Dumped direct TV

Barnhouse · #41 03/04/12, 10:00 PM

Quote:

FlaGuitarGrl
People think that we are crazy. But I'd rather spend time doing things that are productive than have my eyes glued to Hollywood propaganda. Truthfully, sometimes, watching TV makes me feel dirty

.

I hear ya. After 3 years of no TV at all, I got a chance to sit down and watch some while I was visiting my brother. It was like watching people on another planet.
Is this supposed to be funny? The jokes were so juvenile and moronic it was almost embarrassing. It's either dead head stuff, blonde bimbos or psycho murders.
Is this supposed to be entertaining??
And WHAT, I have to PAY FOR THIS CRAP on top of it?? No thanks!

Harry Chickpea · #42 03/04/12, 11:34 PM

An update if you are considering Dish - as of March 1st, they no longer carry University of California television. If you were thinking of (horrors) using the tv to try to help educate yourself instead of buy junk from a shopping channel, your chances are getting slimmer.

Dish representatives told me that no one is carrying UCTV anymore and gave the perfunctory "we're sorry" along with the offer of a couple of pay per view passes. I'm sure that another shopping channel will take up the unused bandwidth.

With the Blockbuster acquisition turning sour, and the internet streaming becoming more capable, maybe this is a time to short Dish on the stock market as well as Directv.

TV is killing itself even faster than movies.

Whisperwindkat · #43 03/05/12, 05:15 AM

We ditched direct years ago for the same reason. our bill kept getting bigger and bigger. Our small little privately owned phone company had just started doing cable tv and we could get all the channels that we actually watched for 45.00 a month. So that is what we did. My mom switched to dish and after the low introductory rate they went way up on the bill with her so she went back to direct when her dish bill got higher than her direct bill had been. If we get rid of the cable then it will be netflix for us, since we rarely watch television and only certain shows. Blessings, Kat

TNHermit · #44 03/05/12, 05:40 AM

What is TV? Dont watch movies. Not enough time in day the way it is, Do Internet while in shop or office. Or in middle of night

salmonslayer · #45 03/05/12, 06:57 AM

We are lucky to get 10 channels on rabbit ears and I would never pay for TV; if they do something to scramble the channels we do get then we will just do without. We used to have cable and I dont miss it at all since we rarely watch TV.

We did get a new TV last fall though. $25.00 at a garage sale and it has colour and a working remote which was a big upgrade for us....nothing wrong with the TV at all but the people selling it said you almost cant give away a non flat screen anymore.

$100 a month for TV still has me scratching the noggin in wonder...

sammyd · #46 03/05/12, 07:57 AM

we use an antennae haven't had pay TV for years.
Nice that some of the channels are doing the retro programming, kinda fun to watch Dragnet and Star Trek again.

tallpines · #47 03/05/12, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammyd

we use an antennae haven't had pay TV for years.
Nice that some of the channels are doing the retro programming, kinda fun to watch Dragnet and Star Trek again.

We like Gunsmoke!

Raven12 · #48 03/05/12, 02:38 PM

I don't own a television. I get all of my info and entertainment from the internet. Every once in a blue moon I will rent a movie from Redbox and watch it on the computer. My friends and family think I am nuts. I know people that are paying $200+ a month for cable. I think that is nuts.

simplegirl · #49 03/05/12, 02:43 PM

We dumped our satellite tv a year ago and have not been able to get a darn thing to come in on the digital channels so have been without. Honestly, I don't miss it one bit.

Maria · #50 03/05/12, 02:53 PM

It's been 7 or 8 years since we quit Dish satellite when we found they were capping us. We'd reach their predetermined limit that they never told us about and then the data would slow to a trickle. Infuriating! So we cancelled them and started getting our internet via our cell phone service, which is faster than the dial up we can get. And we buy a lot of used TV shows and movies on DVD through Amazon. That keeps us entertained.

After this long, our DVD collection started getting so massive that last year I started thinning them out. The ones we'll probably never watch again got sold back to Amazon.

pyrnad · #51 03/05/12, 02:56 PM

I looked up DirecTv website after my bill came this month. I called them as I have been a good customer for 15 years. $20.00 was removed from my bill. Give them a call. They would rather reduce your bill then lose you as a customer.

Gianni · #52 03/05/12, 07:05 PM

DW is a Tv addict. We switch from Dish to Direct and back every two years to get the best package deal. We get 2, sometimes 3 channels with the rooftop antenna.

elevenpoint · #53 03/05/12, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mellba

Two weeks ago I dumped Direct TV and got Dish Welcome Package. The regular rate is $14.99 for two televisions. It is not listed in their packages and you have to ask for it to get it. It has all the local channels, plus some others like History, HGTV,--my two favorites-- and Oxygen, AMC, Babyfirst, Angel One, Angel Two, Boomerang, Comedy Central, Country Music TV, Food Network, Kids & Teen Television, MSNBC, TBN, TBS, TLC, WE, Prayer, MTV2, and a bunch of shopping channels that I don't watch. I bought my own equipment. The equipment with install was $199. You don't have to buy the equipment from them if you can get it somewhere else. No contract. I have not missed Direct TV. Was paying $70 a month for two tv's.

Same here...nothing to pick up with an antenna here.

Jolly · #54 03/05/12, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hintonlady

I like dish because it is a lot cheaper than a run to town when I get bored. I'm pretty isolated so internet and tv makes the days a little less dull.

What I did notice between direct and dish is that dish seems to have a lot more infomercials going on regular channels late at night. I sometimes suffer from insomnia so the informercials can be an issue. They both are guilty of counting music only channels, shopping channels and other unpopular channels as part of their lineup. Top 120 quickly turns into only 20 viewable or semi-interesting at our house.

I would love an ala carte option where I pay per channel and can pick exactly what I want since each package seems to have a mix of this and a mix of that but never all of what I want and plenty of what I don't.

Blame the Feds.

The technology is there for a la carte viewing, but satellite providors are not allowed to sell it that way.

If they did, I could get by with a dozen channels.

poorboy · #55 03/06/12, 10:44 AM

Dumped direct over a year ago...29$ a mo. when I started, ended up 81$...They called me several times offering enticements ,even offered to back my bill up 20$ a mo... I told them no that when they had pushed me that far I was done with them..
Asked me why I quit in the first place and i told them they were just to Blankedy-blank greedy! I figured in 10 years that they had gotten over 7000$ from me and that was just to much for tv....

CoachB · #56 03/06/12, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jolly

Blame the Feds.

The technology is there for a la carte viewing, but satellite providors are not allowed to sell it that way.

If they did, I could get by with a dozen channels.

Ain't that the truth. Totally agree that for the most part we'd all be better off without the TV. However, I must admit that I talked the wife into keeping it for college football. Direct will allow you to suspend service for up to six continuous months so we have comprimised by shutting it down for the spring and summer months when we should be busy outside anyway. We cut it off every year as soon as March Madness is over and schedule it to come back on just in time for football. Keeps the kids from begging to watch TV in the summer. Probably need to just dump it altogether as I could always head to the inlaws if I was just dying to watch a game.

Packedready · #57 03/06/12, 12:23 PM

I have been with Direct for 8 years, I was with Dish before. I think Direct is a lot easier to deal with. I pay $68 per month and have the Choice Package with locals, Starz and Showtime. I call them about every 3 months and negociate the price down. I just tell them I will be switching to Dish, they lower the price.

sirquack · #58 03/06/12, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnyardgal

I am with Dish & have been for years-when i got new tv,i called them & told them i needed an upgrade receiver,so after arguing with them,they finally agreed to come & install new dish & receiver & FREE & lowered my monthly bill for 2 years-am very pleased with this-sometimes you have to tell them your gonna change to the other either Dish Or Direct-they don't want to loose you as a customer IF you are good about paying your bill~This is what i learned anyways~~

I don't know how long ago you did this, but a year and a half or so ago, I was just trying to get them to give me the Free HD for life. They said I would have to pay month to month, which was roughly $10 a month more expensive than when I paid my subscription yearly. Long story short, they lost an almost 14 year customer because they were not willing to eat the $10 a month fee.
I switched to Direct and during the initial two years, it is cheaper than Dish was. After 2 years, we will decide again if either of them is work a carp. I am not willing to pay almost $100 a month for channels that are showing repeats about 75% of the time.
I now have Netflix and I find more to watch on there than my $100 a month cable provider service.

lazyBum · #59 03/06/12, 09:29 PM

For the people that can't get a good signal with an antenna, there are plans on the internet for some good ones. Most store bought antennas are omnidirectional, they are prone to picking up reflected signals. Digital tv does not like reflections, instead of a ghosted image you get nothing. I made mine out of scraps around the house, and I spent about $15 on expanded metal to make a shield. Most of the time I can still watch tv during a storm. A friend from work said the design he used lets him pick up channels almost 60 miles away.

And since I made my antenna it should be obvious that I'm too cheap for cable or satellite.

willow_girl · #60 03/07/12, 06:42 AM

I can't imagine paying to watch television.

But then, I always let my ex-husbands keep the TVs!