What do those of you that have Direct TV, think about their service etc.; anything that would be helpful for me to know before I sign up. Thanks, Gary
Direct TV
- Thread starter abcomatic
- Start date
Help Support :
E/mail me back for my account number and we both get $100 credit on our bills with DirecTV. I have had it since 1999 and have zero problems with them. It always works and very rarely goes out. The networks they all broadcast seem to have all reruns and ads now and charge the all the providers more. Seems like these big network giants are double billing with their ads and to providers like DirecTV to have the "privilege" to broadcast their programs that they say HAVE to be in high price packages that the provider has no control over. If it wasnt for satellite and cable, nobody could watch them. They should be paying the providers so they can lower our costs and be able to let us pick and choose what we want, not what the big networks want us to watch.
I have a buddy who has DirecTV, the DVR is nice to have.....but what he hates is he can't watch sports, since for our area, Comcast owns these sports centers, and their keeping those broadcast to themselves.....and their customers only....
there are days I rather go back to an antennae on the roof!
there are days I rather go back to an antennae on the roof!
Yogi, how dare they! The bastards! (I kid)
My area for DirecTV is open for sports and I get a 2.11 sports charge each month even though I hate anything beyond high school sports, where they play for fun not money. I complained to DirecTV and they gave me a 2 year credit on the sports fee. ESPN is the main culprit behind the sports fee and blacked out providers I found out. They who pay the most wins. So in places like Yogi's, Comcast was the winner.
Get the DVR if you think you'll use it, I have 4 around the house, 8 tuners. Can't recall using more than 5 at once, Sunday night may give it a workout. The Geni is nice, 6 tuners and optional boxes fed from it at other TVs.
I think I've been with them for 14 years and never an issue. I opted to do my own installs because I'm picky, but know others that got D installed and they were happy with the work. There are possible ways around the sports issue, just depends on if that is an issue for you, your location may let you get what ,if any, you want.
I think I've been with them for 14 years and never an issue. I opted to do my own installs because I'm picky, but know others that got D installed and they were happy with the work. There are possible ways around the sports issue, just depends on if that is an issue for you, your location may let you get what ,if any, you want.
letsgoblues
Active member
- Joined
- May 12, 2015
- Messages
- 28
We have had Directv for around 13 years and we like it. No problems with losing satellite connection unless we are having a giant Kansas storm. The Genie is very nice, and we use it all the time.
whirlcool
Well-known member
Make sure DirecTV installs it, not a subcontractor
The installation guys at DirecTV are top notch. The guys they use at subcontractors are really the equivelent to the "cable guy".
When we first had DirecTV they sent out a subcontractor. He installed everything the way that was easiest for HIM, not what was best for the customer. Even after we told him we wanted the dish mounted on the back of the house he said that it MUST be mounted on the front of the house. When he aimed the dish he just gave it a tilt to the south and remarked "Good enough for a government job" and tightened it down and that was the end of that.
After that install if a cloud rolled by or one of the dogs pissed in the yard we'd lose the signal. He also strung the cable wire right over the stairs leading to the attic about a foot off the ground. A perfect tripping hazard. So I called DirecTV and they apologized and sent out a tech to correct the problems.
The guy they sent looked like he just got out of high school. But he went over everything. He relocated the dish to where we wanted in the back of the house. He then used a signal strength meter to determine the best position for the dish after installing it. After he redid it all the picture would only go out in the strongest of storms. Most of the time not at all.
About a week later DirecTV called and asked how things are. I told them that the guy they sent out did a great job and I am now happy. They apologized again and reminded me that sometimes their subcontractors employ people that are "less than perfect" and that they are sending me a DVR for one year with their compliments!
So I rate DirecTV very high for customer service.
The picture quality if great, but the sound is so much better than OTA or Dish Network. It seems to have more range to it.
Now for the downside...
Bill Creep....
For the first two years we paid $49.95 per month for just something called "Expanded Basic". No movie channels, no sports channels. Within a few months after the two years expired the bill was now $75.00 for month for the same service. Then if finally went to $96.00 per month for the same expanded basic service. I called DirecTV several times, they'd lower the bill for a month or two but soon enough it was back to the $96.00 again.
So we examined what we were watching on DirecTV and determined that we were only watching about 10 stations total. It seemed that a lot of the stations are playing the same thing. So we cancelled DirecTV and went OTA. (Over the Air)Sure a lot of is old stuff, but we enjoy it and are saving $96.00 per month.
The installation guys at DirecTV are top notch. The guys they use at subcontractors are really the equivelent to the "cable guy".
When we first had DirecTV they sent out a subcontractor. He installed everything the way that was easiest for HIM, not what was best for the customer. Even after we told him we wanted the dish mounted on the back of the house he said that it MUST be mounted on the front of the house. When he aimed the dish he just gave it a tilt to the south and remarked "Good enough for a government job" and tightened it down and that was the end of that.
After that install if a cloud rolled by or one of the dogs pissed in the yard we'd lose the signal. He also strung the cable wire right over the stairs leading to the attic about a foot off the ground. A perfect tripping hazard. So I called DirecTV and they apologized and sent out a tech to correct the problems.
The guy they sent looked like he just got out of high school. But he went over everything. He relocated the dish to where we wanted in the back of the house. He then used a signal strength meter to determine the best position for the dish after installing it. After he redid it all the picture would only go out in the strongest of storms. Most of the time not at all.
About a week later DirecTV called and asked how things are. I told them that the guy they sent out did a great job and I am now happy. They apologized again and reminded me that sometimes their subcontractors employ people that are "less than perfect" and that they are sending me a DVR for one year with their compliments!
So I rate DirecTV very high for customer service.
The picture quality if great, but the sound is so much better than OTA or Dish Network. It seems to have more range to it.
Now for the downside...
Bill Creep....
For the first two years we paid $49.95 per month for just something called "Expanded Basic". No movie channels, no sports channels. Within a few months after the two years expired the bill was now $75.00 for month for the same service. Then if finally went to $96.00 per month for the same expanded basic service. I called DirecTV several times, they'd lower the bill for a month or two but soon enough it was back to the $96.00 again.
So we examined what we were watching on DirecTV and determined that we were only watching about 10 stations total. It seemed that a lot of the stations are playing the same thing. So we cancelled DirecTV and went OTA. (Over the Air)Sure a lot of is old stuff, but we enjoy it and are saving $96.00 per month.
I won't sign up for any of those hiway robbers!!!--No matter what services they provide.My DVD/BluRay player works for me!!
Dropped cable last summer and went to Direct TV and did the referral with a neighbor so we each got $100 credit for the year. Extremely happy with the service and equipment. On the couple of occasions that I had to call customer service with a question they were great. A really good customer service call center. The DVR works great. I am very happy with the service.
Since 2002
I started out with Direct in 1998...worked fine in the daytime, then at night would lose signal. It was horrible. Switched to Primestar and it was fabulous, NEVER lost a signal. For a couple of years it was fine...then the inevitable happened...DirecTV bought Primestar and a year later they switched me back to them. I guess I can't really complain, they've improved their signals since then, but my bill keeps going up little by little over the years. I'd be fine with OTA but Tony would flip if he couldn't watch Ru Paul (haha). My parents switched a couple years ago and they are happy too for the most part. It's better than cable at least.
I started out with Direct in 1998...worked fine in the daytime, then at night would lose signal. It was horrible. Switched to Primestar and it was fabulous, NEVER lost a signal. For a couple of years it was fine...then the inevitable happened...DirecTV bought Primestar and a year later they switched me back to them. I guess I can't really complain, they've improved their signals since then, but my bill keeps going up little by little over the years. I'd be fine with OTA but Tony would flip if he couldn't watch Ru Paul (haha). My parents switched a couple years ago and they are happy too for the most part. It's better than cable at least.
jerrod6
Well-known member
I have had Direct TV since 2002, and no problems with it. The customer service is good, I think probably better than Comcast from what I've heard. Every once in a while they give me a month free of a channel I don't subscribe to so that is nice. For some year anniversary I don't remember which, I got a month or maybe two months of free pay per view movies. A few months ago they upgraded my HD receiver to an HD DVR which is really nice, you can do on demand and restart shows that are already in progress.
The Year Hurricane Sandy came ashore in New Jersey it downgraded to a tropical storm but it still came across with gusty winds. A gust moved the alignment of the dish a bit and I heard it move and no picture on some stations. I called direct TV and they let me pick the day the serviceman would come out. He arrived with a tall ladder and climbed up my three story house to the roof to re align and gave me his cell phone number if I had any problems; all has been well ever since.
There is a nice line up of music stations too so at times I will just listen to music.
The is one condition that has caused picture pixilation and that is a thunderstorm. It is not the rain, but it occurs about 3 minutes before the storm actually arrives. I think this is due to increasing electrical interference, but once the store arrives with the rain everything is fine. I have TVs in the family room and bedroom.
So no complaints with Direct TV.
The Year Hurricane Sandy came ashore in New Jersey it downgraded to a tropical storm but it still came across with gusty winds. A gust moved the alignment of the dish a bit and I heard it move and no picture on some stations. I called direct TV and they let me pick the day the serviceman would come out. He arrived with a tall ladder and climbed up my three story house to the roof to re align and gave me his cell phone number if I had any problems; all has been well ever since.
There is a nice line up of music stations too so at times I will just listen to music.
The is one condition that has caused picture pixilation and that is a thunderstorm. It is not the rain, but it occurs about 3 minutes before the storm actually arrives. I think this is due to increasing electrical interference, but once the store arrives with the rain everything is fine. I have TVs in the family room and bedroom.
So no complaints with Direct TV.
I cut the cable in 1999 or thereabouts and Installed DirecTV myself. Everything was perfect for a decade or so, never a hitch once with any of my installed equipment.
Even at my fairly high latitude I really didn't have too much problem with rain fade. A couple times a Summer for a few minutes at a crack. I had more trouble in the Winter with snow on the dish surface. Luckily my dish was low so it was easy to reach it with a broom! Even accepting the weather induced outages I would wager that my % of 'up'time was higher then most everyone I know with cable. Just one couple hour long cable outage when someone hits a pole equals a lot of years of rain fade...
I always had an external VHF/UHF antenna for television, I never pulled local programming from the bird.
A few years ago I bought a couple HD receivers off Craigslist and installed a SWiM LNB oval dish on the house. I bought the equipment and installed it myself so as to not have to sign any service contracts. I only kept the service for about 9 months and dropped it because the amount of usage didn't justify the price.
DirecTV used to be everything I had hoped for back in the beginning. Their customer service was top shelf. They would offer a 3 month trial of a premium channel and it would just go away in 90 days, none of that you are billed unless you call to cancel cable company BS. One time about 8 years in out of the blue they gave me 6 months free for "being a loyal customer", amazing. Such things I think are a thing of the past as they have learned to play the game like the cable folks now. I was consistently told I was unable to install my own HD dish when I did my upgrade (hilarious). And its all about contracts and new customers now, not retention.
Between an off the air antenna, a Roku box and Internet downloads I can watch most anything I care to and its mostly free/low cost too!
Even at my fairly high latitude I really didn't have too much problem with rain fade. A couple times a Summer for a few minutes at a crack. I had more trouble in the Winter with snow on the dish surface. Luckily my dish was low so it was easy to reach it with a broom! Even accepting the weather induced outages I would wager that my % of 'up'time was higher then most everyone I know with cable. Just one couple hour long cable outage when someone hits a pole equals a lot of years of rain fade...
I always had an external VHF/UHF antenna for television, I never pulled local programming from the bird.
A few years ago I bought a couple HD receivers off Craigslist and installed a SWiM LNB oval dish on the house. I bought the equipment and installed it myself so as to not have to sign any service contracts. I only kept the service for about 9 months and dropped it because the amount of usage didn't justify the price.
DirecTV used to be everything I had hoped for back in the beginning. Their customer service was top shelf. They would offer a 3 month trial of a premium channel and it would just go away in 90 days, none of that you are billed unless you call to cancel cable company BS. One time about 8 years in out of the blue they gave me 6 months free for "being a loyal customer", amazing. Such things I think are a thing of the past as they have learned to play the game like the cable folks now. I was consistently told I was unable to install my own HD dish when I did my upgrade (hilarious). And its all about contracts and new customers now, not retention.
Between an off the air antenna, a Roku box and Internet downloads I can watch most anything I care to and its mostly free/low cost too!
As I posted earlier I've been a D customer since I'd guess '99. Been very happy. I do a lot of research and know you can own certain boxes, at this point all my boxes are owned. That means with no repercussions I can pop a much larger hard drive in, and if I drop D can sell my boxes for $$$ as there is a market for them. I've always Installed my own dishes, I just popped a new SWM 13 on my dish, allowing 13 tuners. I will never have that many but the price was right, $25, and I was having issues with either my switch or my LNB. Rather than call D I opted to do it myself. No waiting for a tech, no explaining my slightly convoluted system and no issues. Plus since I have the replacement plan if any of my older owned boxes die I get them replaced with current equipment and the new stuff is listed as owned.
I have no idea what ATT will do this this well run company, I shudder to think, but for now I'm happy.
I have no idea what ATT will do this this well run company, I shudder to think, but for now I'm happy.
