# The 10 Things I Hate About DIRECTV



## thelucky1 (Feb 23, 2009)

The 10 Things I Hate About DIRECTV By Swanni

Article link: http://www.tvpredictions.com/directvhate021511.htm

1. They Lie About HD Channel Counts
2. They Have Stopped Adding HD Channels
3. They're Are Pretending That 3D Is Great For Subscribers
4. They Will Rip Off Their Subscribers Without Even a Second Thought
5. They Have the Worst-Informed Telemarketing Team In the World
6. They Lie About Offering Movies In 1080p HD
7. They Lie About Shows Being In HD
8. They Require Your Dish to Be Positioned Just So
9. They Are Threatening to Remove Channels
10. Their HD Picture Quality Can Vary From Day to Day

Swanni also stated: Last note: As I said up front, I've been a DIRECTV subscriber for a long time and there is much that I like about the satcaster's service. So, I promise, I will publish a follow-up story in the coming weeks called, 'The 10 Things I Love About DIRECTV.'


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

thelucky1 said:


> The 10 Things I Hate About DIRECTV By Swanni
> 
> Article link: http://www.tvpredictions.com/directvhate021511.htm
> 
> ...


Saw the article earlier today, in my daily search of "DIRECTV" on the internet.

I only have really 1 comment
He targeted DIRECTV first in this new "series".
And if he was sincere on the last comment he made... this "series" of articles should have been 10/10 10 Things he Hates, and 10 Thinks he loves... at the same time.

But obviosely the "Hate" Topics are easier to sensationalize and draw readers.


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## ndole (Aug 26, 2009)

thelucky1 said:


> The 10 Things I Hate About DIRECTV By Swanni
> 
> Article link: http://www.tvpredictions.com/directvhate021511.htm
> 
> ...


:eek2: Wow. What a dope.


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## thelucky1 (Feb 23, 2009)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Saw the article earlier today, in my daily search of "DIRECTV" on the internet.
> 
> I only have really 1 comment
> He targeted DIRECTV first in this new "series".
> ...


I agree with you Earl, I would like to see both the Good with the Bad! 
I too have been a long time subscriber and while sometimes frustrated with some things about Directv. I still remain a Directv subscriber.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

I like Swanni. He's a lot like Dr. Phil. They both know everything there is to know about absolutely nothing!


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

thelucky1 said:


> The 10 Things I Hate About DIRECTV By Swanni
> 
> Article link: http://www.tvpredictions.com/directvhate021511.htm
> 
> ...


Hahaha.

1. They actually claim fewer than some folks here do.

2. Slowed down, yes. Stopped?

3. Huh? Should they claim it is not? Like it or not, 3D is what all carriers are pushing right now.

4. Really? How about some evidence on that?

5. Hahaha. Another funny. No worse nor no better than other technical help desks. Although I have had great success with them, I know there are issues.

6. Other than a few labelling mistakes, what the hell does this mean?

7. Whaaaat?

8. This is just stupid.

9. They are? A few carriage disputes. Nationally, they have only removed Versus for a while and G4. There are local stations that have issues but almost all of them get resolved before any deadlines. Should they not warn people that channels may go dark and just pull them one day?

10. This is just moronic. Yo, Swanni, PQ varies from program to program AT THE SOURCE. DirecTV is not monkeying with your PQ.

I almost would think this was a tongue in cheek list if I didn't know that Swanni is a long-time DirecTV basher who loves to stretch the truth for headlines.


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## Hutchinshouse (Sep 28, 2006)

#2 and #6 have merit. Others, not so much.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

thelucky1 said:


> ...
> 
> 1. They Lie About HD Channel Counts
> 2. They Have Stopped Adding HD Channels
> ...


1. Debatable 
2. They have? It's been slow, but it hasn't stopped.
3. It can be great to bring new subs, which is important.
4. That's not good.
5. There's much much much worse out there. Dell, TWC, Cyberpower.
6. Lie? Really??
7. Bad guide data happens on all providers.
8. Uhhhh, that's how satellite technology works you dope.
9. Every provider does this because channels want more money.
10. There's wayyyyyyyyy to many factors in play here.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

It seems like all 10 can apply to every tv broadcaster on the planet, so why does he single out Directv? If he titled it "10 things I hate about all tv providers" I probably would say, he's got some points. Some of the stuff is just flat out wrong.

The much more important question is why does anyone in their right mind read this guys crap and give it any credence?


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Hutchinshouse said:


> #2 and #6 have merit. Others, not so much.


Does #6 really have merit, or do they just need to be clearer on the qualification that it requires a TV that supports 24fps?


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## APB101 (Sep 1, 2010)

> Last note: As I said up front, I've been a DIRECTV subscriber for a long time and there is much that I like about the satcaster's service. *So, I promise, I will publish a follow-up story in the coming weeks called, 'The 10 Things I Love About DIRECTV.'*
> 
> Promise.


^ The author did end his article with the above paragraphs.


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## pbg (Oct 11, 2007)

thelucky1 said:


> The 10 Things I Hate About DIRECTV By Swanni
> 
> Article link: http://www.tvpredictions.com/directvhate021511.htm
> 
> 8. They Require Your Dish to Be Positioned Just So


he probably lives under a bridge, and the dish rattles when the semi's go by.

pbg


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

Swanni is crazy if he thinks that #8 can be solved. 
After all, it IS rocket science.
What does he want? His own personal satellite hovering above his head?
He did say that it is the way it is, but it still drives him crazy.
So, why mention it?
What a moron. 

I wonder when he'll publish his "10 things I hate about Dish" article?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

APB101 said:


> ^ The author did end his article with the above paragraphs.


I refer back to my comment here: 
http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=2712317&postcount=2

There is no reason why the 10 things he LOVES about DIRECTV could not have been published at the same time. A 10/10 article.

The reason is... the 10 things you hate is a bigger "sell" and eye grabber then the 10 things you "love".


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## convem24 (Mar 11, 2007)

Another gripe fest by Swanni. Obviously he uses it to drive traffic to his site. I think he has one valid claim on the HD channels being added. I would like to see more but for the price and availability of HD channels but Sunday Ticket I would not go anywhere near Comcast. Dish I might consider if they had whole home HD-DVR service.


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

There is no perfect provider, but if there were 10 things about DirecTV that I hated I would no longer be a sub. There weren't that many things that turned me off about TWC to cause me to defect. As far as Swanni's tired tirade, it's typical. Don't pay any mind to what he posts until he makes this entry, "I'm no longer a DirecTV sub". Then there will be some validity to his rants.


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## Jon J (Apr 22, 2002)

Earl Bonovich said:


> The reason is... the 10 things you hate is a bigger "sell" and eye grabber then the 10 things you "love".


Yes. It's marketing. February is a "Sweeps Month" so your local stations will be rolling out every wild "investigative report" you can imagine to attract as many eyeballs as possible in order to pump the ad rates in the future.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

thelucky1 said:


> The 10 Things I Hate About DIRECTV By Swanni
> 
> 3. They're Are Pretending That 3D Is Great For Subscribers


And how is that different that the 1) studios who make the 3D content nobody wants and 2) the CE manufacturers that make the 3D TV's and 3D BR players that nobody wants? 

Without 1 & 2, there would be no 3.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Personal comments in *BLUE* below...



thelucky1 said:


> The 10 Things I Hate About DIRECTV By Swanni
> 
> Article link: http://www.tvpredictions.com/directvhate021511.htm
> 
> ...


~Alan


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Wondering out loud....

Hate?

Hmmm....that's a strong word for anything about TV....


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Wondering out loud....
> 
> Hate?
> 
> Hmmm....that's a strong word for anything about TV....


Not really....

I hate "Jersey Shore" (and pretty much every reality show on TV), as well as plenty of other programs, channels, etc...

There's things I "hate" about DirecTV as well. HOWEVER, there's more that I love than hate...

~Alan


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

jdspencer said:


> Swanni is crazy if he thinks that #8 can be solved.
> After all, it IS rocket science.


Doesn't take rocket science, you can have the same problem with bunny ears, except that tends to be more aggravating, and you end up compromising with a clear signal on this channel, some snow on another etc.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> Not really....
> I hate "Jersey Shore" (and pretty much every reality show on TV), as well as plenty of other programs, channels, etc...
> 
> There's things I "hate" about DirecTV as well. HOWEVER, there's more that I love than hate...
> ...


Yes really.

Hate is a ridiculous term to use in this context....by anyone.

Knowing it came from the infamous Swanni just underscores how lame his statements are...not to mention he has been on an agenda of dislike for DirecTV ever since his mommy and daddy were wronged by them in their eyes.

Given any credence to his views is a joke.


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## TDK1044 (Apr 8, 2010)

As for number 8; D* tried moving the satellites to be in geosynchronous orbit directly over Swanni's house, but there was then a full eclipse of the sun and all his flowers died. This involved him having to call customer service and he was routed to Delhi.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

TDK1044 said:


> As for number 8; D* tried moving the satellites to be in geosynchronous orbit directly over Swanni's house, but there was then a full eclipse of the sun and all his flowers died. This involved him having to call customer service and he was routed to Delhi.


!rolling


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Yes really.
> 
> Hate is a ridiculous term to use in this context....by anyone.


I firmly believe that "hate" is a ridiculous term to use when that "hate" is directed at a living breathing individual... I have no such qualms when referring to something which is essentially trivial trivialities... such as TV.

So... no, not really. However, I am open to agreeing to disagree. 



hdtvfan0001 said:


> Knowing it came from the infamous Swanni just underscores how lame his statements are...not to mention he has been on an agenda of dislike for DirecTV ever since his mommy and daddy were wronged by them in their eyes.


I'm certainly no fan of Swanni's journalistic practices, so no arguments from me...



hdtvfan0001 said:


> Given any credence to his views is a joke.


Even a broken clock is right twice a day...

He raised a few valid points, though those points are (as usual) twisted to fit his desired result...

~Alan


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Alan Gordon said:


> Even a broken clock is right twice a day...


Not necessary true anymore with Digital Clocks.

I have one that blinks 12:00am when it is not working...
I have another that blinks --:-- when it is not set.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Alan Gordon said:
> 
> 
> > Even a broken clock is right twice a day...
> ...


Smarty threw a party and no one came!  

On a related note, there was a better (and more appropriate) saying I was trying to think of, but sadly, a night of insomnia doesn't exactly help the noggin work like it should...

~Alan


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

First... I have to say that the very fact that anyone goes to Swannis site (or AVS for that matter) is disturbing... you are generating revenue for them by your visits.

As to the points he makes:

1. They Lie About HD Channel Counts
HD counts are in the eye of the beholder... who cares anymore.

2. They Have Stopped Adding HD Channels
This unfortunately appears to be true. My 1 and only real beef with DirecTV is they have utterly failed to complete the addition of National HD channels that even the worst cable systems in the country have. I made excuses for a long time for DirecTV but there are none left. FAIL

3. They're Are Pretending That 3D Is Great For Subscribers
1st, I am glad that people who have invested in 3D gear are getting something to watch... but as time will prove out 3D is a FAIL proposition as long as glasses are required. This seems to me to be a poor allocation of resources. There are bigger fish to fry.

4. They Will Rip Off Their Subscribers Without Even a Second Thought
Ludicrous

5. They Have the Worst-Informed Telemarketing Team In the World
Learn to do your own research!

6. They Lie About Offering Movies In 1080p HD
This is BS. I am sure that DirecTV can mathematically prove that they are essentially delivering the same product as a Blu Ray disc. We all know that this isn't really true but in fact the picture they are delivering is excellent and with a lack of any true standard outlining precisely what 1080P should be....

7. They Lie About Shows Being In HD
BS

8. They Require Your Dish to Be Positioned Just So
This is the statement of an Idiot

9. They Are Threatening to Remove Channels
We are going to see some changes in the way Channels are added and removed. It is inevitable. The current systems is a MESS and the Feds have allowed ther entire system to get out of control.

10. Their HD Picture Quality Can Vary From Day to Day

I imagine so... I know antenna users in the city who have the same problem with over the air HD signals... again so what? It happens, get over it.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> I refer back to my comment here:
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=2712317&postcount=2
> 
> There is no reason why the 10 things he LOVES about DIRECTV could not have been published at the same time. A 10/10 article.
> ...


By doing them separately he can get two articles rather than one bigger one.

I'm guessing it can not be that easy to come up with something different constantly.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

LarryFlowers said:


> First... I have to say that the very fact that anyone goes to Swannis site (or AVS for that matter) is disturbing... you are generating revenue for them by your visits.


Swanni actually does have a few articles/news items I care about from time to time. It's his editorializing I don't care for...



LarryFlowers said:


> As to the points he makes:
> 
> 6. They Lie About Offering Movies In 1080p HD
> This is BS. I am sure that DirecTV can mathematically prove that they are essentially delivering the same product as a Blu Ray disc. We all know that this isn't really true but in fact the picture they are delivering is excellent and with a lack of any true standard outlining precisely what 1080P should be....
> ...


You probably didn't click on his link, but his statement regarding 1080p is correct.... once you get into his comments. Though the movies are in 1080p, they are NOT Blu-ray quality... unless the Blu-ray in question is of extremely poor quality.

As for #7, his OVER-ZEALOUSNESS comes into play as it appears his criticism is valid, but is most likely a miscommunication between the marketing department and the programming department and NOT a lie as he claims it to be.



TBoneit said:


> By doing them separately he can get two articles rather than one bigger one.
> 
> I'm guessing it can not be that easy to come up with something different constantly.


It's not, and your first statement is good business, though Earl's comment is true in that it's certainly of questionable fairness...

~Alan


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Alan Gordon said:


> You probably didn't click on his link, but his statement regarding 1080p is correct.... once you get into his comments. Though the movies are in 1080p, they are NOT Blu-ray quality... unless the Blu-ray in question is of extremely poor quality.


Silly marketing term.

There is no such thing as "blu ray quality." There are no standards for bit rates other than maximums. All Swanni shows by this point is that he has no idea what he is talking about or ignores what he knows to get in a shot.

BTW, the official DirecTV marketing says "the same stunning format as Blu-Ray." How is this "lying about 1080p?"

Anyone who calls this "lying" must really believe that a white knight comes and zaps clothes clean and that wearing a certain body wash means that a dweeb will have supermodels draped all over him.



Alan Gordon said:


> It's not, and your first statement is good business, though Earl's comment is true in that it's certainly of questionable fairness...


If he had a shred of professionalism, he would have that list tomorrow or on the same day next week and say so up front. Not some silly promise to do it sometime. Gee, the same kind of thing he bashes DirecTV for. Making an unspecified, vague promise. Marketing, anyone?


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Saw the article earlier today, in my daily search of "DIRECTV" on the internet.
> 
> I only have really 1 comment
> He targeted DIRECTV first in this new "series".
> ...


I've seen a whole lot of publications and "reviews" from this website where the "bad" is completely ignored and only the "good" written about. I assume you would have the same critique for here as well?


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## Satelliteracer (Dec 6, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Saw the article earlier today, in my daily search of "DIRECTV" on the internet.
> 
> I only have really 1 comment
> He targeted DIRECTV first in this new "series".
> ...


Is it me or does it feel like he took 4 or 5 of his list and repeated them to get to 10?

All the lying accusations...just don't get it. And the BBB stuff...did he not see all the ABC News stuff on the BBB and the Pay For Grades scam they were running?

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/better-business-bureau-sell-grades-bribe-corrupt-brian-ross-12136209

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/business-bureau-investigate-los-angeles-chapter/story?id=12211406

He has several legit points but goes into the wilderness on so many others to try and hit his magic 10 count that he dilutes his overall argument.

For example, stating that D* has stopped adding HD channels? Really? Based on what, an arbitrary calendar on this guy's desk? If a HD channel is not added in 3 months does that mean D* has stopped adding? If they add one this month, does that mean they are back to "adding" them again? I guess I don't recall seeing the memo that said D* no longer is adding HD.

3D...that's his opinion. Certainly if you don't have 3D you won't see any value, but judging on some of the emails and social networking comments by those with 3D, they were thrilled. Different strokes for different folks. I might add in a sense of irony, 3net is an HD channel so D* added an HD channel a mere two days ago. Others will follow.

I could go on. The 1080P thing...what is he talking about. D* absolute offers movies in 1080P, not all but certainly a wide selection.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

tonyd79 said:


> Silly marketing term.
> 
> There is no such thing as "blu ray quality." There are no standards for bit rates other than maximums. All Swanni shows by this point is that he has no idea what he is talking about or ignores what he knows to get in a shot.
> 
> BTW, the official DirecTV marketing says "the same stunning format as Blu-Ray." How is this "lying about 1080p?"


I have seen SEVERAL commercials which stated that DirecTV's 1080p is the same quality as Blu-ray. The same resolution, sure... BUT a PROPERLY done Blu-ray will blow DirecTV's HD (1080p and all) out of the water.

There are exceptions to the rule... like some older catalog titles available on DoD in which DirecTV has a newer master than the Blu-ray, as well as assorted titles in which the differences are negligible.

To make matters even more complicated, depending upon one's screen size and distance from the screen, the differences may be so little that many people might not even be able to tell a difference. Given that many of DirecTV's 1080p movies are cropped, it might even appear to them that the PQ is actually superior on DirecTV.

Dish Network has claimed the same thing. It's marketing... I just think that if DirecTV were to state that their movies were the same resolution as Blu-ray, it would be more accurate of a statement compared to them stating the same quality when the majority of the time, that is a false statement.



tonyd79 said:


> Anyone who calls this "lying" must really believe that a white knight comes and zaps clothes clean and that wearing a certain body wash means that a dweeb will have supermodels draped all over him.


Any dweeb who believes those commercials (and I may know a few...) is pretty gullible. When I hear a statement that says we offer movies in the same quality as Blu-ray, I expect a somewhat equal standard of quality.



tonyd79 said:


> If he had a shred of professionalism, he would have that list tomorrow or on the same day next week and say so up front. Not some silly promise to do it sometime. Gee, the same kind of thing he bashes DirecTV for. Making an unspecified, vague promise. Marketing, anyone?


Again, I am in no way standing up for Swanni. I do not find his best & worst looking celebs in HD lists to make him a nominee for journalist of the year, and the HD babes to again rule out pretty much all pretense of professionalism.

I also cannot disagree with your statement above at all. You are absolutely correct... HOWEVER, it is sadly not unusual in his business.

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Satelliteracer said:


> He has several legit points but goes into the wilderness on so many others to try and hit his magic 10 count that he dilutes his overall argument.
> 
> For example, stating that D* has stopped adding HD channels? Really? Based on what, an arbitrary calendar on this guy's desk? If a HD channel is not added in 3 months does that mean D* has stopped adding? If they add one this month, does that mean they are back to "adding" them again? I guess I don't recall seeing the memo that said D* no longer is adding HD.
> 
> 3D...that's his opinion. Certainly if you don't have 3D you won't see any value, but judging on some of the emails and social networking comments by those with 3D, they were thrilled. Different strokes for different folks.


Just wanted to thank Satelliteracer for mirroring my thoughts on the subject, and expressing them extremely well.

Thank you! 

~Alan


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## sdk009 (Jan 19, 2007)

While he has a couple of valid points, Swanni will not be happy until all 18 million D* subs fall lock-step into his world and do whatever he says (or follow whatever he writes).


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

raott said:


> I've seen a whole lot of publications and "reviews" from this website where the "bad" is completely ignored and only the "good" written about. I assume you would have the same critique for here as well?


Yes, in times I have.
But I do feel that over the years, that this forum has grown and changed... they do point out the good and bad in the first looks and/or the conversation that goes with them.

But I think there are major difference between TVPredications and a community form, that allows the discussion on the topics.
TVPredication has still not turned it's community forums back on, it did for one article, but then they went dark again.

But again... you know that, as we have had this discussion many times before.


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## Satelliteracer (Dec 6, 2006)

Typically what D* says is HD in the same format as Blu Ray and in 1080p resolution.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/equipment/hd_dvr_receiver

"DIRECTV brings the theater home to you with the most movies in 1080p HD, the same stunning format as Blu-ray™"

Has there been something out there that put resolution instead of format? I'm sure there has, in fact I think I've seen it a few times myself and alerted the legal \ branding folks. I haven't seen it in a long time, however, which means agencies creating ads, or dealers, etc have probably been brought up to speed further that those two words are not synonyms. The idea that D* was intentionally lying about...that's over the top.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Satelliteracer said:


> [...]Has there been something out there that put resolution instead of format? I'm sure there has, in fact I think I've seen it a few times myself and alerted the legal \ branding folks. I haven't seen it in a long time, however, which means agencies creating ads, or dealers, etc have probably been brought up to speed further that those two words are not synonyms.


I'm somewhat confused by the usage of "format"? If it's not referring to resolution, is it referring to aspect ratio?

I have seen multiple statements from DirecTV (and Dish Network's worse) that their movies were available in the same quality as Blu-ray. If they have indeed changed the words, I applaud them (and you specifically for alerting them). I often catch up on older shows so it's possible I've seen some older commercials and still thought this was going on.

If true, the article has even less valid criticisms. Hey, maybe Swanni's watching old recordings too!  



Satelliteracer said:


> [...]The idea that D* was intentionally lying about...that's over the top.


Since I stated he had a valid point with that statement, I guess I should also state that *I* never meant to imply that DirecTV was _INTENTIONALLY_ lying, but rather that I agreed with his statements regarding the validity of the quality comparisons.

~Alan


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Swanni said:


> Last note: As I said up front, I've been a DIRECTV subscriber for a long time and there is much that I like about the satcaster's service. So, I promise, I will publish a follow-up story in the coming weeks called, 'The 10 Things I Love About DIRECTV.'


When he gets to the article on 'The 10 Things I Hate About Swanni' I'm sure there will be plenty of material. He will have to condense several hates into one just to narrow it down to 10! (No, this is not a solicitation to create such a list here at DBSTalk.)

#1) The way he takes completely polarizing views on a topic - often one that opposes previous articles - just to make a headline.

I agree with Earl ... a fair reporter puts both sides of the opinion in ONE article where the points can be compared and contrasted (ie: 18+ missing "basic HD channels" vs 30 full time HD RSNs). But what he does works ... we're talking about him.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

OK .. Here's something you guys probably didn't expect to see. In no particular order, but as more a real list than Swanni's "I want more HD" rant with his list, have at it.

I really couldn't come up with 10 things as I really don't hate DIRECTV. In fact, the good (for me) far outweighs the bad. I really enjoy my DIRECTV service. I've been a customer since 1996 and will probably have DIRECTV service for the next 15 years (or longer) as well.

But .. here's my 6 things to hate list:


*The cost* - I'm not blaming DIRECTV for this as I understand the mechanics behind it, but if you've gotta "hate" something, I think cost has to be right near the top.
*Blackouts* - I can never figure out the "why" on certain programming and it drives me nuts at times.
*Calling a CSR* - Hey, it's a crap shoot sometimes. I think they've gotten better (contrary to what some people think), but it's still hit or miss at times. That being said, I've spoken with a number of CSRs that are very helpful, so it's not an absolute.
*Can't remove programming online* - I'd much rather pop through the options on the web than call. DIRECTV doesn't see it that way, so I'm stuck calling when I want to make certain changes.
*Standard Definition stinks* - OK, HD is nice, but SD - not so much. I don't think it follow all channels, but certain channels, like ESPNU-Standard Def have really not been up to par IMHO. I'm very glad this particular channel finally appeared in HD. Huge difference.
*Online bill* - I'd like for my online bill to match the appearance of the paper bill. My power company, phone company, bank, etc. can all do this. Why can't DIRECTV?


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Blackouts: Especially for baseball, three teams claim your zip code as home base, but DirecTv wont let you pick which ONE of those RSNs you can get.

I agree with not being able to remove programming. It bugs the crap out of me to sit on hold and hear "You could be doing this on our website".

Xfinity SD is oh SO much better than DirecTv. I wish they would move some of the more popular SD channels to mpeg4 and stick it on D12. Probably be a lot less complaining about BBC and "Insert your favorite channel they havent added in HD here" if the SD version was actually watchable.

Online Bill: I *WISH* for those of us with auto bill pay, they would post the bill online BEFORE they draft the money or charge our credit card. Right now, I get a email showing my bill is available for viewing, and it says $0 due, because they took the money the day before they sent the email.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

In the spirit of Doug Brott's post, I'll post what I hate about DirecTV... though mine is probably shorter than Doug's, and I'm copying one of his reasons (which is a stretch since a lot of it isn't their fault... as Doug also stated) simply to pad the # of things I hate.

One issue where we differ is how long we intend on being around... given that if the bill continues to get higher (which it will) in the following years, I'll have to either start making more money, or make some other bold changes. 

But... here we go:


*The Cost:* I'm not blaming DIRECTV for this as I understand the mechanics behind it, but if you've gotta "hate" something, I think cost has to be right near the top. *(copied Doug's comments here verbatim)*
*HD Channel Lineup:* DirecTV is _STILL_ missing many of the channels I watch in HD... including some of my favorite and most-watched channels. 
*STB Features Available From Others Absent On DirecTV:* Unlimited Series Limits, Wishlists, HD GUI, external hard drive archiving, etc...

That's it! Three things. Other than that, DirecTV's been very good to me over the years, and I'm happy as a clam... 

~Alan


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Two things I dislike about DirecTV are not having a "delete all" feature with caller ID and the "tango" time consumption in negotiating with broadcasters with getting more HD. Would be nice if they did the "minute waltz" instead.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

1. They Lie About HD Channel Counts

Criteria vary, so the count differs for each person doing the counting.

2. They Have Stopped Adding HD Channels

It wasn't that long ago that I got the Sony Movie Channel.

3. They're Are Pretending That 3D Is Great For Subscribers

It is for those who have or are interested in 3D. I'm not.

4. They Will Rip Off Their Subscribers Without Even a Second Thought

Customer since 1995, and have never felt "ripped off". Any issue with billing has been resolved quickly and satisfactorily.

5. They Have the Worst-Informed Telemarketing Team In the World

While highly variable, and with considerable faults, *not even close to the worst I've had to deal with. Not by several orders of magnitude!* Try IDT for long distance phone service. Makes D* CSRs seem like Service of the Year candidates.

6. They Lie About Offering Movies In 1080p HD

Typical marketing hype as far as I'm concerned. Conveniently define, would be more accurate. The use of "pause" versus "stop" when going from one room to another for MRV is another example. What they say is wrong in the second case, but the "functionality" they are attempting to describe is actually there.

7. They Lie About Shows Being In HD

I'll go back to conveniently define on this one.

8. They Require Your Dish to Be Positioned Just So

This has got to be the most *fundamentally ignorant* statement I've ever read by a self-appointed expert critic.

9. They Are Threatening to Remove Channels

They have not threatened any channels I'm interested in, so it is not on my list.

10. Their HD Picture Quality Can Vary From Day to Day

...and so has every other HD source that I have evaluated, including Blu-Ray.

From my experience, this list looks like it was put together by an amateur, not someone actually familiar with dbs delivery. Most of it is a stretch, some trivial, and some so ignorant, it makes one's jaw drop. If this is as good as he can do, then he's not worth reading.

We have much better top 10 lists right here on dbstalk. Those items actually are not only accurate and reflect what well informed and experienced users might say, but in many cases, perhaps most, actually have merit (see Doug's comments)


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## wmj5 (Aug 26, 2007)

I've been around since 1995 and I hate the cost, I have choice hd and my bill is close to $80.00 a month, now a man on a fixed income that hits pretty hard, I think D* should have packages without any sports, some people don't watch them, I don't have a dvr, I only watch about 4 or 5 channels and each night its eather a rerun or its not worth watching so what would I want to record it far, D* may be supprised on how many senior citizens would get a dish if they had a cheaper package. [email protected] Jerry Johnson.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

(not necessarily in rank order)

1. Costs ...it's getting too high for my comfort.

2. Guide Errors: missed recordings as a result.

3. On and off sluggish box response of my DVRs

4. Lack of account based external hard drive portability

5. Inability to order (even with payment premium) a specific DVR.

====================

1. Picture Quality is typically very, very good (HD). SD, not so much so, but I rarely watch SD, and then typically only news. (Link-TV for example) 

2. Plenty of HD channels. More would be nice, but I only have so much time.

3. Outstanding box functionality. (perhaps too much). What these boxes actually "do", that I really enjoy would take several pages to enumerate.

4. Reliability. I have very few outages, and short ones at that. The boxes do not fail very often and are replaced very quickly if they do.

5. Development. The CE program is outstanding and all customers end up reaping the rewards of this innovative and well managed program.


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## DrZ (Nov 13, 2006)

I've been watching the wire on the 101 since the 1st episode. Thy picture quality isn't that bad. Certainly something has been done to them. In fact you can tell that the 'previously on the wire' part of the show hasn't been touched and has far worse picture quality compared to the main episode.

AMC and BBC-America carry 3 of my top 5 shows so not having them in HD takes a lot of wind out of my sails when it comes to thinking of D* being the HD leader. Adding junk like the Sony movie channel doesn't do much for me especially when its placed on a special tier that I don't get access to for my $10 a month.


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## kevinwmsn (Aug 19, 2006)

My major gripe is speed of box and the keybounce I get from pressing keys on my hr20 and hr21. I don't know if they fix this with the hr24/h24. 

SD looks awful for the handful of channels that I watch in SD. Can we have a mpeg4 version of the channel in DVD quality till we get a HD version of it.

Blackouts are very annoying, they forget to turn off the blackout when the game that is supposed to be blacked out is over. Then when you call the CSR doesn't understand what is issue is.

Would like a way to order a specific model DVR.
Some might want the hr20 with integrated ATSC tuners.
Some might want the hr dvr with the integrated BBC for non SWiM setups.
Most would want the hr24.

I do like the CE program and all it has done over the years.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

I used to correspond with Phil quite frequently. We argued about several things and agreed on some things. He really pissed me off when he kept writing about the "Great switchover to digital TV". I told him in an email that any newly elected President would be a fool to allow for the digital switchover right after he was inaugurated. No, he replied, that date is set in stone (I'm paraphrasing here, but he was adamant about it). Nothing I said could sway him. After the switchover was pushed back, he had the nerve to put on his newsletter that he had predicted that it would be pushed back.

And he has the nerve to accuse others of lying? He never replied to my email after he said that in the newsletter. He used to allow for comments on all his predictions. That didn't go so well and he quickly got rid of that feature.

I still get his newsletter, but rarely take anything he says seriously. He stirs the pot deliberately just to jack up subscriptions to his newsletter. I'd be willing to bet several people who read this thread will subscribe to his newsletter.

All that said, he does occasionally come up with something worthwhile.

Rich


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

Satelliteracer said:


> Typically what D* says is HD in the same format as Blu Ray and in 1080p resolution.
> 
> http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/equipment/hd_dvr_receiver
> 
> ...


Maybe not intentionally lying, but certainly not paying enough attention to how misleading the wrong words can be.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

This will be the only word I say .. BUT .. I think everyone knows what Swanni is and see the irony in the name of his website.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

raoul5788 said:


> Maybe not intentionally lying, but certainly not paying enough attention to how misleading the wrong words can be.


How are words that are EXACTLY correct misleading?


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## pbg (Oct 11, 2007)

The good far outweighs bad. There's nothing I really 'hate'. Things that could be improved or I dislike:

Having to pay extra for additional TV's. I understand paying for the hardware, but the monthly ding is unpleasant.

paying for DVR service. Again, I don't mind paying a premium for hardware that does more, I don't understand why I need to pay to tape something.

The time it takes to switch channels. I've gotten used to it, but in a perfect world....

with all that, I can watch the BEARS, Blackhawks, CUBS and Bulls living in rural Washington, ST. No cable or FIOS for miles & miles. Till this day, the technology continues to amaze me, making it all worth it.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

I can't say as there is anything I hate but there somethings that annoy me.


Lack of full time DLB. Most times it's no problem at all, but every once and a while...
Waiting on the couple of HD channels I still want.
Needing an Internet connection for on demand...not really DirecTV's fault but it annoys me.
Messed up Guide Data...again, not really DirecTV's fault but very annoying.
Mike


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

tonyd79 said:


> How are words that are EXACTLY correct misleading?


Directv advertised when 1080p was first available that it was the same resolution as Bluray. It's not. Now they say it's the same format. It is.


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## Vinny (Sep 2, 2006)

As far as I'm concerned; who cares what he hates. Like everyone is saying, there are lots to love about DirecTV and yes...we all want more HD. 

It's only TV!


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

Some folks still don't seem to understand what 1080p is. The resolution is not the issue.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

raoul5788 said:


> Directv advertised when 1080p was first available that it was the same resolution as Bluray. It's not. Now they say it's the same format. It is.


1080p is 1080p, so truthfully it IS the same resolution...it isn't the same bitrate, and I don't believe they ever claimed it was.

BD disks have bitrates up to 40-50Mb/s or so......thats what makes them look better.


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

CCarncross said:


> 1080p is 1080p, so truthfully it IS the same resolution...it isn't the same bitrate, and I don't believe they ever claimed it was.
> 
> BD disks have bitrates up to 40-50Mb/s or so......thats what makes them look better.


That's my point, that 1080p varies in quality. Perhaps my wording was wrong. The early ads for 1080p on Directv insinuated that it was as good as Bluray 1080p. It's not.


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

kevinwmsn said:


> My major gripe is speed of box and the keybounce I get from pressing keys on my hr20 and hr21. I don't know if they fix this with the hr24/h24.
> 
> SD looks awful for the handful of channels that I watch in SD. Can we have a mpeg4 version of the channel in DVD quality till we get a HD version of it.
> 
> ...


I certainly agree with the suggestion about ordering a specific model from DirecTV. Having to order such model from an outside source is a poor substitute for better inventory control on DirecTV's part.

My audio dropout, slow remote response, and key bounce problems seem to have disappeared in the past month or so.

TCM is the only SD channel I watch much. DirecTV's picture is much better than the one I saw a few years ago on Adelphia/Time Warner cable.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

SD varies by channel. Some are OK, some are really not.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

Well, if everyone could choose the exact model they received...everyone would be requesting H24/HR24's each time. That just isn't going to work. The differences between the various models are minor and they are fully capable. They aren't going to discontinue a perfectly fine HR model and allow every HD customer to order an HR24. That just doesn't make any sense.


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> Well, if everyone could choose the exact model they received...everyone would be requesting H24/HR24's each time. That just isn't going to work. The differences between the various models are minor and they are fully capable. They aren't going to discontinue a perfectly fine HR model and allow every HD customer to order an HR24. That just doesn't make any sense.


I think that kevinwmsn's point is well taken, that the differences between the models aren't minor. That means not everyone wants the same one, whether it's the HR24 series or another one. Being able to choose is a good idea and wouldn't be that difficult to set up.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

raoul5788 said:


> I think that kevinwmsn's point is well taken, that the differences between the models aren't minor. That means not everyone wants the same one, whether it's the HR24 series or another one. Being able to choose is a good idea and wouldn't be that difficult to set up.


The fact that this is such a bad idea is so glaring that I hardly know where to begin. Sure, let's just let folks choose the exact model they want. They'll likely choose the newest possible model, leaving perfectly fine models collecting dust and not generating revenue. That sounds like a very unwise business decision. Now if they only offered a few different models, with very specific differences and uses, that might make more sense. That's why it works for Dish. They have the Sling model, Duo models, and Solo models.


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> The fact that this is such a bad idea is so glaring that I hardly know where to begin. Sure, let's just let folks choose the exact model they want. They'll likely choose the newest possible model, leaving perfectly fine models collecting dust and not generating revenue. That sounds like a very unwise business decision. Now if they only offered a few different models, with very specific differences and uses, that might make more sense. That's why it works for Dish. They have the Sling model, Duo models, and Solo models.


Apparently my point, restated from kevinwmsn's point, went whooshing over your head. They DO make a few specific models that DO have specific differences and uses. You may not find enough differences to matter, but MAYBE others do. That seems to be a reoccurring theme in many of your posts, that your view is the only one that matters or the only one that could possibly be correct.


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## jjohns (Sep 15, 2007)

Thank goodness for that article. The reactions to it have been hilarious - and it's been a long time since I got a laugh here.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

raoul5788 said:


> Apparently my point, restated from kevinwmsn's point, went whooshing over your head. They DO make a few specific models that DO have specific differences and uses. You may not find enough differences to matter, but MAYBE others do. That seems to be a reoccurring theme in many of your posts, that your view is the only one that matters or the only one that could possibly be correct.


No they don't when you consider the addition of an AM21 or external storage. This is common sense stuff here. DirecTV hasn't done this because it just wouldn't make sense for them to do so.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

The irony I see in all this is one of Swanni's issues with D* seems to be about truth in advertising, yet he is guilty of exactly the same thing......

On another note, anyone thinking that any tv provider is/can offer the same PQ/Audio Quality as BD disk currently offers is probably smoking something....no broadcaster can match BD currently.


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> No they don't when you consider the addition of an AM21 or external storage. This is common sense stuff here. DirecTV hasn't done this because it just wouldn't make sense for them to do so.


There's that whooshing sound again!


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

raoul5788 said:


> There's that whooshing sound again!


...must have been right over your head. You don't get it. That much is clear.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Doug Brott said:


> SD varies by channel. Some are OK, some are really not.


Unfortunately, BBCA is one of the SD channels that are really bad. But, NetFlix has a lot of BBCA content and the upscaled PQ on my Sammy BD players makes them very watchable.

Rich


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

Hoosier205 said:


> No they don't when you consider the addition of an AM21 or external storage. This is common sense stuff here. DirecTV hasn't done this because it just wouldn't make sense for them to do so.


Sorry but I have to agree with raoul5788. IMHO, it is reasonable to think there are some good reasons for wanting certain models.

Everyone has their own ideas of what they want/need so I think your "This is common sense stuff here" comment is a bit short sighted. I have my own preferences on receivers and I'm pretty sure I have common sense...I'm just sayin' :grin:

Mike


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

Mike Bertelson said:


> Sorry but I have to agree with raoul5788. IMHO, it is reasonable to think there are some good reasons for wanting certain models.


Nope. This has been discussed numerous times. The differences are minor, especially with the availability of the AM21 and external storage. This is common sense. Of course, that often alludes many. The system DirecTV has in place makes sense. If you want a specific model, acquire it elsewhere. Folks just need to get over it. The differences are not so big as to warrant so much complaining.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

Hoosier205 said:


> Nope. This has been discussed numerous times. The differences are minor, especially with the availability of the AM21 and external storage. This is common sense. Of course, that often alludes many.


Seriously, there's no need to be rude about this.

Given a choice I would choose the HR24 for my own reasons. It fits my perferences so common sense would dictate that I choose it over the other models.

Mike


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Hoosier205 said:


> Well, if everyone could choose the exact model they received...everyone would be requesting H24/HR24's each time. That just isn't going to work. The differences between the various models are minor and they are fully capable. They aren't going to discontinue a perfectly fine HR model and allow every HD customer to order an HR24. That just doesn't make any sense.


I don't find the difference between models minor either. That's why I went and bought the specific model I wanted. And upgraded each one with large internal drives. Cost me a bunch of money and I did it because of that very noticeable difference in models. You'll notice that I rarely post my opinions about the 100s anymore, but I haven't changed my opinions at all. Just got tired of saying the same thing over and over and I'm sure everyone got tired of reading those same opinions. Let me put it in a nutshell. The 20-700s are great DVRs. I'm satisfied with the 24s so far. Aside from that, I have very little use for the 20-100 and the whole 21 series.

I do agree that most folks would, if they were allowed to, specify 24s as their model of choice when getting a replacement or leasing another HR from D*. And I do agree with your opinion of what would happen if that was allowed.

Rich


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

Mike Bertelson said:


> Given a choice I would choose the HR24 for my own reasons. It fits my perferences so common sense would dictate that I choose it over the other models.


That's fine. You can choose a specific model if you acquire one from a third party. You cannot do so via DirecTV and for a very good reason.


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> That's fine. You can choose a specific model if you acquire one from a third party. You cannot do so via DirecTV and for a very good reason.


Well I guess you are right because you think you are. If that's good enough for you, then that's good enough for you.


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## jsmuga (Jan 3, 2008)

raoul5788 said:


> I think that kevinwmsn's point is well taken, that the differences between the models aren't minor. That means not everyone wants the same one, whether it's the HR24 series or another one. Being able to choose is a good idea and wouldn't be that difficult to set up.


I agree I should be able to choose the model I want to use in my home that fits my lifestyle. I would be ok with paying more to be able to choose.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

jsmartin99 said:


> I agree I should be able to choose the model I want to use in my home that fits my lifestyle.* I would be ok with paying more to be able to choose.*


And right there is probably the key. If DirecTV were to allow specific model choice for say a 10% or 15% surcharge, that should cover the administrative and logistical costs of doing that.

And, the fact is you can get exactly the model you want right now by ordering from a 3rd party vendor. In doing so though, you typically do not have access to discounts or promotions.


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## oldcrooner (Feb 23, 2004)

Hoosier205 said:


> Nope. This has been discussed numerous times. The differences are minor, especially with the availability of the AM21 and external storage. This is common sense. Of course, that often alludes many. The system DirecTV has in place makes sense. If you want a specific model, acquire it elsewhere. Folks just need to get over it. The differences are not so big as to warrant so much complaining.


By the way, the word is "eludes", not "alludes"....and once again it amazes me how you seem to believe that you, and your business hero, Directv, are the only ones with "common sense".


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

oldcrooner said:


> By the way, the word is "eludes", not "alludes"....and once again it amazes me how you seem to believe that you, and your business hero, Directv, are the only ones with "common sense".


A typo..oh my. Whatever shall I do? 

Many people have common sense. There just happen to be a few, who frequent this forum, who do not.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

kevinwmsn said:


> Blackouts are very annoying, they forget to turn off the blackout when the game that is supposed to be blacked out is over. Then when you call the CSR doesn't understand what is issue is.


Most of the times I have seen this issue posted here, the game either ran over (and was still indeed going on) or the post-game show was part of the blackout. This has not happened very often that I have seen. Remember, the blackout is not lifted as soon as the buzzer sounds. It is when the broadcast signs off.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

raoul5788 said:


> Well I guess you are right because you think you are. If that's good enough for you, then that's good enough for you.


No, it has nothing to do with whether or not I believe I am right. I just happen to be in this particular case. The differences are minor and it would be unwise for DirecTV to allow customers to choose a particular model given their current options. If folks cannot understand such a simple concept, there is little that can be done to remedy that.


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## thelucky1 (Feb 23, 2009)

Hoosier205 said:


> oh my. Whatever shall I do?


hmmm start your own website...www.directvworshipper.com is available! :lol:


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

thelucky1 said:


> hmmm start your own website...www.directvworshipper.com is available! :lol:


Nope, they're just a television provider. I keep things in perspective. I'd choose another provider if they offered a better product. What can I say...I like facts and common sense. (as opposed to assumption, hyperbole, and falsehoods)


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Let's take a look at the upside of this whole question- probably less than 20% of DirecTV customers have much of a view on the various models. So, even if everyone on this board got just the receiver he or she wants, it wouldn't impact much of anything at the Mother ship. 

I've been lucky, perhaps, but I've had no lemons, and do have the HR20-700, with OTA, cable and of course, DirecTV, and though it—the 20—could be faster (they all could) it's served me well. I recently got the HR24-500 and whole house viewing, CCK, DECA, all's good. Lucky, though.


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## oldcrooner (Feb 23, 2004)

Hoosier205 said:


> What can I say...I like facts and common sense. (as opposed to assumption, hyperbole, and falsehoods)


You must then be really unhappy with Directv's apparent business model and advertising campaigns.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Gentlemen, I ask all of you to be a little more polite and less accusatory. Thanks.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Laxguy said:


> Let's take a look at the upside of this whole question- probably less than 20% of DirecTV customers have much of a view on the various models. So, even if everyone on this board got just the receiver he or she wants, it wouldn't impact much of anything at the Mother ship.


That's being logical. And you're right, I think. We have to remember that the vast majority of the folks who are subs don't have a clue as to what they have or which one is better. But, I usually end with the model I want. Just a matter of persistence and politeness.



> I've been lucky, perhaps, but I've had no lemons, and do have the HR20-700, with OTA, cable and of course, DirecTV, and though it-the 20-could be faster (they all could) it's served me well. I recently got the HR24-500 and whole house viewing, CCK, DECA, all's good. Lucky, though.


Boy, have I had lemons! And yet I have ended up with twelve HRs that work properly within their limits. My wife and son complain about the slowness of their 21s. But they have them in bedrooms and don't want any noise. Kinda hard to find HRs that are extremely quiet and the two 21s are. So they put up with the slowness.

I'm perfectly satisfied with my 20-700s, I see no lack of speed and they are very reliable. But I had to purchase six of them to allow me to make that statement. My 24-500s are a bit faster, but nowhere near the difference in speed between the 21s and the 20-700s.

All in all I disagreed with most of Swanni's opinions. My PQ is always very good. I don't care what it costs me. What else really matters? Just a couple missing HD stations? That bit about the satellite positioning was ridiculous and is typical of why I lost my respect for him and most of his opinions. I'm truly amazed that he put that in there.

Rich


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

oldcrooner said:


> You must then be really unhappy with Directv's apparent business model and advertising campaigns.


Not at all unhappy. The complaints around here about their various forms of marketing have been ridiculous. Just some folks looking for something to complain about.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Hoosier205 said:


> Not at all unhappy. The complaints around here about their various forms of marketing have been ridiculous. Just some folks looking for something to complain about.


That was another thing that Phil mentioned that has no real merit. Perhaps he had a difficult time finding 10 things he "hated" about D*? I can't think of ten.

Rich


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

For the record, I don't "hate" anything. Here are 6 suggestions for improvements:


Let your users choose their equipment when adding a receiver. It's even ok to charge another $20 for the privilege.
Re-evaluate your position on HD. I understand the economics but I think there's a huge value to being the undisputed leader. Just add more, and more quickly, even if it costs more.
Inform your customers when their package is going to be obsoleted. Give them a chance to upgrade or downgrade to something current. 
Create a program for early adopters, maybe $200/year plus the protection plan, that guarantees the newest equipment upon request.
Aggressively, aggressively train your CSRs. Tier 1 and Tier 2, I get that they're script followers but everyone above that should be highly trained. Maybe rotate members of the engineering team into customer service now and again.
Design all your future receivers to sit behind a wall-mount TV or up on their sides like a Wii. They don't have to be shaped like VCRs.

Now, all of those are probably aimed at satisfying the top .1% of customers but I believe there would be a halo effect that would outweigh the disproportionately higher cost.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Stuart Sweet said:


> For the record, I don't "hate" anything. Here are 6 suggestions for improvements:
> 
> 
> Let your users choose their equipment when adding a receiver. It's even ok to charge another $20 for the privilege.
> ...


A little while ago, I posted in a thread and said I thought that D* should do everything they could to satisfy their customers in such a way that they blow their competitors out of the water. I think they'd make up what that cost by the new subs they'd acquire.

I'm sure D* wants to be the best provider (and I think they are) and it wouldn't take much to be known for the best support too. The executives at D* should have your post on the agenda for their next meeting.

Your post is right on. Well thought out. I think #5 is the most important.

Rich


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

Since we are it... here is my list of disappointments since becoming a customer with DirecTv starting with the biggest.

1. Teasing customers with new hardware that later gets cancelled (DirectPC).
2. As a former Dish customer finding the HD DVR painfully slow (although the HR24 is not bad).
3. Switching to DirecTV and then finding I could not get locals in HD because I got a new HR21 before the AM21 was availalbe. Then delays with the AM21, order issues with the AM21, and finding that the AM21 made my receiver run even slower.
4. numerous billing issues
5. What appears to me to be a lack of respect from DirecTV to the DBSTALK community. A lot of enthusiast members of this community provide a great service to DirecTV. DirecTV does not provide any feedback leaving hard working DBSTALK members in the dark about many issues. Getting an official comment about some of the more pressing issues such as audio drop outs would be greatly appreciated by all. How about telling us what fixed the audio dropout problem for those that have seen improvement.


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## Satelliteracer (Dec 6, 2006)

raoul5788 said:


> Maybe not intentionally lying, but certainly not paying enough attention to how misleading the wrong words can be.


But that's a big difference. When someone levels a lying charge, that means it's intentional. Quite frankly, a lot of it has to do with how terms change in the industry, etc, etc. Guidelines are put together all the time and they change from time to time as industry terms are clarified, etc..

I've seen it where a term or terminology is ok to use but 3 months later that changes and new guidelines are written about a specific service or product. Once those guidelines are in place, the folks that check these things before they go out the door are very good at catching anything that may be outside those guidelines. That's why timing is everything....was it a matter of "not paying enough attention" or was it a mater of a perfectly acceptable industry term when that piece of advertising went out the door but later changed?


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## Satelliteracer (Dec 6, 2006)

gitarzan said:


> Since we are it... here is my list of disappointments since becoming a customer with DirecTv starting with the biggest.
> 
> 1. Teasing customers with new hardware that later gets cancelled (DirectPC).
> 2. As a former Dish customer finding the HD DVR painfully slow (although the HR24 is not bad).
> ...


1)....sometimes products don't sell or services don't get off the ground but sputter, thus making the business model inappropriate to continue. 
5)....I think a lot of DBS Talk members would disagree as many efforts are made to reach out, do some testing, bounce ideas, etc. Can't please everyone or include everyone, but there is a healthy feedback IMO.

I have an answer for one of your other points but need to remain quiet about it for now.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

I see no problem with allowing customers to choose the model for their upgrade. Just charge a certain upgrade price. Use that collection of "refurbished" older models for FREE installs for new customers. If the new customer wants new equipment, then charge them a reasonable price comparable with the existing customers upgrade price.

All vehicles will get you from point A to B. When you to the car dealer, do they tell YOU what model you will get, or do you tell THEM what model you want? Want a VETT? Costs more. Settle for a S10? Pay less. Same with cell phone companies. There are ALWAYS people who want the cheaper stuff, and there are those that want a new IPhone. Imagine if the cell companies told you they all make phone calls, you will get what we send you, and you will like it.


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## Satelliteracer (Dec 6, 2006)

Mike Bertelson said:


> Sorry but I have to agree with raoul5788. IMHO, it is reasonable to think there are some good reasons for wanting certain models.
> 
> Everyone has their own ideas of what they want/need so I think your "This is common sense stuff here" comment is a bit short sighted. I have my own preferences on receivers and I'm pretty sure I have common sense...I'm just sayin' :grin:
> 
> Mike


In an ownership model, yes. In a lease\rental model, different story. Especially with the amount of money it costs to refurbish receivers. I get the idea sometimes that folks think a refurbished receiver is in the clear and doesn't cost anything to make it service worthy again. Those costs are real.


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## netraa (Mar 28, 2007)

Davenlr said:


> All vehicles will get you from point A to B. When you to the car dealer, do they tell YOU what model you will get, or do you tell THEM what model you want? Want a VETT? Costs more. Settle for a S10? Pay less. Same with cell phone companies. There are ALWAYS people who want the cheaper stuff, and there are those that want a new IPhone. Imagine if the cell companies told you they all make phone calls, you will get what we send you, and you will like it.


When you purchase a car, it's yours for the good, bad, and ugly, when it breaks you have to pay to fix it. When you purchase a cell phone it's yours and your locked into a contract and if the phone breaks you have to purchase a new one at full price or pay your out fee.

when you go to budget rent a car, they tell you what classes they have, take your money and hand you a key. If it breaks down they come out with another car and get you back on the road again. When you get to point b, you give the car back.

sound familiar?


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## adamson (Nov 9, 2007)

I will second...dbstalk should be an outlet of Directv. The info a newbie can find here is like A-Z. Sure there are a few snarky peoples but the mods are great...Doug and Stewart to name the best. What I cannot help myself in this comment is anothers desire to be thee site for techs from the mothership. I let my opinion of this known with all the reasons not to, it was a good laugh. Sorry if some do not get what I said but I have to be tame.


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## adamson (Nov 9, 2007)

My MRV via ethernet, and my HD DNS takes all the hate away...except the bill!!! lmao.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

netraa said:


> When you purchase a car, it's yours for the good, bad, and ugly, when it breaks you have to pay to fix it.


Same thing with my owned HR24.



> When you purchase a cell phone it's yours and your locked into a contract and if the phone breaks you have to purchase a new one at full price or pay your out fee.


And after your contract is over, you can upgrade to the phone of your choice, not get a 4 yr old phone with a new contract. Which brings me to another complaint. After a specific time, such as the amount of time DirecTv lawyers use to depreciate DVRs for tax purposes, it should be yours.



> when you go to budget rent a car, they tell you what classes they have, take your money and hand you a key. If it breaks down they come out with another car and get you back on the road again. When you get to point b, you give the car back.


But you still get to tell them what car you want. Maybe not with Budget, but with several others Ive seen advertised.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Satelliteracer said:


> In an ownership model, yes. In a lease\rental model, different story. Especially with the amount of money it costs to refurbish receivers. I get the idea sometimes that folks think a refurbished receiver is in the clear and doesn't cost anything to make it service worthy again. Those costs are real.


Interesting thoughts about "refurbishing". I think D* might be paying the contractor it uses quite a bit of money to "refurbish" their DVRs, but I've never seen any evidence of actual refurbishing to any great extent. In fact, the only tangible thing I've ever seen is a couple of new doors on the front panel on one 20-700 that didn't work properly. Looks to me like they just wipe the HDD clean, in some cases, and send it out to another unsuspecting customer. I've had replacements that wouldn't even boot up and several that were totally dead on arrival. If there's any oversight from D* regarding the contractor, then it's D*'s fault that such shoddy work, if there really is any work done, gets done and the replacement is shipped out in the same condition it was received in.

Rich


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

Satelliteracer said:


> In an ownership model, yes. In a lease\rental model, different story. Especially with the amount of money it costs to refurbish receivers. I get the idea sometimes that folks think a refurbished receiver is in the clear and doesn't cost anything to make it service worthy again. Those costs are real.


Understand why the lease model works the way it does. I was just disagreeing with someone about whether or not it's common sense to have a receiver preference.

However, I know I'd be willing to pay a premium to get a particular receiver to replace a current one. I would pay an extra $20ish to ensure I got what I want...or maybe an extra buck/month on the PP.

Mike


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Mike Bertelson said:


> Understand why the lease model works the way it does. I was just disagreeing with someone about whether or not it's common sense to have a receiver preference.
> 
> However, I know I'd be willing to pay a premium to get a particular receiver to replace a current one. I would pay an extra $20ish to ensure I got what I want...or maybe an extra buck/month on the PP.
> 
> Mike


I agree Mike and like you I would be willing to pay extra to guarantee getting a particular receiver. Prior to HD surround sound was the big thing with DirecTV. The issued receiver was a Hughes Silver Edition. I had to purchase a Hughes Platinum Edition receiver to in order to enjoy surround sound.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

MysteryMan said:


> I agree Mike and like you I would be willing to pay extra to guarantee getting a particular receiver. Prior to HD surround sound was the big thing with DirecTV. The issued receiver was a Hughes Silver Edition. I had to purchase a Hughes Platinum Edition receiver to in order to enjoy surround sound.


I seriously doubt that I'll ever lease another HR. From my own experiences with the HRs I know that using an HR with a large internal drive works better than using an HR with an eSATA. I don't need the amount of capacity I have now and plan to reduce the number of leased HRs by attrition. When I get down to the same number of HRs and TVs, I'll be set. Right now, that means I need another owned HR. But with the increased stability of the 20-700s, it might take me quite a while for attrition alone to get me down to a more logical number of HRs. So, I think I'll be able to buy a couple of 24s sometime in the future and add them to my fleet of HRs.

I don't care about the two year commitment at all, if I want out, I'll just pay my way out, but I don't see that happening, I'm very happy with D* and it's products and I can cope with the poor service.

Rich


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## bobcamp1 (Nov 8, 2007)

rich584 said:


> Interesting thoughts about "refurbishing". I think D* might be paying the contractor it uses quite a bit of money to "refurbish" their DVRs, but I've never seen any evidence of actual refurbishing to any great extent. In fact, the only tangible thing I've ever seen is a couple of new doors on the front panel on one 20-700 that didn't work properly. Looks to me like they just wipe the HDD clean, in some cases, and send it out to another unsuspecting customer. I've had replacements that wouldn't even boot up and several that were totally dead on arrival. If there's any oversight from D* regarding the contractor, then it's D*'s fault that such shoddy work, if there really is any work done, gets done and the replacement is shipped out in the same condition it was received in.
> 
> Rich


That, and the billing problems, are the two things I hate about DirecTV. Lately I've had two CSR's sign me up for services I did not order. (SO I guess CSRs are on my list as well). I always record every conversation I have with them, but so far haven't had to use them.

I strongly dislike the tricks they pull with the lease agreement and two-year commitments, as well as the magical, unannounced auto-renewals of the two-year commitment.

I dislike (not hate) the fact that they nickel and dime (and sometimes quarter and dollar) you to death, and that the purchase price for equipment is unrealistically high which forces everyone to lease. I also dislike the puppy-dog eyes the installer gives you, demanding you sign the 20-page agreement without reading it or else he won't get paid and/or he'll miss his next appointment.

I like the price, because I'm grandfathered in a Total Choice package. I also like the reliability of it, even with the rare rain fade. I love the tennis/golf major sports mix, where you can watch ANY match or just focus on a certain player. People are inviting themselves over to my house for that lately.


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## braven (Apr 9, 2007)

Does anyone really care what the all mighty Swanni thinks? Seriously? I'm happy and that's all that matters to me.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Swanni cares what he thinks. I presume his mom does too.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

bobcamp1 said:


> I always record every conversation I have with them, but so far haven't had to use them.


Wow...



bobcamp1 said:


> I strongly dislike the tricks they pull with the lease agreement and two-year commitments, as well as the magical, unannounced auto-renewals of the two-year commitment.


What tricks?


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

upmichigan said:


> I will second...dbstalk should be an outlet of Directv. The info a newbie can find here is like A-Z. Sure there are a few snarky peoples but the mods are great...Doug and Stewart to name the best. What I cannot help myself in this comment is anothers desire to be thee site for techs from the mothership. I let my opinion of this known with all the reasons not to, it was a good laugh. Sorry if some do not get what I said but I have to be tame.


We're independent, and I don't see that changing. DIRECTV has their own forums that are run their way, and are strictly for tech help and not for comment. We can choose to be as chatty as we want here


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

Stuart Sweet said:


> We're independent, and I don't see that changing. DIRECTV has their own forums that are run their way, and are strictly for tech help and not for comment. We can choose to be as chatty as we want here


Graywolf on the DIRECTV forums has said that DIRECTV staff doesn't participate on them at all, it's strictly user helping user, they don't even monitor it.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Hoosier205 said:


> Wow...
> 
> What tricks?


Auto-renewing a two year contract on the replacement of a defective leased receiver.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

RAD said:


> Graywolf on the DIRECTV forums has said that DIRECTV staff doesn't participate on them at all, it's strictly user helping user, they don't even monitor it.


That's not strictly true, there is some supervision, but not as much as there is here.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

RAD said:


> Graywolf on the DIRECTV forums has said that DIRECTV staff doesn't participate on them at all, it's strictly user helping user, they don't even monitor it.


Why would D* have a forum on their site and not monitor it? I go there once in a while and, compared to this forum, I don't find it very informative. We know that D* keeps an eye on this forum and I can't understand why they would ignore their own forum. I believe you, but you gotta admit that if what Graywolf says is true it makes you wonder why they bother to have it on their site. All I see is a bunch of D* shills on that forum and the same question asked over and over: What are your signal strengths? I've seen that question asked out of context with the problem so many times...

Once in a while one of them pops up on this forum asking that same question. I usually PM the person having the problem and we get it solved without worrying about sat sigs. Last time it happened, the poster got the external device and HDD I suggested and it solved his problem. Had nothing to do with his sat sigs.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

raott said:


> Auto-renewing a two year contract on the replacement of a defective leased receiver.


You really have to understand what the CSRs are like to understand how this happens. You have to question them about what they are doing. Left on their own, you never can tell what will happen. It shouldn't be like this, but it is. If you don't ask the right questions it could happen.

Their computer program shouldn't let them do that. But it does, and if it does and you don't question it right away, you might end up with a new commitment. Just the simple, polite question, "This doesn't start a new commitment, does it?" should spur the CSR into asking for help if they don't know the proper answer. By now, you know the proper answer. Make sure you let them know what the proper procedure is. That's the only way to ensure you don't get screwed.

I've been a sub of D* for almost 9 years and I've come to accept the CSRs for what they are. Untrained and underpaid. And undoubtedly frustrated. Every once in a while you get a CSR that really understands what their job is and is really good at it, but they are rare. As you go up the food chain from the first line CSRs to the PP CSRs to the Retention CSRs to the Case Management Group agents you can see how their knowledge escalates. Again, it shouldn't be like this, but it is and we should all be aware of it.

Rich


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

MysteryMan said:


> I like Swanni. He's a lot like Dr. Phil. They both know everything there is to know about absolutely nothing!


Right! He's the TMZ of the Internet. They're both lousy.


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## Jon J (Apr 22, 2002)

rich584 said:


> You really have to understand what the CSRs are like to understand how this happens. You have to question them about what they are doing. Left on their own, you never can tell what will happen. It shouldn't be like this, but it is. If you don't ask the right questions it could happen.


Bingo. The customer should not have to know more than the customer service rep.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Jon J said:


> Bingo. The customer should not have to know more than the customer service rep.


I find this happening with quite a few sites. I think we're (on the forum) exposed to so much of this technology that we absorb it without realizing it and when someone tries to baffle us with BS we know it. I've had it happen with Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba and especially D*.

Rich


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

Hoosier205 said:


> That's fine. You can choose a specific model if you acquire one from a third party. You cannot do so via DirecTV and for a very good reason.


I'll agree with your comment up until "and for a very good reason." It might be a good reason as far as DirecTV is concerned but not for their customers.


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

Satelliteracer said:


> In an ownership model, yes. In a lease\rental model, different story. Especially with the amount of money it costs to refurbish receivers. I get the idea sometimes that folks think a refurbished receiver is in the clear and doesn't cost anything to make it service worthy again. Those costs are real.


Of course the cost of refurbishment is real, but it doesn't come close to matching the cost of a new unit.

You can lease a Honda at less cost than a Cadillac. Why can't you lease an HR21 at less cost than an HR24?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

billsharpe said:


> Of course the cost of refurbishment is real, but it doesn't come close to matching the cost of a new unit.
> 
> You can lease a Honda at less cost than a Cadillac. Why can't you lease an HR21 at less cost than an HR24?


Bill, logic? That never seems to work well....:lol:

Rich


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## Satelliteracer (Dec 6, 2006)

billsharpe said:


> Of course the cost of refurbishment is real, but it doesn't come close to matching the cost of a new unit.
> 
> You can lease a Honda at less cost than a Cadillac. Why can't you lease an HR21 at less cost than an HR24?


Because the real world realities. Think about the inventory requirements that would be needed for each model specific and to have them available around the country. The logistics is 100X your car model scenario, especially if you are having a service technician delivering those units.

No one said the cost of refurbishment is close to the purchase of a new unit, my point was that it's a real cost and it appeared some folks here were not factoring in that cost at all.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Satelliteracer said:


> The logistics is 100X your car model scenario, especially if you are having a service technician delivering those units.


What about the ones DirecTv sends FedEx to your house? No logistics there. Why cant you request what you want?


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> A typo..oh my. Whatever shall I do?


That's not a typo. A typo would be if you spelled it elides instead of eludes. You used the wrong word.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

raoul5788 said:


> That's not a typo. A typo would be if you spelled it elides instead of eludes. You used the wrong word.


I really (and I mean this sincerely) don't care. I absolutely do not care. If it were possible for me to care less than I do right now, I would. I would be far more interested in discussing the topic. I'm sure you would be as well.


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> I really (and I mean this sincerely) don't care. I absolutely do not care. If it were possible for me to care less than I do right now, I would. I would be far more interested in discussing the topic. I'm sure you would be as well.


Just trying to keep you honest.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

raoul5788 said:


> Just trying to keep you honest.


Oh I don't need any help with that. Let me know if you require any assistance. I am always more than willing to help.


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## Jon J (Apr 22, 2002)

Hoosier205 said:


> I really (and I mean this sincerely) don't care.


Absolutely. Precision does not count. Close counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and language.


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

Hoosier205 said:


> I really (and I mean this sincerely) don't care. I absolutely do not care. If it were possible for me to care less than I do right now, I would. I would be far more interested in discussing the topic. I'm sure you would be as well.


If you really don't care, why not just stop replying to messages about your mistake? 

:backtotop


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

billsharpe said:


> If you really don't care, why not just stop replying to messages about your mistake?
> 
> :backtotop


Yes...let's get back to the topic.


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## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> Yes...let's get back to the topic.


Good job! You dodged another direct question!


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

raoul5788 said:


> Good job! You dodged another direct question!


...and you still can't get back on topic. You lost the argument and now you're just grasping at straws. :lol: Apparently, you would rather discuss me than the topic at hand. I'm flattered.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

Hoosier205 said:


> ...and you still can't get back on topic. You lost the argument and now you're just grasping at straws. :lol: Apparently, you would rather discuss me than the topic at hand. I'm flattered.


It seems you can't get back to topic either.

Ok, everyone; post on topic or don't post at all.

Mike


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Mikes is right. Now you've attracted two moderators' attentions. One false move...


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

I can agree with some of Swanni's article. When I bought a house I first wanted to go with Dish Network, but to get HD in our area the Dish needed to point to Eastern Arc. Well just my luck that the whole eastern arc direction is obstructed by trees. So having Cable all my life and moving outside of a Comcast area (which was great after they upgraded btw), I decided why not give DirecTV a shot. After all, they recently launched a new Satellite right? They should be sitting pretty to add more HD. Even though when comparing the channel lineups online (which is why I wanted Dish first), DirecTV didn't have DIY, E!, Style, AMC, TruTV, Fuse, BBCAmerica and a few others I wanted in HD; but I figured what the heck. DirecTV is a big name company, they had a lot of press of the latest D12 Satellite and their capacity that I thought sure enough those channels would eventually be on their way.

However that is not the case. What happened to DirecTV's direction? Are they just focusing on 3D and PPV? I understand they want to give 3D a shot and I understand PPV is a revenue stream. If no one gave HDTV a shot when it was just born, would we even be having these discussions today? But just browsing the threads on here and other sites plus countless facebook and twitter comments - it's obvious that many people desire improvements to DirecTV's HD channel lineup. Sure for many people it's ok, but it certainly has room for improvement.

As far as the HD Quality, I have ClearQAM cable to compare basic HD networks like my local affiliates. The MPEG2 cable HD feed is much sharper and looks different. Actually it's so sharp you can see the film like grain in the picture. DirecTV's HD on the same channel is much softer. It's just different, and the image has to be your personal preference. I prefer the sharper MPEG2 picture on cable vs the smoother MPEG4 picture on D*. I certainly see how some may not - a smooth picture without the grainyness can appeal in certain situations. But in my eyes D*'s HD seems tampered with. Possibly some detail is lost in the conversion from MPEG2 to MPEG4. I'm all for saving bandwidth so we can have more channels so I understand. Picture quality is objective, and you will only notice this if you have 2 providers that you can quickly switch back and forth to view. If you don't have access to another provider on the same TV at the push of a button, chance is you will never be able to tell. DirecTV's HD is good enough, but my cable provider's is a tad sharper.

As far as pointing the dish in a certain spot, as funny as it sounds it can cause issues for certain people. Like I said, I wanted Dish Network, but couldn't get LoS, so that leads me to HD-Starved (slower but nicer looking GUI) DirecTV. Sadly I don't think they will ever be able to do what SiriusXM can do with silver dollar sized antennas that just have to look up. If so, whoever designs that system deserves a Nobel prize. I did read an article about some pizza box shaped antenna with hundreds of micro antenna's inside it, but anything like that is years away and most likely billions of dollars in research and investment.

So for me I guess the lack of HD is a HUGE turnoff. But now I'm locked in a contract. Sure I could break it and be penalized with a heavy ETF... but I have more important things to spend my hard earned money on than burning it on DirecTV's fines. Our local cable co is a mom and pop shop, and they just started adding a load of HD. They are also doing the digital adapter thing just like Comcast did when I had them. With all that bandwidth available, they are adding stuff like BBC America and Fox Movies in HD next week. Heck, they even have bandwidth to spare on the junk channels (IMO) in HD like both CSPAN's, QVC, HSN, TBN, Reelz... stuff I woudn't even need. Just the point is when these cable providers finish their upgrades, DirecTV has to watch out.

Cable also has watch instantly VOD. None of this download to a playlist B.S. If I could make a single click on a title and it simply streamed like Cable or Netflix, I would be happy. I don't think the wife even uses the download on demand because it's just too cumbersome compared to the Comcast VOD we used to have at our last residence. We have a 10mbps connection through the local cable company. You think that would be enough with MPEG4 or VC1 encoding with adaptive streaming.

So Swanny did post what he likes about DirecTV (here: http://www.tvpredictions.com/directvlove021711.htm)
What do I like about it? Well I really prefer the whole operation of the DVR's and Multiroom over the garbage that the local cable company provides. The whole look and feel, plus the wealth of information in the guide with the detailed listings and cover art. The GUI is easy on the eyes. Sure it's not perfect (could display a bigger grid and have sharper text if generated in HD). It lags at times, but SO DOES CABLE. In fact the Guideworks UI on the Pace DVRs (which max out at 250GB) on our local cable provider is god awful. So I am grateful for DirecTV's current design, plus also I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see the new HD GUI (as it was mentioned in the Investor day presentation). Knowing they are working on that, along with a wonderful CE program and some great DirecTV employees on this site make DirecTV ok, despite the lack of the HD content I long for.

I like the remote (especially RF capability). Nice to control everything from under a blanket without worrying about line of sight to an IR receiver. I like the website, I like the fact you can program the DVR from anywhere you can get on the internet, and I like the potential with IP Control, upcoming CoPilot, TVApps and heck just the fact that the hard drive is 500GB to start is a major plus. I love that you can hide SD Duplicates (can't do that with cable). I like how the HD channels use the same number (cable's lineup is confusing, especially for picking the right program to DVR). The keyword searching is great. Youtube was a nice touch (hope to see more streaming in the future) and it's real fun being a part of the CE program. You never know what your going to get, plus you I feel good doing my part reporting issues if they arise so it can help produce a better product in the long run.

While no TV provider is perfect, DirecTV is ok. I know when my contract is up I will re-evaluate the HD lineup on Cable and go from there. Maybe their software will be better by then.


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## BKC (Dec 12, 2007)

Does your post come in hardback too?


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## KNPKH2ster (Apr 3, 2010)

Here's my response to Swanni's article:



> The 10 Things I Hate About DIRECTV By Swanni
> 
> Article link: http://www.tvpredictions.com/directvhate021511.htm
> 
> ...


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