# Press Release: DIRECTV Further Distances Itself in 2009



## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Following is a press release from the Investor Relations portion of DIRECTV.com:



> DIRECTV Further Distances Itself From Cable and Dish Network in 2009 American Customer Satisfaction Index
> Rates Higher Than All Major Cable Companies for Ninth Consecutive Year
> 
> EL SEGUNDO, Calif., May 19, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- For the ninth straight year DIRECTV, the nation's No.1 satellite television service, has once again scored higher for customer satisfaction than all major cable TV companies, in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). DIRECTV's score also soared even further past Dish Network this year by seven points, making it the only satellite company to outrank all cable companies surveyed.
> ...


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## Mertzen (Dec 8, 2006)

Stuart Sweet said:


> _Customers surveyed by the ACSI in the first quarter of 2009 were also asked about such issues as perceived quality, perceived value and their expectations *prior* to subscribing to the service. _


In contrast to after the tech leaves :lol::lol::lol::hurah::hurah:


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

All I will say is Brrrrriiiiip. :grin:


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## Inches (Jan 5, 2005)

seern said:


> All I will say is Brrrrriiiiip. :grin:


Agreed


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## ATARI (May 10, 2007)

71?

That's a C- and they're patting themselves on the back?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

DISH Network's rating was a 64.

Somehow I get the idea that the same people that are telling us that the economic outlook is improving are behind the ACSI survey.


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## pfp (Apr 28, 2009)

ATARI said:


> 71?
> 
> That's a C- and they're patting themselves on the back?


Apparently it's graded on a curve. :lol:


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

ATARI said:


> 71?
> 
> That's a C- and they're patting themselves on the back?


Well, if you're better then everyone else why not? LOL

Actually, Chase (the CEO) has talked in the last few conference calls about how they need to improve their customer service. So it's good to know that even though they are the "best", they still know they need to improve.


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Great job DirecTV. Here's a link to ACSI's chart. http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?op...view&id=147&Itemid=155&i=Cable+&+Satellite+TV

Interestingly, I do not see where they measured DirecTV against what I perceive is its real competitive threat in the cable/satellite market....Verizon Fios. I would have been curious to see how it compares when Fios is included or even ATT Uverse (even though that's not really any competition) in the customer satifaction survey.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Hansen said:


> Great job DirecTV. Here's a link to ACSI's chart. http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?op...view&id=147&Itemid=155&i=Cable+&+Satellite+TV
> 
> Interestingly, I do not see where they measured DirecTV against what I perceive is its real competitive threat in the cable/satellite market....Verizon Fios. I would have been curious to see how it compares when Fios is included or even ATT Uverse (even though that's not really any competition) in the customer satifaction survey.


They may be included in the "All Others" category which has improved substantially over the past three years.

As for DirecTV...it's more of the same. Their rating is basically the same as it was eight years ago...that's eight years of promising better customer service/experience and no real change. It's not just them though...it's the whole industry...I guess like a lot of other companies they're only going to do the minimum necessary.

If you do a sort on all industries you can see how poorly cable/satellite is ranked. It's right down there with the airlines and cell phone companies.


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## Tom Servo (Mar 7, 2007)

ATARI said:


> 71?
> 
> That's a C- and they're patting themselves on the back?


Being the best in a room full of underachievers isn't anything to be proud of.


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## Devo1237 (Apr 22, 2008)

And with the worst service in the nation, we have... Charter! Couldn't agree more with those rankings.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

Since DircTV set up the "case management" department, it seems like any problems I've had over the past 6 months have been handled much more expertly. Unlike in the past, they seem to get me in touch with the folks who can actually solve my problem first-time around.

I could be wrong about who's in charge of what over there, but it seems to me that ever since Ellen Filipiak joined DirecTV in 2007, customer service has really improved. /steve


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## dlt4 (Oct 4, 2006)

seern said:


> All I will say is Brrrrriiiiip. :grin:


And can you say "pixelization"?


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## runner26 (Apr 8, 2007)

"Directv needs to improve customer service"? YA THINK????? Next they will tell us water is wet.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

FIOS has such limited availability, it is irrelevant.



Hansen said:


> Great job DirecTV. Here's a link to ACSI's chart. http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?op...view&id=147&Itemid=155&i=Cable+&+Satellite+TV
> 
> Interestingly, I do not see where they measured DirecTV against what I perceive is its real competitive threat in the cable/satellite market....Verizon Fios. I would have been curious to see how it compares when Fios is included or even ATT Uverse (even though that's not really any competition) in the customer satifaction survey.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

runner26 said:


> "Directv needs to improve customer service"? YA THINK????? Next they will tell us water is wet.


While I don't mind them tooting their own horn, being #1 of 2 doesn't tell the whole story.

While I've had good luck with customer service there are those who have had abysmal interactions with them. I have to agree there is improvement to be had.

I do think that DirecTV takes the goal of improvement seriously and I hope it continues to get better.

Mike


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## runner26 (Apr 8, 2007)

I too hope that D* is able to improve customer service. Off to a mighty slow start though.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Hansen said:


> Great job DirecTV. Here's a link to ACSI's chart. http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?op...view&id=147&Itemid=155&i=Cable+&+Satellite+TV
> 
> Interestingly, I do not see where they measured DirecTV against what I perceive is its real competitive threat in the cable/satellite market....Verizon Fios. I would have been curious to see how it compares when Fios is included or even ATT Uverse (even though that's not really any competition) in the customer satifaction survey.


Fiso and U-verse (AT&T you see is legacy cable systems, not U-Verse by itself. I do not know if U-verse got lumped in as well, but I doubt it.) are so small they probably wouldn't even be a dominant figure in the all other.. They are years away from being broken out on their own.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

When this news breaks each year that DIRECTV is number one in satisfaction, I usually see similar responses, demanding how DIRECTV can be proud of being "mediocre" with a "C" grade. 

This measurement is important to set standards so that deficiencies can be identified, addressed, and corrected. The report shows DIRECTV improved on last year's results, so why not crow about that? "We're working hard to serve you better." 

Also, if I'm not mistaken this is the third year (maybe even longer) that I recall DIRECTV topping the chart against other providers. This is significant because for new customers concerned with quality they have a baseline against which to measure their choices. If you only have four choices, wouldn't you want to go with the higher-rated company? Even if the score is in the "C" range, DIRECTV satisfies more of its customers than DIRECTV's competitors satisfies their respective customers.

Congrats DIRECTV, keep improving those numbers.


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## micky76ag (Feb 18, 2007)

There is always some subset of any sample group that will be unhappy. 

No matter what you do to make some of your customers happy, it will make some other subset unhappy.

If you believe the old 80-20 rule from management theory, then you would generally expect about 20% of the people to be unhappy at any given time regardless of your actions or performance.

So, there is likely a cap on how high any of these services could ever rate.

Is it 80? 

Who knows, but if it is, then 71 is not too bad.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Hansen said:


> Interestingly, I do not see where they measured DirecTV against what I perceive is its real competitive threat in the cable/satellite market....Verizon Fios.


I disagree with your perception. FIOS takes a relatively small swing at a tiny subset of DIRECTV's service area. The other carriers represent much larger pieces of the pie. FIOS TV has around 2.2 million TV customers which amounts to a little over 12% of the DIRECTV customer base.

There are MUCH bigger fish than FIOS TV.


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## runner26 (Apr 8, 2007)

Bigger don't mean better. The Fios service is about 1000 times better than Directv and as time marches on Fios is going to eat Directv's lunch. People will put up with the pitiful service from D* when there is little or no choice but them days are ending. If D* doesn't start doing much better in the service department (brrrripppp!) they are going to lose out!


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## snewo (Sep 30, 2006)

FIOS is available to me right now, but I'm not running to sign up. Know why? I've had an awesome experience with DTV. I called up to ask a basic question about a month ago and the customer service rep gave me HBO and Starz for free for 3 months (it will not keep going and bill me after that it will just turn off). I didn't ask for it.....I wasn't looking for a handout, I was asking a question about PPV movies and my DVR. Their customer service is great. I'm mad that I didn't get to participate in the survey.

I may go to FIOS for Phone and/or Internet in the future, but both are higher than I'm paying right now so I see no point to that either. As long as DTV keeps up quality of service and good customer service I'm not going anywhere.

Snewo


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

runner26 said:


> Bigger don't mean better. The Fios service is about 1000 times better than Directv and as time marches on Fios is going to eat Directv's lunch. People will put up with the pitiful service from D* when there is little or no choice but them days are ending. If D* doesn't start doing much better in the service department (brrrripppp!) they are going to lose out!


1000 times better?


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## runner26 (Apr 8, 2007)

At least *brrrrip!). Excuse me I have a bad case I am afraid.


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## kevinwmsn (Aug 19, 2006)

I was hoping to see Mediacrap(Mediacom) at the bottom of the list. I guess they are so bad they don't make the list.


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## thumperr (Feb 10, 2006)

if a hungry bear is chasing me and you in the woods, I don't have to out run the bear, I only have to out run you...

As long as you are better than the competition, you are still winning.


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## prospero63 (Aug 31, 2008)

Hansen said:


> Great job DirecTV. Here's a link to ACSI's chart. http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?op...view&id=147&Itemid=155&i=Cable+&+Satellite+TV
> 
> Interestingly, I do not see where they measured DirecTV against what I perceive is its real competitive threat in the cable/satellite market....Verizon Fios. I would have been curious to see how it compares when Fios is included or even ATT Uverse (even though that's not really any competition) in the customer satifaction survey.


The only comparisons I have seen against FIOS and Uverse are the JD Power rankings, and let's just say there's a reason that DirecTV doesn't roll out the JD Power award statements and claims anymore... Last time I checked (a few months back) they were a sound 3rd in ranking behind them.


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## prospero63 (Aug 31, 2008)

Tom Servo said:


> Being the best in a room full of underachievers isn't anything to be proud of.


QFT.

Too many companies seem to be content to be the "least sucky" as opposed to the best.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

This survey rated customer service so unless you call in and an agent brrrips you, would be amusing actually since I just had a max headroom flashback, so while we all hate brrrips it has nothing to do with this thread.

As far as 71 not being good well I look at hotels as a good example of customer service. Hotels are really in the cater to customer business. The highest hotel is 79, Hilton, and the highest score on all of the charts for a named company is 81, Olive Garden. The lowest company is Charter with a 51. So the curve really is a 30 point spread for this survey. So while individual results vary Directv is ahead of the curve.

The thing I notice is that the service industry where the is a monthly charge, not including utilities as most people don't have an option of not having one over another, or one at all, is that they always score lower than choice based decisions. This I feel has more to do with the cultural change of consumers more then anything. We've been trained over the years to want immediate gratification in our wants. We want more and expect to pay less. When we have an agreement with a company or pay them monthly we expect that they should do whatever we deem necessary. That changes from person to person but ultimately it will always boil down to get more then you can from another company but pay less then that said company. Since we've demanded this companies have given us this. However we don't want the bad side of this. All tv service providers have fixed costs with programming that they cannot avoid. No company would tell ESPN they're ridiculous for charging that amount and choose to put them in a non standard tier. We demand ESPN in a regular package. So that means we force companies to make a decision on where to cut costs and that's going to be in customer service because they can impact operational cost. They can choose to outsource more because it costs less. We then get upset because we want someone who is in America. 
I'm sure that most people would say the biggest thing they hate about customer service is the lack of consistency when they call companies. Talk to multiple people and get multiple responses. The easy solution would seem to hold people much more accountable for information given. However call centers already have a high turnover rate and training new people costs a lot of money. So therefore tolerances have to be built in to help people learn. The problem here is that large companies with customer bases of 10+ million have to have a lot of people on hand to handle those calls. For generic numbers if a company takes a million calls in a year and 5% are bad that's 50,000 wrong answers. Then you get into people not believing the correct answer because they're given wrong answers and you might as well make it 100,000 wrong answers based on perception. 

We want discounts and feel that because we paid bills on time and lived up to an agreement that we chose to make that now we're owed something extra. We should get more discounts or promotions because if we don't the next company will. These discounts have to be paid for somehow and by someone. It won't be the company because they're not there to provide non profit services.

The best part about this whole system is that 99% of the time the consumers are the share holders who are demanding higher profits. Your mutual funds managers, stock brokers, and individual investors demand more profit for their stocks. If any CEO said that they were going to reduce profits intentionally to increase customer service they would be removed. 

So while I would love to say that every experience I've had with the companies I do business with have been perfect they haven't, but I also understand that if I got the service I would want every time I would be paying a lot more per month for those services. I make the decision to what is acceptable to me with my wallet. I dropped Sprint, who's the lowest customer satisfaction scores, to show them that I thought it was unacceptable service only after I decided it was worth it to pay more per month for the same service elsewhere.

Sorry it's so long just most places I visit are filled with this type of post at the moment because of quarterly calls and customer satisfaction results coming out. However the community here is much better then that at other sites so I figured I would post it here and let people discuss or ignore it without a reply that uses numbers for vowels.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

prospero63 said:


> The only comparisons I have seen against FIOS and Uverse are the JD Power rankings, and let's just say there's a reason that DirecTV doesn't roll out the JD Power award statements and claims anymore... Last time I checked (a few months back) they were a sound 3rd in ranking behind them.


This is correct but even JD powers has stated that it's going to try to figure out how to rate bundle services to like services or modify their surveys to try and rate the different services seperately. A U-Verse or FIOS customer may be thrilled with the internet, and phone option but only ok with their tv service. However with companies becoming a one stop shop results can get skewed. Verizon has done consistently well with customer service satisfaction though and I'm glad because that's who I chose to go with as my cell phone provider. I also believe that good customer service will do nothing more then drive other companies to improve theirs.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

micky76ag said:


> There is always some subset of any sample group that will be unhappy.
> 
> No matter what you do to make some of your customers happy, it will make some other subset unhappy.
> 
> ...


Except, if you look at the ratings in other industries there are many companies that score higher than an 80. The cable/satellite industry is in the bottom three with airlines and cell companies. Want a comparison? The IRS gets higher ratings than DirecTV.

I take two things from these surveys.

1. The entire industry does a pretty poor job on satisfying their customers. Now, that may just be a fact of life in providing a monthly service (although some industries providing services to residences do better) or it could be the industry has settled on a goal of providing a minimally acceptable level of quality/service.

2. DirecTV's ratings really haven't moved in eight years despite their constant statements of how hard they're working to improve customer service and quality. Despite the fact they've launched all sorts of new services the rating really hasn't moved....what does that say? Is the survey of no use...or are they off-target in supplying a service that their general audience desires.

To DirecTV's credit they are the best of a poor group of major competitors which is probably why their subscribers numbers are better than those of the other big guys recently. But this survey does seem to indicate why about 2,000,000 customers will voluntarily cancel DirecTV this year.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Shades228 said:


> This survey rated customer service so unless you call in and an agent brrrips you, would be amusing actually since I just had a max headroom flashback, so while we all hate brrrips it has nothing to do with this thread.


Except you're wrong about the survey and what this rating means. Did you bother to read their site before making this statement? Here's a link...take a read about what the ACSI is all about: http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=43. You complain about other's posts, but contribute to a far more serious problem which is the posting of statements that have no/little basis in fact.

We can discuss whether their rating is good/bad/mediocre, but don't you think it's important to understand what the rating is about beforehand?

This number is about customer SATISFACTION not customer service. So, yes the brrriiiiippp problem has something to do with this, the quality of their equipment has something to do with this...and while off-target the quality of the TV programming probably has an effect on their rating.

On another note some of your comments about why we get the poor service we do are correct. People in America babble about quality service, but don't want to give it to others or pay for it for themselves.


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## micky76ag (Feb 18, 2007)

Ken S said:


> Except, if you look at the ratings in other industries there are many companies that score higher than an 80.


I hope my post didn't imply I thought it was exactly 80.

That was just quoting an often used business rule of thumb for estimates - estimates are not intended to hit the exact number.

But in fact, if you look at the top scores in each category you will see that a top end of 80 was not a bad first estimate.

The real top end looks to be about 85 or so.

Top score in each category:

Full Service Restaurants: 85, (all others) -- top named company: Olive Garden: 81

Hotels: 79, Hilton

Limited Service Restaurants: 83, (all others) - top named company: Domino's Pizza: 77

Ambulatory Care: 80, (industry average, no names singled out)

Hospitals: 77, (industry average, no names singled out)

Cable and Satellite Television: 71, DirecTV

Cell Phone: 74, Nokia

Computer Software: 76, (all others) - top named company: Microsoft: 70

Fixed Line Telephone: 75 (all others) - top named company: Cox Communications: 74

Motion Pictures: 74 (industry average, no names singled out)

Network Cable News: 71 (industry average, no names singled out)

Newspapers: 63 (industry average, no names singled out)

Wireless Telephone: 74, Verizon

Transportation: 81, Southwest Airlines

Express Delivery: 84, FedEx

US Postal Service: 74

Energy Utilities: 80, Sempra Energy


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Micky,

No, I guess I don't think the 80-20 (Pareto) rule is much of a rule. It fits in some situations, but more often than not people look to find a way to make it fit to make for a neat bullet-point on a presentation.
To then take that "rule" and say that they're only 10 away from 80 so it's not that bad at all stretches it even further.

You are correct that it would be virtually impossible for any entity to score 100 (including the Messiah) but to then say the average top scores of other industries is the best you could hope for and then accept a position well under that as "good" is really taking a "marketer's" view of the issue. They're still well below the average and that can/should never be considered a positive.



micky76ag said:


> I hope my post didn't imply I thought it was exactly 80.
> 
> That was just quoting an often used business rule of thumb for estimates - estimates are not intended to hit the exact number.
> 
> ...


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## micky76ag (Feb 18, 2007)

No problem – you make good points.

Who knows for sure what the top end is? I don’t.

It’s probably not as high as 90 but, I agree, it is certainly higher than 71.

DirecTV could do much better, no doubt.

“Not too Bad” is a relative term, I suppose, but I’m not sure how you interpreted it as “good”. 

I didn’t mean it as a particularly positive endorsement (not like “good”, “great”, “excellent”, “outstanding”, etc.)

But just looking at all the numbers, I do believe they were “not too bad” – enough to crow about in a press release? No, but you know that’s never going to stop any big company from doing just that.


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## bobcamp1 (Nov 8, 2007)

No one knows what the top score is or what the statistical margin of error is. The numbers are pretty useless on their own. We don't even know if they are the same for each category.

IF the numbers mean the same thing every year for cable service, no one has made any improvements over the last 8 years, except for perhaps "all others". I want that service. Who are the Others? Is their phone number 481 - 516 - 2342 ?


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## Impala1ss (Jul 22, 2007)

runner26 said:


> Bigger don't mean better. The Fios service is about 1000 times better than Directv and as time marches on Fios is going to eat Directv's lunch. People will put up with the pitiful service from D* when there is little or no choice but them days are ending. If D* doesn't start doing much better in the service department (brrrripppp!) they are going to lose out!


FIOS will never seriously challenge D*, even with a clearly better picture. The reason is that FIOS can only get subscribers in those sections of the country that has Verison phone service. Verison does NOT serve my area in Florida so I will never be able to get FIOS. If you do not have Verison phone service, you will never have FIOS either.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Impala1ss said:


> FIOS will never seriously challenge D*, even with a clearly better picture. The reason is that FIOS can only get subscribers in those sections of the country that has Verison phone service. Verison does NOT serve my area in Florida so I will never be able to get FIOS. If you do not have Verison phone service, you will never have FIOS either.


Does Comcast challenge DirecTV?


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## rkr0923 (Sep 14, 2006)

Notice is says SOURCE: DIRECTV
so what do you expect


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## MIKE0616 (Dec 13, 2006)

Who owns ACSI? Is it funded like most other "surveys" are, that is, by the companies that are rated highly?

Looking at the web-site, ACSI is really vague about where their funding comes from........


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

University of Michigan American Customer Satisfaction Index


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

MIKE0616 said:


> Who owns ACSI? Is it funded like most other "surveys" are, that is, by the companies that are rated highly?
> 
> Looking at the web-site, ACSI is really vague about where their funding comes from........


I think Stuart Sweet funds the entire program.

(just kidding)


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## CopyCat (Jan 21, 2008)

bonscott87 said:


> Well, if you're better then everyone else why not? LOL
> 
> Actually, Chase (the CEO) has talked in the last few conference calls about how they need to improve their customer service. So it's good to know that even though they are the "best", they still know they need to improve.


LOL- following cables lead and raising prices (yes I do see the commercials):grin:


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## mystic7 (Dec 9, 2007)

If Directv would freakin' add Travel Channel, WGN American, and maybe one more already existing HD national channel, they could shut down customer service for a month and still raise their satisfaction rating to 85.


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## DawgLink (Nov 5, 2006)

For me, DirecTV continues to be a must because of Sunday Ticket

I can't stand the price increases but as an out-of-state fan of a team, I would MUCH rather have it in my house then head to a bar


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## man_rob (Feb 21, 2007)

Although, interestingly enough is this from Multichannel news:


> *Cable Narrows 'Satisfaction Gap' With Satellite TV: Survey*
> *Leichtman Research Group Says Bundled Cable Subs More Satisfied Than Others
> Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 5/22/2009 9:01:40 AM MT*
> 
> ...


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## ATARI (May 10, 2007)

man_rob said:


> Although, interestingly enough is this from Multichannel news:


Gotta love the way different marketing departments can spin the same data different ways.

Remember, statistics are like people: Torture them enough and you can make them say anything you want.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Remember: Numbers don't lie, but lairs do numbers.


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

rkr0923 said:


> Notice is says SOURCE: DIRECTV
> so what do you expect


 DirecTV put out the press release touting the survey results, they didn't conduct the survey itself.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Jeremy W said:


> DirecTV put out the press release touting the survey results, they didn't conduct the survey itself.


The spin comes from publishing the one that offers the most favorable result. One survey gave DIRECTV a decided win, one a second place to archrival DISH Network and one a virtual tie with cable. Is there any question which one they would choose to hype?

It seems like they used to hype the J.D. Power survey when they led (in three of the four regions) in that one.


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## EricJRW (Jul 6, 2008)

seern said:


> All I will say is Brrrrriiiiip. :grin:


Beano can help with that...



ATARI said:


> 71?
> 
> That's a C- and they're patting themselves on the back?


Not if you grade on the curve!


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

harsh said:


> The spin comes from publishing the one that offers the most favorable result.


Oh, you don't say? DirecTV's PR department actually wants to make the company look *good*? Dirty bastards! If only they could be more like Dish's PR department, which gives out all of the facts, favorable or not, and lets the public decide.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Jeremy W said:


> Oh, you don't say? DirecTV's PR department actually wants to make the company look *good*? Dirty bastards! If only they could be more like Dish's PR department, which gives out all of the facts, favorable or not, and lets the public decide.


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## MIKE0616 (Dec 13, 2006)

MIKE0616 said:


> Who owns ACSI? Is it funded like most other "surveys" are, that is, by the companies that are rated highly?
> 
> Looking at the web-site, ACSI is really vague about where their funding comes from........





Shades228 said:


> University of Michigan American Customer Satisfaction Index


That is who "performs" the survey, not who funds it. I highly doubt that the administration of the Univ of Mi sits around the lunch table taking up a collection to cover the costs of the survey like they might a going away gift.  On the other hand, if some companies gave the school grants to pay for the costs of the survey.......... nah, we know that would never happen. 

I take a dim view on polls like this one as it seems that they all have a slant in the direction of someone, a bias, if you will. Survey company #1 says brand A is preferred over others and company #2 says brand B is preferred and they both claim to use same sample group and have no bias in their questions, yet different results. (See book _How to Lie With Statistics_ for more examples and cited examples.)


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

MIKE0616 said:


> That is who "performs" the survey, not who funds it. I highly doubt that the administration of the Univ of Mi sits around the lunch table taking up a collection to cover the costs of the survey like they might a going away gift.  On the other hand, if some companies gave the school grants to pay for the costs of the survey.......... nah, we know that would never happen.
> 
> I take a dim view on polls like this one as it seems that they all have a slant in the direction of someone, a bias, if you will. Survey company #1 says brand A is preferred over others and company #2 says brand B is preferred and they both claim to use same sample group and have no bias in their questions, yet different results. (See book _How to Lie With Statistics_ for more examples and cited examples.)


Mike,

You may be correct, but note that the ACSI surveys cover just about every industry. I haven't bothered to ask them who pays for the work but if you check their page they list their sponsors and they're not companies they're reporting on.

From the results that DirecTV has been getting I tend to doubt they're paying for it because even though their ratings are higher than some of their large competitors they're still pretty low and have shown no real improvement over the past eight years.


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## jpl (Jul 9, 2006)

No one believes that polls are an absolute measure of anything. But they ARE a measure. Can they be biased? Sure. Can they be rigged? Absolutely. Can some be worded in such a way that the outcome is predetermined? Yep. But so what? Is there any indication that this poll is anything OTHER than an independent poll? No one should ever take a single poll as gospel, but polls are indicators. Taken over time they point to trends.

That being said, it's totally valid for DirecTV to make the claims that they are with this poll... but then again, the 'spin' from cable - that they're gaining on DBS - is also totally valid. I found it funny that some on this forum defended the former but laughed at the latter.

As for where services like FiOS and U-Verse fit in - they're not included in this poll. Why? No idea. My guess is that because they're still smallish and relatively new.

Like I said, no one should take a poll for more than what it is... but to totally discount one because some polls at times have been biased is equally silly.


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## Kheldar (Sep 5, 2004)

jpl said:


> As for where services like FiOS and U-Verse fit in - they're not included in this poll. Why? No idea. My guess is that because they're still smallish and relatively new.


Possibly, but maybe also because this is the "Cable and Satellite TV" survey, and FIOS and U-Verse are not technically _cable_ or _satellite_ services.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

harsh said:


> The spin comes from publishing the one that offers the most favorable result. One survey gave DIRECTV a decided win, one a second place to archrival DISH Network and one a virtual tie with cable. Is there any question which one they would choose to hype?
> 
> It seems like they used to hype the J.D. Power survey when they led (in three of the four regions) in that one.


Isn't all marketing some kind of "spin" harsh?  :nono2:


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## jpl (Jul 9, 2006)

Kheldar said:


> Possibly, but maybe also because this is the "Cable and Satellite TV" survey, and FIOS and U-Verse are not technically _cable_ or _satellite_ services.


Actually, that's not correct. Legally FiOS IS considered cable. Besides, maybe they need to consider increasing the scope of their poll to include things like IPTV services. I think both are excluded because, like I said, both are still small and new. New services tend to attract customers who want to move over to them, and therefore tend to score higher. Not saying that FiOS isn't a great service (especially since I'm a customer) but I have no delusions to the fact that one reason the score so well on these surveys is because:

a) Many customers move over from traditional cable - around here, one of the worst curse-words many can utter: Comcast.

b) People who, so far, have made the switch include many early adopters, who I think tend to be more forgiving of little nit-picky stuff. They're in it for the technology, and I think they understand that new technology comes with its own set of new challenges to be ironed out.


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

tcusta00 said:


> Isn't all marketing some kind of "spin" harsh?  :nono2:


No, it's only spin when DirecTV does it.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

If you read the survey results there is a category called "Other" that's probably where UVerse and FIOS are falling at present. That category has also shown a fairly large increase in satisfaction over the past couple of years.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

I would definitely say that compared to the WORST media providers of cable TV (Charter and some other less well known names) DirecTV still is better overall. However when you look at the major players my guess is that they are all so close together that it would be too close to call. 

When I factor in value for the dollar and customer service experience overall D* would get a 70-74 in my book as well .

I totally ignore these surveys as they all contain marketing spin to some degree or another, the only one I might put any creedence in would be Consumer Reports.


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## macEarl (Jan 2, 2007)

Drew2k said:


> When this news breaks each year that DIRECTV is number one in satisfaction, I usually see similar responses, demanding how DIRECTV can be proud of being "mediocre" with a "C" grade.
> 
> This measurement is important to set standards so that deficiencies can be identified, addressed, and corrected. The report shows DIRECTV improved on last year's results, so why not crow about that? "We're working hard to serve you better."
> 
> ...


Let's add up their progress to date, Drew -

1. We were all Guinea pigs for the HR20-700.
2. The TiVo unit it replaced for me - I could extract recorded movies from it directly - not a problem. Years later - we have DIRECTV2PC in beta, watch only, no transfer.
3. The TiVos had MRV the year D* switched to their own units - today, we have that feature - again, in beta.
4. Compression on SD channels has increased ridiculously.
5. We're still watching HD Lite.
6. We're supposed to be happy because we get lush channel packages and we customers should go along with poor D*, who is just trying so hard to squeeze all of that quality up on the birds - but ala carte ordering is gone, so there's no weeding out loser channels altogether.
7. A quick survey of active threads shows a lot of DVR problems persist.

Yes, they've topped the chart for three years running.

With a C- (actually, that would have been a D or D- in my school, but I'm a geezer). Because their competitors aren't any brighter than they are.

I've watched this race to mediocrity ever since the SEC shot down the D* / Dish merger. Something's just plain fishy here.

We're all paying luxury car rates for this stuff and we're all just essentially getting the equivalent of Fords, Chevies and Chryslers - and not even current tech, to boot. This isn't youth soccer, where everyone that joins is supposed to win by playing. This is a premium-priced service.

With an unacceptable grade. How would you feel if your kid came home and said, "Dad! I got the highest grade of all of the losers in detention!"

Anyway - hope you're well.

Earl

PS - Remember when we all supported the fledgling, goofy, HR20, just *knowing* that by helping D* get its bugs out, and get more customers, we'd all win? We did our part, guys. Where's the freaking payoff? Really funny how they get to brag about 1080p content download - where most of it is for-pay - working just fine via the net, but MRV and movies on your home PC still requires the "Edge Cutters." Am I really the only one that sees what's wrong with this picture?


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Fair enough, but here's how the progress is for me:



macEarl said:


> Let's add up their progress to date, Drew -
> 
> 1. We were all Guinea pigs for the HR20-700.
> I've never had a problem with my HR20-700
> ...


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## macEarl (Jan 2, 2007)

spartanstew said:


> Fair enough, but here's how the progress is for me:


If you never had a problem with your HR20-700, then you couldn't have been one of the early adopters. No way.

If you don't watch SD channels at all, then why are you having to pay for them?

I do watch SD channels, I do pay for them, I do not have HD alternatives for those channels, and the quality has gone down on a great many of them due to compression.

That you don't want or need transfer to a PC doesn't establish your opinion of that need any higher or lower than my own.

That our D* TiVos didn't have MRV - we never got the chance. TiVo introduced this at the same time as the HR20-700 roll-out, and D*'s rollaway from TiVo.

(And - on both of those points above - it's not hard tech to accomplish, neither would the software for it be - but years later, it's not ready.)

That I'm in the minority in satisfaction - what? I'm a crank? That's a 7 to 3 ratio we're talking about here - or more precisely, less than 2.45:1 satisfaction ratio against the index.

This isn't the presidential election and your boy didn't just win. This is a consumer product and service with a low consumer rating.

And the way that you and others just like you respond to the obvious that I'm pointing out is *exactly* why D* will make no effort whatsoever to improve. And neither will their competitors.

As far as HD Lite being acceptable - ha! I DVR'd the last HD Stanley Cup, both from D* and from my local affiliate. In play after play, there were points where I could freeze the screen, and frame step it - the puck would simply disappear and reappear from the D* feed, not so, exact same plays on the local feed. So, seeing the difference doesn't take a lot of effort - you just have to look. (And yes, my set is fine, my sat strength is great.)

I'm glad you're happy. Some day you may be even happier, if D* improves their service.

Quiz:
DirecTV will improve their service satisfaction rating because:
a) They genuinely love and care about their loyal customers
b) Because as a profit-motivated corporation, they were left with no choice in the face of customer complaints

Sorry to be a complainer, but I happen to believe that very little phases these guys.

Do you have idea how much high-quality HD content is available over the web, legally and for free? I do, I use Miro. Between that, Hulu.com, crackle.com and OTA, there are a whole lot of free alternatives with very high quality, all for the price of a decent HTPC - something that compared to a D* HD-DVR and two years of HD service, pays for itself in no time at all.

I'd rather that DirecTV improve what it is good at than continue its half-assed internetworking attempts. And if they're going to try to really play in that arena with their current approach to customers, they simply have another thing coming.

All in all, I love DirecTV - but I'm not satisfied. I want them to succeed, I want them to stay around, I'd rather get my TV this way.

But a technology change is coming and it's coming soon. If they don't seriously straighten up and get out in front of it by simply offering superior service, I think that they're going to be marginalized by it.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

macEarl said:


> Let's add up their progress to date, Drew -
> 
> 1. We were all Guinea pigs for the HR20-700.


I've never felt that way, but obviously you did. I won't minimize your feelings - you're entitled, just as I'm entitled to mine, and thus, we were not all guinea pigs.



macEarl said:


> 2. The TiVo unit it replaced for me - I could extract recorded movies from it directly - not a problem. Years later - we have DIRECTV2PC in beta, watch only, no transfer.


So Joe Sixpack out of the box was able to transfer video out of the DVR? How nice of DIRECTV and TiVo to supply that... oh wait, they didn't. I'm not sure what this has to do with customer satisfication results, since you're comparing an unsupported backdoor hack to a supported feature: apples and oranges, my friend.



macEarl said:


> 3. The TiVos had MRV the year D* switched to their own units - today, we have that feature - again, in beta.


You mean to say DIRECTV is rolling out new features? Wow - they're increasing the capabilities of their products and you're upset? 



macEarl said:


> 4. Compression on SD channels has increased ridiculously.


I've not noticed it on the one or two SD channels I occasionally watch, but then I watch HD almost exclusively, so this does not affect me.



macEarl said:


> 5. We're still watching HD Lite.


"We are"? I'm not ... or if I am I don't notice it. I see great looking TV. Again, this is not a concern of mine.



macEarl said:


> 6. We're supposed to be happy because we get lush channel packages and we customers should go along with poor D*, who is just trying so hard to squeeze all of that quality up on the birds - but ala carte ordering is gone, so there's no weeding out loser channels altogether.


You are the only arbiter of what makes you happy, I can't speak to that. I know for the most part I'm happy with the Premium package, and I would really love to not have to pay the HD Access fee, but I get lots of HD by paying that fee, and HD makes ME happy.



macEarl said:


> 7. A quick survey of active threads shows a lot of DVR problems persist.


Yup, there are always problems with any provider. I just took a look at the TiVo forum and saw problems there too. Wow, TiVo sucks, cuz you know, any time someone posts a problem that means everyone must have it! 



macEarl said:


> Yes, they've topped the chart for three years running.
> 
> With a C- (actually, that would have been a D or D- in my school, but I'm a geezer). Because their competitors aren't any brighter than they are.
> 
> ...


If my kids came home from school with progressively better grades I'd be pleased that they're moving in the right direction and offer encouragement to keep improving. Want a cookie? 



macEarl said:


> Anyway - hope you're well.
> 
> Earl


Yup, I'm quite content, thank you. 



macEarl said:


> PS - Remember when we all supported the fledgling, goofy, HR20, just *knowing* that by helping D* get its bugs out, and get more customers, we'd all win? We did our part, guys. Where's the freaking payoff? Really funny how they get to brag about 1080p content download - where most of it is for-pay - working just fine via the net, but MRV and movies on your home PC still requires the "Edge Cutters." Am I really the only one that sees what's wrong with this picture?


We really are coming at this from two opposite viewpoints, so we're not going to meet here: I'm very happy with my DIRECTV service. I'm happy with the features that are available now that have been incrementally introduced over the last two years. My mother's house has DIRECTV, so does my sister's, and they're very happy with DIRECTV.

I also participate in the DBSTalk Cutting Edge program where I am involved with testing new features and improving the product, something I voluntarily choose to do because I enjoy it and like that I'm contributing to improvements that will benefit my mother, my sister, and even you. 

All I can say is I'm happy, but if you are unhappy you really should be voting with your wallet and choosing a provider who will pay any DIRECTV termination fees for you and just walk away.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

macEarl said:


> If you never had a problem with your HR20-700, then you couldn't have been one of the early adopters. No way.


I got my HR20-700 the week it was first available nationally Sept 2006. Only had one problem the whole time I had it (still do) and that was a missed recording in Nov 2006. That's pretty much it. That however doesn't mean you didn't have problems. But certainly there were many that never had problems or had minimal issues.



> If you don't watch SD channels at all, then why are you having to pay for them?


Don't know, ask DirecTV, cable, Fios and Uverse.



> I do watch SD channels, I do pay for them, I do not have HD alternatives for those channels, and the quality has gone down on a great many of them due to compression.


There are two SD channels that still have a program or two we watch. SD it bad. Always has been, always will.



> That you don't want or need transfer to a PC doesn't establish your opinion of that need any higher or lower than my own.


This will never happen. DRM, MPAA and Hollywood won't let it happen.



> As far as HD Lite being acceptable - ha! I DVR'd the last HD Stanley Cup, both from D* and from my local affiliate. In play after play, there were points where I could freeze the screen, and frame step it - the puck would simply disappear and reappear from the D* feed, not so, exact same plays on the local feed. So, seeing the difference doesn't take a lot of effort - you just have to look. (And yes, my set is fine, my sat strength is great.)


Have no idea what you are talking about here. "HD Lite" is dead and has been for a long time with the MPEG4 feeds. If you're still watching the MPEG2 HD feeds in the 70s then yea, those are HD lite. But they will be gone soon. The MPEG4 HD feeds on DirecTV are the highest quality HD available today outside of FIOS and OTA. And at least in my market the local HD stations are identical to the OTA versions.

Hey, if you don't like DirecTV there are plenty of other options out there that might make you happy. With the online content you talk about sounds like you could just get a Tivo HD unit for OTA and online stuff and then stream the rest of the online stuff and you're all set. And you'll save $75+ a month to boot.


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## DawgLink (Nov 5, 2006)

bonscott87 said:


> I got my HR20-700 the week it was first available nationally Sept 2006. Only had one problem the whole time I had it (still do) and that was a missed recording in Nov 2006. That's pretty much it. That however doesn't mean you didn't have problems. But certainly there were many that never had problems or had minimal issues.


I would just like to echo this as I got it in November 2006 (when I joined this site) and had very little if any problems.

I had a few missed recordings or maybe it didn't delete a few shows but thats it.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

macEarl said:


> If you never had a problem with your HR20-700, then you couldn't have been one of the early adopters. No way.


Nope, I wasn't. But how does that have anything to do with a thread regarding D*'s CURRENT customer satisfaction. If you're still bitter about problems with your HR20-700 three or four years ago, then perhaps you should step into your Delorean and go back to the discussion about satisfaction then.



macEarl said:


> If you don't watch SD channels at all, then why are you having to pay for them?


Umm, because that's the way it works. I don't think there's a person alive that watches every channel a provider has available.



macEarl said:


> That you don't want or need transfer to a PC doesn't establish your opinion of that need any higher or lower than my own.


Never said it was higher or lower, just pointing out to you that just because YOU have a problem with something doesn't mean everyone else does. Just because YOU have a problem with being satisfied, doesn't mean everyone else does.



macEarl said:


> That I'm in the minority in satisfaction - what? I'm a crank? That's a 7 to 3 ratio we're talking about here - or more precisely, less than 2.45:1 satisfaction ratio against the index.


Yes, you're in the minority. I have no idea if you're a crank or not, but I know which way I'm leaning. And yes, 7 is greater than 3, no matter what format you put it in.



macEarl said:


> And the way that you and others just like you respond to the obvious that I'm pointing out is *exactly* why D* will make no effort whatsoever to improve. And neither will their competitors.


Some of the things are only obvious to YOU. Some of us are pretty satisfied. If I wasn't, I'd be gone. Doesn't mean D* is perfect, but life's too short for me to be angry at a service provider or stay with one I'm not satisfied with. But I guess, that's just me. And the way that you and others just like you have to jump into every thread about D* in general (no matter the tone) and voice your complaints is *exactly* what makes us respond. It's never good enough that there's threads about specific complaints. Members with a grudge (apparently dating back to being an early HR20-700 adopter) have to take every opportunity to complain.



macEarl said:


> As far as HD Lite being acceptable - ha! I DVR'd the last HD Stanley Cup, both from D* and from my local affiliate. In play after play, there were points where I could freeze the screen, and frame step it - the puck would simply disappear and reappear from the D* feed, not so, exact same plays on the local feed. So, seeing the difference doesn't take a lot of effort - you just have to look. (And yes, my set is fine, my sat strength is great.)


I guess I'll take your word for it. When I watch hockey, I actually watch the game. I don't freeze the screen and frame step it looking for issues. If that's what it takes to prove it's "HD Lite", then you're more than welcome to continue watching sporting events frame by frame and complaining. I'll just continue to watch them at real speed and be satisfied. But again, maybe that's just me.



macEarl said:


> I'm glad you're happy. Some day you may be even happier, if D* improves their service.


Oh, there's lots of things they could do to make me happier. But I'm currently very satisfied.



 macEarl said:


> Quiz:
> DirecTV will improve their service satisfaction rating because:
> a) They genuinely love and care about their loyal customers
> b) Because as a profit-motivated corporation, they were left with no choice in the face of customer complaints


c) all of the above (as with any company).



macEarl said:


> Sorry to be a complainer,


Apology accepted.



macEarl said:


> Do you have idea how much high-quality HD content is available over the web, legally and for free? I do, I use Miro. Between that, Hulu.com, crackle.com and OTA, there are a whole lot of free alternatives with very high quality, all for the price of a decent HTPC - something that compared to a D* HD-DVR and two years of HD service, pays for itself in no time at all.


Doesn't interest me. If it did and I was happy with that, I certainly wouldn't be here.



macEarl said:


> I'd rather that DirecTV improve what it is good at than continue its half-assed internetworking attempts. And if they're going to try to really play in that arena with their current approach to customers, they simply have another thing coming.


I'd rather they only did the things I was interested in too, but I also realize there's a big picture and they need to satisfy a lot more people than just me.



macEarl said:


> All in all, I love DirecTV - but I'm not satisfied. I want them to succeed, I want them to stay around, I'd rather get my TV this way.


That's a contradiction. You can't love something and not be satisfied.



macEarl said:


> But a technology change is coming and it's coming soon. If they don't seriously straighten up and get out in front of it by simply offering superior service, I think that they're going to be marginalized by it.


Perhaps, but again this customer satisfaction survey is not about the future. It's about now.


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## macEarl (Jan 2, 2007)

Hey, I want to apologize for everyone for my general tone and insanity.

I did it on purpose, I was at my wits end.

In the day since I've posted my rants, my SD feeds have improved incredibly.

Direct calls and snail mail got me nowhere. Thinking that D* does read this forum and does care about us, I resorted to pitching a fit here. Coincidence? It worked?

Either way, someone's adjusted something, I can vouch for that.

So, yes, I can love D* and not be satisfied. Geez - ever been married? Just ask my wife. 

And, FWIW, I only started frame stepping the hockey games when the puck disappeared on me. It shouldn't have, and I wondered why.

Anyone that remembers me from when I used to post regularly knows that I've always strived to be helpful, supportive of D* and reasonable.

So, I played a little (OK - a lot) out of character and maybe someone listened.

Believe me - it was harder for me than it was for you guys!


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

bonscott87 said:


> Only had one problem the whole time I had it (still do) and that was a missed recording in Nov 2006.


What gods did you pray to to avoid the guide error reboots? Is it one of those things where if you don't notice it, it never happened?


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## jacmyoung (Sep 9, 2006)

The HR's slow remote response eventually killed D* in my house, I was forced to suspend the account and try Uverse.

Guess what, Uverse has its own set of issues, no one is perfect, the problem is, Uverse cost is about 1/2 of D*'s for the same TV programming, in fact they have more HDs, so now even though I noticed the D* CEs has made some clear gains, I am afraid I will not be able to convince the family to go back to D* when the suspension is over.

All was because of that damn slow remote!


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

jacmyoung said:


> Uverse cost is about 1/2 of D*'s for the same TV programming, in fact they have more HDs


U-verse has more HD, but the picture quality is garbage.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

harsh said:


> What gods did you pray to to avoid the guide error reboots? Is it one of those things where if you don't notice it, it never happened?


Harsh,

Didn't you know...those don't count. You must have missed the memo.


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## jacmyoung (Sep 9, 2006)

Jeremy W said:


> U-verse has more HD, but the picture quality is garbage.


Not at all. Those PQ differences are overly exaggerated.

The only limitation is having two HDs at any one time, and even this limitation is not much an issue as we found out we don't watch that much TV at the same time anyway.


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## jacmyoung (Sep 9, 2006)

Ken S said:


> Harsh,
> 
> Didn't you know...those don't count. You must have missed the memo.


The slow remote response definitely counted in our house, I know many others did not mind, in fact I did not mind, but the complaints in my house never stopped ever since we switched from E* to D*.


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## Tom Servo (Mar 7, 2007)

jacmyoung said:


> All was because of that damn slow remote!


In the last week or two I've begun noticing that getting through the My Playlist and other menu features has gotten really slow. As if it weren't slow enough before_!_

I think it has something to do with the scoreguide because it seems to be most noticeable when the receiver's on a sports channel. It doesn't make sense that the interactive content would slow down _everything_, but I guess it does.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Ken S said:


> Harsh,
> 
> Didn't you know...those don't count. You must have missed the memo.


LOL. Honestly I don't count those since they weren't (or most weren't anyway) a problem with the HR2x themselves. They were problems system wide. The last couple for sure effected even the DirecTivo users.

Now I guess we can just blame everything on the HR2x... :lol:


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

bonscott87 said:


> LOL. Honestly I don't count those since they weren't (or most weren't anyway) a problem with the HR2x themselves. They were problems system wide. The last couple for sure effected even the DirecTivo users.
> 
> Now I guess we can just blame everything on the HR2x... :lol:


Hey...you don't have to tell me again. I got the memo. I understand the mantra.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Ken S said:


> Hey...you don't have to tell me again. I got the memo. I understand the mantra.


Didn't know there was a memo. I must be out of the loop. 

Hey, I place fault right where it belongs and that is with DirecTV. Overall guide issues that affect multiple receiver types certainly aren't the fault of a specific receiver (i.e. HR20). Now as I think on it perhaps the first one or two of the guide data issues a couple years ago may have only effected the HR2x platform so maybe we can fault the HR2x there. Ooooooo, scary. I personally though never lost any recordings from any of the guide data problems. Just got lucky I had nothing set to record before they fixed it I guess.

But again, I'll blame the HR2x all day long for a problem (channels I receive, autorecords, etc). But the majority of the guide data issues that also affected many other receivers isn't one of them.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

bonscott87 said:


> Didn't know there was a memo. I must be out of the loop.
> 
> Hey, I place fault right where it belongs and that is with DirecTV. Overall guide issues that affect multiple receiver types certainly aren't the fault of a specific receiver (i.e. HR20). Now as I think on it perhaps the first one or two of the guide data issues a couple years ago may have only effected the HR2x platform so maybe we can fault the HR2x there. Ooooooo, scary. I personally though never lost any recordings from any of the guide data problems. Just got lucky I had nothing set to record before they fixed it I guess.
> 
> But again, I'll blame the HR2x all day long for a problem (channels I receive, autorecords, etc). But the majority of the guide data issues that also affected many other receivers isn't one of them.


A host of this forum (no you) made it very clear to me that it is the responsibility of the receiving unit to deal with bad data properly. I guess that only applies to units that are not manufactured by DirecTV? DirecTV sent bad data and I had several units that locked up and didn't recover for over two weeks until I manually reset them. This happened at least three times over the past year. Whether or not Tivo units locked up is meaningless they are products that haven't been made now for several years.
This is off topic so there is no reason to further discuss the issue I was just pointing out that the definition of what an HR2x problem is around here gets warped badly in both directions and at times makes the information in this forum very suspect.


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## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

Jeremy W said:


> U-verse has more HD, but the picture quality is garbage.





jacmyoung said:


> Not at all. Those PQ differences are overly exaggerated.
> 
> The only limitation is having two HDs at any one time, and even this limitation is not much an issue as we found out we don't watch that much TV at the same time anyway.


It is much worse in our area. I have relatives that have the U-Verse package and the HD quality is well below DirecTV and cable. The SD on the other hand is superior.


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

BattleScott said:


> It is much worse in our area. I have relatives that have the U-Verse package and the HD quality is well below DirecTV and cable. The SD on the other hand is superior.


Due to AT&T's network architecture, all U-verse channels (aside from locals, obviously) look the same no matter where you are. So anyone who says that U-verse HD PQ is acceptable either has very low standards, a crappy/miscalibrated TV, and/or poor eyesight. It's bargain basement crap for people who don't care about PQ.

I know those are harsh words, but it's the truth. They have to cram two HD channels and 18mbps Internet into a 25mbps pipe. That leaves *7mbps* for *two* HD channels! DirecTV allocates more than that for just one HD channel. The math is irrefutable, it's simply impossible for U-verse to offer decent HD PQ with their current network.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

I know I wouldn't go with Verizon's FIOS if they had a 1,000 HD channels! They aren't even a good phone company and I'm thankful that they sold their lines in my state to another company  So I will soon be rid of them for good


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