New DirecTv questions...

[Chocolate Lab]

Ah, a nice, non-controversial, non-confrontational topic. I think.

I'm actually a long time DirecTv customer going back to 1997 when you had to buy the dish at Radio Shack and install it yourself, but I just have a very basic setup. I've finally convinced my mom and dad to get DirecTv after years of horrible Time Warner cable, but they'll have HD DVR, three TVs, the free installation, the rental of the boxes, etc. So some questions for you guys who have gotten new service lately:

-- Is there any cost advantage to going through these third party companies like I get in the junk (snail) mail? Or should I just call DirecTv themselves directly? When I went back to DirecTv about six years ago, I just went to Best Buy, bought a receiver, and installed it all myself, so I know nothing about what differences there might be between these companies.

-- Are there any special deals out there right now?

-- Just playing around with the calculator on the DirecTv site, it looks like one HD DVR, one HD receiver, and one regular receiver would be something like $60/month the first three months, $99 the next nine months, then $130 from then on. (That's all from memory so could be a little off.) Does that sound about right?

-- They have a vacation house in Colorado with no cable or satellite currently. Does DirecTv care if you take a box up there with you? I thought I'd read in a forum that you could pay $5.99/mo to keep a receiver permanently at a different location as long as it wasn't on at the same time as the others, but who knows.

Just thought I'd see if there was anything to look out for before I do this. Thanks!

 

[Yeagermeister]

I very close to making the switch also. The only thing that is stopping me is all the rain we have been getting.

 

[Hoofbite]

If you set up a dish yourself at their vacation home, you don't even have to mention anything to them.

Just take the box when you go.

They have a little portable satellite thing you can buy and take anywhere with you.

As long as that dish is getting signal, I don't think they can really pinpoint where you are if you keep your receiver offline. So, don't hook up the internet to it or hook up the phone line to it.

I know a guy who bought a dish and requested an additional card and receiver from his parents account and then just hooked it up himself at his house. Only pay the box fee.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Yeager, are you worried about rain fade? Do you have friends that have that problem or something? Because here in Texas, only the biggest, baddest thunderstorms actually knock out my signal, and then only for not more than 10 minutes or so.

And yeah, hoof, I could do that, but it would be better if they didn't have to take a box and hook it up each time. I just wonder if there's a way to leave one up there without it costing much more.

 

[Duane]

I can tell you from personal experience that if you're dealing with DirecTV get everything in writing and keep detailed notes of your discussions. They screwed me over the last time I had service and won't be going back.

 

[SDogo]

I had Primestar when DirecTv bought them, that will tell you how long I have been a customer (12 years)

Ever only once had a customer service issue with them and it was a honest mistake they fixed with in minutes.

As far as weather outages, I would need to clean the dish off from time to time living back in NY where it snowed but discovered tricks to help that out as well. If I lose my service for a total of an hour a year I would be shocked.

For years I had service at two locations but have not done so in about 3 years. If I remember correctly it was something like 6 or 7 dollars a year but it could not be active the same time as the primary location.

I currently have 1 HD/DVR, 1 Standard DVR, 1 HD receiver and 1 standard receiver. I also have the total choice HD package plus DVR with locals and my bill is around $140 a month.

 

[MyBad]

I can tell you from personal experience that if you're dealing with DirecTV get everything in writing and keep detailed notes of your discussions. They screwed me over the last time I had service and won't be going back.

LOL yah this can be true, one thing is if you don't have a phone line you can not use the PPV features. Just order a two or three room package, take one box up to the cabin, install your own dish!

 

[SkinsandTerps]

LOL yah this can be true, one thing is if you don't have a phone line you can not use the PPV features. Just order a two or three room package, take one box up to the cabin, install your own dish!

Yes you can. And no, let them install it.

PPV can be done online or by calling. I have not had a phone line in 10 years. Get any PPV's that I want.

They install for free, you tell them where it works for you, and check the signal when they are checking it.

Common sense really.

 

[burmafrd]

I got my Directv in Feb of 95. I installed it myself. Up until this last time when I had the HD, every where I moved I installed it myself. It is really very easy.
The key to getting reception in anything except a real downpour or heavy snowfall is that you have to have a high signal when you install it. 90 is the minimum you should settle for. There is no place I have been at where I have not been able to get at least a 93. One other very key thing: the distance from your dish to the receiver. Keep the cable length to less than 20 feet or buy a booster.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I had Primestar when DirecTv bought them, that will tell you how long I have been a customer (12 years)

Ever only once had a customer service issue with them and it was a honest mistake they fixed with in minutes.

As far as weather outages, I would need to clean the dish off from time to time living back in NY where it snowed but discovered tricks to help that out as well. If I lose my service for a total of an hour a year I would be shocked.

For years I had service at two locations but have not done so in about 3 years. If I remember correctly it was something like 6 or 7 dollars a year but it could not be active the same time as the primary location.

I currently have 1 HD/DVR, 1 Standard DVR, 1 HD receiver and 1 standard receiver. I also have the total choice HD package plus DVR with locals and my bill is around $140 a month.

Cool, thanks. Is that for the Premier or whatever the top channel package is (minus extras like Sunday Ticket, etc.)?

And yeah, I've never had a phone line hooked up the last six or seven years... I haven't even had a land line in forever.

Duane -- sorry to hear that. Can I ask what it was related to? The few times I've had to deal with them, they've been great. It's the cable people that I had problem after problem with many years ago.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Yeager, are you worried about rain fade? Do you have friends that have that problem or something? Because here in Texas, only the biggest, baddest thunderstorms actually knock out my signal, and then only for not more than 10 minutes or so.

And yeah, hoof, I could do that, but it would be better if they didn't have to take a box and hook it up each time. I just wonder if there's a way to leave one up there without it costing much more.

When I had it before we lost signal all the time but I'm pretty sure it was because of where the dish was mounted.

 

[yimyammer]

-- They have a vacation house in Colorado with no cable or satellite currently. Does DirecTv care if you take a box up there with you? I thought I'd read in a forum that you could pay $5.99/mo to keep a receiver permanently at a different location as long as it wasn't on at the same time as the others, but who knows.

Just thought I'd see if there was anything to look out for before I do this. Thanks!

I can't address the other questions but my mom lives in Colorado and she is staying with me in Dallas and wanted to have her Sat TV here. She called directtv and they installed a dish at my house and turned off the signal in Colorado and turned it on here in Dallas. I'm not sure what it costs per month extra, if any, but its working fine. Saved me some money because I just pay an extra $5 bucks or so for a receiver in my LR and get cheap sat service while she's here

 

[YosemiteSam]

My reception is 96%-100% at all times. Though if it rains hard or snows heavy, it screws off my reception. My wife hates DirecTV with a passion compared to our cable TV that never had issues in bad weather. Plus OnDemand was literally OnDemand. Not choose a channel that a movie starts or started within the last 30 minutes or an hour. (chessy)

 

[SDogo]

Cool, thanks. Is that for the Premier or whatever the top channel package is (minus extras like Sunday Ticket, etc.)?

It's the top package minus the movie channels but I do have the sports package and of course it goes up 6 months out of the year when they start charging for the NFL Ticket.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

I very close to making the switch also. The only thing that is stopping me is all the rain we have been getting.

I have not lost one minute if TV with it and I have had the same rain as you pretty much.

The HD Dish is a much better dish than the regular.

 

[SDogo]

The HD Dish is a much better dish than the regular.

Very true

 

[Kevinicus]

If any of you guys are looking at signing up with Directv, I'd be happy to "refer" you so we can both get the $100.

 

[DallasEast]

If any of you guys are looking at signing up with Directv, I'd be happy to "refer" you so we can both get the $100.

Ditto.

 

[hutch1254]

I got Directv back in August along with the ticket and was very pleased. I can't see myself going back to TW cable. Picture quality is better in my opinion.

I've had rain and snow come down pretty hard on the dish with no reception issues whatsoever. A friend told me to put rainex on the dish itself and it has worked like a charm letting rain and wet snow just roll right off.

The only issue I've had is wind. My dish is in a spot that gets a lot of wind and recently it knocked it out of alignment slightly so I'm not getting some HD channels. However, it is easy to adjust the dish back. Only had to do it once, otherwise my dish has been money. I plan on moving it around the back of the house out of the windzone.

I'm very, very happy I made the switch.

 

[Kevinicus]

I got Directv back in August along with the ticket and was very pleased. I can't see myself going back to TW cable. Picture quality is better in my opinion.

I've had rain and snow come down pretty hard on the dish with no reception issues whatsoever. A friend told me to put rainex on the dish itself and it has worked like a charm letting rain and wet snow just roll right off.

The only issue I've had is wind. My dish is in a spot that gets a lot of wind and recently it knocked it out of alignment slightly so I'm not getting some HD channels. However, it is easy to adjust the dish back. Only had to do it once, otherwise my dish has been money. I plan on moving it around the back of the house out of the windzone.

I'm very, very happy I made the switch.

Now that's not a bad idea right there.

For the first 5 years I had directv I had maybe 2 interruptions due to weather. Now the last 6 or 7 years I get 7 or 8 interruptions a year when it storms heavily (New dish, and new location). Now with snow/ice it's because the dish gets covered and I just go out and clean it off and it's okay, but there's nothing I can do about the rain. My signal strength is about 92-93 on average, so I figured I shouldn't have much problems, but I do. Perhaps the rain-x would help. Or maybe the weather has just been more severe.