderstorms... | |
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rid0617
join:2003-07-20
Greer, SC
| 7 years with directv In those 7 years I have seen 3 price increases. Think I'll stay where I am. Cable is getting to be too much of a monopoly. And when I do try cable it was for the internet. I'm with them 6 months and they brought back the $10 access fee for no broadcast services and I canceled that too. I miss the speed but on fixed income $30+ a month difference adds up. | |
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| gpancner
join:2001-09-27
Nine Mile Falls, WA
| Re: 7 years with directv Cable Tv is a monopoly of entertainment as McDonalds is a monopoly of hamburgers. If cable was a monopoly as most uninformed people think, then those people with a dish would not have one.
I just received the new Comcast DVR/HDTV/Video on Demand receiver. It is a lot nicer than the Directv Tivo I've seen at a friend's house. And, with the "free" video on demand and my locals in HDTV it blows away either dish. | |
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oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA
| Re: 7 years with directv I had 2 Comcrap HD DVRs when they were first deployed here. Both had to be replaced and were a complete pieces of trash (ended up going through 5 before cancelling)...little more than a buggy HD VCRs. One suffered spontaneous reboots...another was the jackpot recorder. You would record stuff and maybe it was there maybe it wasn't. Yet another wouldn't turn on all the time. With all of them the firewire was completely worthless even with the older non-protection firmware and Comcrap tech support was completely unaware of what firewire even was. Comcrap's completely featureless DVR software (if you could even call it that) just added to the insult. Plus the fact that Comcrap here only carried a tiny portion of the available HD locals made having HD recording pointless. With DN's integrated off-air HDTV receiver I get ALL my HD locals for free. Their regular HD receivers were much less of a problem...but not worth the $13 each ($6.95 + $5HD fee) they charged me a month for them.
But to each his own. | |
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justncredible
@rr.com
| why have TV I don't even own a tv, have not had one in 10 years+. I buy or rent movies I want to watch, I have 300+ dvds, that I own and can watch anytime I want. News I can get off the net and check it with 2 or 3 sources. Anything on tv can be gotten from the video store or found on p2p. Tv sucks, always has. It pushes the values of the writers and program directors on the people watching it, thereby snuffing free thinking. Almost every show pushes very distrubing values, look at friends, everyone screwing each other without a care in the world. Or the shows that promote gay as being OK. Sorry but I will not support those values by giving them my money or my time watching the ads that support them. I think sports is a total waste, no one remembers the names of the greatest gladitors, and no one will remember babe ruth in 50 years, sports does nothing to help this world. Tv does nothing to help this world either. I can only hope a few people do drop cable and get off the tv addiction. Maybe this world will benefit from it. Imagine people thinking for themselves. | |
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| dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
·Verizon Online DSL
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: why have TV said by justncredible:
It pushes the values of the writers and program directors on the people watching it, thereby snuffing free thinking. I imagine you don't read books either. Those often push the values of the writers on the people reading them.
It's obvious you don't want anyone interfering with your thinking, by (for example) offering an opposing viewpoint.
By the way, don't imagine this is a post in favour of most mainstream TV. It isn't. | |
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oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA
| Happy I switched I'm glad I got rid of Comcrap. After a nearly $20 increase in CATV rates in a single year I cancelled. Now I have more programming and a better picture for a lower price. Same with HSI. After getting hit with the non-sub penalty Comcrap has on their HSI I switched to DSL, first I had 1500/384 for $30, now I have 3000/768 for the same price I was paying for Comcrap.
Seeing articles like this just tell me I made the right decision when giving cable the boot. | |
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Dominokat
"Hi"
Premium
join:2002-08-06
Boothbay, ME
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: Happy I switched Why do the cable companies always blame yearly rate hikes on programming? If that were so much true, then why hasn't my DirecTV bill gone up at the same rate as the cable companies? I'm sure DirecTV pays as much for programming. I've had DirecTV since 1994, and the bill has gone up a whole 10 bucks since then. I say the cable company is full of s**t blaming programming for there yearly hikes. | |
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| | mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA | Re: Happy I switched
... and they always blame ESPN. When I was a Comcast customer, I had ESPN and ESPN2.
With DTV, you get ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Alternate, ESPN News, ESPN Classic...
No where near the number of price increases. | |
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aTmFan
join:2003-01-20
Knoxville, TN
| Why do the cable companies always blame yearly rate hikes on programming? If that were so much true, then why hasn't my DirecTV bill gone up at the same rate as the cable companies? I'm sure DirecTV pays as much for programming. I've had DirecTV since 1994, and the bill has gone up a whole 10 bucks since then. I say the cable company is full of s**t blaming programming for there yearly hikes.The main reason you don't see those increases on DirecTV or Dish is because they are losing serious cash to keep the prices low. Eventually, running in the red will get old for Charlie Ergen and Rupert Murdoch and you'll see increases never before seen anywhere. Think I'm lying? Check out those companies financial statements. | |
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oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA
1 edit | Re: Happy I switched Echostar posted an $85M 2nd Q and is now offering a $1B stock buyback. Their 3rd Q was over $100M (400% increase over last year) and they paid $1/s in divs. Sure doesn't look like they're in the red to me. On the contrary...looks like they're doing very well, which is why a lot of securities companies rate E* as an 'outperform'.
What 'financials' are you looking at that has E* losing money over the last 2 quarters?
Virtually every company in this competitive market has an occasional losing quarter, Comcrap did earlier this year despite their constant massive price increases. A huge percentage of DTV's recent loss was due to a revaluation of their Spaceway properties which are being moved from planned internet to planned HD locals and other video programming...not because of their programming costs. DTV's per sub revenue was up this year compared to last. | |
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NoOneButMe
join:2001-08-24
TX | Get DishNetWork leave DTV. DTV scams People for 3500 bucks a pop i know a old laddy down the road that got sued by DTV thay allmost got her home | |
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| chesney09
Premium
join:2004-07-26
Redford, MI
clubs: | Re: Get DishNetWork leave DTV. And that is a valid post how? Might you provide a bit of information as to your claims there? | |
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Tony
Premium
join:2002-01-12
Natrona Heights, PA
| said by NoOneButMe :DTV scams People for 3500 bucks a pop i know a old laddy down the road that got sued by DTV thay allmost got her home What in the world are you talking about?
Raising their rates once in last four years a scam?
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¤For your ears¤ ¤For your eyes¤ | |
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dforan
join:2000-12-09
Willoughby, OH | Com Crap Are they friggin goofy.. I have to pay for cable service that has so much "Paid Programming" it is disgusting.. And I allegedly have digital... sometimes if they can get enough signal to me-- Digital cable is a joke | |
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Wildcards2000
@verizon.ne | this is why! I went to Sat. The three years I been with them, DTV only went up $2. Thanks again Adelphia | |
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MexiCubAZ
join:2000-06-09
Phoenix, AZ
clubs:
| If COX hikes the price... If Cox does another rate hike, I will move to Dish Network. Out of Direct TV or Dish, Dish is far cheaper for what I want out of my TV.
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Join the DSL Reports SETI@Home Team! | |
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ebubman
join:2002-01-17
Enola, PA
·Comcast
 ·Vonage
| not that loyal... i've had comcast for the past 3 yrs; altho we booted our landline 18 mos ago, if comcast's rate hikes get out of hand, i will look @ getting a basic landline & dsl without hesitation. for whatever reason, companies that have monopolies clearly love it when the consumer has to reach for her/his ankles. what we really need is more competition such as broadband via power lines (bpl) & a wireless deployment. shop wisely. bub | |
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It's Cable Rate Hike Season
Bring on A La Carte
Sattelite is looking better every day...
