Satelite TV Problem Solved

[bigdeano]

We are srewed. We pay 150/month for Dish TV. Have few channel free of adds. Then we pay another 150 for Hughes network SAT internet. And we still can't stream movies due to 50 GB data limit. All the other options cost about the same. The telephone company that was going to install fast internet is on verge of bankruptcy so it is not going to happen I suppose.

Exede Satellite internet has unlimited data plans now. They're putting up new satellites with a lot more capacity.

 

[Redneck in training]

Exede Satellite internet has unlimited data plans now. They're putting up new satellites with a lot more capacity.

I might be wrong but they use the same satellites as Hughes.

 

[BoylermanCT]

We are srewed. We pay 150/month for Dish TV. Have few channel free of adds. Then we pay another 150 for Hughes network SAT internet. And we still can't stream movies due to 50 GB data limit. All the other options cost about the same. The telephone company that was going to install fast internet is on verge of bankruptcy so it is not going to happen I suppose.

Help may be on the way. FCC is getting ready to spend $2B on rural internet projects.

FCC gets ready to kick off $2 billion rural broadband fund

Remember Reagan saying the scariest words in the English language are I'm from the government and I'm here to help!

 

[k0ua]

You got it James. The 7300 is on the want list.

A little something to look at while you think about it!

 

[kf4uda]

I was in a meeting earlier this week with AT&T discussing some issues and upgrades for our company. During the conversation one of the guys brought up a project that AT&T was working on that would provide high speed internet anywhere there were power lines. If this works out it will hopefully help everybody to have high speed internet if you are close to power lines. Here are a couple of articles about it:

AT&T Launches Project AirGig Trials to Bring Ultra-Fast Internet Over Power Lines Closer to Reality

Faster, Cheaper Internet Service Coming Over Power Lines, AT&T says | Fortune

 

[Bird]

We've had DirecTV, Dish, and now Spectrum (formerly called Charter). They all work pretty well, and all keep trying to go up on the price once they think they have you hooked. Each year, the past 3 years, I've emailed, or gone to see, the local Spectrum manager and he's gotten the bill lowered a bit. Our bill now is ridiculously high, but shows that we're getting a $30 a month discount.

 

[IXLR8]

I was in a meeting earlier this week with AT&T discussing some issues and upgrades for our company. During the conversation one of the guys brought up a project that AT&T was working on that would provide high speed internet anywhere there were power lines. If this works out it will hopefully help everybody to have high speed internet if you are close to power lines. Here are a couple of articles about it:

AT&T Launches Project AirGig Trials to Bring Ultra-Fast Internet Over Power Lines Closer to Reality

Faster, Cheaper Internet Service Coming Over Power Lines, AT&T says | Fortune

This was discussed here a year ago, it will be interesting to see if it ever works out and what it will cost.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/374702-internet-over-power-poles.html

I would love to drop cable TV, we only watch about 8 of the 150 channels we get, but then the cost of internet access doubles and eliminates most of the cost savings so I don't bother.

 

[TractorGuy]

Help may be on the way. FCC is getting ready to spend $2B on rural internet projects.

FCC gets ready to kick off $2 billion rural broadband fund

Remember Reagan saying the scariest words in the English language are I'm from the government and I'm here to help!

This whole plan is a BS way to spend the tax payers money. If I remember correctly they only intend to provide the service to the poorest parts of the country if and when they complete it. On top of that they will build it with our money and turn the profits over to existing internet service providers. I'm not holding my breath this will ever see the light of day. I got all excited when I first heard about it then discovered they would pass through my county and I would not be able to tap into it.

 

[EddieWalker]

I went from Direct to Dish when I wanted HD and Direct wanted $10 a month extra and $100 to make the change. Dish offered more channels and HD for less then I was paying Direct, but like you said, the longer I am with them, the more they punish me for being a customer. We've recently tried HULU and we're finding stuff on there through our Amazon Prime that we're watching more and more often. With all the channels we get on Dish, most nights there isn't anything on that we can tolerate to watch. Usually we sit on the porch on bad TV nights and have a fire, but when it's too cold, we're stuck in the house.

Our internet is barely fast enough to stream, we still get some buffering. At&T ran a fiber optic line down the road and they said that their new tower will be capable of handling everyone at the fastest speeds available with unlimited data if the City of Tyler will approve their permit. So far it's been a year and the city is still reviewing it. My guess is that something crooked is going on there, but like all technology, eventually we will get the benefit of it.

The writing is on the wall, Satellite is history. For us, it's just a matter of time until we switch to something else.

 

[kf4uda]

A little something to look at while you think about it!

Its just going to have to wait even if they do have a $200 rebate right now. Testing the waters raising sheep and LSG dogs right now (new thread coming soon) so the hobbys are taking a set back for now.

 

[k0ua]

Its just going to have to wait even if they do have a $200 rebate right now. Testing the waters raising sheep and LSG dogs right now (new thread coming soon) so the hobbys are taking a set back for now.

Just before Christmas they were $999, but I paid the full $1349 for it. Worth the money though.

 

[mjonesnh]

I kicked DTV to the curb after being a customer for 7 years. They still tried to charge me an early disconnect fee. (Long story) Good thing I paid by check. Dish would only provide service with auto deduct so I wouldn't sign up with them. Antenna, Netflix, and Hulu serves pretty good.

What does Sling have to offer?

We went with Sling blue which is 25/mo. They also offer sling orange for 20/mo. Only channels my wife and I lost from Dish was Discovery channels that also included Animal Planet and Science channel that we regularly watched. Sling Blue has roughly 45 channels but like Dish we only watch maybe 12 on regular basis. Also added Netflix and already had Amazon Prime so tons of movies and tv to watch while saving over 60/mo. As a note tried Directv Now but it buffered way to much. Unwatchable at times. Sling, Netflix and Amazon never miss a beat at least on our network. Forgot to add local channel come from outdoor antenna which has roughly 50 channel available. All major networks and lots of independents.

 

[Pixguy]

When I had Dish installed a year ago, the independent installer said he had many customers who flipped back and forth from Dish to Direct and back getting their 2 year deals.

Yes, he gets an installation fee from them each time the customers switch.

 

[Stimw]

I went online today and canceled the $12. charge for local channels.
When I used dish mover 1 1/2 years ago they told me I had to pay for it even though I didn't have it at my last property.

 

[ultrarunner]

Never lived in a home with Satellite or Cable... except in Austria where basic Satellite is free... as in no charge because it is the most cost effective way to reach all of the mountain valleys... a small dish

In Washington it took years and nearly an Act of Congress to get Comcast in at $285 per month... but is was just about essential as everyone looking to rent had High Speed on their must have list.

When cable first came to the neighborhood back in 1969 it was $7.95 a month for basic... all us kids were sitting around the table and Dad gave the guy the boot... said if he had an extra $100 a year laying around it wouldn't be for the Idiot Box... and that was that...

 

[pmsmechanic]

When our TV broke down about 20 years ago I just never replaced it. It was one of the smartest things I've ever done! The biggest bonus was about 30% less fighting between the kids. Ask yourself what are programmers feeding our kids if there is that much less fighting when weaned off of TV. What's it doing to your minds?

If you don't believe me on the fighting those of you with kids try this. Before the TV broke down we would turn the TV off for about 6-7 months thru the summer. It changed the whole family dynamic for the better. Lots of times in the evenings all five of us would be sitting in the living room reading.

The kids are all moved out now. There's still no TV in our house. Neither one of us miss it.

So what has this got to do with the price of TV service? Well when I read about you guys complaining about it I just smile. We solved the problem years ago.

 

[EddieWalker]

When our TV broke down about 20 years ago I just never replaced it.

What do you do in the evenings when it's dark outside before going to bed?

 

[k0ua]

What do you do in the evenings when it's dark outside before going to bed?

I know not what others do, but for me as an Amateur Radio operator, I get on the air almost every evening.

 

[deserteagle71]

What do you do in the evenings when it's dark outside before going to bed?

I read. Doesn't anyone read books anymore??

 

[EddieWalker]

I read. Doesn't anyone read books anymore??

Funny, my wife and I where just discussing what to do with all the books we have. Donate them to a charity like Good Will, or one of the used book stores and let them make a buck off of them, or try selling some of them on ebay. Combined, we have a pretty big library that we will never do anything with. Over the last few years, we have gone to digital books.

I read to kill time, not so much for entertainment. I like TV and a variety of shows. But that's just me.