jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I like DirecTV better than Dish. I had Dish for the 2 year contract then went back to DirecTV. DirecTV seemed to have the programming I wanted for slightly less money. About the only thing I like about any service is the DVR that they provide now. DirecTV gave me a box that will record 5 shows at a time. That was great because there are 3 adults living here and it gets used quite a bit. But the price I'm paying is ridiculous. I'm paying over $180/month for DirecTV. I get my high speed internet from AT&T too and that's $29 of the $180 but still. That's a lot of money to simply watch TV.

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

Herr are some options:

Cutting cable ideas.

https://youtu.be/RrsegWd5VSI

https://youtu.be/gIQDoy0bWfY

EdJ0307 Loc: out west someplace

I currently have Dish Network but I have used Direct TV, Spectrum (Charter) Cable, Adelphia Cable and Daniels Cable in the past. If it wasn't for the wife I would be one of those cord-cutters but I prefer Dish over all the others I have had.

Frayud Loc: Bethesda,MD

Had Dish and gave it up because of loss of service during heavy rainstorms in the DC-Bethesda MD area.

1Feathercrest Loc: NEPA

SITE! not "sight"

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I don't have direct TV, nor a dish, but I receive direct TV's NFL weekend trough a chromecast divice I bought many years ago for $28. So I can watch any game I like and its free, loving that!

therwol Loc: USA

Direct... ugly. Those sales people you run into are not DirecTV employees. They can say whatever they want with no accountability. We switched from Comcast to Direct based on a fantastic introductory price. The price skyrocketed after the introductory period to far higher than the sales person indicated. We were also told that after 2 years if we renewed with them, the price would drop back to the introductory price for a year. A lie. The price just kept going up and continues to go up.

DirecTV said that no one was authorized to make that promise, that they determine the pricing and not the sales people. It turns out that none of the promises were made in writing, and it's our fault for not scrutinizing the contract. After threatening to report them to various agencies, they offered us $250 in cash to basically shut up. We didn't take it but then decided to just stop wasting our time with it. The only reason we still have them at this point is that we're going to move soon and will look at other options at that time.

Finally, DirecTV doesn't carry the local sub channels like MeTV. Some of us "old people" like to watch 50s and 60s reruns. So I also have an antenna connected to my TV. Ridiculous. Comcast carried them.

Smudgey Loc: Ohio, Calif, Now Arizona

Both are just too expensive, I cut the cable two years ago and no longer pay for channels that I never watch. I have a Tivo as well.

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

My experience is that Dish is much less expensive than Direct TV. My Dish rates went up this year for the first time in 5 years. I have local networks with DVR and the basic 100 channels for about $80 a month. Last time I compared the service to a friend using Direct TV - mine was $20 cheaper per month for pretty much the same channels. Dish also periodically gives you HBO, Showtime and Cinemax free for a week along with 2 different premium channels every month.

The other big difference is that Direct TV used to give you a discount period and then require 2 more years at 'regular' price. If you opted out before the 2 years were up, you got hit with the full price for the time you had them. Not sure if they still do that...

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

exactly jc cash - the Dish price is guaranteed for 2 years and then you are done or can renew, the Direct TV price doubles after the first year !

the equivalent of the dish package you shared is $105 a month after the initial period. The Dish package stays the same for the duration. Fine print can get you every time

https://www.reviews.org/tv-service/best-satellite-tv-providers/

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

Right now I have DTV (12 month cheap rate). Plus free HBO due to AT&T plan.

Once that rate goes up.., I’ll fight it, see what I can do, to lower it. Or, I’ll put up with the smallest payment I can pay for final year l, then go back to using the antenna or Spectrum will buy out the DTV cancellation. DTV ATT gave me $200 visa when I joined.

therwol Loc: USA

If you have a contract with them for a certain number of years, good luck fighting what's in the contract. They might negotiate after the contract is up to keep you as a customer, but that doesn't last forever. And I forgot to mention something in my earlier post about Direct. They notified us by e-mail that they were adding the NFL sports package to our channels for a hefty fee unless we opted out. The e-mail wasn't even opened because we got tired of being bombarded with promotions and put them in the spam folder. My wife just assumed that they had jacked up the price again, one of many times. I called them and got the real story, and they only cancelled the future months and wouldn't issue a refund for the previous ones on the bill, saying it was our responsibility to have read the e-mail and opted out. This would be the equivalent of taking in your care for an oil change and having them do a brake job without your prior authorization and expecting you to pay for it.

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

I’m OK with it now. I don’t usually have any issues with bad reception. And the few times I did in the past when I used to have them. I would just tell them that I was complaining and they would give me a free month Michelle time or something. I canceled most of my subscriptions for Hulu etc. So I’m paying about the same as I was before. The number of my friends are using DIRECTV NOW.

george40422

I have 2 TVs, a Genie 2 (HS17-100) and a Genie Mini (C41W-100) for each of the TVs. I love the idea behind the hardware (lots of tuners so you can record 6 shows at once, lots of disk space (2Tb). Direct TV has not figured out how to program this hardware so that it will work. It is HORRIBLE!!!. When I am playing a recorded program, there is a transfer problem between Genie 2 and the Genie Mini which causes the TV to pause, freeze both the picture and sound then resume. If I back the program up and start the replay again, it works fine (as it should have the first time). This generally will happen every time I try to replay a program(s). In one location I have a Yamaha Sound Bar (YSP-1000) connected to the Direct TV hardware. Frequently when starting to play a recorded program, the Genie Mini will lose sound sync with the Sound Bar. To correct this situation usually involves powering off either the Genie Mini or the Sound Bar. This happens about once every other day. I have complained frequently and attempted to explain what my problems are to the technicians on the 800 number. These technician promise to fix the problem by sending a service tech to my house. The last time a service tech came to my house and listened to my problems he showed me his smart phone and all of the known problems that can only be fixed by downloading new software to my Genie & Genie Minis. Direct TV has not been able to fix any of my problems in the last 4 months that I have had this equipment. To cancel this situation I will have to pay $20/month for each month left on the 2 year contract I have with Direct TV. Based on my situation I would not recommend Direct TV!!!