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Thinking about DirecTV - talk me out of it?

offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
edited September 2002 in General Discussion
Okay, I live in Northern Indiana -- we have WEATHER. I'm getting sick of giving Comcast $44 a month for analog cable, knowing that digital is $15 extra, high speed internet is extra, HD will be extra, movie channels are extra, etc. However, the only time cable goes out is when there's a major power outage.

I've looked at DISH, but the prices are always better for DirecTV. I can get free installation right now and a very good package of digital channels for $31.99 a month (1 year contract). I can hook on a UHF antenna for my local channels for $50. I would go for the two receivers, but I wouldn't use the extra one much, and the cost is an extra $6.00 a month to watch 2 channels at once. I don't need that. I'm either watching upstairs OR down, not both at once.

So, if this is a mistake, please, as the Cowardly Lion said, talk me out of it. I have a Panasonic 47" widescreen TV, so picture clarity is important to me. I have over a year to go on an MSN contract, to internet access is not an issue. Okay, take your best shots. I'm listening. I'll probably go according to the feedback here. I know a number of you have satellite. What about the weather? What about trees, the wind blowing, and all that cable propaganda?

- Life NRA Member
"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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Comments

  • TheguncounterkidTheguncounterkid Member Posts: 224 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have dish and love it. no cable in my area to worry about anyhow. Unless you need the cable internet, go for a dish.
    -kid

    www.acebuyers.com
    Home sweet home
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  • sharkman8810sharkman8810 Member Posts: 54 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    i prefer the dish over analog cable. yes you do occassionally in the bad storms lose signal. it just depends on how well it is installed and how clear a signal ur dish can receive. to give u an idea u got to have red on the weather map to have a chance of losing signal.. electrical storms will do it. i like it, but i am a sports person with the hockey package. a cool thing though is if u like a certain type of music, they have a channel for it on direct tv, and it is commercial free.

    steve
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  • pikeal1pikeal1 Member Posts: 2,707
    edited November -1
    Offeror...My girlfriend has a dish and the only time it goes out is when its raining hard outside. Problem is, thats when you most want to watch TV.

    So long as you have a a few movies to watch during those times, and you have that UHF antenna AND the dish...I say go for it. Cable is a rip off and with the dish you get many more choices and a ton of channels.
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  • pikeal1pikeal1 Member Posts: 2,707
    edited November -1
    damn...just remembered you wanted someone to talk you out of it...can't help you there
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  • NighthawkNighthawk Member Posts: 12,022 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Offeror I think you would be more happy with a Dish,but I would consider Dish Network.We have it and all the movie packages plus ABC,NBC,CBS,and fox both East and West.All together I guess we get 200 or more channels plus a bunch of audio channels for $82.95 a Month.Thats not bad for 7 HBOs and all the Cinemax and stars and show times its not bad.

    Rugster


    Toujours Pret
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  • gars320gars320 Member Posts: 471 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Offerer:
    I have had Directv Satelite for several years now and I will never ever ever go back to cable of any type, period! The quality of both picture and sound is far superior to cable With cable for $68 a month we got HBO, Showtime, Cinemax AMC and the rest of the package. With Directv we get 7 HBO channels, 5 Cinemax, 5 Showtimes etc for about $15 more a month, including local channels and all the rest. And if you are a serious sports fan, which I am not, they have a super sports program for just a few dollars more. Also as was stated you can lose the satelite signal during a storm, but unlike cable which, once you lose it will be gone for up to several days while they try to repair it, with Directv once the storm is over your signal is back just like it never happened. I have yet to be without satelite for more than an hour.
    Sorry but I can't find a way to talk you out of it either.
    By the way, I'm in NW Indiana

    Nil Illegitimus Carborundum
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  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    offeror, weather-related problems do happen, but very rarely. Picture is better, far better than I get on my cable. I keep the cable for a single channel / program I can't get on the sat + the fact they offer high speed internet access for a most reasonable cost. I have DirecTV and have been quite happy with it.
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  • NighthawkNighthawk Member Posts: 12,022 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    For all you guy's I forgot to mention when the guy installed our Dish told us to spray the Dish its self not the projection beam with Pam.Just like the Pam you cook with and it works snow dont stick to it at all.Plus we have three TVs and two Boxes and have a great picture on all three,but if you will take Dish washing Liquid and clean the Dish about twice a year your picture will stay plain.If not it will slowly get worse and you dont notice it until you do clean it.

    Rugster


    Toujours Pret
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  • RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Offeror
    I to live in north eastern IN and have had Dish for a few years and the longest I have ever been down is about half an hour.
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  • cowdoccowdoc Member Posts: 5,847 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wouldnt get anything to watch if it wasnt for direct tv dish other than PBS and a very snowy CBS and ABC. the picture clarity with digital is super.
    doc
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  • TOOLS1TOOLS1 Member Posts: 6,133
    edited November -1
    Offeror dont do it or I'll come up there and take off your doorknobs.
    Hows this for talking you out of it?
    TOOLS
    P.S. Toolbabe wants to know what kind of writing you do. She has writen several short stories and is working on a book about dealing with brain damage.

    When I was a child, I thought as a child. But now that I am growen, I just wish I could act like a child and get away with it.
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  • pickenuppickenup Member Posts: 22,844 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    With all the channels to choose from, by the time you scroll through the list to see what is on, half a program is over already.Did that help to talk you out of it?Then there are the times when with all those channels, there STILL will not be anything worth watching on.Did that help?I switched to dish a couple of years ago, and unless they shoot the satelites out of the sky, I will not go back to cable. Of course if they shoot them down I would not have the option of cable either. LOL

    The gene pool needs chlorine.
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  • gruntledgruntled Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    OK, I just switched to cable from Direct-TV because I don't need a box with our cable (To get 71 channels) & they don't charge extra for the five TVs I have hooked up. I also got very tired of the billing problems & the endless time you have to spend trying to get through to talk to a human being.
    This was also just about the only thing I had to write checks for as everything else I pay on-line. My wife is a Hughes retiree & we get a $5 discount each month but it meant I had to mail in the coupons each month & go through great troubles each six months to get the next set of coupons.
    I was also having problems with one of the boxes causing the picture to constantly freeze & they would not repair it.
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  • AlpineAlpine Member Posts: 15,092 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rugster: It's a digital picture, you have it or you don't. The only in between is some pixelating right before you lose the picture. It is a perfect picture or there is none. I have the dish up for six years and never cleaned it. The signal strength for the 18" dish around here runs about 80. When it rains heavy we lose picture when signal gets around 39.
    Offerer: I would not talk you out of it. It is a good deal and a great picture. Soon Dishnet and Direct will be one in the same. Direct is the bigger company.

    "If you ain't got pictures, I wasn't there."
    ?The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.?
    Margaret Thatcher

    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
    Mark Twain
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  • charlieccharliec Member Posts: 269 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hell, I'm a cable guy and I don't know how to talk you out of it!
    Make sure the install is done with good wire.

    Chuck

    If man thinks for one minute he understands women, he's timed it about right
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  • bartobarto Member Posts: 4,734 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    ditto on using good wire. also waterproof connectors.
    the only trouble ive ever had was with moisture getting into connectors.
    rainex works to keep snow & ice from adhering also.
    barto

    the hard stuff we do right away - the impossible takes a little longer
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  • snake-eyessnake-eyes Member Posts: 869 ✭
    edited November -1
    Definitely get the Dish Network, I got it cheaper than Direct TV....for some reason. Direct TV can not easily be hacked for all channels, Must be able to reprogram cards. the Dish has no phone line going to the receiver to keep track of you and the hack cards for all channels are about $80......but it would be illegal to use that stuff anyways...just FYI.

    *If there is one gun for every 7 people in the world, I'm saving alot of people money*
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