Question For DirecTV Users

I know this may be a bit long, but this is a big decision for me, so any help or advice would be greatly appreciated



So with football season coming up, I'm beginning to look more seriously into getting DirecTV (currently I am splitting the cost for Dish with my landlord... about $15/mo)



I love Dish, but I basically would like DirecTV simply for the MTN... I would need to get the choice xtra package also in order to get Versus and CBC-C (which happen to be showing the best BYU games this season).



- This package is $34.99/mo for 12 months.... then $63.99/mo for the next 12 months of the 24 month contract



- I realize you can downgrade at any time, but I'm pretty certain this requires you renew your 24 month contract



> add to the fact that I'd be paying $7/mo for DVR and $5 for the MTN

> add that w/ a referral I can save $10 the first 10 months, and I'm looking at:



$36.99/mo (first 10 months)

$46.99/mo (11th and 12th months)

$75.99.mo (2nd year)



this is, of course, assuming I don't downgrade at any point (although the next lowest package is only $5 less, so...)



I understand DirecTV supposedly has great customer service.



MY QUESTION: Are they - like some companies (ex:sprint), willing to "bend over backwards" to keep a customer? For example: if I call up after year one and say "hey, I loved your guys' service for the last 12 months, but this second year is just going to be too darn expensive and I might have to cancel," are they going to be willing to lower my price, or at least work with me in some shape or form? Or are they basically going to say "you could downgrace your package... outside of that, sorry you're out of luck"?



If this is the case, then I'm not too certain if I wanna get into a contract just yet. Granted, even $75.99 is just three or four plasma donations... but still - I don't feel like paying that much for TV, which I rarely watch outside of sports.



MY OTHER QUESTION Are there any other fees I should be aware of? Is the service taxed (in other words, would "$34.99" show up as 40-some bucks on my bill?) Are there any annual fees or other hidden fees I should be aware of? Or is "what you see is what you get" the case with their packages and pricing?



ANY feedback would be greatly appreciated. I am a married student, so I take these decisions seriously... almost as seriously as I take my college football. :crazy:



EDIT: K, so looking at the website... looks like I may need to purchase whole the whole $12.99/mo sports pack to get the MTN? I thought I could just pay for it individually? No?

I've been with DirecTV since 2002. We had our DVR completely die last year, they came out the next day and replaced it. They replaced all of our wiring at the time as well. No charge. If you live in Utah or the MWC footprint (sans CA and TX) you don't need the sports pack to get the MTN. You would need it to get ESPNU and if you like soccer, they have several great soccer channels.



I wish more companies were more friendly with specials for loyal customers. Each time I've had a complaint, they've given me three months of Showtime or HBO, which is nice, but I'd rather have something else. All the great specials/price rates are for "new" customers. How about every so often reward a loyal customer (I've been with them for 8 years) with a month or two where they don't charge you for your normal bill.



I've enjoyed DirecTV. I feel their service is good and worth it. Their sports coverage is tough to beat. Just my $.02.

The nice thing about Direct TV is that you can downgrade / change your programming at any time and not pay $5 (like dish), and you don't have to renew your contract.



They are not flexible and don't cut you breaks either.



Direct TV is more expensive than Dish, but their sports programming makes it worth it. This will be the first year that I can now see every BYU game in my own home because of Direct TV.

All of the good games can be seen on other channels that you get on DISH. Getting DIRECTV (and the Mountain) basically lets you see all of the crappy games with the possible exception of Nevada (i.e. San Diego State, Wyoming, UNLV, Colorado State and New Mexico). You would be paying ALOT of money to see just these games with a two year commitment. If you can't get to the stadium then you might just want to consider going old school and just listening to Greg Wrubell for these games. First of all, the game will probably over by half-time and second, it really isn't that bad to listen to a game on KSL. Greg does a great job on the play-by-play and provides a lot of good information. Or just find a place to watch the game.



If I was strapped for cash I wouldn't get into a contract with Directv just of the low-life games of our schedule. Save the money and take your wife (girlfriend/yourself?) out to dinner.

As others have said, you do not need to renew your contract to change your programming package. I have moved around a lot in different packages. The only time you have to renew your contract is if you buy new hardware.



I've been with DirecTV for over 5 or 6 years, and I've enjoyed working with them.I call them every few months and ask about any deals I can get. I've gotten anything from 3 months of the premium channels to $10 off a month for a year, etc.



If you do decide to go with them, let me know and I can get you $100 off :D

I have had both Dish and Direct TV over the past few years and I can say that they are pretty similar. The sports programming with Direct tv is superior, but the DVR functions are inferior. Dish has a much better dvr system in my opinion. With Direct tv the 30 second fast forward button drives me crazy at times when I am going through recorded commercials. It feels too slow. With that being said, i still prefer Direct tv because of the sports.



Money is always the determining factor. I wouldn't break the bank just to get it, but it certainly is nice if you can make it work, especially for football season.

I have a related, but different dilemna. I live in a gated community near Honolulu - but somehow satellite dishes are against the rules and nobody bothered to put DSL capability in the phone system in this otherwise upscale neighborhood (Hawaii Loa Ridge). Thus I am dependent on Cable TV for my roadrunner broadband Internet access.



I am trying to simplify and consolidate services. I just put in the order to disconnect my home phone service - going totally cellular after finding that I could not upgrade it to DSL to get an alternative Internet connection as part of a plan to jettison Roadrunner and trust that Direct TV is correct in their advice that they can get me around the association rules for TV service.



If I jettison Roadrunner and sign with Direct and get around the association rules re the DISH, two or three questions:



(1) What are all the packages I need to make sure I get here in Hawaii to get all games. i.e. Is it MTN, Versus, and CBS College Sports, or do I also need ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2, Fox, or other stuff. I only care about BYU football - well OK, I might watch some other Mtn West or OOC opponent to scout them.



(2) What decent option would I have for Internet service. i.e. one with strong performance. I use the internet quite a bit for searches, banking and finance, Facebook, email, etc. Can anybody recommend a practical Internet alternative to replace RoadRunner (since DSL is not an option for me)?



Last year, I survived to an extent. I have Versus on Road Runner - not sure about CBS College Sports. I have ESPN, etc. I used Justin TV over the internet to pick up a feed for several games while listening to KSL via Internet (sound was out of synch with pictures but better than NOTHING) and participating in the chat provided by Justin TV. Then I would flip back-and-forth at times to threads posted on Cougar Blue or elsewhere during the game. Bare Bones survival - but better than NOTING AT ALL. It seems that the Justin TV guys all had mission plans. Does anyone know if Justin TV or someone else will be slinging the games? In past years, I also watched gametracker on CBS Sportsline Internet site - but updates are delayed, inconsistent, and at times flawed. ISportsline provides minimal information unless BYU is ranked or is playing a Top 25 team.



This year, I should make it to the stadium for the UW game and possibly one other game using my season tickets.



(3) Oh, and does Direct TV require me to have a land line phone service to connect into to use the basic TV service. Many years ago, I had Dish Network or Direct TV in California and they required this, but maybe only for ordering pay-per-view games, etc. I don't need that capability. Do I need anything like that or pay-for-view to get BYU games?



Go Cougs



Bib



Go Cougs

CougarBib2, I believe that the courts (even as high as the Supreme Court) has ruled that a community cannot make rules restricting satellite dishes, so if you want one, you can probably call DirecTV (don't forget I have a $100 voucher for you, too!) and tell them the situation and I bet they would take care of contacting the management of your housing and informing them of the legalities.



In answering your other questions, you would probably need Total Choice Plus package, and during the football season you may need to get the sports pack added on.



As for internet you should look into over the air internet, it uses a smaller antenna or dish and is wireless (look up wireless internet).



And no, you do not need a phone line to use any of the features of DirecTV except for remote control ordering of pay per view movies. I have never had a phone line in the 5 years I've had DirecTV.

Thanks for all the input everyone.



Well, after lots of thought and number-crunching, I think I'm going to simply just upgrade to the Dish 250 package for three months (sept, oct, nov) - it will give me ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, CBS-C, and Versus.



Essentially, I'll get to see all the following games:

Washington

Air Force

Florida State

Utah State

TCU

Utah



Obviously, those are our 6 biggest games (USU may be the exception - then again, it's in front of a national audience, so it'll still be a crucial game in terms of our national perception). Seeing these 6 will be enough for me... I figure I can easily catch the other 6 games through online streaming sites. If worse comes to worst and I miss a games like UNLV or New Mexico, I don't think I'll kill myself.



Upgrading for those 3 months will just be $25/mo, and then after that I can downgrade again. Sure, it'll renew my landlords 2-year contract with Dish, but that's his problem 8)



I figure this beats paying $70+/mo a year from now with DirecTV... and besides, BYU is going indy, so we won't even be in the MWC next year... ;)