NFL Network

[Mista T]

FiOS installers are coming to my house on June 1th. Coincidentally, this is the same day that the latest Comcast-Nazi scam -- i.e. terminating all analog service to force use of rented digital boxes -- goes into effect.

Good-bye, forever, Comcast!

[Greg]

If you have a problem with a local contractor for either DISH or DirecTV or even the old big ass dishes, I know a VERY good contractor. He carries his cell phone 24/7 - 365 and will actually call you back at any hour or day, assuming you don't get him when you call. If you are having a problem with signal let me know and I will get you his number

Just send me a PM and I can send you the info.

[ClericBlackDave]

As someone who's worked for DirecTV sales and a cable company now, here's my take:


The problem with DirecTV is decentralization and outsourcing.


This is the reason why you see such a wide range of opinions on the customer serivce DirecTV offers. There isn't an exact standard there.


If Greg has a good installer, thats a great thing, and I would recommend anyone else to use him.


The problem is, there are plenty of areas with bad contractors/installers and poor customer serivce. Its luck of the draw of whether you have a bad experience or good. When workign for direcTV, you'd be suprised how many orders I keyed got cancelled because of a crap contractor being a prick. I'd have to call from California to this contractor and hear a lot of BS. Then othe times, call a contractor who's a great guy and doing a great job.


Now, I haven't worked for com-crap but I've heard about their customer service issues. Additionally, I don't know how outsourced they are/aren't


Re: Verizon's FIOS network, buyer beware. Their system is still a bit buggy and doesn't have dedicated fiber optic cable. It also requires a 2nd box installed outside your home in addition to the one inside, AND most Verizons deals require contacts that, unknown to you, escalate in cost.


In the prices they advertise they also fail to mention the FCC phone fee, and applicable taxes. Their deal often aren't what they seem.


Overall, DirecTV is usually good once you're installed, so long as you stay a customer. Like with most services they make it hell to disconect and can be slow with repair serivce.


Really, getting TV can just be hell.


The benefit to cable is the bundling of serives, but if your'e just going TV and dont' mind the dish, DirecTV isn't a bad deal.

[shaslers]

The benefit to cable is the bundling of serives, but if your'e just going TV and dont' mind the dish, DirecTV isn't a bad deal.

In the beginning...

But as I said, I had Comcast Basic-Plus (with HBO/Showtime) and I also had their high speed internet service. I had been a customer for years. This "bundle" was costing me $177 a month when all the fees were added in.

So I called and said that I couldn't tolerate that price and what kind of deal could they make for me. Their answer was, sorry, they had already extended deals to me in the past, and their goal, eventually, was to get customers to the standard pricing. Their suggestion was to drop the services that I didn't use as much. When I suggested I'd shop DirectTV, the salesperson said, "go ahead, their pricing is the same." I think they believe it!?

After switching to DirectTV (with all-digital channels (sorry Comcast), with HBO/Showtime, plus tons more HD and a lot more channels overall) I'm paying $59/mo. now instead of $122/mo. with Comcast Cable.

I kept the high speed internet with Comcast. Of course they called right away to tell me that when I dropped the cable TV, they would be forced to increase my internet monthly charge from $49 to $68. Thanks Comcast!!

So you're right, they were giving me a bundled deal previously I suppose.

By the way, DirectTV also offers a bundled deal in partnership with Verizon. Basically the same TV/Phone/Internet package for $99 a month.

[Drkraven]

The thought of trusting Comacast with my phone is laughable!

My original problem was every wind storm, snow storm or rain shower disabled the dish. They finally upgraded to the HD dish and it went away except for the heaviest thunderstorm.

[ClericBlackDave]

In the beginning...

But as I said, I had Comcast Basic-Plus (with HBO/Showtime) and I also had their high speed internet service. I had been a customer for years. This "bundle" was costing me $177 a month when all the fees were added in.

So I called and said that I couldn't tolerate that price and what kind of deal could they make for me. Their answer was, sorry, they had already extended deals to me in the past, and their goal, eventually, was to get customers to the standard pricing. Their suggestion was to drop the services that I didn't use as much. When I suggested I'd shop DirectTV, the salesperson said, "go ahead, their pricing is the same." I think they believe it!?

After switching to DirectTV (with all-digital channels (sorry Comcast), with HBO/Showtime, plus tons more HD and a lot more channels overall) I'm paying $59/mo. now instead of $122/mo. with Comcast Cable.

I kept the high speed internet with Comcast. Of course they called right away to tell me that when I dropped the cable TV, they would be forced to increase my internet monthly charge from $49 to $68. Thanks Comcast!!

So you're right, they were giving me a bundled deal previously I suppose.

By the way, DirectTV also offers a bundled deal in partnership with Verizon. Basically the same TV/Phone/Internet package for $99 a month.

Believe me, I'm not defending comcast, I actually work for Cox Communications right now, the cable company in Rhode Island and part of connecticut, and we're far more competitive in pricing than what you stated above.


DirecTV is a good service that can suffer from lack of support / bad serivces due to outsourcing.


The HD is improving for Direct, but the problem is the ammount of HD content, i.e. material recorded in HD with HD cameras, has to increase for that to even matter. Also, I dont buy the conversions of super 8 film to HD. Its not good, really.


The coversions of IMAX material to HD works pretty well though.

[dbcw]

For those of you who are not in the Baltimore area and would like to see the Ravens regularly, I highly suggest you get DirecTV with NFL Sunday Ticket. It's well worth the money especially if you get the DVR/Tivo.

If it's possible, scout out a good installer and order it through him. The cheapest basic package is like $40 a month and comes with NFLN standard. I think I pay an additional $90 a month for NFL Sunday Ticket Superfan in HD as well during the season.

Football Sundays are absolute heaven.

[Khaine]

Yeah, with our first kid coming in November and living on the wrong coast I think I’m going to have to change and get the Ticket.

We have Timewarner right now and no ticket option. My wife is grumpy enough not being able to have a beer but if her football goes away I’m in big trouble.

[deuce]

I cant stand Con-cast and am moving to DirectTV this summer. Obviously I need NFL ticket and an HD/DVR box. Anything else I need to know or do for my set up? Is it better to order from the DirectTV website?

[shaslers]

DirecTV is a good service that can suffer from lack of support / bad serivces due to outsourcing.


The HD is improving for Direct, but the problem is the ammount of HD content, i.e. material recorded in HD with HD cameras, has to increase for that to even matter.

I agree with that. There is not enough HD programming right now to truly justify the extra $10 a month I pay to receive HD channels. Add to that the capital outlay for the HD set and the HD receiver, and we've all been scammed by the entire TV/Cable/Satellite industry that is more promise than delivery right now when it comes to HD. I think it's end of 2009 when the Fed Govt has mandated all programming be delivered in HD...or is that all programming in digital? I can't recall, I think it's simply digital signal. But HD content will certainly bump up each year. It's frustrating for sure when CBS only opts to broadcast three games each Sunday in HD and our Ravens are not one of them. Essentially charging me an HD surcharge with no obligation to deliver on it...or, more precisely, they charge me the surcharge, with the understanding that they will deliver whatever volume they feel like delivering. Not to mention your comment about what quality level we get (720, 1080 — nothing like having a big screen and getting a rectangle that fills about 75% floating there in the middle).

We're all schmucks.

For putting up with that. And yes, for putting up with DirectTV customer service fiasco after fiasco because it beats Comcast price gouging.

[hurting]

I absolutely love DirecTV. A lot of people have trouble with the installers who are independent contractors and not direct employees of DirecTV.

I have never had any serious trouble with them and I have been a customer for about 10 years. It used to be that the only thing that cable had over satellite was that you didn't suffer from rain attenuation with cable, but for whatever reason that's not the case anymore. My girlfriend's cable reception gets more and more useless the heavier the rain gets. The image just totally pixels out. My DirecTV needs a pretty serious deluge to lose signal nowadays.

I agree 100%. I have had Direct TV for about 8 years now. I can't stand comcrap.

I will reiterate what everyone has stated about the installers. I have had 3 upgrade installations and after each one (but the last) I had to do some tweeking of my own. The last guy I had lives in New Mexico, and he told me he was from a DIRECTV central office. he said they are aware of the problems with local installers and that is why he commutes to MD and stays here in an extended stay hotel and does 7 day on/off shifts. He was excellent installed my new dish upgrade, and made sure everything was working perfectly before he left. He even fixed some of the mistakes the other installers made.

I must say though I do not think I would want to gamble again with the installer & I would probably use Greg's guy. The next time i need an upgrade or I am moving I will likely send Greg a PM for his guy's info.

On a final note. If you dish is installed right it should almost never 'go out' mine very rarely does in hurricane like winds and rain and then it is usually only out for 1 or 2 minutes. Meanwhile my neighbors with comcrap are out for hours at a time.

For those of you experincing outages with DIRECT, call greg's friwnd to fix your installation and you will never have that problem again.

[Greg]

hurting is correct, you just need to get the set up tweaked to solve the outages. A few minutes when a thunderstorm gets between you and the satellite is all you should get.