 
Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
1 edit |  Increased Customer Revenus
(Edited to correct) | |
|  | | | |
Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
 ·North State Commun..
| Re: Increased Customer Revenus said by Nightfall  :said by Matt :Well duh, they just bumped up the rate by $9.99 for every customer who has HD. Link? Source? I am an HD subscriber and my rates haven't went up. »[DIRECTV] Programming Choices
The package price went up and they added an additional $4.99 to keep some of the HD channels I had. So my "HD" fee went up to $14.99 a month. | |
| | | | 
Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
 ·Site5.com
·AT&T Midwest
 ·Comcast
| Re: Increased Customer Revenus said by Matt :said by Nightfall :said by Matt :Well duh, they just bumped up the rate by $9.99 for every customer who has HD. Link? Source? I am an HD subscriber and my rates haven't went up. » [DIRECTV] Programming ChoicesThe package price went up and they added an additional $4.99 to keep some of the HD channels I had. So my "HD" fee went up to $14.99 a month. Not what you originally posted, but thanks for correcting it and standing corrected. | |
| | | | 
en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
1 edit | Over the past year, my service on the legacy Plus package went from $55/month for 3 tuners to $65/month, with no real benefit to me, outside of the Plant Green channel.
I cancelled 2 weeks ago. Retentions called me the next day attempting to get me back (almost worked!). $50/month, 2 free months, 3 months of free HBO/Starz/Cinemax and no contract.
Sounds good... until they put me on the 'new' Choice plan  for that $50/month, and I lost most of what I watched... cancelled on the spot.
I'm currently on HD OTA, and TWC will be here next week to cutover from POTS/DSL to Cable, HSI + VoIP.
--
Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | 
dbmaven
There's no shortage
Premium,Mod
join:1999-10-26
Sty in Sky
clubs:
 ·VOIPo
·magicjack.com
·Optimum Online
Host:
Filesharing Software
No, I Will Not Fix..
Road Runner
Bright House Netwo..
Computer Hardware ..
| The HD Service has always been $9.99/month (I've had it since it first became available).
They moved 5 channels that have no SD equivalent to an "HD Extra" package for $4.99/month - HDNet Movies, MGM, Smithsonian, Universal and MHD (Music High Def - which has different programming from MTV). I'd bet that's a zero-sum game - for each person who added that package to keep those channels, another one dropped it because they don't watch them. I don't see any increased revenue there...
The key from a financial results perspective in comparing DirecTV and DISHNet is that the former has been deliberately targeting "more affluent" customers, while DISH has not. Thus, in recessionary times, DirecTV's business is less likely to feel the pinch. Current results would seem to indicate that it was/is a good strategy.
With higher revenue per subscriber, and roughly equal 'acquisition costs' (Dish spends about six dollars less than DirecTV), and lower total churn, it seems to be working.
Competition is good for the consumer, and I hope DISH rights the ship soon. | |
| | |
Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC | Re: Increased Customer Revenus I corrected it. I thought it was a bump in the HD fee, but it was a bump in the package pricing. My package went from $52 and change to $63 and change and I had the 2nd to lowest tier with the $9.99 HD access fee. No DVR or anything. | |
| | thefoxbox
go fox box go
Premium
join:2004-10-14
Irving, TX
·RoadRunner Cable
·ViaTalk
 ·Verizon FIOS
| said by Matt :Well duh, they bumped up the package price for everyone. (Edited to correct) Thankfully I got my package at a discounted rate instead of just signing up anytime.
You guys should call every month to see what discounts are available. It always works for me. | |
| | |
Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
| Re: Increased Customer Revenus said by thefoxbox :said by Matt :Well duh, they bumped up the package price for everyone. (Edited to correct) Thankfully I got my package at a discounted rate instead of just signing up anytime. You guys should call every month to see what discounts are available. It always works for me. I bet they extend your contract each time they give you a new "discount" though? | |
| | | | thefoxbox
go fox box go
Premium
join:2004-10-14
Irving, TX
·RoadRunner Cable
·ViaTalk
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Increased Customer Revenus said by Matt :said by thefoxbox :said by Matt :Well duh, they bumped up the package price for everyone. (Edited to correct) Thankfully I got my package at a discounted rate instead of just signing up anytime. You guys should call every month to see what discounts are available. It always works for me. I bet they extend your contract each time they give you a new "discount" though? Nah, it's mainly just promotional things for add-on packages and services that I wouldn't get unless I could get a discount. Like right now I'm getting Showtime for free and I had been getting CineMAX and Showtime for free along with another discount because my magazine was experiencing delivery issues. Every little bit helps, so instead of paying $100 I was paying around $85.
I'm already in a contract since I've only had the service since December, though. | |
| MightyPez
join:2002-05-01
Saint Paul, MN
·Comcast
1 edit | One happy customer here Went with the HD/DVR package about 6 months ago and love it. Previously I had a standard Comcast package. When I called to cancel my Comcast the rep tried keeping me on by asking why I was cancelling. in no uncertain terms I said their HD package was a joke. He promised me they would have, and I am not exaggerating, 1000 HD channels by the end of the year. May as well have promised 11 billionty.
Then he went on to say I would face serious outages due to rain fade. My response was, "Similar to the times where my TV and internet service would be down for days on Comcast?"
All in all I've been very pleased with my level of satellite service. And the rain fade? Yeah, it happened once for about 10 minutes during a bad electrical storm. | |
| | mobbo
join:2005-04-13
Denton, TX
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: One happy customer here Haha! It's funny what they'll say to keep you as a customer these days. As soon as you threaten to leave... you are the most important person in the world. I had Charter tell me something very similar as I cancelled. They basically promised me more HD channels then were even available. So apparently the guy was going to use an HD camcorder at home and make his own HD channels? | |
| | 
fireflier
Coffee. . .Need Coffee
Premium
join:2001-05-25
Limbo
·Skype
| Rain fade is the bogeyman cable operators use to try to discourage customers from considering satellite. It's mostly bullsh!t if you have a properly aimed and located dish (e.g. NOT stuck behind a 100 foot Oak). I've had DTV since 2000 and very seldom does it rain hard enough to take the signal out and then for only a few minutes. Big deal.
Cable companies mention "rain fade" every chance they get because it's one of the few things they can claim to have any advantage over Satellite on assuming the cable system itself doesn't suffer from rain/storm induce problems as well.
--
Tradition: Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid. --despair.com | |
| | Emiya
join:2006-03-30
Southington, OH
| I want to echo this persons sentiment. I got fed up with TWC and finally switched and wish I had done it years ago. I get more sports, HD and all even more junk-channels-no-one-cares about-but-they're-there-but-I'll-take-them-and-be-quiet. Now if someone in my area could compete with TW's internet. | |
| | thefoxbox
go fox box go
Premium
join:2004-10-14
Irving, TX
·RoadRunner Cable
·ViaTalk
·Verizon FIOS
| said by MightyPez :Went with the HD/DVR package about 6 months ago and love it. Previously I had a standard Comcast package. When I called to cancel my Comcast the rep tried keeping me on by asking why I was cancelling. in no uncertain terms I said their HD package was a joke. He promised me they would have, and I am not exaggerating, 1000 HD channels by the end of the year. May as well have promised 11 billionty. Then he went on to say I would face serious outages due to rain fade. My response was, "Similar to the times where my TV and internet service would be down for days on Comcast?" All in all I've been very pleased with my level of satellite service. And the rain fade? Yeah, it happened once for about 10 minutes during a bad electrical storm. 1,000? Pish posh. That's nothing. I have 19,269,720,203 HD Channels... but I've yet to reach the end. | |
| 
thecapn2000
@sbcglobal.net | DirectTV I just switched from Comcast to DirectTV and even after the promo price is over I am saving tons for the same programming options Comcast offered.
The only thing I really dislike about DirectTV is the guide. | |
| | thefoxbox
go fox box go
Premium
join:2004-10-14
Irving, TX | Re: DirectTV What's wrong with their guide? I know it's a bit sluggish on HD receivers but at least it removes SD duplicates! | |
| | | Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL
| Re: DirectTV said by thefoxbox :What's wrong with their guide? I know it's a bit sluggish on HD receivers but at least it removes SD duplicates! The HD one is fast. The DRV is a little slower. | |
| | | | thefoxbox
go fox box go
Premium
join:2004-10-14
Irving, TX
·RoadRunner Cable
·ViaTalk
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: DirectTV said by Joe12345678 :said by thefoxbox :What's wrong with their guide? I know it's a bit sluggish on HD receivers but at least it removes SD duplicates! The HD one is fast. The DRV is a little slower. Errr, HD DVRs are sluggish *
I haven't had any experience with just the HD box.  | |
| | Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL
| said by thecapn2000 :
I just switched from Comcast to DirectTV and even after the promo price is over I am saving tons for the same programming options Comcast offered.
The only thing I really dislike about DirectTV is the guide.
you have get the sports channels that comcarp makes you pay more for + more HD | |
|
fireflier
Coffee. . .Need Coffee
Premium
join:2001-05-25
Limbo
·Skype
| Finish the DVR Beta apps Now if DTV would finish their "Beta" applications on their HR20s and HR21s. . .
A fair bit of irritation in the support forums for the Media Sharing capabilities on those units. Seems they keep messing up that function with new patches and/or it just never works for some. Of course it is still Beta but it would be nice if they'd stop using their customers' DVRs as development platforms.
--
Tradition: Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid. --despair.com | |
|
Rob2647
@qwest.net
| Rain Fade Myth We never had that problem with DirecTV It took a bad t-storm to knock it out. If it did it was just for a few mins. Sounds like a myth Comcast made up to keep from loosing customers to Sat. DirecTV offers a good deal and DVR that Comcast can't match without having to bundle internet and their overpriced phone service. | |
| | 
baineschile
2600
Premium
join:2008-05-10
Sterling Heights, MI | Re: Rain Fade Myth I had it here in MI for about a year, and the snow used to knock it out all of the time | |
| | | 
DataDoc
My avatar looks like me, if I was 2D.
Premium
join:2000-05-14
Greenville, NC
·Suddenlink
| Re: Rain Fade Myth said by baineschile :I had it here in MI for about a year, and the snow used to knock it out all of the time Hose the dishes off. Worked for me when I lived in MD. And try waxing them, the snow slides right off, and takes only a few more minutes while you're up there cleaning the gutters. | |
| | | | | wh5916
join:2006-02-09
Newport News, VA
1 edit | said by Rob2647 :
We never had that problem with DirecTV It took a bad t-storm to knock it out. If it did it was just for a few mins. Sounds like a myth Comcast made up to keep from loosing customers to Sat. DirecTV offers a good deal and DVR that Comcast can't match without having to bundle internet and their overpriced phone service.
Same here...with a properly aimed dish, conditions have to be mighty extreme for the signal to disappear completely.
I've been a DBS subscriber for over 10 years now--out of control pricing will eventually drive me away from subscription television altogether, but "rain fade" would never be a reason for dropping satellite.
In a brochure distributed over a decade ago by Cox, they recommended that you subscribe to Primestar DBS service if you felt that you had to have satellite TV. Small wonder, as Primestar was owned by a handful of cable companies at the time...though Cox didn't give that as one of the reasons for subscribing. | |
| | | Emiya
join:2006-03-30
Southington, OH | Re: Merger might have made sense for Direct before.. Well, since they're starting to roll out the 1080P stuff a little more bandwidth might not hurt. Plus they could stop using those fake HD resolutions. | |
| | |
dbmaven
There's no shortage
Premium,Mod
join:1999-10-26
Sty in Sky
clubs: | Re: Merger might have made sense for Direct before.. 1080P content for both DISH and DirecTV will not be delivered by satellite, but by Internet connection/downloads to their HD-DVRs. | |
| | | | BetaTech
join:1999-10-02
Littleton, CO | Re: Merger might have made sense for Direct before.. The 1080p Content from Dish is downloaded through the Satellite and not through Broadband.
--
BetaTech | |
| | | | | | | | | | | BetaTech
join:1999-10-02
Littleton, CO
| Re: Merger might have made sense for Direct before.. The IPTV that Dish Offers is not considered On Demand, it is downloaded by choice from the user. Anything from Movies and More and the VOD in the EPG is On Demand and is pushed to the receiver without any intervention from the user.
--
BetaTech | |
| 
Jason
Col. Panic
Premium
join:2001-01-24
38.2967 Lat
clubs:
| Rain fade? Been a DirecTV customer for 4 years now.. (never post in this forum, just clicked on the top random "News Topic")
I think in those four years, Ive had satellite interruption twice or so, and then only for a few minutes.
I will say, we upgraded from the old Huges sd DirecTivo (35 hour model, way old.. Loved it for years) to the new HD DVR (unbranded.. In-house product? Whatever it is, its not TiVo..) and altho loving the HD service, and the PVR itself, its quite buggy, and lacking in the 'richness' of user control I came to enjoy from the TiVo product..
Too bad. Wont make me switch to another provider, but I feel that their "latest and greatest" DVR is an inferior product to their original SD DVR product
-Jason
--
Disturbing the comfortable, and comforting the disturbed since 1999 | |
| 
sansri88
Go digtal you analog laggards
Premium
join:2005-12-17
New York, NY
clubs: | Well duh Their HD lineup is so much better than Comcast's. No wonder why retention isn't a problem there! | |
| 
newview
Ex .. Ex .. Exactly
Premium
join:2001-10-01
Parsonsburg, MD
| I'm soooo glad I switched I had Comcast for over 20 years and just plain got fed up with them . . . their arrogance and constant price increases for the flimsiest of reasons.
I switched to DirecTV five years ago and immediately saved $35.00 a month over Comcast, with a substantial increase in the number of channels and a HUGE bump in the quality of the picture.
I can deal with a ten minute or so outage due to rain fade every couple of months or so. Comcast makes it seem soooo problematic, but i know EXACTLY what the problem is when it happens, 'cause I can look outside and SEE the sky raining cats & dogs. When my Comcast HSI goes down (for hours on end), I NEVER know what the problem is, and rarely does Comcast, if I call them.
--
Ö¿Ö
The Rules of Spam | Maryland's Newest Anti-Spam Law
Where are we going? And what's with the hand basket? | |
| | gworkman7
join:2005-10-18
Vail, AZ
·PHONE POWER
·magicjack.com
·Qwest.net
·Broadvox Direct
| Cox's Myths are outdated »www.cox.com/facts/default.asp
Top 10 Satellite Myths
Myth #1: “You get more channels with satellite TV than with digital cable.”
With digital cable, it’s easy to get more value for your money. Cox Digital Cable® provides access to up to 260 channels of TV and music. Plus, you’ll have access to On Demand, a library of thousands of movies and programs, many free – available at the touch of a button. Satellite companies often lure subscribers by boasting of hundreds more channels than cable, which is untrue when compared to digital cable. Their number-of-channels-claims do not always accurately reflect the programming that is actually available to any individual household as they sometimes total all the channels carried in every city nationwide – like local broadcast stations. Of course only the local broadcast stations in your market would be available to you. So don’t believe the hype. Not only does Cox Digital Cable give you vast amount of channel selections, but many more viewing options beyond standard channels like true On Demand – something satellite can’t offer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myth #2: “Satellite TV offers a better HD channel lineup.”
Satellite providers may boast large numbers of HD channels but the numbers they are touting are misleading. Their HD channel counts include part time channels with only a few hours a week of HD programs, multiple channels tied to subscription sports packages, and alternate time zone feeds of premium channels like HBO. Plus, you’ll pay a lot more money every month to get the HD feeds offered as part of a sports package or premium subscription – and that’s on top of the monthly fee required for cable channels like ESPN HD and TNT HD. Trust Cox to give you HD channels at no additional programming charge – including those channels for which you’d pay extra with satellite. Plus Cox gives you HD Movies On Demand. Satellite TV can’t match that!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myth #3: “Satellite TV offers more for the sports fan.”
Cox offers a strong line-up of programming for the true sports fan including more than 400 football games, both NFL and college, more than 200 NBA games and more than 300 Major League Baseball games – just to name a few! Plus Cox offers some of your favorite match-ups in Hi Def on networks like ESPN HD, ESPNII HD, TNT HD and local broadcast stations. Plus you can check out the best highlights with On Demand like NFL Network on Demand including NFL Replay – showing extended highlights of each and every NFL game during the season! Cox also offers sports packages like MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass or ESPN Game Plan, giving you access to even more games of your favorite sports.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myth #4: “Satellite TV is less expensive than cable.”
On average, Cox customers pay less per month for cable service than do DirecTV or Dish Network subscribers for satellite service. Price comparisons often made by satellite companies strive to paint the picture that their service is less expensive often using bare bones satellite packages on only one TV set. The harsh reality of satellite is that there are extra costs tied to things like equipment that’s required for every single extra TV, multiple dishes to receive certain channels, monthly HD programming fees and repair fees for things for which Cox does not typically charge.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myth #5: “I can get video-on-demand service with satellite TV.”
Satellite companies don’t have the technical capability to offer true video-on-demand. While they claim to have it, they are simply forcing content onto customers’ Digital Video Recorders, filling up valuable hard drive space with shows in which a customer may have no interest (and charging them if they do decide to access it). The only way to get an authentic video-on-demand experience is with digital cable. On Demand from Cox Digital Cable offers thousands of hours of content to digital subscribers with most available for FREE. And of course Cox offers DVRs too… but lets customers decide what to keep on their DVR hard drives. Trust Cox to give you true On Demand!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myth #6: “Cable companies raise prices more than satellite TV companies.”
It's ironic that satellite companies try to paint the picture that cable companies are the only ones raising prices. Both satellite companies have raised rates this year with DirecTV increasing prices by over 10 percent on some packages. Plus both DirecTV and Dish Network have raised prices every year for the last 5 years. So don’t believe the hype. Satellite companies raise prices and have done so quite consistently!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myth #7: “Satellite beats cable on reliability and picture quality.”
According to satellite subscribers, their TV picture is subject to interference from rain, snow, wind or even when trees grow to obscure the view of the satellite and prevent the signal from reaching their TVs. And while satellite companies often tout their 100 percent digital quality picture advantage over cable, they can’t say that about Cox! Having invested heavily in our digital fiber-optic network, Cox Digital Cable now has the advantage of 100 percent digital picture on your favorite channels. And that fiber optic network means reliability you can count on, even in the worst of weather – reliability backed by service technicians that are a single call away and located in your neighborhood. Cox will continue to upgrade our network to meet the increasing needs of more HD channels, On Demand and new interactive features.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myth #8: “You can get local weather on the 24-hour weather channel with satellite TV.”
Because satellite TV is broadcast nationally, you don’t get the local weather updates around the clock on the national 24-hour weather channel. Many consumers aren’t aware of that fact because they see the channel listed on the satellite TV channel line-up. What they don’t understand is that satellite subscribers cannot receive these local forecasts that are available to Cox customers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myth #9: “It's easy to install a satellite dish and all of the related equipment.”
Installation of satellite dishes can be tricky, time consuming, dirty and frustrating. For instance, do you know how to bolt a dish to your roof? And do you know where your transponder is? A satellite dish must point to a precise area to receive its signal, which limits the number of places that dishes can be installed and can lead to conspicuous dishes in your yard, or on your roof or deck. Once you locate that one spot for receiving the signal – which must face southwest and not have any trees, buildings or other items in its way – the real fun begins. Spend a day climbing up onto your roof with dish in tow and running wires through your home to the TV set, which must be within several feet of a phone outlet for the satellite receiver. And did you know you that a phone line connection is required on any TV to order pay-per-view (PPV) or use your DVR? Cox, on the other hand, makes it easy… whether its an easy self-install or done by a professional, you won’t have to wield a wrench, climb a ladder, fuss with a drill or search fruitlessly for that darn transponder. And there’s no hassling with phone lines to enjoy On Demand, PPV or your DVR.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myth #10: “Satellite TV is a one-stop shop for entertainment and communications services.” | |
| |
See 6 replies to this post | |
wings10
I Am Legend
Premium
join:2004-06-09
South Elgin, IL | Better then Comcast. Still better then Comcast. | |
| flyingjoey
join:2005-11-07
Jersey City, NJ | Sure they keep their customers. Every time you make a freaken change to your direct tv account, or add a new box, they move up your 2 year commitment. I'm surprised this practice hasn't prompted an investigation and a class action suit. | |
| | | 
shdesigns
Powered By Infinite Improbabilty Drive
Premium
join:2000-12-01
Stone Mountain, GA
·Atlantic Nexus
| Re: Still happy with DTV after all these years. I moved from Comcrap to DirectTV because of their unreliability.
THEY had rain fade, numerous droputs, crappy picture and unreliable service.
I do get rain fade, but not that often. I am on the north side of a hill and cant get clear view of satellite.
Still better than CC. Nothing like watching a who-done-it and having the slightest power glitch cause their boxes to reboot (all on UPS on my end):
(Bright sunny day.)
Holmes: And the killer is...
pfsssst, 30 sec delay while thie boxes reboot..
Watson: Brilliant Holmes!
Holmes: Elementary Watson.
WTF happened?!??
The rewired my neighborhood with fiber, no better. Still way too unreliable. I found myself only watching things I could miss a few minutes of and still follow whats happening.
DTV has been great and cheaper.
--
Scott Henion
Embedded Systems Consultant, shenion on #ATU @irc.freenode.net
SHDesigns home | |
| | | Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL | Re: Still happy with DTV after all these years. comcast boxes take longer then 30 to fully boot up. More like 30 min+ to get full guild data back. | |
| Fiat131
join:2005-02-13
New Castle, DE
| DirecTV is great Their billing is straight forward without what appears to be all that nickel and diming the cable company uses.
Now, does anybody have any idea of how to keep the birds away from my dish without using a B-B gun?
All that crap in front of my dish is not a pretty site. | |
| 
ramsfansam
join:2002-08-27
Springfield, MO
·AT&T Southwest
| Hella lot better than Mediacom The problems I have had with DTV are few: Rain fade during severe storms, and, um....I guess that's all. I get the occasional courtesy call to ask how I like my service, and one time when they called, it WAS storming. I jokingly mentioned that the service was great except right at that moment, during a pre-season football game, the rain knocked out my signal. To my surprise, the next bill showed that the rep gave me a free month! In addition, two more words - SUNDAY TICKET!
Now, my experience with Mediacom was quite different. Signed up for a family package at $29.95/mo, and HSI at $29.95/mo. Now, my math skills may not be perfect, but if I am right, that's somewhere around $59.90 per month. This was supposed to be a one year deal. Somehow, when my first bill came, it was for $130.00. Not only that, but when I looked at the due date, the bill was due two days BEFORE I received it. I called, and the rep was nice, said she'd take care of the problem, told me everything was straightened out, just pay the amount I really owed, and it wouldn't count as late. Next month, the bill arrived on the due date, but was still for $130. I called, they said I didn't pay the first month on time, so the deal I had was not valid any more. Feeling trapped, I had them cut back on the services, paid the bill, and went on. After all, I really only wanted the HSI, and SBC said that DSL wasn't available in my area. Within a month, the HSI went from acceptable to a crawl. It never came close to what was advertised, but still I stuck with it because it was almost three times as fast as dial-up. Well, I knew such blissful customer service had to end, and one night as the wife and I were watching TV, the signal went dead, there was a knock at the door, and there was a Mediacom tech standing there demanding payment for a past-due bill - from the VERY FIRST MONTH! I showed him the original contract, and he said he'd settle for a check in the amount of the current bill plus a $25 disconnect fee AND a $45 reconnect fee. I think I remember telling him the only connection that was going to take place was when my foot connected with his ass. I told him to remove the drop to my house or I would, then I called the office and was told that's their policy.
The next day, I called DTV. I was hooked up within 2 days. I also called SBC. Seems like the first rep I spoke with was only partially right - when I called, DSL was not available due to some upgrades taking place, but they didn't tell me it would be available within 2 weeks.
I'll NEVER go back to cable. I still get ads from them, they end up going into the trash. DTV treats me like I am the most valuable person they know, even though I live in a crappy neighborhood full of poor people, and I know they are poor because they tend to live in clusters. Sure, they may have reps named John and Sally who sound more like Rajib and Falguni, but I can deal with that a lot better than Mediacom. Now if they could only teach AT&T how to treat customers... | |
|
youeeohmyu
@comcast.net
| Yeah DTV! You have all seen my posts dissing Dish. And the reason is, is because even though DTV isn't perfect, they are still the BEST choice for satellite telivision. They're equipment is easier to install than Dish, it's easier to use and if your dish is pointed and adjusted right on when it's installed and it's installed on a solid mounting surface (no, fence posts are not solid) then you should NEVER have a signal issue. Rain and dark clouds may drop your signal a few points but if you're in the 80's on the signal meter you shouldn't have any problem.
Dish, now they are a diferent story. I went on a service call once and the low signal was being caused by a little tiny, teetsy weetsy spider who had built a little tiny teeny spider web across the fronts of the dual LNB's.
Gibe me a break Dish!
Anyway.. this is all just my opinion. | |
| 
TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ |  I'll bet DirecTV picked up some of those Dish subscribers
| |
|
owweeemetwoyou
@comcast.net
| DTV Accounts Umm.. someone said above that DTV locks you in to a new 2 year contract when you change your service or add a box.. NOT TRUE!
I have 4 receivers on my account and two of them are old Philips boxes. When I upgraded 2 years ago or so to 80 hour Tivos the Philips boxes got deactivated. A year later I installed a dish on my father-in-laws house and reactivated one of the Philips over there. A few months ago I set up a dish on a tripod out in the parkinlot at work and reactivated the other Philps box all without having to sign a new 2 year contract.
Now if you call DTV and have the tech come and install a new line to a new box then yeah mabye that's diffeent but if you go down to Best Buy and buy a new box over the counter, you own it and can activate it without a new contract. I think you have 30 days to activate the box.
| |
| | sven_kirk3
join:2002-07-23
Mableton, GA
·AT&T Southeast
| Re: DTV Accounts said by owweeemetwoyou :
Now if you ... go down to Best Buy and buy a new box over the counter, you own it and can activate it without a new contract. I think you have 30 days to activate the box.
You do not own it. All "new" purchases from stores are considered leases. Only "used" (previously deactivated) boxes can be owned. | |
| | | Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL | Re: DTV Accounts Direct TV also has a flat 5/mo for each box after the first one.
cable and dish what more and some add a HD box or DVR box free on top of added box fee. | |
|
toomuchtv
@verio.net
| go away cable, satellite pay tv you all watch too much tv! do what I do... watch over the air tv free tv, download from the internet some goodies from time to time, then go get a breath of fresh air.. the crap they sell you called "cable-tv aka pay tv is rotting both your wallet and your minds". life is too important to spend that many hours in front of a tv, hidef or not. the same way you can do without a newspaper coming to your home each morning, you can do without cable-tv each morning. it may be tough to break the oil habit cold turkey, but cable-tv is much easier.
broadcast tv will always have a baseline comparable programming to any basic cable-tv package and what they don't have could widely be seen on the internet for free or very low cost. still, it's better to try & break the tv habit.. you'd be surprised how disappointed the cable tv service provider will be to hear you say that you've decided to watch much less tv, therefore you won't be a paying customer anymore, no retention effort on their part will get you back a paying customer. the call will be similar to what AOL customer retention departments have heard for years. Don't want it, Don't need it, cancel the account (doesn't matter if your provider is cable or satellite, the industry is overdue for a mass exodus of customers who are NOT churning, but disappear from the customer radar screen altogether). | |
| | | |
|
|
DirecTV Retains Customers and Increases Revenue
Still happy with DTV after all these years.