OT: What satellite system is best?

[brdmaverick]

if SUNDAY TICKET is what you desire, then you must get DIRECT TV

 

[PatsFan24]

Direct TV also has a baseball package. I think Dish has one also. The Directv one is pretty good if you are into that. XM Radio also has all the baseball games on their if you drive a lot

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Re: (OT): what satelite system is best?

do yourself a favor and stay with cable t.v. the satalite service is the worst

I've had DirecTV for, what, about 8-9 years now and have never had to call their customer service - not a single problem or issue in almost a decade.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

You'll have issues either way you go. There's no perfect set up.

We have Direct TV at our lake house in a very rural area and it's a constant problem. Everyone up there has problems with it, but there's no cable so it's their way or nothing. When it's working, it's great.

At home I have cable and watch the games with friends at a local sports bar each week and for that reason I wouldn't get DirectTV. That's part of the enjoyment for me, much more fun that sitting at home IMO.

I also have issues with paying for HD when I get it for free with my cable company. There's a lot of fine print with DirectTV that you should be aware of. Fees for seperate receivers, HD etc. If you like HBO, you can expect to pay slightly more than you would with cable, at least that's how it is in my area.

Really, the NFL, for all their business sense in other areas, continues to blunder this issue. It's really simple math. There are far more cable subscribers across the US than there are satellite subscribers. One would think they would want as many people subscribing as possible but clearly that is not the case.

Also, if the Ticket were only available on cable, I doubt we would have as many glowing testimonials about DirectTV in this thread.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

I have lived outside of Mass for more than 15 years now. Before I lived on Long Island and actually used to place large "Bunny Ears" on top of my roof and catch the Sox (back when they used to be on regular TV) and the Pats out of Connecticut. When I moved to Georgia I was stuck doing the bar thing. The bar thing is pretty good, as you will usually find some quick friends with other displaced Massachusettians.

Two years ago I got Direct TV, and it is absolutely the greatest invention since the wheel! Their is nothing like having EVERY SINGLE GAME AVAILABLE TO YOU!! You have to remember that next year, not only do we have to root for the Pats, we also have to root against both the 49ers, and the Raidhaahs!

My SB XXXVIIII VCR recording has an episode of "Desperate Houswives" were the third quarter should be. So the DVR is an absolute godsend! The beauty of the DVR, is that, unlike a VCR, you can begin watching a show before it is over. I routienly don't get home unitl after 9pm. I have all the Sox games set up to record (MLB extra innings is about $200 and well worth it) so I can just sit down and watch the game, fast forwarding until I catch up to the live action. Plus you can record two programs at once!

Get Direct TV, you'll never regret it!

 

[DaBruinz]

You'll have issues either way you go. There's no perfect set up.

We have Direct TV at our lake house in a very rural area and it's a constant problem. Everyone up there has problems with it, but there's no cable so it's their way or nothing. When it's working, it's great.

At home I have cable and watch the games with friends at a local sports bar each week and for that reason I wouldn't get DirectTV. That's part of the enjoyment for me, much more fun that sitting at home IMO.

I also have issues with paying for HD when I get it for free with my cable company. There's a lot of fine print with DirectTV that you should be aware of. Fees for seperate receivers, HD etc. If you like HBO, you can expect to pay slightly more than you would with cable, at least that's how it is in my area.

Really, the NFL, for all their business sense in other areas, continues to blunder this issue. It's really simple math. There are far more cable subscribers across the US than there are satellite subscribers. One would think they would want as many people subscribing as possible but clearly that is not the case.

Also, if the Ticket were only available on cable, I doubt we would have as many glowing testimonials about DirectTV in this thread.

Sorry, but DirecTV would still have my vote over Cable. As I said, My parents have had it (now that I think about it even more) since 1993 as well, and have stayed with it.

Oh, BTW, you are paying for HD in your cable bill. Its why it got raised up a couple of years ago.

While you do pay for the extra receiver, you are doing the same thing if you purchase TiVO or have a Video Recorder with your cable company.

With DirecTV, they have a sliding scale regarding the pay channels. The more you add, the less it costs.

Every system has its plusses and minuses, but I've been around DirecTV enough to know its the best out there. Even with its blemishes.

BTW, I have a question for you. Where is our lakehouse that you get lousy reception on DirecTV?And are you on the Northern shore of the lake?

 

[bruinator]

What's the cheapest price I can get for 3 tv's with direct TV? I appreciate any help given.

 

[mtbykr]

I've had directv for years now with sunday ticket and mlb extra innings....i will never go back to cable. Especially with directv getting ready to drop 150HD channels (cable isn't in the same ballpark)

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

What's the cheapest price I can get for 3 tv's with direct TV? I appreciate any help given.

Unless the technology has improved, you'd have to add $10 a month if you want to be able to watch 3 different shows on three different TVs. $5 a month extra for each receiver for each TV.

For the rest of the cost you'd have to look here :

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageNR.jsp?assetId=3180001

Cheapest package is $30 a month, that's $40 with the extra receivers. Price goes up from there the more you get.

It does say "Up to 4 standard receivers FREE" but I think the $5 a month per receiver still applies to get your programming copied to each receiver - that's how it's been, anyway, maybe it's changed now.

 

[DaBruinz]

What's the cheapest price I can get for 3 tv's with direct TV? I appreciate any help given.

About $50 bucks a month (including taxes) if you go with the base package ($29.99 a month)

 

[bobgeorge]

DirecTV has to hope beyond hope that it never loses NFL Sunday Ticket because it is it's only reason for existence (of course, now they are adding the baseball package, but the exclusivity there hasn't kicked in yet).

The biggest issue I continue to have with DirecTV is its offerings of HDTV. They have launched 2 new satellites which are supposed to bring us more HD channels (some say up to 150 new HD channels). If this is really the case, then...

...will NESN-HD be one of them?

I am sick and tired of watching all the Red Sox games I do in SD on my HDTV. At least DirecTV is putting more of the NESN-HD games on their channel 95 this year versus last year. The idea that they spotbeam NESN-HD only to the Boston area is ludicrous (the local channels I can at least understand). Everyone out there who loves the Sox should be able to get NESN-HD.

I believe that one of the HD channels that will be added is the NFL Network. They already are on Dish Network, I think. Their football games were shown on the aforementioned channel 95, and as long as you turned down the volume, they were nice to watch in HD.

Baseball needs to get its act together and offer HD like football does (and that includes college as well).

Bob G

 

[DaBruinz]

As of 2009, all the broadcasts are supposed to be in HD. This was mandated by the FCC.

The changeover to HD has been slow and yes, I hate how DirecTV charges extra for it (even with the football package). But, I also realize its capitalism at its best.

 

[PatsSteve1]

Re: (OT): what satelite system is best?

do yourself a favor and stay with cable t.v. the satalite service is the worst .i could tell you my exp with dish network but it would take me a hour .needless to say it wasnt good.

* I've had Direct TV for 6 years and never had a problem and never had tocall them fro anything. Had it in both Florida and California. Cable I was calling a lot for bad picture.

 

[bobgeorge]

As of 2009, all the broadcasts are supposed to be in HD. This was mandated by the FCC.

The changeover to HD has been slow and yes, I hate how DirecTV charges extra for it (even with the football package). But, I also realize its capitalism at its best.

To pin it down exactly, the change will be after the 2009 Super Bowl. After it, no more analog broadcasts will be allowed.

Bob G

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Re: (OT): what satelite system is best?

* I've had Direct TV for 6 years and never had a problem and never had tocall them fro anything. Had it in both Florida and California. Cable I was calling a lot for bad picture.

When we moved into our house 14 years ago, I told my wife she could do whatever she wanted as long as I got a basketball backboard in the driveway and a satellite dish for Pats games (secret to a successful marriage-negotiation). Unfortunately we had a homeowner's association that banned satellite dishes. Then the FCC came out wiith a ruling that it free speech issue and they couldn't be banned.
I got DirecTV and the NFL package in 1999 (this will be my 9th year) and I've never had a problem. We upgraded to HD last year for the playoffs and it's great. The only time we've ever had a glitch and a temporary one at that is when there are very heavy storms. You just need a clear path to the southwest (or whatever direction it is from your house to Dallas because IIRC the satellite is in geosyncronous orbit above Dallas TX ( or so I was told).
If cable were ever able to also get the NFL package, there would be competition and the price would drop but the NFL is never going to allow that so I wouldn't be shocked if they keep it at one bidder for the whole package, either one satellite company or just cable to keep the money flowing....
The red zone channel shows 8 games at once and you can quickly go to one that interests you (when the Pats aren't on). Watching on big screen TV in HD is a dream.......

 

[PatDaPatriot]

As of 2009, all the broadcasts are supposed to be in HD. This was mandated by the FCC.

The changeover to HD has been slow and yes, I hate how DirecTV charges extra for it (even with the football package). But, I also realize its capitalism at its best.

Crapcast charges extra too...

 

[mgteich]

Direct TV is certainly the way to go.

However, I would note that I rarely had any problems with DISH, nor do others that I know. They just buy local channels for their favorite team. I used to subscribe to Boston locals in NH. Some relatives get Denver locals in Maine. In the past, I have subscribed to Chicago locals when the local channels were pre-empting too much of the Olympics.

I lose signal much, much more often now with Comcast than I used to with DISH. However, I will have definitely have Direct TV when I move to the Carolinas next year.

 

[patriotspride]

Re: (OT): what satelite system is best?

* I've had Direct TV for 6 years and never had a problem and never had tocall them fro anything. Had it in both Florida and California. Cable I was calling a lot for bad picture.

ive had cable my entire life and ive never had a problem with reception .

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

DirecTV has to hope beyond hope that it never loses NFL Sunday Ticket because it is it's only reason for existence (of course, now they are adding the baseball package, but the exclusivity there hasn't kicked in yet).

The biggest issue I continue to have with DirecTV is its offerings of HDTV. They have launched 2 new satellites which are supposed to bring us more HD channels (some say up to 150 new HD channels). If this is really the case, then...

Never had a serious problem with directv. Can't imagine going back to cable ever.

Sunday ticket is a hardcore niche product. Directv has 17 million subscribers, only about 3 percent or less of which get the sunday ticket package, so I think they are not that worried about losing exclusivity in like 2011.

If you think cable or dish or anyone will be able to compete with directv on high def in the upcoming year or so, think again.

Directv currently has, far and away, the most high def channels of anyone. They offer local high def channels in pretty much every market -- to make sure that Boston people get Boston high def and Los Angeles people get Los Angeles high def, they have had to put more than 250 high def channels on their satellites. That dwarfs anything that cable or dish is doing right now.

That has been directv's focus -- getting local high def to local customers. That's almost done and they are shifting, by Q4 of this year, to adding more national HD channels. Pretty clearly, that will be a snap for them, given how easily they are dealing with the capacity issues for 250 HD locals.

Within 12 or 18 months, the problem with HD is going to be that there's not enough content out there, not that directv doesn't have it.

Now if movies on demand and integrated computer/cable products are what you're into, then cable is probably the way to go in the very near future. But otherwise, it can't compete with directv, and it knows it.