Do You Have Direct TV??

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

I am serious thinking of changing from Dish Network to Direct TV since Dish will not have the NY Yankees for another season, and they have no idea when if ever they will have the Yankees. I am 90% sure I will make the change. The cost for two units for both TVs with one able to record 35 hours of TV on two separate channels is $350 and includes the installation and set up for both units. The cost of programming will be about $50 a month. We pay $65 now with Dish, but did not have to buy the equipment; the channels are about the same.

Do you have Direct TV? If so, what do you think? Any problems with service, quality of picture, etc? Do you see something here that I missed and need to consider? I just can not go another season listing to the Yankees on radio!

I also posted this on country by net.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous Poster]

we had dishnet for three or so years. Problem is, you have to check the area you live in. I know that around Sturbridge MA and Stafford Ct, along the state lines here, dishnet has great service and rarely any problems. direct on the other hand, pople get and dump usually at the end of month one, some go two. For some reason direct service in this neighborhood is terrible. Chack with those hwo use it in your neighborhood is the best I can think of. It may well be better wherever you live than dishnet.

 

[rlk]

Tom, I have had direct tv since 1995, and have no complaints at all.

2 years ago, I had only one receiver, and it could not get local channels in my area (Apex, North Carolina). Called direct tv about a free upgrade. They said they would only give free units to new customers. I said, o.k., I'll just switch to Dish then because I can get 2 free units from them. The person I was talking to switched me to someone else, who agreed to give me 2 new units (needed the new units so I could receive local channels). Did not cost us anything for the upgrade. The 2nd receiver costs $5 per month, but both receivers get the same channels.

Not sure what type of upgrades are available today, but I would talk to them a bunch before I agreed to pay for the new equipment.

I have another set up at a vacation home where I rent all the equipment from direct tv. They charge $3 per month for the equipment. I could have purchased it for $100, but decided to go the rental way because of all the power outages at the vacation home. When you rent their equipment, they replace it free of charge if anything happens to it. If you don't want to buy the equipment, talk to them about renting it.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

They have a deal where they will give you the equipment for free. BUT it does not record, since we use this feature all the time, great for not watching commercials, got to spend the $350. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[frank_f15]

thinking of switching to direct tv, getting tired of the constant increases in cable. i now pay $43 /mo. with no premium channels. i remember when cable first started, there big selling feature was NO ADVERTISMENTS. boy did that go by the wayside.

 

[MossRoad]

We've had DirectTV since 1997. No complaints. Perfect picture and sound. Great service 24 hours a day. About 4 years after we had it, it went out, except for the preview channels. Turned out our credit card had expired and we forgot to get them the new number. They waved the reconnect fee and it was back up and running before I got off the phone with them. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Always polite people on the phone, too. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

I've had it for quite awhile now and except for the occasional outage with storms have had no problems.

 

[BigDave]

Tom,

I've had both Dish Network & DirectTV for several years each, and I haven't seen any difference in quality of picture or equipment. They each package some the extras differently, but for the most part they are basically the same. Why did I change? When I moved, the buyer wanted the Dish Network equipment as part of the deal. So when it was time to set-up in the new house, Dish said I was an existing customer and had to pay full retail for new equipment. Naturally I went to DirectTV and as a new customer got a great deal on the equipment.

 

[cwave]

I have Direct TV - 2 units - My monthly charges are about $54.

Total Choice Plus $35.99

2nd unit $5
Star Z $12
PBS $1


No Local channels in Central PA
When I travel in the RV I take 1 of the units along - I have a portable dish. I Don't say a word to Direct TV.
Works fine except for pointing the dish. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I use the Timer feature on the satellite receiver - That feature allows me to change the satellite channels. I also have to program the VCR to record - set to channel 3. I just set it up to record a 8 hour block - T160.

Anybody know where you can buy T200's ?

I have thought about switching to The Dish network. It looked like they had more channels. Also Hughes (owns Direct Tv) is up for sale. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5=best) I give them a 4.5 /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[crown]

I know nothing about Direct TV I have Dish Network, but you will absolutly want to get the receiver that records it is the best thing to happen to TV /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. Lightning hit my house last summer and fried both my receivers insurance paid for new ones so we got a pair of the receivers that record.