satellite tv

[powerstroke2000]

What is your preference on satellite tv?Which do you like best? I am geting sick of cable just got a notice that they are raising my rate again that makes the second time in less than 2 months first they raised digital service and now they are raising basic. My cable bill with the internet is over $100 a month.So I am looking for something different.

 

[MadReferee]

This topic has been discussed in depth not 6 month ago. Do a search for Directv and/or Dish Network. Here is a link to a comparison thread.

DirecTV vs Dish Network

 

[alco141]

i have had directv for about 10 years, or so, i like it the only thing is that i cant subscribe to my network chanells, if it was not for the kids i would bag the cable, just use satellite, occasionally the sat system is down if there is a heavy storm coming, but other than that the picture is great.

alex

 

[PeterT]

I have had Direct TV for about six years now and have not had any problems at all. I get local channels through it also, it runs about $40 per month. Good luck

PeterT

 

[chrisjbell]

I've had DirecTV for about 6 years now and it works fine for me. I can't get cable where I live (too far out), so that isn't an option. I pay $40.48 / mo for a package that includes quite a few channels (it is the "Plus" setup - lots of stuff, but I don't get HBO, Showtime, etc., although I could), as well as local broadcast channels. Works pretty well and I rarely have outages.

I also pay for satellite internet (DirecWay), and that is a bit more expensive. I can't get DSL (too far from the phone switch), and again, no cable option. That costs $59.99 / mo, and that is in addition to the initial equipment costs (about $600 and they'll finance it for a year interest free). But since it is my only option for high speed 'net access and the phone lines are so "dirty" that I can't get more than about 19KB (which is horrible for web browsing) I pay it.

So I'm at about 100 bucks and some change, but it works well for me. And it is really the only option I have available, so...well, there it is. I'm not on a contract, having paid for my stuff, so I can turn it on and off at will and when things get tight I shut off the service with a phone call and fire it up again when I want it back. However, I really want a TIVO and can get one for free if I switch to Dish...and I just might do that one of these days /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

However, if I could get cable or DSL I'd probably go with those options. I doubt you'll gain much with satellite - but you might want to check into switching to DSL for internet and pairing that with one of the satellite companies for TV and see how that compares with what you're paying now. The cable companies are not exactly what I'd call...um...nice /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif.

 

[jlbota]

I had Direct Tv for about 6 years and just recently switched back to cable. I was tired of the weather outages and it isn't exactly cheap. (But what is). I paid $64.65 a month but that was with HBO and Starz channels. No locals.
I also switched back because I wanted to get the high speed cable internet and they give a good discount with Digital cable and Cable Internet in the same package....So far so good with the cable and the cable internet is much faster thatn my dsl ever was. It was 768k and I am seeing speeds of 2800k to 3000k with the cable. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

I have had all 3 Direct TV, cable and Dish Network. No mater what you choose, consider a digital recorded. They make watching TV much easier. NO COMMERCIALS, nothing on when you want to watch TV, just record something you want to watch BUT you are doing something else, makes tractor seat time much easier /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. It is so simple with a digital recorded to record a show, just pick the show off the guide of shows, and push one button, done recored. You are watching a show, phone rings, no problem hit pause and you can stop live TV and pick up where you left off. You like one particular show, you can record every show and watch it when you want. A show starts you like, record the show, wait 23 minutes ( the time an average 1 hour show has in commercials) and start from the beginning, and just zip by the commercials. Like movies, record them and if you really like it record it to a VCR or a DVD, no loss in quality. Most units can record 40 hours and some in the 80 hour area.

I think the Dish units are better for recording. They have a button you hit and it jumps 30 seconds ahead, hit it 2 times, 2 commercials gone, do not even have to watch them. When too far, press the back button and you go back 15 seconds. Direct TV has a button to fast-forward the commercial, BUT you still have to watch the commercial , but at a much faster rate. The Dish unit would freeze up a lot, no problem just unplug the unit for 15 seconds, reboots the computer and off you go for another week. The Direct unit does not freeze up. Someone told me Dish used their own software and Direct uses a Microsoft product. Dish has less problem with storms interruption, Direct is more sensitive to storms, snow, heavy rain, lightings. Direct has the YANKEES Dish does NOT!! Only reason why I switch from Dish to Direct.

Cable TV, no comparison in picture quality, although I hear cable digital looks good.

Cost, all about the same, Direct and Dish. Cable the most for what you get, and the price keeps going up. Also with cable we had outages sometimes for hours. Satellite outages are for as long as a storm is at its peak as it goes by, a few minutes at most.

 

[TresCrows]

The older I get the less I find myself on the technological edge. I have Dish TV, why, beats me /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. All I know is that it works. They recently, at my request, installed their new larger antenna that brings in the local channels so I can get local news without having to hook up rabbit ears. I like it. I think it is HDTV compatible as well for when I get my new LCD/Plasma TV /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif.
This new antenna had to be relocated due to it's slightly larger size. The new mount is still on the side of the house but the antenna sits above the lower eave now for a better view.
I have nothing against Direct, I am clueless as to why one is diiferent from the other /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. J

 

[KNotMe]

chrisjbell,

If you want Tivo, you can get it with Directv. They have a combined unit called DirecTivo or Diretv DVR. These units are actually better than Tivo standalone units. They come with two tuners so you can watch one channel while recording another, or record two channels at the same time. They are currently on offer from $99.00 dollars for units that will record about 35 hours. The extra cost of the Tivo service for you will be $4.95 for all your receivers.

 

[Alan L.]

TIVO is great and so is DirectTV. It has never gone out more than a few minutes at a time and only during bad rainstorms over the 7 or 8 years we have had it. My daughter as dish and it is equally as good, although I think the TIVO works slicker than the DVR on Dish does, plus you can't get the NFL ticket on Dish. However, she now has some local channels on Dish that I can't get. So there are advantages to both.