Direct TV

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

Hey fellow IE members..

I am currently contemplating a move to Direct TV. Currently I use Cox for all 3 services (Cable, Internet, Phone). I am paying close to $250 a month for all 3 services. Keep in mind that 250/month usually includes one UFC PPV at 45/month. I am not really all that hung up on the price I am paying, because the service is really reliable. I haven't had a single outage in 6 years.

Direct TV has been making huge promotional packages with the NFL ticket. I would like to get the NFL ticket, but I will not sacrifice missing any ND games just to get the ticket. So a couple of questions I have for anybody who uses/used Direct TV:

1- They have NBC and Versus, so I am not worried about home games, but how is the regional coverage for away games? Last year with Cox, I got all but one (BC) game, and I was able to get the ND game by paying 15 bucks.

2- I know it’s a satellite, but how bad is the signal really affected when there is bad weather? Does it go out with just a simple thunderstorm, or does it really need to be bad?

3- Cost. The cost just seems WAY to good to be true. If I bundle my internet with another company (Quest, Windstream, etc), my monthly bill would be under 100 bucks. I know the contract is two years, and that they increase the costs after the first year, but even then, the bill is still under 150. Has anyone had any billing issues?

I really appreciate any insight.

 

[BIGIRISHMAN]

Any inclimate weather and your done, There pretty good about billing no sneak attacks and i never missed a single game last year

 

[NDFANnSouthWest]

Direct TV OWNS!!!!!!! Great customer service. Best move i have ever made.

1 - I had to buy 1 game and it was the BC game. No big deal.

2. It is effected however not to bad overall...

3. I HATE COMCAST. And they were very pricey. Direct TV is NOT cheap, however i feel I am getting good service and a great product so I dont mind the $.

good luck

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

Any inclimate weather and your done

This REALLY worries me... Does it cause a blackout, or is it tiling? We don't get a whole bunch of bad weather, but when it rains or snows, it usually lasts quite a while.

 

[BIGIRISHMAN]

It's kind of like a Cd skipping it's hard to describe really but it has to be a semi heavy shower, winds are also a factor

 

[pkt77242]

Any inclimate weather and your done, There pretty good about billing no sneak attacks and i never missed a single game last year

Maybe it is because I live in Phoenix (but we do get crazy wind and sand storms plus monsoons) but I only have issues 2-3 times a year and then it is usually on for 15-30 minutes at a time. I haven't had an exted outage in a long time and I have had Direct TV for 7-8 years.

 

[ndjish]

I have been a customer for 10 years and I cant imagine having anything else. IMO Dish Network doesn't compare to Direct. Yes at times you will have issues with the weather but I can count on one hand the times it happens in a year. We get about everything you could ever want and its about $160 a month.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

1 - I had to buy 1 game and it was the BC game. No big deal.

That is great. As long as I can purcahse the game, I am fine with that.

2. It is effected however not to bad overall...

Weather in New Mexico isnt really bad is it?? The weather up in Nebraska can get pretty bad, especially come winter.

3. I HATE COMCAST. And they were very pricey. Direct TV is NOT cheap, however i feel I am getting good service and a great product so I dont mind the $.

Thats exactly how I feel. I don't mind paying for the product/service, as long as its worth it.

Thanks!!

 

[NDFANnSouthWest]

New Mexico weather is not bad at all. Pretty mallow...however, the Nebraska weather with the Tornados etc., I would think you may have more issues. Next time you are out...I would look at ppl's houses...if you see a lot of Direct TV satellites then it most likely is not a big deal. However if you don’t see a good amount...then I would do more research.

 

[micks60]

10 year customer and the only outages in severe thunderstorms. It is all on signal strength and which dish you get. Old dishes do suck. I have never not had an nd game on. I live in Ohio.

 

[kmoose]

Isn't DirecTV giving away the NFL package, for free for this year, to new subscribers?

The weather's effect on your reception will be directly proportional to how good a signal you can get, at your location. Signal strength depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to:

-- The latitude of your location, as it relates to the position of the satellite. The closer to the horizon that you have to point it, the worse the signal strenghth is likely to be.

-- Where your dish is mounted. Rooftop is best, in most cases. That usually gets you high enough that the dish has an unobstructed view of the satellite, way out there in space. Mounting it on a pole in your yard may mean that there are tree limbs, etc, in your way.

-- The weather at the upload station. The satellite isn't generating the signal. The signal is being sent from somewhere on Earth, and basically bounced off of the satellite, back to your dish. If there is really nasty weather at the ground facility, then the signal going to the satellite will be disrupted, meaning that what bounces down to your dish will be disrupted, as well.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I've had Direct...about 5 years ago....and I currently have Dishnetwork. In my humble opinion, both of them suck, but Dish sucks just a little less. I live 7 miles out of Cleveland, Ohio (which is famous for its tropical, gorgeous winters... ), but when we had Direct, I'd have to break out a pool skimmer poll with a broom on the end and knock the snow off of the dish itself anytime it snowed.

Dish, if it rains or the wind blows anything beyond 10 miles per hour, the signal goes out. I'm fed up. We're currently in the market to bundle a package through another carrier because I just can't see us paying what we're paying for an inferior product. We've got AT&T U-verse internet so we're going to check them out for a package.

Done.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

Thanks for all the feedback!

Isn't DirecTV giving away the NFL package, for free for this year, to new subscribers?

Yes, they are giving it away for the first year. You have to purchase or cancel the second year.

-- The latitude of your location, as it relates to the position of the satellite. The closer to the horizon that you have to point it, the worse the signal strenghth is likely to be.

Maybe I can get them to tell me how my signal is before actually commiting to the contract.

-- Where your dish is mounted. Rooftop is best, in most cases. That usually gets you high enough that the dish has an unobstructed view of the satellite, way out there in space. Mounting it on a pole in your yard may mean that there are tree limbs, etc, in your way..

Mine will be on the roof. I don't think I should have any problems with trees.

-- The weather at the upload station. The satellite isn't generating the signal. The signal is being sent from somewhere on Earth, and basically bounced off of the satellite, back to your dish. If there is really nasty weather at the ground facility, then the signal going to the satellite will be disrupted, meaning that what bounces down to your dish will be disrupted, as well.

if I am reading your post right, it doesn't really matter what the weather is like at my location, but rather at the ground facility?

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Thanks for all the feedback!




Yes, they are giving it away for the first year. You have to purchase or cancel the second year.



Maybe I can get them to tell me how my signal is before actually commiting to the contract.



Mine will be on the roof. I don't think I should have any problems with trees.




if I am reading your post right, it doesn't really matter what the weather is like at my location, but rather at the ground facility?

Trust me.... Weather has an effect.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

I've had Direct...about 5 years ago....and I currently have Dishnetwork. In my humble opinion, both of them suck, but Dish sucks just a little less. I live 7 miles out of Cleveland, Ohio (which is famous for its tropical, gorgeous winters... ), but when we had Direct, I'd have to break out a pool skimmer poll with a broom on the end and knock the snow off of the dish itself anytime it snowed.

GRRR.... This is exactly what I am worried about most of all. Rain/Wind is one thing, but we get LOTS of snow in Nebraska... I'll be taking Southwest's idea and start checking out the houses around here to see how many are really using satellite.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

GRRR.... This is exactly what I am worried about most of all. Rain/Wind is one thing, but we get LOTS of snow in Nebraska... I'll be taking Southwest's idea and start checking out the houses around here to see how many are really using satellite.

Good idea. Best of luck.

 

[CarrollVermin]

I live in Louisiana...had Cox and switched when I moved. Have had one problem with signal in bad weather (mind you it rains almost every evening here).

I did miss three games though: Navy, BC, and USC. Part of this is the local CBS station also carries the SEC game of the week so affected me and the Navy game...did not get regional coverage for the USC or the BC game.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

I live in Louisiana...had Cox and switched when I moved. Have had one problem with signal in bad weather (mind you it rains almost every evening here).

Seems like its hit or miss with everybody's different takes on the weather..

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

As an installer of Directv and dish I can honestly say signal strength depends on the installer.
If he does his job correctly then it is very rare that you lose signal.
Heavy snow can affect it and it can build up on the dish 1 way to work around this is to spray the dish with pam cooking spray helps stop snow and ice build.
Next step is to have the dish mounted on a pole instead of on your house if possible. The Directv HD dish is about 3 feet wide and 20 or more feet up the thing is just a sail it's rated for 100mph wind if I recall, but no need to risk it.
I've installed for about 10 years and had it for 7 years prior to that living in the snow belt in NH and I can remember maybe 10 times where the signal dropped for anything longer than 1 or 2 minutes.
Dish Pointer
If you enter your zip code and have a compass you can find out in 5 minutes if any trees or neighbors houses will be in the way.
To figure elevation remember that the signal bounces of the dish and into the LNB.
Also the 2 HD satellites are 2 degrees to the left and right of where they tell you to point
So for me I would get an azimuth of 223 and for signal on every satellite the dish picks up I'd want a clear line of sight from 221 to 241.
Any other questions feel free.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

As an installer of Directv and dish I can honestly say signal strength depends on the installer.
If he does his job correctly then it is very rare that you lose signal.
Heavy snow can affect it and it can build up on the dish 1 way to work around this is to spray the dish with pam cooking spray helps stop snow and ice build.
Next step is to have the dish mounted on a pole instead of on your house if possible. The Directv HD dish is about 3 feet wide and 20 or more feet up the thing is just a sail it's rated for 100mph wind if I recall, but no need to risk it.
I've installed for about 10 years and had it for 7 years prior to that living in the snow belt in NH and I can remember maybe 10 times where the signal dropped for anything longer than 1 or 2 minutes.
Dish Pointer
If you enter your zip code and have a compass you can find out in 5 minutes if any trees or neighbors houses will be in the way.
To figure elevation remember that the signal bounces of the dish and into the LNB.
Also the 2 HD satellites are 2 degrees to the left and right of where they tell you to point
So for me I would get an azimuth of 223 and for signal on every satellite the dish picks up I'd want a clear line of sight from 221 to 241.
Any other questions feel free.

Excellent insight!! I won't have a pole for the dish to be mounted on, so I am stuck with it being on the roof (which kinda sucks, cause if I would have to do any work on it, I'll have to pull out the ladder, and in the snow with it being -20 degrees outside, doesnt sound like fun).

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Excellent insight!! I won't have a pole for the dish to be mounted on, so I am stuck with it being on the roof (which kinda sucks, cause if I would have to do any work on it, I'll have to pull out the ladder, and in the snow with it being -20 degrees outside, doesnt sound like fun).

I install the HD on a pole for free it's easier and makes any service that may need to be performed easy no matter what the weather is.
Some will charge if you request it.
Best way around that is set the pole yourself.
I can tell you how to do it if you want in PM.

 

[KPENN]

I have Directv and love it. My moms has dish and it bloes. I live out in the middle of nowhere and occasionally have signal problems at the beginning of a t-storm or snowstorm, but after a couple minutes it clears up and is fine.

In my humble opinion go with Directv. Much, much better company all around

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

I install the HD on a pole for free it's easier and makes any service that may need to be performed easy no matter what the weather is.
Some will charge if you request it.
Best way around that is set the pole yourself.
I can tell you how to do it if you want in PM.

I can PM you if you don't mind. Hitting the hay right now, so I will send you some other questions I have tomorrow.

Thanks so much everyone!!

 

[crzychris]

I've had Direct...about 5 years ago....and I currently have Dishnetwork. In my humble opinion, both of them suck, but Dish sucks just a little less. I live 7 miles out of Cleveland, Ohio (which is famous for its tropical, gorgeous winters... ), but when we had Direct, I'd have to break out a pool skimmer poll with a broom on the end and knock the snow off of the dish itself anytime it snowed.

Dish, if it rains or the wind blows anything beyond 10 miles per hour, the signal goes out. I'm fed up. We're currently in the market to bundle a package through another carrier because I just can't see us paying what we're paying for an inferior product. We've got AT&T U-verse internet so we're going to check them out for a package.

Done.

I don't know about Cleveland, but we've been waiting for Uverse in the Canton area (which they always say is "right down the street and coming to your household soon") for some two years.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I don't know about Cleveland, but we've been waiting for Uverse in the Canton area (which they always say is "right down the street and coming to your household soon") for some two years.

It's in our area... just haven't changed over.

 

[BobD]

I hate Comcast every month when I pay the bill, but I never have any viewing issues. I can't remember one time that I've been at a friends house watching the Dish network or DirectTV when they haven't had some sort of issue with reception.

 

[adsnorri]

I sell Directv and a plethora of other services including qwest internet. I just Got directv and it is very promising so far. It has some great features with dvr and channel selection + nfl sunday ticket will be nice. Of course its a promotional price for a year but doesnt increase that mush afterwards. The weather issue is not one that i have had with dish network or directv but i think its really case by case. This is my website: savemoneyhoney.acnrep.com

we are an international company with a home-based structure so prices are 90% of the time less than the company's normal prices. Sometimes on the bill or on install, etc. Check it out.

 

[domerfreak]

Done thousands of directv installs (used to own a company that was subcontracted through dtv) and the only time i have weather issues is when it rains really really hard.

THE INSTALL MATTERS!!!

I also didnt get the BC game last year and just watched the game on espn 360.

Switched from cox nearly ten years ago and not one regret.

Live in Nebraska and see more ND football on Saturdays then the SKERS (other than local news) and still doing installs on the side!!!

 

[PANDFAN]

live in PA, i have direct tv and have NEVER missed a game based on coverage accept for last year's USC game i had to pay a couple extra bucks to get that game....i have had the signal go out during storms but it has to be a pretty severe storm usually...snow is more of a worry than rain....i have a bundle package for my direct tv and verizon dsl...price is decent 90 something, dvr(5.00 or 7.00 bucks) is a must! the only thing disappointing is that when i had cable i got nbc,abc,cbs and an espn in HD for nothing...i didn't spend the extra money so far since i moved for direct tv hd but thinking while i am writting this..i probably should because it makes the ND game sooo much better to watch...if the signal goes out it appears to be pixilated at first and skips a bit and eventually the screen goes black saying it is requesting signal...i would rate it an 8/10

 

[WhoDeyIrish]

10 year customer and the only outages in severe thunderstorms. It is all on signal strength and which dish you get. Old dishes do suck. I have never not had an nd game on. I live in Ohio.

I have had it for 3 years now and you said exactly what I was going to say. I can't recall the last time I didn't have an ND game on. I know Notre Dame/North Carolina a few years ago wasn't on for some reason in the first half. It ended up being on after a little while I guess. I had to run to the bar for that game. That's it. I live in Ohio as well.