# Direct tv customers......



## Jack Straw (Mar 7, 2013)

We just received our bill, the monthly fee increased by $3 and there is a $2 monthly regional sports fee now. I called Direct tv and said I would pay the $3 increase, but there was no way I would pay the $2 sports fee. After I threatened to switch to Dish Network they finally agreed to drop the $2 fee for the next 12 months.......I know what I will be doing a year from now.


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## Jack Fate (Mar 7, 2013)

Put up an antenna ! 

Watch out when you cancel they will make every attempt to hose you out of every last dime they can! 

Carefully read your contract about canceling 

Good luck 

10 yrs free of pay tv =$5000. ( that's a lot of really nice saws )


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## muncybob (Mar 7, 2013)

It use to be if you called to say you were switching to another source they would bend over backwards to keep you. Last time I called saying this they abruptly asked what date do you want to terminate....end of conversation. I am going to seriously look into a tall mast and antenna and use hulu, netflix or amazon to fill the void since imho most of network tv sux and that's about all I can get with an antenna.


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## Woody Stover (Mar 7, 2013)

There's nothing on OTA TV, so it's pretty much equal to cable/sat. 

http://tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=90


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## bmblank (Mar 7, 2013)

I'm not interested in the honey boo boos and duck dynasties of the world. OTA is good enough for me.


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## BrotherBart (Mar 7, 2013)

We are stuck wit DirecTv. OTA is non-existent out here and my wife, being an invalid, needs the thing. The exact same thing that is $67 after this increase started as $29.


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## nate379 (Mar 7, 2013)

I didn't notice it going up. Was $55 last bill I paid anyhow.

Don't have OTA here either.  They ran cable lines out here last year but cable costs more with less channels.


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## MasterMech (Mar 7, 2013)

Really gets me that they give away all the little services you pay extra for to the new subscribers.

75% of what we watch isn't available OTA (especially true for me) and I gotta admit, for someone working my schedule (11pm to 7am) DVR is a godsend. Plus it automatically records shows for me, only 1st run episodes, and and I can leave 'em on there until the busy times of my life pass and I have a few minutes to watch TV. 

Best part of Satellite over Cable?  When the power goes out, so does the cable, generally.  Satellite (and OTA) works as long as the genny does.


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## bmblank (Mar 7, 2013)

You have access to cable but not OTA? if i wanted cable (mostly for internet) if have to pay them to run it another 2.5 miles or so. Ota should be available everywhere. You may need to spend $150 on an antenna and preamp, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to the monthly for dish or cable.
Just as a note, my dad is in Manistee, MI and can pick up channels from milwaukee, WI most days. Its a rare occurrence that OTA is just plain unavailable.


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## nate379 (Mar 7, 2013)

Never turned on the TV while on gen power.  I wouldn't consider it on my $$$ living room TV, though the small one in the bedroom, I wouldn't cry if it kicked the bucket.



MasterMech said:


> Really gets me that they give away all the little services you pay extra for to the new subscribers.
> 
> Best part of Satellite over Cable? When the power goes out, so does the cable, generally. Satellite (and OTA) works as long as the genny does.


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## MasterMech (Mar 7, 2013)

nate379 said:


> Never turned on the TV while on gen power. I wouldn't consider it on my $$$ living room TV, though the small one in the bedroom, I wouldn't cry if it kicked the bucket.


 
Yeah, no high-dollar sets here.  And if I had a nice one, you can bet there would be some power conditioning equipment to go with it.  Seems that the built in power supplies are the weak points on today's TV's.


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## BrotherBart (Mar 7, 2013)

bmblank said:


> You have access to cable but not OTA? if i wanted cable (mostly for internet) if have to pay them to run it another 2.5 miles or so. Ota should be available everywhere. You may need to spend $150 on an antenna and preamp, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to the monthly for dish or cable.
> Just as a note, my dad is in Manistee, MI and can pick up channels from milwaukee, WI most days. Its a rare occurrence that OTA is just plain unavailable.


 
There is $300 worth of stuff up there with amp and everything. Zip reception. Hard to get above or through 100 foot trees.


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## MasterMech (Mar 7, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> There is $300 worth of stuff up there with amp and everything. Zip reception. Hard to get above or through 100 foot trees.


 
That's what the saw is for.  

DirectTV installer said we wouldn't get a satisfactory signal because of trees blocking LOS to the bird.  I pulled out the saw, and said, "Which ones?"  I think he damn near wet himself.


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## BrotherBart (Mar 7, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> That's what the saw is for.
> 
> DirectTV installer said we wouldn't get a satisfactory signal because of trees blocking LOS to the bird. I pulled out the saw, and said, "Which ones?" I think he damn near wet himself.


 
The sat is fine. It is his suggestion that OTA is so easy that isn't true here. I ain't cutting a 45 mile hole through the woods between here and the towers.


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## Hogwildz (Mar 7, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> We are stuck wit DirecTv. OTA is non-existent out here and my wife, being an invalid, needs the thing. The exact same thing that is $67 after this increase started as $29.


My Direct TV bill is about $75.00 a month now. Not going to air, to hell with that. I need my FX shows


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## Jack Fate (Mar 7, 2013)

I get NBC,CBS,ABC ,FOX  x2 and 3 PBS CHANNELS  total of 38 channels not including all the religious stations.

I also have a couple DVR 's & twin tuner in CPU so I can record & time shift with the best of them . And NO monthly fees

If I had a rotor I could get about 18 more ( rotor failure rate too hi & so is where it is ! )

You may find you can get a lot more than you think. I live50+ mi from closest city

Check out that TV fool link


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## Jack Fate (Mar 7, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> There is $300 worth of stuff up there with amp and everything. Zip reception. Hard to get above or through 100 foot trees.[/quote
> 
> Do you live in a valley ? I live in woods 40' tower 65' trees & it works


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## CodyWayne718 (Mar 7, 2013)

What is OTA?


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## MasterMech (Mar 7, 2013)

CodyWayne718 said:


> What is OTA?


Over The Air (Old School TV broadcast signals)


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## Jags (Mar 7, 2013)

CodyWayne718 said:


> What is OTA?


 
Over The Air (antenna reception)


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## Jags (Mar 7, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> Over The Air (Old School TV Broadcast signals)


 
'Cept digitally.


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## MasterMech (Mar 7, 2013)

Jags said:


> 'Cept digitally.


True.  Amazed at my gradfather in-law's OTA reception.  He lives in the Boston metro area and his picture is razor sharp, zero fuzz, and he doesn't have to speak Korean to understand the dialog.


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## BrotherBart (Mar 7, 2013)

All I would watch is news and the weather. Ain't building a 40' tower for that. All available on the Internet.


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## nate379 (Mar 7, 2013)

I checked the TV fool link and 2 channels.

I watch Discovery, History, USA, Spike, Nat Geo... bout it.


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## BrotherBart (Mar 7, 2013)

nate379 said:


> I checked the TV fool link and 2 channels.
> 
> I watch Discovery, History, USA, Spike, Nat Geo... bout it.


 
Get an antenna and watch Russian TV.


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## Highbeam (Mar 7, 2013)

OTA is awesome. I am about 40 miles and of course there are trees and hills between me and the tower but that doesn't matter. The signal is not "line of sight" only. The only thing that causes trouble with my self made attic antenna is when a heavy rainstorm comes between me and the towers. Otherwise it is excellent quality network programming in REAL HD (cable companies compress their HD) for free.

There are places with no reception but even distances over 100 miles from the tower are very possible.


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## firefighterjake (Mar 8, 2013)

No increase in the latest bill.

I also should mention that about three months ago I got tired of seeing all the great deals new subscribers get so I called Directv up and asked about getting a few perks . . . mentioned all the perks new folks get and all they offered was three months of HBO and Cinemax . . . at which point I told them I wanted to cancel my long-time service with them (in fact I don't even have a contract and was on some grandfathered service plan) . . . and then I was booted to someone else who asked what I wanted.

I was fairly reasonable . . . didn't want to pay for high definition service when newbies get it for free and Dish TV subscribers get it for life for free . . . wanted the local stations . . . and thought they could offer a bit of a cut. Told them I didn't need or want movie channels, sports, etc. I ended up getting what I wanted with no contract and a bit of a cut . . . of course the kicker is that it is "only" for 12 months at which point I plan to call them up again if they boot the price up.

Me . . . I'm not a TV hater . . . and don't mind paying for the service. Sure, it's not as cheap as OTA . . . but my wife hates the long Maine winters so I figure it's either pay for the TV service or pay for the airplane ticket to visit her in Florida once a month in the winter. I also have to say I love the DVR and VOD (the free shows) service . . . makes watching my favorite TV shows on my schedule much more convenient.


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## ArsenalDon (Mar 8, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> The sat is fine. It is his suggestion that OTA is so easy that isn't true here. I ain't cutting a 45 mile hole through the woods between here and the towers.


Nearest transmitter is over 50 miles...no choice but satellite, cannot even get cable out here


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## bmblank (Mar 8, 2013)

I'm not saying i don't believe you or anything. Its just seems like a rarity to pick up absolutely nothing. That would suck.


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## BrotherBart (Mar 8, 2013)

bmblank said:


> I'm not saying i don't believe you or anything. Its just seems like a rarity to pick up absolutely nothing. That would suck.


 
After all the work and expenditure I didn't pick up "nothing". The station that broadcasts all of the stations in Korean, Russian and every other language in the world is a clear shot south of me. Got all of them just fine but nothing from the network towers that are 45 miles north.


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## firebroad (Mar 8, 2013)

I get about 25 channels with my ChannelMaster rotor set up.  Don't watch that much TV, but I will probably have to deal with these cable TV clowns next year if I want internet at home; just recently got dial-up and it is worthless.  Looks like internet is going to cost as much as cable TV, if not more.


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## PapaDave (Mar 8, 2013)

"Might as well face it, you're addicted to ......TV"
Apologies to whoever.
Cut the Direct TV cord a few years ago, and keep myself occupied here on Hearth.
Also watch plenty of stuff via CBS, Hulu. There's also plowing, c/s/s, plowing, c/s/s.
Break the chain.


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## btuser (Mar 8, 2013)

Cable went up 5 bucks and I decided it was time to bust us down to basic (no OTA here to speak of), got rid of the HD box, HBO and whatnot.  Bill went from $89/month to $36/month.

My parents made it exactly 3 hours before they decided they could cough up the extra money to keep HGTV and NESN.


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## yooperdave (Mar 8, 2013)

My charter (cable) bill took a hike this month-to the tune of about$20 increase!  Am now considering direct or dish.  I spoke to charter today and told them I would be cancelling if thye didn't drop the price...  They pretty much said "Oh".


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## blades (Mar 9, 2013)

Way back when the cable craze started we tried it, $ 7 /mo.  about 4 movies that kept repeating all month. Then after a couple months a price increase to $13/mo with promise of better service more content, added 1 movie other than that same old, 6 more months another doubling of price, dropped it never bought it since.  Internet is mobile but I am not happy price wise at $60/mo. and that is average around here any carrier.


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