Over the past sixteen months I have received three rate increases from my local cable provider. Almost $30 increase over that time frame. What's ironic is that I had to sign a two year agreement to get the initial rate that I did with them. That ended this past October. So in effect, I couldn't leave them for two years without penalty but they could increase my rates in that two year time frame as they saw fit. I'm pretty fed up, but I don't want to act too rash. I've started to inquire about rates and plans from the two big dish services. My concern is I don't have any experience with them and don't know if they're any better than my current provider. Does anybody have any experience, good or bad, with Direct TV or Dish? Are they just another wolf in different sheep's clothing. Are there any other viable alternatives out there that won't require one to be locked in due to physical location? If it wasn't for my wife, I would cancel it altogether and just keep our internet connection.
Cable or Dish for cable service?
- Thread starter Sierra048
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So we went from Time Warner to DirecTV.
My wife watches it, i don't so much.
We are at 48 dollars per month for a regular package with HD and two receivers.
I got a special deal from them, they gave me $150 in visa cards for signing the two year agreement.
Also, AAA offers a 10 dollar off per month discount, I have that applied.
Only thing, is in the second year the rate doubles pretty much, and I have to call them again and negotiate, or drop to a lower package.
If you end up going with DirecTV, I can send you a referral and get ten bucks off my bill per month, and you can do the same. I think it is good for ten months.
Pretty much all TV companies are a ripoff.
As soon as I canned Time Warner, they send me a flyer for $64.99 for internet and TV.
Pretty much I end up switching providers every couple years.
My wife watches it, i don't so much.
We are at 48 dollars per month for a regular package with HD and two receivers.
I got a special deal from them, they gave me $150 in visa cards for signing the two year agreement.
Also, AAA offers a 10 dollar off per month discount, I have that applied.
Only thing, is in the second year the rate doubles pretty much, and I have to call them again and negotiate, or drop to a lower package.
If you end up going with DirecTV, I can send you a referral and get ten bucks off my bill per month, and you can do the same. I think it is good for ten months.
Pretty much all TV companies are a ripoff.
As soon as I canned Time Warner, they send me a flyer for $64.99 for internet and TV.
Pretty much I end up switching providers every couple years.
Had the same issue here with rate increases. About 3 months ago my wife and I cut the cable and use over the air TV with an indoor antenna.
Also bought a Roku 3 and have more TV content than my wife and I could ever think of watching. Our total cost per month now is $7.99 for Hulu +.
You can find a lot of information about cutting the cable and the Roku 3 on You Tube. Simple matter for adding channels on line. What is a major + is you can watch what you want when you want.
Have watched more TV between over the air and the Roku 3 ever watched with cable.
$7.99 a month sure beats what we were paying!
We have thought of getting Netflix but with all the free content we are getting that is on the back burner right now.
Also bought a Roku 3 and have more TV content than my wife and I could ever think of watching. Our total cost per month now is $7.99 for Hulu +.
You can find a lot of information about cutting the cable and the Roku 3 on You Tube. Simple matter for adding channels on line. What is a major + is you can watch what you want when you want.
Have watched more TV between over the air and the Roku 3 ever watched with cable.
$7.99 a month sure beats what we were paying!
We have thought of getting Netflix but with all the free content we are getting that is on the back burner right now.
DirecTv here as well. Have had it since 1996. No problems and love it. Don't know what it would be like without an HD DVR. We never watch live TV anymore. Just record our shows and watch them on our time. Works great.
Didn't know about the AAA discount will have to call them up and see if we can get it as well.
Didn't know about the AAA discount will have to call them up and see if we can get it as well.
You have to negotiate.
Originally Posted By: JustinH
Pretty much all TV companies are a ripoff.
As soon as I canned Time Warner, they send me a flyer for $64.99 for internet and TV.
Pretty much I end up switching providers every couple years.
All providers are playing games with their customers. You can only get the lowest possible price is playing their games every year or two, i.e., call them and say: give me the best possible monthly charge similar for new customers or I cancel and/or switch to another provider.
Pretty much all TV companies are a ripoff.
As soon as I canned Time Warner, they send me a flyer for $64.99 for internet and TV.
Pretty much I end up switching providers every couple years.
All providers are playing games with their customers. You can only get the lowest possible price is playing their games every year or two, i.e., call them and say: give me the best possible monthly charge similar for new customers or I cancel and/or switch to another provider.
I bought a used TIVO with lifetime service back in the year 2000. Still have the same one today. I just use over the air antenna and record pretty much all ever like to watch. If I were to make a change, I would do a Roku or Nitflix.
Michael and HTSS are correct. I've worked at two cable companies and one of the big sat guys.
With satellite, it all comes down to having a good install with solid line of sight to the satellites. This means you need unobstructed southern sky views. All the stories about fuzzy/no signal during cloudy/rainy/snowy times is all due to bad install with poor line of sight.
Option 1
- Price out Dish and DirecTV for the package/boxes you want. I like Dish's boxes/interface better but DirecTV will have better customer service and not constant threats of channels going black
- Call you cable co and tell them Dish/DTV is offering you similar package for whatever the price is and if they don't match, you want to cancel. This should get you over to the retention guys who can match the price or discount your service. There is always the possibility that they won't do anything so I recommend that you are actually willing to switch.
Option 2
Dish just launched a $20($25 with sports) streaming TV service. There is no box and can watch shows up to 3 days prior. Not a bad deal if you like the channels and 1-3 day dvr is ok for you. There are no broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC & FOX) included.
With satellite, it all comes down to having a good install with solid line of sight to the satellites. This means you need unobstructed southern sky views. All the stories about fuzzy/no signal during cloudy/rainy/snowy times is all due to bad install with poor line of sight.
Option 1
- Price out Dish and DirecTV for the package/boxes you want. I like Dish's boxes/interface better but DirecTV will have better customer service and not constant threats of channels going black
- Call you cable co and tell them Dish/DTV is offering you similar package for whatever the price is and if they don't match, you want to cancel. This should get you over to the retention guys who can match the price or discount your service. There is always the possibility that they won't do anything so I recommend that you are actually willing to switch.
Option 2
Dish just launched a $20($25 with sports) streaming TV service. There is no box and can watch shows up to 3 days prior. Not a bad deal if you like the channels and 1-3 day dvr is ok for you. There are no broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC & FOX) included.
Originally Posted By: sicko
Isn't the whole purpose of signing a two year agreement is that it locks in your price for those two years?
That's what I thought too. Definitely weighted in the providers favor. I'll spend this weekend trying to decide what to do. I just need to make sure my wife's channels are there in any package or I'm in big trouble. What is a Roku? Is that something you need the internet for? Can you watch anything you like on it. If someone can help me understand what it is I might check in to it. I just need to keep the bride happy ("Happy wife is a happy life"). Thanks for the help.
Isn't the whole purpose of signing a two year agreement is that it locks in your price for those two years?
That's what I thought too. Definitely weighted in the providers favor. I'll spend this weekend trying to decide what to do. I just need to make sure my wife's channels are there in any package or I'm in big trouble. What is a Roku? Is that something you need the internet for? Can you watch anything you like on it. If someone can help me understand what it is I might check in to it. I just need to keep the bride happy ("Happy wife is a happy life"). Thanks for the help.
I've had Dish for twelve years. They generally treat me right and offer me gimme deals on the few occasions I've needed service (The hard drives in DVR's eventually fail and the LNB's on the dish need to be replaced periodically.) I kinda want a Hopper setup, but even for me they want a two year agreement - even though it would not change my monthly cost. At this point I want to keep my options open. The service is pretty reliable, though, I have had occasional brief outages during the heavy cloud cover and sheeting rain that can accompany spring storms. The cost has gone up over the years and I would like a few specific channels that I don't currently have, but that would require me to pay $20 more per month, plus taxes and fees, for the next tier package. 50% or more of my channels are garbage that I never watch (home shopping, sports, and religion). I doubt a-la-carte pricing would end up being better, but I'd sure like the chance to find out.
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
I've had Dish for twelve years. They generally treat me right and offer me gimme deals on the few occasions I've needed service (The hard drives in DVR's eventually fail and the LNB's on the dish need to be replaced periodically.) I kinda want a Hopper setup, but even for me they want a two year agreement - even though it would not change my monthly cost. At this point I want to keep my options open. The service is pretty reliable, though, I have had occasional brief outages during the heavy cloud cover and sheeting rain that can accompany spring storms. The cost has gone up over the years and I would like a few specific channels that I don't currently have, but that would require me to pay $20 more per month, plus taxes and fees, for the next tier package. 50% or more of my channels are garbage that I never watch (home shopping, sports, and religion). I doubt a-la-carte pricing would end up being better, but I'd sure like the chance to find out.
Are the hard drives and LNB's covered in your monthly pricing? My son just told me about Sling TV and I gave them a call. Nice idea but their channel offerings are pretty weak right now. They say that they will be increasing in the future as negotiations are on going with other stations. I would love to just drop it altogether.
I've had Dish for twelve years. They generally treat me right and offer me gimme deals on the few occasions I've needed service (The hard drives in DVR's eventually fail and the LNB's on the dish need to be replaced periodically.) I kinda want a Hopper setup, but even for me they want a two year agreement - even though it would not change my monthly cost. At this point I want to keep my options open. The service is pretty reliable, though, I have had occasional brief outages during the heavy cloud cover and sheeting rain that can accompany spring storms. The cost has gone up over the years and I would like a few specific channels that I don't currently have, but that would require me to pay $20 more per month, plus taxes and fees, for the next tier package. 50% or more of my channels are garbage that I never watch (home shopping, sports, and religion). I doubt a-la-carte pricing would end up being better, but I'd sure like the chance to find out.
Are the hard drives and LNB's covered in your monthly pricing? My son just told me about Sling TV and I gave them a call. Nice idea but their channel offerings are pretty weak right now. They say that they will be increasing in the future as negotiations are on going with other stations. I would love to just drop it altogether.
So, I have a Roku also.
It is a little box as large as a deck of cards, that plugs into a HDMI port on the TV, then gets the service over wireless internet.
You can subscribe to netflix and watch it on your TV, or you can use Amazon streaming or whatever.
There are a million apps.
Anyways, I have Amazon Prime, so you get Prime Streaming for free.
It is sort of like Netflix but older crummier content.
I watch the Prime Streaming about once a month, if it wasn't included with the Prime, I would never pay for it. Mostly junk on there, however there are a few good documentaries.
I have not liked netflix at all, not sure how some people say they love it.
I subscribe to netflix every couple years just to see what's new. Seems like the same old content to me, nothing I am interested in watching.
Maybe I don't like movies enough to like it?
I can't cut the cable here, I like to watch local channels for news in the morning and can not get them reliably with an antenna.
So it is easier for me to pay directv for all the locals plus a few other channels.
I could invest a couple hundred bucks in a high gain antenna, and mount it on my roof, but the HOA might not like that, and a couple hundred bucks is six months worth of DirecTV subscription.
Honestly guys, I'm 32 years old and I have very little interest in TV. I live in Central Texas and its beautiful here most of the year.
I work in IT, so when I come home I unwind with a book instead of staring at another screen.
Going totally off the grid with TV is not something I would do, I still watch local news, etc, but that is about it.
I flip through the channels on my DirecTV package and over 50 percent of them are infomercials, the rest is religious programming, and foreign language, and the rest is reality television.
Hardly worth watching.
It is a little box as large as a deck of cards, that plugs into a HDMI port on the TV, then gets the service over wireless internet.
You can subscribe to netflix and watch it on your TV, or you can use Amazon streaming or whatever.
There are a million apps.
Anyways, I have Amazon Prime, so you get Prime Streaming for free.
It is sort of like Netflix but older crummier content.
I watch the Prime Streaming about once a month, if it wasn't included with the Prime, I would never pay for it. Mostly junk on there, however there are a few good documentaries.
I have not liked netflix at all, not sure how some people say they love it.
I subscribe to netflix every couple years just to see what's new. Seems like the same old content to me, nothing I am interested in watching.
Maybe I don't like movies enough to like it?
I can't cut the cable here, I like to watch local channels for news in the morning and can not get them reliably with an antenna.
So it is easier for me to pay directv for all the locals plus a few other channels.
I could invest a couple hundred bucks in a high gain antenna, and mount it on my roof, but the HOA might not like that, and a couple hundred bucks is six months worth of DirecTV subscription.
Honestly guys, I'm 32 years old and I have very little interest in TV. I live in Central Texas and its beautiful here most of the year.
I work in IT, so when I come home I unwind with a book instead of staring at another screen.
Going totally off the grid with TV is not something I would do, I still watch local news, etc, but that is about it.
I flip through the channels on my DirecTV package and over 50 percent of them are infomercials, the rest is religious programming, and foreign language, and the rest is reality television.
Hardly worth watching.
Originally Posted By: Sierra048
Are the hard drives and LNB's covered in your monthly pricing?
Yes, for the DVR. Dish only leases DVR's so I never own it - unlike the previous receiver types. The cost is only $7 per month, though. The last time the HDD failed they sent me a new one via UPS next day. I simply replaced the old one and then packed it in the box from the "new" one and applied the UPS label included in the box. I put new in quotes because most of their DVR/receivers are simply refurbished with new HDD's - they are standard 3.5" drives.
But, no, the LNB replacement was not free - to my disappointment. What the C/S rep suggested I do is add the "equipment coverage" to my plan. It's $5 a month and you can add it at any time. You have to keep it for a minimum of six months and it's up to you to discontinue it. Since the cost of replacing the LNB is around $60 it's basically half price. You just have to set a reminder to discontinue the plan after six months. Awesome? No! But, it is what it is.
Are the hard drives and LNB's covered in your monthly pricing?
Yes, for the DVR. Dish only leases DVR's so I never own it - unlike the previous receiver types. The cost is only $7 per month, though. The last time the HDD failed they sent me a new one via UPS next day. I simply replaced the old one and then packed it in the box from the "new" one and applied the UPS label included in the box. I put new in quotes because most of their DVR/receivers are simply refurbished with new HDD's - they are standard 3.5" drives.
But, no, the LNB replacement was not free - to my disappointment. What the C/S rep suggested I do is add the "equipment coverage" to my plan. It's $5 a month and you can add it at any time. You have to keep it for a minimum of six months and it's up to you to discontinue it. Since the cost of replacing the LNB is around $60 it's basically half price. You just have to set a reminder to discontinue the plan after six months. Awesome? No! But, it is what it is.
everyone has different taste and circumstances. I lived without cable tv for 1.5 years. I just had antenna, netflix, and roku 3 box. But, my 3 year old daughter would ask me about seeing mickey mouse sometimes. She must have been told about Mickey mouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Sophia the Princess, and Doc McStuffins. Some from Netflix but some from school. Disney is very nazi about protecting mickey mouse. They put cease and disist on youtube videos of copyright mickey mouse clubhouse cartoons. if I did find one to play for her, the quality of the video was -280P, screen was cut off, or audio out of sync.
Sling TV came out with disney Jr, I caved and bought for $25 per month. To get disney jr, the major cable and satellite providers mandate the highest TV package to get it. they know what they are doing. it's been nice to have since we have suffered through two ice/snow issues in TN for the past 4 weeks.
Sling TV came out with disney Jr, I caved and bought for $25 per month. To get disney jr, the major cable and satellite providers mandate the highest TV package to get it. they know what they are doing. it's been nice to have since we have suffered through two ice/snow issues in TN for the past 4 weeks.
Well, for those interested, I spent the weekend trying to find an alternative to what we currently have for CATV to keep the wife happy. I got all excited looking at the Dish/Direct TV alternatives until I tallied up all the costs for different things like DVR fees, per set fees etc... I could save some money the first year but after the promo rates, they are just as, if not more, expensive than what I have now even after the recent increases. Plus I have to lock myself in for two years so they can recoup the cost of their promo rates. Looks like I'm stuck unless I want to live alone. Oh well, I tried.
I don't think mentioning different companies initial rates is going to help anyone. I looked at Dish, Direct T.V. three Wifi (in my area Digis, Century Link, etc.) providers, and after THE SECOND YEAR the rates were going to be virtually the same as I was paying with ComCast Cable.
I communicated with all the above companies via their "chat service" on their website.
If you don't mind different cables running alongside your house every two years then I guess you could pay the "initial rate game") and switch every year or two.
I guess some parts of the country could be different.
I communicated with all the above companies via their "chat service" on their website.
If you don't mind different cables running alongside your house every two years then I guess you could pay the "initial rate game") and switch every year or two.
I guess some parts of the country could be different.
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