Ben

iTrader: (33)

anyone else use directv? anyone else pissed they removed 5 channels from the hd lineup and want an additional $5/mo to get them back?

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

haha. sounds like good marketing to me.

what really pisses me off is comcast broadcasting stretched out 480x320 on the HD channels. or highly compressed HD.

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

Makes me glad when I had DTV I never payed for it

levnubhin

iTrader: (30)

That does suck. I dont mean to thread jack here but I have been considering switching from cable to satellite. With my cable I only have like 10 HD channels and the cable has gone out 4 times in the last month. How do you like Directv overall. Anyone using Dish network?
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Bryce

iTrader: (24)

Dish network here. I love it. Only goes out in the worst of storms.

SloS13

iTrader: (1)

I've got direcTV. One thing I really like about it is paying a flat DVR charge and having as many DVR's as you want. In the house right now I've got 2 Tivo's and 1 DirectTV DVR (which sucks donkey ***** btw.)

IcantDo55

iTrader: (11)

I like my direct TV. That sounds F'up but overall mine is great....@ home.

At work is another story;
I'm pissed about them simulcasting the NFLtv channel games on NBC last weekend after bar owners like me are forced to pay over $5,000 for the NFL Sunday Ticket with the promise that these games would be exclusive. WTF!

Ben

iTrader: (33)

That sucks
I'm pissed with Sunday Ticket and won't be purchasing it ever again. They didn't raise the price of the NFL Ticket package this year, but they added a second package called SuperFan that you had to purchase to get HD programming at $100. **** that.

Here's the letter I just sent out
<personal info edited>

07 January 2008


DirecTV Customer Service
Customer Service
DIRECTV, Inc.
P.O. Box 6550
Greenwood Village, CO 80155-6550




Dear Sirs and Madams:


Yesterday I was apprised of DirecTV's new HD Extra Package. I must admit, it came at quite a shock to me, and has me very upset with DirecTV.


Allow me to back up a little. I have been with DirecTV for four years now; nearly three years at my previous home, and over a year at my present home. Throughout the duration of paying for DirecTV services, I have always opted to pay the additional $10 per month to receive HD programming. When I moved in to my new home, I gave an additional $100 per box to replace my MPEG2 boxes with your MPEG4 boxes. This investment was made such that I may receive DirecTV HD services for a long time to come.


My MPEG4 HD experience has not been as joyful as I was hoping for. First, the installer who came out to install the new 5LNB dish and H20 boxes was rude, unhelpful, and did low quality work. First, the way he routed the RG6 cables from the dish to my house's service punch down was very messy and loose. The dish was not aligned properly, so service was lost during overcast and rain conditions. I personally have a decade's worth of experience in the low voltage field, and have no words to describe the sub-optimal installation job performed by your installer.


When I signed up for service, I was promised a $100 rebate per HD box. After receiving only a single rebate form, a call was made to DirecTV customer service, and I was informed that I would only be eligible for a single rebate. I was extraordinarily disappointed, but sent in for the single $100 rebate. I never did receive the rebate check however. So as of the $200 in rebates I was originally told I was entitled to, I ended up with $0.


To further add insult, when the newer HD programming rolled out, I could not receive many of the added channels, as the dish was not picking up signal from the satellite due to improper aim. A call was again made to customer service, where I was told I was required to pay out of pocket to properly align the satellite dish. I found this to be egregious.


Let us also not forget about the “wonderful” firmware update that DirecTV has downloaded to my H20 boxes. Previously, the H20 boxes would work quickly and effectively. Unfortunately as of now, DirecTV decided that my H20s should have a little flashier interface that runs painfully slowly and makes using the boxes frustrating.


We should probably also note that DirecTV's HD service does not include nearly as much HD as one would expect. Many of the channels show SD programming. There are a few “HD” channels that I've never actually seen show HD content. Of the ones that do show HD content, they frequently suffer from marginal picture quality, and very often have irritating audio time sync problems.


And now we come to the most recent item. DirecTV has decided that I need to pay an additional $5 per month to receive programming that I was already receiving as part of the HD package. This new “HD Extra Pack” is truly a move made in bad faith on your part. When I moved in to my new home, I signed a two year commitment to stick with DirecTV's satellite tv service. Unfortunately, DirecTV has not decided to return this commitment back to me in kind. DirecTV's programming pricing and content were factored in my original decision to go with DirecTV instead of its many competitors, and to sign such a long term contract. I find it very irritating that while I am locked into a contract to retain your services, DirecTV has no qualms about changing the terms and conditions of my contract in mid term.


As for the moment, I am receiving my “3 free months” of the HD Extra Package. I will cancel this package 1 day before the non-charge period ends. I refuse to pay an additional dime for this, and I will not allow DirecTV to extort this additional $60 per year from me. I am now extremely soured with DirecTV by this event combined with my other experiences aforementioned, and am upset about the fact that I have several months left in a contract to a company that has no regard for its customers. I assure you that I will not continue my relationship with DirecTV once my contract has expired. I am indeed counting down the months to when I will be able to Ditch the Dish. I plan to encourage all my friends, clients, and colleagues to do the same.




Truly,

magnamx-5

iTrader: (7)

Dude we need to look into FTA receivers comeon Ben you smart guys need to, get this done and then help me through it.

jayc72

iTrader: (14)

Don't mince words Ben, tell them how you feel

Loki047

iTrader: (6)

Just cancel, enough of their ****. Fight the man

ArtieParty

iTrader: (1)

FTA is awesome except when the encryption changes. seems like in the last month or 2 it goes out at least once a week and takes about 2-3 days for the new files to come out. VERY simple to do and worth it if u dont mind being without tv at times. as of right now its all up and running but who knows how long it will last. but hey, what do u want for freeeeeeee

fmowry

iTrader: (8)

Call them, tell them you want to cancel, then get to their retention dept. They've got a certain amount of "hearts" linked to your account that will determine what kind of free crap they can give you to keep you as a valued customer. Bitch and complain and tell them you want all HD free for a year and have them throw in HBO too. Work the system man!

Frank

UrbanSoot

iTrader: (24)

try time warner... those suns of bitches are the worst!

Ben

iTrader: (33)

It's a no win for me. I have ~6mos left in a 2 year contract. I threaten to cancel, they'll say, "fine, but you still have to pay for the remaining term."

I was planning on buying one of the new HD DVRs this month too. But not now. I can use my old, archaic Panasonic HDD/DVD-R for a while yet.

fmowry

iTrader: (8)

Try to get to the retention and go with the polite method. I got 2 HR20 HD-DVRs, one for 19.95 (the cost of shipping), another for 99.95, free install of the new dish, a year of the HD package and a year of HBO by simply calling retention and asking to upgrade. They still want you for 2 more years rather than 6 months, so it's worth a shot.

Frank

ArtieParty

iTrader: (1)

i know FTA does HD but im not sure on DVR. im sure a quick search on one of the many FTA sites will tell ya. if you already have a dish network dish then all u need is a receiver. mine was 150 and its a standard box.

Ben

iTrader: (33)

Thanks, good info. I'll give it a shot when I get some free time.

teknikscian

iTrader: (3)

AMEN!!!!!!! huge price, crap channels and they keep raising the price!

i have no choice, its either time warner or sattellite and since i live in an apartment id rather not deal with a dish...

we also have *** is some parts of san diego and they are worlds better, you get so many more channels for the same price as time warner...

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

http://www.makezine.com/extras/4.html