"Derelect" (Direct)TV grumpage

[BlackBeard]

Me and the wifey decide to try out Direct TV. HUGE mistake!!! From the gate we made it clear we didn't want the dish in front of the house, anywhere in the rear or on the roof is fine, and that the installer would need a long enough ladder. On the agreed upon day between 8-4 the installer was a no call, no show. An installer showed up after 6pm that sameday. Again we made it crystal clear the front of the house was off limits only the back, or the roof. The installer quickly got everything up and running, so before he left I wanted to do a walk-around to make sure everything met my standards. I was floored, jackass mounted the dish in front of the house directly in front of my second story window. I had him take down the dish and we arranged for a re-installtion date...so I thought. After 2 more no call no shows, 9 days later the so-called area supervisor came out to do the re installation himself. He brought a 40' ladder and 2 other installers. After about 2hours he claimed that the only line-of sight he could get was from the second story in the front. I told him never mind, we don't want it. Well today after scrutinizing every house on my street 17 out of 20 dishes are Direct TV the other 3 are dish network. the 4 houses immediately around me (front, back, left and right) have direct tv, 2 on their roofs, one on the side and one in the back. Talked to my neighbors, of course they had it awhile ago went thru the Direct TV drama and cancelled shortly after. Lousy customer service, billing issues, 15 minutes or more waiting to speak to a live person (in India). I'll stick to terrestial tv thank you.

[Raven]

the problem with dishes is that weather interferes with the signal. same thing -> with a totally crap company called wild blue which is an Internet service provider...

every time a (cell) storm passes over the signal turns to digital cubes and your picture freezes up....

i'll never use the satellite dishes ever again

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Raven

the problem with dishes is that weather interferes with the signal. same thing -> with a totally crap company called wild blue which is an Internet service provider...

every time a (cell) storm passes over the signal turns to digital cubes and your picture freezes up....

i'll never use the satellite dishes ever again

I've had very few weather related problems with Direct TV. Certainly nowhere near as many as Comcast cable subscribers in my neck of the woods.

And none of the other problems that Blackbeard related. The installers couldn't have been more helpful (they even agreed to move furniture around for us), and they arrived on time on the date promised.

Part of the reason, I would imagine, for so few weather problems is that I allowed them to set the dish wherever they got the strongest signal--currently 97% signal strength

[Swimmer]

I wouldn't use anything else. Never had a problem. Weather cells bothered the dish three times for a total of twenty minutes in the five years we have had it. Love the reception. Almost as good as HDTV without the HD receiver.

[Striperknight]

Originally Posted by Raven

the problem with dishes is that weather interferes with the signal. same thing -> with a totally crap company called wild blue which is an Internet service provider...

every time a (cell) storm passes over the signal turns to digital cubes and your picture freezes up....

i'll never use the satellite dishes ever again

Not true with me. Dish Networks performs all the time...even in storms.

[Duke41]

comcast with expanded channels hbo and internet $180

Direct TV all movie channels, expanded 118, verizon internet 27.00

Comcast can kiss my ass.

[Raven]

i was more displeased with my satellite reception
for my internet signal than i was with direct TV

where i live.... quite near a 70 foot deep lake...

the weather stops here.... and stalls

perhaps your more out on the plains....where as here
we are 600 feet above sea level

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by Duke41

comcast with expanded channels hbo and internet $180

Direct TV all movie channels, expanded 118, verizon internet 27.00

Comcast can kiss my ass.

Duke, does that include HD boxes and DVR for that price? I'm still waiting for FIOS in my neighborhood and am paying way too much for what I get from Comcast.

[RIJIMMY]

I have direct tv and love it. Interestingly 4 years ago, my installer spent hours at my house and walked me through everything on the remote control and all the features. I never had anyone so enthusiastic. Then Direct TV called me way to many times to see if I was satisfied. I thought the client service was too good

[EricW]

Sounds like your problem is installers and not directv itself. I have had directv since the mid 90's when there weren't any installers. I did it all myself. Not hard at all. Back then, you had to find an electrician who knew what they were doing. Some stores had some contacts of people who could install it for you. If you had signal in the front, you should have it in the back too if they could simply point the dish in the same direction. Unless your house is really angled funny ...

I think the service has been great. I lose signal only in the worst rain.

Pricing is good, and since I have had it for about 12 years now, only a few increases, compared to cable with one about every year and alot higher % of an increase.

I still have my original receiver too. Equipment has lasted quite a while. I am about to get a 61" HD tv from a friend so I will have to upgrade to the HD receiver.

May be worth looking at again if you can find someone to put it in like you want it.

[Adam_777]

Cox Cable wins hands down.RI has a good infrastructure and may soon be the first state to have wireless internet from border to border.Direct TV at work in the break room craps out once a week or more.

[UserRemoved1]

been happy with direct tv for a long time. we had it in Hudson and for 4 years in Uxbridge. I had a couple hiccups on reinstall at new house but once done it's been nearly flawless. Very concentrated storms will block it temporarily but it always comes back. I think this summer was some of the worst we've ever had with all those mega cells coming through we missed probably 4-5 hours in a month combined.

If anyone ever seen my house it's 44' tall to that peak and anyone that goes up on that pitch without a rope is insane. I've seen plenty of guys do it. I personally wouldn't without a roof hook and ladder. So it's on the highest point of my house to get the signal but you don't see it anyways.

[Duke41]

Originally Posted by fishbones

Duke, does that include HD boxes and DVR for that price? I'm still waiting for FIOS in my neighborhood and am paying way too much for what I get from Comcast.

yes it does. 2 hd boxes one of whic is a dvr. again comcast can kiss my ass.

[dunky]

Originally Posted by Duke41

yes it does. 2 hd boxes one of whic is a dvr. again comcast can kiss my ass.

you had to buy the boxes right? so if they break you need to replace them??

I just switched to fios 3 hd boxes w/dvr internet phone $160 thats $80 less than comcast. no movie channels except free for 90 days but now that the sopranos are over who cares.

Chris

[rivsie11]

Had Direct TV for four years, absolutely loved it. Never had a problem.

[EarnedStripes44]

comcast blows

[Rob Rockcrawler]

I just switched over to comcast and have been pleased so far. I dont know how pleased i will be after the year is up and my prices jump. I had directv for 7 years. I had a tough time with the instalation. It had to be 100 feet from my house on the lakefront because of the amount of trees. It worked great for 9 months of the year. april, may and the beginning of june pretty much sucked. The dish crapped out on me for the last 5 episodes of deadliest catch and i finally called comcast. Couldnt take it anymore.

[Slingah]

I have had DirecTV for 4+ years...just got a new TV so needed HD.....installer showed up 2 hours late and says he can't do it...no signal....I have 97% strength..WTF??.good-bye DTV, hello fios...

[basswipe]

I'm no fan of DTV either but here's a great Comcast story.

My girl's mother has been in a nursing home for quite some time.With the impending switch to digital signal,Comcast offered all residents extended basic for $9.95 a month.Great!Dude comes and basically hooks up a coax from the jack in the wall to her old but cable ready TV.Nothing but over the air channels.Says she needs a new TV.

I'm thinking new TV?!Why?Its cable ready.So I go up to the nursing home and check it out.I can't figure it out.So we buy a nice little new 14" RCA flat screen(not a true LCD) for short money.I hook it up run the channel scan and nothing but over the air again.Do this two more times and now I'm WTF!!!

Can't go into a rage because of where I'm at.So I start looking at the coax cable and follow it up to the top of the wall into a hidden corner.I notivce two coax jacks in the wall,one looks old and one looks new.The old one is apparently for hook up to the roof antenna.

THE DUMB-ASS TECH HOOKED THE CABLE UP TO THE %$%$%$%$ING ANTENNA JACK!!!!!!!!

Didn't need a new TV.Needed a new tech.In the end my girl's mother waisted $80.She got a better TV but not necessary.

Better rename the Comcast Center to Dumb-Ass Center.

[Duke41]

True the do suck....hard

[spence]

Originally Posted by Adam_777

Cox Cable wins hands down.RI has a good infrastructure and may soon be the first state to have wireless internet from border to border.Direct TV at work in the break room craps out once a week or more.

I've had pretty good results with Cox as well. Customer service is always very good for Internet stuff, and as we're not big TV people, expanded basic is plenty.

Perhaps I'm too vain, but I find the dish to be really, really unsightly.

Same goes for window air conditioners. Hate 'em...

Brightly colored outdoor plastic kids toys. Don't get me started.

-spence

[basswipe]

Originally Posted by spence

Brightly colored outdoor plastic kids toys. Don't get me started.

-spence

What do you think of those unsightly yellow "slow" boys with the orange flags?

I personally can't stand those things.

I know,I know.