[doydie]

We bought a new TV tonight and got a big sales pitch for DirectTV. Any one have any experience they can tell me about to guide us on a decision?

[Blessings2You]

I'll be following this thread. We have DISH, but have an opportunity to bundle DirecTV with our phone/internet service. We haven't had any real problems with DISH, but DirecTV would save us some bucks. I'll sit back with Doydie and wait for answers!

[Erin524]

satellites dont work when it's raining (or so I've heard)

I've never had a problem with cable.

I do like the cute commercials that DirectTV has had.. (the "dont re-enact scenes from Platoon with Charlie Sheen" commercial is hilarious)

[doydie]

Blessings, the salesman showed us a video on his phone of a really bad storm he took and it showed his TV on. I don't know if this was all a hoax or not. He also said that they didn't do internet/phone.

[Blessings2You]

Up here FairPoint is in cahoots with DirecTV. My internet/phone bundle is with FairPoint, and if I sign up with DirecTV through FairPoint, I will get another discount.

As I said, we have had DISH for years and had very little trouble. We were having loss of signal during heavy snow or rain (for a few minutes) but they moved our dish and now we rarely do.

I looked through the DirecTV channels in the various packages, and it looks as though they have better programming availalbe FOR US...who knows about other people. We don't watch movies, so I have no idea about that. DISH seems to have way too many infomercial channels.

[Dejibo]

I had Direct TV for 2 years when we first moved to the back woods, because no one offered cable out here.

The service was great when it was clear, sunny and bright. When we got storms, the service went out as it counts on satelitte connection for its picture. Good thing was that during the power outage that lasted a week, no one had cable, but we had TV because it wasnt thru the downed power/cable line.

The internet service is ok but the set up prices are steep! You have to buy a special dish, and its as hiccupy as the TV one.

They force you into a 2 year contract. If you move, you must take it with you. Its pretty iron clad, and you get charged a heavy fee if you cancel your contract.

Cable has been pretty stable, and while many channels now count on the satelitte to get their program and can be just as messed up as dish or direct tv, the other channels stay stable and clean.

I am able to bundle services with my cable provider, and renegotiate each year when it expires. With Direct TV once the intro price is gone, you cant get it again unless you become a new customer again. I have fast internet, phone, cable and soon will add my home security system.

With Direct TV if you camp, you can take your dish with you, and get a signal way out in the woods. they provide you with a small dish for your camper or tent.

Direct has good customer service, and is quick to answer the trouble line, and their techs are happy to walk you thru most anything on the phone without making you wait for someone to come to you, unless they cant fix it.

I hope that answers some of your questions.

[mochagirl13]

I have had both. Used DirectTV to get a plasma TV for $200 off when they first came out. When discount was over monthly bill sky rocketed. Now have Dish and love it. Get blockbuster by mail with dish network and have fewer outages than when I was with DirectTV. Also got 1 receiver but works on 2 tv's and free HD programming. I like Dishnetwork better. Monthly bill cheaper and more channels. When I have outage, I can watch DVR. Don't know if DirectTV has a receiver that can control more than 1 T.V. at a time.

[Nanc]

I personally have not had DirecTV, and never will because of the experience my parents had with them. They had the obvious outages with bad weather too. But the major thing was Dad bought a box to put in a spare room, he didn't activate it right away and then they sold their place and moved. They could not put DirecTV at the new place (not allowed), so he had to cancel his plan and go with cable. He had been a customer for many years at this point. They tried to charge him for not activating that unused box, plus the rental on it for two years (he already paid for it, but they said it was theirs). They also tried to charge him for an early termination fee. There were some other fees too that I can't remember. This added up to a lot of money, it was ridiculous! I fought with them on his behalf and he filed complaints with the FCC, etc....he won!
Before this happened, my husband and I thought we'd try is since we only have the option for Comcast and hate them! I signed up for 1 year at a great rate. When I received the email confirmation it stated that I signed a 2-year contract which I did not. I called and they confirmed that this rate was only good for 1 year, but I was obligated for 2 years....hmmm....so I asked what kind of rate will I have after the first year? Their response "I don't know". So the price could double and I would be contractually obligated to pay it? "yes". I was within the 24-hour window so I could cancel - whew!

This is just our experience with them. I know people that absolutely love them and some that dislike them very much. All I advise is that you read all of the fine print very carefully!!

Good Luck!
Nanc

[doydie]

Well for some reason the old TV decided to work fine today. So the new TV is still sitting in the box. The good deal with Direct came with the purchase of the TV. So if we take it back I guess the offer would go away also. We are going to wait a couple of days.

[Dejibo]

I went thru the same thing with Dish for my mom. My BIL moved in for a while, and DEMANDED that my mom change to DISH. I went to visit and found that she had a HD DVR in every room! She had NO idea how to work any of them, but since she signed a 2 year contract for them, she was stuck paying for them. She said "they told me they were FREE, and now I pay each month." I had to explain that the "box" was free, but the monthly service to run it was not!

A call to customer center revealed that they would NOT remove the boxes from her bill, they would NOT come get them, they would NOT send someone to explain to my mom how they worked, and reccomended that she look up how to on the internet. When I said she didnt have access, they said YES SHE DOES! EVERYONE DOES! then they demanded that she go to the local library to check in. UGH! It was a horrible call, and my mom was stuck with services she didnt understand, nor could she use for 2 years! I was able to set the boxes and explained the basics, but not once in 2 years did she ever record a movie, or pause live TV, or anything else, other than flip on the TV and watch it till she fell asleep. I did set it so the phone ringing meant the # would pop up on the TV screen so she could see who was calling.

I hear folks rave about Dish, I hear folks rave about Direct. I hear folks rave about Xfinity and Fairpoint, but on the other hand, I have heard complaints about all of them.

I am glad your TV is working now. Sometimes its worth the loss to make the new service go away.