# Finally cancelled DirecTV entirely... feels good!



## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

Of course, they drug out the cancellation to a ridiculous extent, and one rep even hung up on me. _Yeah, that'll make me change my mind! _"Sir we _*require*_ we understand why you're leaving after more than 15 years" - no, fool, I've been paying you - and far far too much for far too long.

Expect a silly amount of badgering, and long silences. F that. Yes, the first one hung up on me - not an extended hold, but a disconnect. DirecTV had it's day, but it went many years ago, and I stuck around due to inertia, and while OTT options matured a bit. 

Vue and SiliconDust (OTA HD DVR) will get me everything I want and need - for roughly a third of the cost.

In the end, what they demanded and the value I was getting were foolishly far apart.

(Not that it was any sort of deciding factor at all, but AT&T money to a certain someone's bag man isn't a good look either. )


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

smithrh said:


> Of course, they drug out the cancellation to a ridiculous extent, and one rep even hung up on me. _Yeah, that'll make me change my mind! _"Sir we _*require*_ we understand why you're leaving after more than 15 years" - no, fool, I've been paying you - and far far too much for far too long.
> 
> Expect a silly amount of badgering, and long silences. F that. Yes, the first one hung up on me - not an extended hold, but a disconnect. DirecTV had it's day, but it went many years ago, and I stuck around due to inertia, and while OTT options matured a bit.
> 
> ...


We've been discussing cancelling and going to PS Vue. Hope it works out for you.

I'm wondering what their response would have been had you said you were cancelling due to AT&T's payments?


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## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

It may wind up being Hulu, but Vue is OK for now. Might try a trial. 

As for the other thing, I wouldn't do that, I'm sure they wouldn't know how to handle it (the agents). But AT&T I'm sure has contact center voice analytics running, so if "Cohen" or "Trump" got brought up enough, the contact center management knew about it. 

But I was fed up way before that point. Somehow, miracle of miracles, the voice response system just doesn't understand "cancel." Funny thing, that.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

It’s been well over a year for us. PSVue, NetFlix, Amazon Prime Video, OTA antenna w SiliconDust tuner. Everything we want/need and much less expensive, don’t miss anything at all (well except having to call them every so often to beg for discounts LOL). Can’t imagine ever going back. We were D customers since before it was even D. At one time D was leading edge (why I was part of “Edgecutters”)...now they are just old and stoggy, trying to milk as much as they can from their entrenched user base. For some it is unfortunately the only game in town. I get that. But if you have high speed net access and are after leading edge tech and 4k HDR/DV content, unfortunately D is just not where it’s at...IMHO. I find it a bit sad.


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## Coachbulldog (Nov 17, 2014)

I don't think I would ever be a cord cutter because I would miss my regional sports channels, but I don't have a lifetime agreement with AT&T - Directv and am considering making a change when my agreement is up this summer. I've been with them for 16 years and have been happy for most of that time. But in the last two years, things have changed. I don't know if Comcast or Dish would be any better, but I'm going to explore the options soon.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Coachbulldog said:


> I don't think I would ever be a cord cutter because I would miss my regional sports channels, but I don't have a lifetime agreement with AT&T - Directv and am considering making a change when my agreement is up this summer. I've been with them for 16 years and have been happy for most of that time. But in the last two years, things have changed. I don't know if Comcast or Dish would be any better, but I'm going to explore the options soon.


For my area, PS Vue has my regional sports networks. 
Local Live Streaming Channels | PlayStation Vue


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## stoutman (Feb 8, 2003)

So I have been a subscriber since 1997, but I too am about to take the plunge. College tuition bills have me changing my life. I have been testing Directv Now with Roku on an Att wireless card. So far, it has worked very well. Internet and the equivalent of Directv Choice for $63 a month with my ATT $25 rebate on unlimited data. Currently my internet and tv cost me around $250 a month. Saving $200 a month and not missing a game or show....


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## Brian Hanasky (Feb 22, 2008)

Cancelled about a year ago. Using Sling with Hulu (not live) and Netflix. Don't miss DTV one bit. I got tired of the games. Calling in to ask for discounts and don't get me started on all the stupid fees. HD fee in 2018? That's just greedy.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Coachbulldog said:


> I don't think I would ever be a cord cutter because I would miss my regional sports channels, but I don't have a lifetime agreement with AT&T - Directv and am considering making a change when my agreement is up this summer. I've been with them for 16 years and have been happy for most of that time. But in the last two years, things have changed. I don't know if Comcast or Dish would be any better, but I'm going to explore the options soon.


Not gonna get the sports you want with anything but D* or, perhaps, PS Vue. D*Now might be a good choice once they get the cloud DVR up and running. I'd expect that to have all the sports programming we have now. I'm looking to switch to PS Vue or D*Now in January if everything is in place by then. I'd like to see PS Vue and D*Now putting out 1080p by then.

Rich


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

Another gee I traded in my 2018 M-B for a 2003 Chevy Cavilier and its alright thread. 

I think the main people you are trying to convince are yourselves.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

SamC said:


> Another gee I traded in my 2018 M-B for a 2003 Chevy Cavilier and its alright thread.
> 
> I think the main people you are trying to convince are yourselves.


Not true for everybody. I haven't watched anything but sports on D* for a couple years, I can and will get all the sports I want from either PS Vue or D*Now next year. I'm convinced that streaming is better than sat service. Yeah, there are some "cons" but for the most part an ATV or an FTV can give anybody a better experience than D* can, I think.

Rich


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

SamC said:


> Another gee I traded in my 2018 M-B for a 2003 Chevy Cavilier and its alright thread.
> 
> I think the main people you are trying to convince are yourselves.


I'm not trying to convince anybody, just reporting the facts as I see them and hoping to help others. Honestly I feel more like I traded in a Chevy for a Porsche...but that's JMO.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

mjwagner said:


> I'm not trying to convince anybody, just reporting the facts as I see them and hoping to help others. Honestly I feel more like I traded in a Chevy for a Porsche...but that's JMO.


Obviously, you have to drive down this road to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If someone is open minded enough to give streaming a few weeks that should be enough to at least give them an idea how good and simple streaming is. Takes time. Took me months to realize I was doing something that would make life better.

Rich


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## tsduke (Mar 20, 2007)

I would seriously consider ALL streaming for my needs except for 2 issues.

1. Mediacom caps internet tiers. 
2. I have a 2nd setup at permanent campsite by taking a receiver with or leaving one there. Place has horrible OTA and only cell or sat internet.

I wish they would give Now to current customer and we could use that for additional tvs instead of lease for for additional receivers.


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

I'm leaving because we are moving into an apartment where we can't have sat anything. Did a lot of looking around. Everyone is different. We need DVR since we watch almost nothing live. We don't want to have x for these stations, y for different stations, etc. Need whole home and lots of tuners since we sometimes are recording 3 or 4 at a time.
Or cable provider (Spectrum was TWC) only offers 2 tuner DVR and no whole home - which is hard to believe in this day and age but they are probably working on a cloud dvr solution. DTV now has no DVR yet, and doesn't offer local or regional sports where I live. Current plan is cable with TIVO to handle whole house and DVR needs. A lot cheaper than DTV but..
Each to their own needs


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

SamC said:


> Another gee I traded in my 2018 M-B for a 2003 Chevy Cavilier and its alright thread.
> 
> I think the main people you are trying to convince are yourselves.


I'm not trying to convince anybody but my wife. She is the only one that counts.

But we're paying $175 for DIRECTV and can get all the channels we watch with PS Vue for $55. One of our locals is On Demand only, but we also have a roof mounted antenna for OTA with an OTA DVR that we can access via our Plex service.

But wife isn't sure. Free week next month to test it before we drop DIRECTV, which we've had since 1998.


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## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

I won't directly give the idiot poster the time of day - but I will say I got on-board with Vue and Silicon Dust for a month *BEFORE* I cancelled DirecTV. 

It was a total make-before-break situation, and I suggest others do the same. Once you try it, it's quite likely you'll find you're pissing away money on DirecTV needlessly. Yes, I live in a Vue market with locals, so that helps, but they miss a few locals and the OTA DVR cleans those up nicely. 

Caveat Emptor as always, but it takes a real idiot to pretend they know why others make the decisions they do.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

Rich said:


> Not true for everybody. I haven't watched anything but sports on D* for a couple years, I can and will get all the sports I want from either PS Vue or D*Now next year. I'm convinced that streaming is better than sat service. Yeah, there are some "cons" but for the most part an ATV or an FTV can give anybody a better experience than D* can, I think.
> 
> Rich


I've tried and researched a few streaming services, never found one I actually liked or would actually save me any money. Not counting premium channels, they all come in around $60-$80/month plus the $80 I pay for 100/10 'net service with a 1 Tb data cap. Essentially it ends up more than the cable with all their channels including premiums that I have, and I've got a really good DVR functionality and not some very 2nd rate one that the streamers have

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## Lyncher101 (Sep 5, 2017)

smithrh said:


> Of course, they drug out the cancellation to a ridiculous extent, and one rep even hung up on me. _Yeah, that'll make me change my mind! _"Sir we _*require*_ we understand why you're leaving after more than 15 years" - no, fool, I've been paying you - and far far too much for far too long.
> 
> Expect a silly amount of badgering, and long silences. F that. Yes, the first one hung up on me - not an extended hold, but a disconnect. DirecTV had it's day, but it went many years ago, and I stuck around due to inertia, and while OTT options matured a bit.
> 
> ...





smithrh said:


> Of course, they drug out the cancellation to a ridiculous extent, and one rep even hung up on me. _Yeah, that'll make me change my mind! _"Sir we _*require*_ we understand why you're leaving after more than 15 years" - no, fool, I've been paying you - and far far too much for far too long.
> 
> Expect a silly amount of badgering, and long silences. F that. Yes, the first one hung up on me - not an extended hold, but a disconnect. DirecTV had it's day, but it went many years ago, and I stuck around due to inertia, and while OTT options matured a bit.
> 
> ...


Dumped DTV almost a year ago and what a great feeling it was!! I come back to this site on occasion to watch the tide continue to come in on satellite and cable. Our family has been using VUE, Netflix and Amazon and have missed ZERO shows that we used to watch on DTV. As for sports, yeah, Sunday Ticket is what drew me to DTV 17 years ago and what kept me there until that too became insanely expensive. VUE has all my network locals, Redzone, NFL Network, My RSN's, FS-1,2, All the ESPN's, CBS Sports Network, NBCSN and many more in their sports tier. DTV knows the mother ship is sinking, hell, almost all of their ads are for DTVN. If they were to offer Sunday Ticket as an optional add-on via their streaming service I bet that a lot of current DTV subscribers who have a solid internet connection would immediately jump ship. Are the streaming services perfect? No, but NO service is flawless. A lot of people resist change. I did for a long time. I kick myself for not fleeing sooner!! An initial investment in quality streaming devices and the proper internet bandwidth/speed makes us a very happy streaming family. About the only thing I would mention to those of you who are considering streaming (and some of you have stated this as well) is check about data caps. Those can present a roadblock if you don't have an alternate provider option to turn to for internet.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

I hated doing it, but 2 years ago I went back to AT&T internet. Had Comcast 60mbps for $75 per month. 1TB cap. 4 of us in the house at the time and we were hitting the cap. 

Now 1GB fiber for $90 per month with unlimited data (first 12 months was $80 per month) .


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## carlsbad_bolt_fan (May 18, 2004)

I love DirecTV and do see value in the service it provides. I watch a lot that isn't streamable. Spectrum has a great offer for Internet/TV/Phone (yes, I still have a landline). Added it up and I would end up saving about $150-175 per month. My D* contract is up this summer. Might do a Spectrum trial , just to see how good/bad their DVR is.


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## mgmrick (Oct 19, 2004)

I had been with dtv sat since they bought out prime star. Returned the genie and they told me to throw away 2 hd dvr's and 4 r22's. Switched to streaming and saving 175 dollars a month.

Dtv sat way over priced or streaming under priced


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Watch fees for streaming to skyrocket. Or sputter.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

lparsons21 said:


> I've tried and researched a few streaming services, never found one I actually liked or would actually save me any money. Not counting premium channels, they all come in around $60-$80/month plus the $80 I pay for 100/10 'net service with a 1 Tb data cap. Essentially it ends up more than the cable with all their channels including premiums that I have, and I've got a really good DVR functionality and not some very 2nd rate one that the streamers have
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


Different strokes for different folks for sure...streaming simply is not a good fit for some folks, that is why choice is good! But all streaming services DVR capabilities are not the same. I find the PSVue cloud DVR to be a much better experience than what I was getting with D and certainly not "2nd rate". No conflicts to ever worry about. No space to manage. No DVR equipment to worry about/manage (upgrades, HW failures, etc.) And it has butter smooth FF/REW with full screen view of what you are FF/REW thru just like I had with D. All in all I much prefer the cloud DVR experience but that is JMO.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

Laxguy said:


> Watch fees for streaming to skyrocket. Or sputter.


Maybe they will, maybe they won't...the future is hard to predict. The past however, is known. In the year that I have had PSVue I have experienced zero price increases. In that same time frame D subscribers have had a price increase...so there's that... ; - )


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

carlsbad_bolt_fan said:


> I love DirecTV and do see value in the service it provides. I watch a lot that isn't streamable. Spectrum has a great offer for Internet/TV/Phone (yes, I still have a landline). Added it up and I would end up saving about $150-175 per month. My D* contract is up this summer. Might do a Spectrum trial , just to see how good/bad their DVR is.


Take a look at Ooma for IP phone service (which is really what Spectrums phone service is, an IP phone). My ISP offered a discounted bundle of internet service and phone. Taking the discount into account the cost of the phone service was still around $18 per month net. Once you buy the Ooma device (I bought it on sale at Amazon for $63) the service itself is free but you do pay tax and 911 fee which varies based on your state. In my state it comes to $6 per month. Net it is $12 per month cheaper and it has better features/functions than the IP phone service that my ISP offers. And yes, you can port your existing number if that is important to you. Just something to check into.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

lparsons21 said:


> I've tried and researched a few streaming services, never found one I actually liked or would actually save me any money. Not counting premium channels, they all come in around $60-$80/month plus the $80 I pay for 100/10 'net service with a 1 Tb data cap. Essentially it ends up more than the cable with all their channels including premiums that I have, and I've got a really good DVR functionality and not some very 2nd rate one that the streamers have
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


I don't figure my internet too much into the equation. No matter what TV service I have, we're also going to have internet.


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## tsduke (Mar 20, 2007)

If going to 100% streaming and your internet provider has data caps you don't really have a choice but to factor internet costs. I'd need a expensive pan to stream 100% of my video.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

trh said:


> I don't figure my internet too much into the equation. No matter what TV service I have, we're also going to have internet.


You pretty much need to factor it in if you are trying to compare costs if your provider has data caps because if you go full streaming, you will increase your data quite a bit.

In my case if I were to do no streaming I could drop to the entry level on cable internet and be just fine for all I do other than streaming. Currently I'm on 100/10 with a 1Tb data cap. My average month is about 600Mb of data which is higher than the data cap at the next level down (50/5). If I went full streaming I would need to move to the next level up which is 200/20(?) with a 2Tb data cap.

But let's assume I don't use the internet costs the the figuring. Here's approximately where I'd be with Dish, Cable or streaming:
3 TVs in the house.
Dish - $90 for the level I would want, $55 for the premiums, $22 for equipment. Total $167
Cable - $80 for sub and premiums, $21 for Tivo service. Total $101
PSVue - $75 for sub, premiums about $35. Total $110

Note my cable will rise $20 mid=year because of promo deal. So streaming would be the cheapest but would be missing some channels I do watch and only offer on demand for some locals and have a 2nd rate DVR functionality.

IF I watched fewer channels and less TV overall, I could save signficantly, but that's the only way.

Sent from my Google Pixelbook using Tapatalk


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

tsduke said:


> I would seriously consider ALL streaming for my needs except for 2 issues.
> 
> 1. Mediacom caps internet tiers.
> 2. I have a 2nd setup at permanent campsite by taking a receiver with or leaving one there. Place has horrible OTA and only cell or sat internet.
> ...


Outstanding! Never thought of that, that would/might make me think about retaining some DVRs. Thanx.

Rich


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## tsduke (Mar 20, 2007)

Personally I think it would be a win/win. It would reduce their overhead.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

tsduke said:


> Personally I think it would be a win/win. It would reduce their overhead.


Never gonna happen, too logical, too easy. Great idea. And it would be a win/win. They won't do it.

Rich


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## tsduke (Mar 20, 2007)

Oh, I agree it will never happen. Doesn't hurt to hope.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

lparsons21 said:


> PSVue - $75 for sub, premiums about $35. Total $110


Question: The PS Vue Ultra at $75/month includes Showtime & HBO channels. What other premiums are you buying?
Or are there different prices throughout the country for various levels of PS Vue?


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

trh said:


> Question: The PS Vue Ultra at $75/month includes Showtime & HBO channels. What other premiums are you buying?
> Or are there different prices throughout the country for various levels of PS Vue?


I also have Stars and Cinemax. I think all the pricing is now consistent across the nation. Used to be lower in places that they didn't supply the locals.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

tsduke said:


> If going to 100% streaming and your internet provider has data caps you don't really have a choice but to factor internet costs. I'd need a expensive pan to stream 100% of my video.


I was hitting my data cap already with Netflix and Amazon Prime. So I went from Comast 60mbps at $75 per month with 1TB cap to AT&T Fiber, $90 per month with no data caps. And the first year was $80 per month.

So I guess to compare the two, some would say I could add $15/month for going to no cap service. But I was hitting the caps with DIRECTV when we upgraded. We've gone over 1TB about 6 times during the past year. And we still have DIRECTV @ $175 per month.


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## crkeehn (Apr 23, 2002)

Earlier adopters for ATT Fiber (gigapower) got an even better deal. I am paying $70 for internet service with unlimited data. Since I got a 4K television and a 4K compatible streaming device, my data usage has skyrocketed.

I will say that I do have DirecTV Now and was able to get on the Roku beta. it's getting there, the cloud dvr works fairly well and consistently, I'm seeing less issue with buffering and I notice that a lot of the channels are HD now. As I can't get HD for my satellite service, it's nice having the backup.


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## bills976 (Jun 30, 2002)

Rich said:


> Not gonna get the sports you want with anything but D* or, perhaps, PS Vue. D*Now might be a good choice once they get the cloud DVR up and running. I'd expect that to have all the sports programming we have now. I'm looking to switch to PS Vue or D*Now in January if everything is in place by then. I'd like to see PS Vue and D*Now putting out 1080p by then.
> 
> Rich


If you're on the beta, DTV Now is streaming at 1080p 60fps. The picture quality is better than what DirecTV is serving over satellite. I was paying $77/mo for Select + DVR fee + HD fee, and for $35 I get a better product... though the cloud DVR is a buggy piece of trash.

Interestingly our address qualifies for standalone streaming Sunday Ticket despite being able to get satellite, so we bought that for the upcoming season.

I honestly can't see why anyone with a solid internet connection would keep cable or satellite at this point. I fully expect the price of streaming services to increase, but I also expect the major cable channel conglomerates to package their channels together and completely bypass the third party operators, keeping the individual costs lower. I.e. you go to Scripps to buy Scripps' channels for $8/mo rather than going through a third party like AT&T and being forced to buy a package.

The big loser out of this will be Disney and ESPN, for sure.

Personally, once Philo offers an Apple TV app, I'll probably dump DirecTV Now, subscribe to Philo, and get an OTA dvr to cover the 4 major broadcast networks. The only thing really missing out of that that we watch is truTV and that's just not worth the premium.


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## carlsbad_bolt_fan (May 18, 2004)

Laxguy said:


> Watch fees for streaming to skyrocket. Or sputter.


Exactly. With net neutrality being killed off, you might see some providers charging more for those who want to use certain streaming services. But I'm sure those providers will cut someone a deal if you choose a streaming service they're partnered with.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

CTJon said:


> I'm leaving because we are moving into an apartment where we can't have sat anything. Did a lot of looking around. Everyone is different. We need DVR since we watch almost nothing live. We don't want to have x for these stations, y for different stations, etc. Need whole home and lots of tuners since we sometimes are recording 3 or 4 at a time.
> Or cable provider (Spectrum was TWC) only offers 2 tuner DVR and no whole home - which is hard to believe in this day and age but they are probably working on a cloud dvr solution. DTV now has no DVR yet, and doesn't offer local or regional sports where I live. Current plan is cable with TIVO to handle whole house and DVR needs. A lot cheaper than DTV but..
> Each to their own needs


Check again on spectrum. It may be they haven't rolled it out to your area yet but they have a w 6 tuner Whole Home Service DVR now. And I believe you can have two of them.


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## glrush (Jun 29, 2002)

For me, it is not the programming costs that really irk me, it is the equipment costs. I have 4 TV's and 3 DVR's including one Genie. They charge me 44 bucks/month for just the equipment and that fixed cost will be gone if I go streaming. We have Roku sticks on each TV now and already subscribe to Prime and Netflix. I cancelled my auto renew on Sunday Ticket this year since the price is now close to 400 bucks/year and unless I get a killer deal, I will drop that too. With no Sunday Ticket, DIRECTV really has no "gotta have it" factor anymore and I will look to leave. It's not personal. it's business; I have been a satisfied customer since September 1994 and do not want to leave but the pricing is just getting ridiculous.


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## tadam (Dec 8, 2006)

Unfortunately for me, there are no good ISP options (satellite, slow wireless), so cutting the cord at this point is a pipe dream. If an ISP were available with a huge data cap (500 gb) and at least 15 mbps down, I would cut the cord in a heartbeat as most streaming services do not require a contract. Which means I could trial and error until I found the best one(s) for my watching preferences.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

inkahauts said:


> Check again on spectrum. It may be they haven't rolled it out to your area yet but they have a w 6 tuner Whole Home Service DVR now. And I believe you can have two of them.


Is it possible to use Tivos with Spectrum? If so, he could go that way. The full Tivo boxes have recurring fees on them but the Mini doesn't.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

bills976 said:


> If you're on the beta, DTV Now is streaming at 1080p 60fps. The picture quality is better than what DirecTV is serving over satellite. I was paying $77/mo for Select + DVR fee + HD fee, and for $35 I get a better product... though the cloud DVR is a buggy piece of trash.
> 
> Interestingly our address qualifies for standalone streaming Sunday Ticket despite being able to get satellite, so we bought that for the upcoming season.
> 
> ...


Interesting. Didn't know the cloud DVR had been activated on D*Now. I can't do anything til January but if the cloud DVR gets better I might just make the jump. Thanx for the very informative post.

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Rich said:


> Interesting. Didn't know the cloud DVR had been activated on D*Now. I can't do anything til January but if the cloud DVR gets better I might just make the jump. Thanx for the very informative post.
> 
> Rich


One expense we may have that I hadn't considered: PBS (via streaming).

You can watch many of the shows on PBS w/o any additional payments, but some of the 'better' shows (Poldark, Austin City Limits, et. al.), can only be watched after you buy a PBS Passport. Not sure if the amount changes around the country, but for my local station to buy the Passport, I have to contribute a minimum of $5/mo (or a $60/year payment) to stream those premium shows.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> One expense we may have that I hadn't considered: PBS (via streaming).
> 
> You can watch many of the shows on PBS w/o any additional payments, but some of the 'better' shows (Poldark, Austin City Limits, et. al.), can only be watched after you buy a PBS Passport. Not sure if the amount changes around the country, but for my local station to buy the Passport, I have to contribute a minimum of $5/mo (*or a $60/year payment*) to stream those premium shows.


Well, I'm past the point of caring about costs. I'm paying as much for streaming video services as I do for D* (if I don't count the upper tier of the PP and equipment charges). I keep reading ominous warnings about the price of streaming rising dramatically. Not gonna stop me from enjoying streaming. 60 bucks year for something you enjoy is well worth it.

Rich


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## bills976 (Jun 30, 2002)

Regarding costs of streaming services increasing... I am not so sure it's going to happen as quickly as some people speculate.

Cable/Satellite is obviously a duopoly. The programmers have the cable/satellite operators at their mercy - Disney can threaten to take away ESPN if they don't take the Disney Channel, Fox can take away their broadcast O&O's if they don't take FS1, etc. This leads to the annoying programming disputes, which get a lot of bad press because it's so difficult for consumers to change to a service that has the content that was just yanked away from them.

There are at least ten legitimate streaming services competing with each other now. There's a lot more freedom for an individual service to tell a particular program operator to take a hike. Look at what Sony and Vue did to Sinclair on 5/1 - they couldn't come to terms and just walked away. There's no big hullabaloo either, because anyone that does want the Sinclair networks has a very low barrier to entry to get them - they can activate a subscription to YouTube, DirecTV Now, Sling, etc in a matter of minutes.

Similarly, if you're unhappy with your "deal", you can jump ship so easily thanks to universal devices like the Apple TV, the Rokus, Fire TVs, etc. There's a huge amount of pressure on each service to keep costs as low as possible in order to grow their subscriber bases. As long as there are a plethora of options, and a healthy software ecosystem, this should continue.

Eventually, I predict that this is going to lead to direct-to-consumer offerings for each family of networks. Why deal with a middleman when you can go directly to Fox and get both the live networks and a library of on demand content? I think CBS is ahead of the curve here; All Access isn't a great app but this is the a la carte model that many of us have been wanting for years. Costs per channel might be higher, but you'll buy a lot fewer of them.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

bills976 said:


> Regarding costs of streaming services increasing... I am not so sure it's going to happen as quickly as some people speculate.
> 
> Cable/Satellite is obviously a duopoly. The programmers have the cable/satellite operators at their mercy - Disney can threaten to take away ESPN if they don't take the Disney Channel, Fox can take away their broadcast O&O's if they don't take FS1, etc. This leads to the annoying programming disputes, which get a lot of bad press because it's so difficult for consumers to change to a service that has the content that was just yanked away from them.
> 
> ...


True, all true. Just gonna take time for folks to get used to watching TV in a very different way. Change is always difficult.

Rich


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

Checked with Spectrum again - they said not yet and couldn't provide a time frame - even when I said ok no DRV I'll do TIVO - they said ok - no real DVR


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

CTJon said:


> Checked with Spectrum again - they said not yet and couldn't provide a time frame - even when I said ok no DRV I'll do TIVO - they said ok - no real DVR


Yeah that sucks. I know someone who has one of their not new DVRs and it's such garbage it's frightening. Anyone ever complaining about anything DIRECTV has produced would never say another word if the only two choices where DIRECTV and that DVR, it's just that awful...


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

bills976 said:


> Regarding costs of streaming services increasing... I am not so sure it's going to happen as quickly as some people speculate.
> 
> Cable/Satellite is obviously a duopoly. The programmers have the cable/satellite operators at their mercy - Disney can threaten to take away ESPN if they don't take the Disney Channel, Fox can take away their broadcast O&O's if they don't take FS1, etc. This leads to the annoying programming disputes, which get a lot of bad press because it's so difficult for consumers to change to a service that has the content that was just yanked away from them.
> 
> ...


It's going to skyrocket faster if people leave faster. People leaving has slowed down in some ways so now it may take longer, but I assure you Hollywood studios will make sure they balance it all out every year, so it won't take but a minute to skyrocket if a large exodus ever actually occurred. Everyone thought CBS was expensive at $6 and they will cheap by comparison in a few years, I'm guessing Disney will start any of theirs at around 10.. but we shall see.

I also wonder how much value a lot of people will start to put in ease of use and not having to use as many different sources for tv. Adding Netflix or prime is pretty easy, it's only one or two additional things, but when you get to like ten, you have to start to remember things and that gets complicated fast, which is why DIRECTV now and such will be better and survive as easily as the standalone offerings imho.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> It's going to skyrocket faster if people leave faster. People leaving has slowed down in some ways so now it may take longer, but I assure you Hollywood studios will make sure they balance it all out every year, so it won't take but a minute to skyrocket if a large exodus ever actually occurred. Everyone thought CBS was expensive at $6 and they will cheap by comparison in a few years, I'm guessing Disney will start any of theirs at around 10.. but we shall see.
> 
> *I also wonder how much value a lot of people will start to put in ease of use and not having to use as many different sources for tv. Adding Netflix or prime is pretty easy, it's only one or two additional things, but when you get to like ten, you have to start to remember things and that gets complicated fast, which is why DIRECTV now and such will be better and survive as easily as the standalone offerings imho.*


We have HBO Now, Showtime, Starz, NetFlix, iTunes, Amazon Prime, Hulu, CBS All Access, Hallmark, History and YouTube. 11 streaming video services and we are not confused. You have an Apple TV, it has voice search that covers most of the apps, how can this be confusing?

Rich


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Not everyone has an AppleTV and uses the tv app. And even that doesn’t have everything on it. and not everyone has voice and not everyone will be able to handle it. And how do you recall what shows you are watching in general? I now use a trait.tv account to keep track of all my series and what episodes I have seen because no one way to track everything everywhere.

Very few people would remember exactly all shows and what channels they are in and when they are on by heart.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

inkahauts said:


> Very few people would remember exactly all shows and what channels they are in and when they are on by heart.


I normally start my viewing from the DVR screen of things that are already recorded. It makes it easier to find what I've watched before and every week I just get the new episode is it comes. If I see a new program through advertising or online somewhere I can always go in and add it temporarily and deleted if that's not a good show.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

I have an auto record set up that grabs every series premiere, and watch them off that, and if they are good add a series record to it. I don’t even surf the guide for new shows anymore.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> Not everyone has an AppleTV and uses the tv app. And even that doesn't have everything on it. and not everyone has voice and not everyone will be able to handle it. And how do you recall what shows you are watching in general? I now use a trait.tv account to keep track of all my series and what episodes I have seen because no one way to track everything everywhere.
> 
> Very few people would remember exactly all shows and what channels they are in and when they are on by heart.


I don't have to keep track of what I watch the streaming video services do it. I binge on series, I've been doing that since the '80s. I know we watch TV differently than most people. But we've doing it this way for decades. Remember the 12 VCRs I had before I found DVRs? And the hundreds of blank tapes I had? All so we could binge. We binged before "binge" was an accepted word for watching a complete season. I had to keep logs with the VCRs. That was a PITA. Then came DVRs with the List. No problem tracking things there. Streaming came into our lives a few years ago and now that's our primary way to watch TV. No tracking needed there, for us anyway. For us, this is just what I always wanted. No equipment problems (the ATVs can be a bit buggy but nothing as bad as a glitchy HR) and the remotes are simple. I jump from room to room during the course of a day and I can bring up the show I was watching in another room and it starts just where I left off. Most of the time.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> I have an auto record set up that grabs every series premiere, and watch them off that, and if they are good add a series record to it. I don't even surf the guide for new shows anymore.


I rarely turn on a DVR anymore. Just for ball games or boxing.

Rich


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

Rich said:


> We have HBO Now, Showtime, Starz, NetFlix, iTunes, Amazon Prime, Hulu, CBS All Access, Hallmark, History and YouTube. 11 streaming video services and we are not confused. You have an Apple TV, it has voice search that covers most of the apps, how can this be confusing?
> 
> Rich


You might be interested in this.
Apple releases fifth tvOS 11.4 beta for developers


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

What a surprise- people are different and have different watching habits. One of the things that makes DirecTV and traditional cable so successful is that they provide for all these different viewing habits.


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## bills976 (Jun 30, 2002)

inkahauts said:


> It's going to skyrocket faster if people leave faster. People leaving has slowed down in some ways so now it may take longer, but I assure you Hollywood studios will make sure they balance it all out every year, so it won't take but a minute to skyrocket if a large exodus ever actually occurred. Everyone thought CBS was expensive at $6 and they will cheap by comparison in a few years, I'm guessing Disney will start any of theirs at around 10.. but we shall see.
> 
> I also wonder how much value a lot of people will start to put in ease of use and not having to use as many different sources for tv. Adding Netflix or prime is pretty easy, it's only one or two additional things, but when you get to like ten, you have to start to remember things and that gets complicated fast, which is why DIRECTV now and such will be better and survive as easily as the standalone offerings imho.


That's the thing, though. Who's willing to pay Disney $10 for their package of channels? I'm not, but if I subscribe to traditional cable or satellite, I don't have a choice. Others may disagree and buy the $10 package. That's the great benefit of streaming - as Rich said, you can combine services and pick/choose what you want.

We actually like a lot of the cheaper networks - A&E for Live PD, my wife likes to binge watch reality tv on TLC. AMC is another one that my wife watches a lot of. I like the standalone sports subscriptions like MLB.TV and NFL Sunday Ticket (my teams are out of market) but never watch ESPN. We watch a lot of the traditional broadcast networks as well.

This is why purchasing the standalone streaming premium sports subscriptions, Philo, and OTA would work really well for us. At $16.99/mo for Philo, even if the cost doubles, it's a terrific deal.

I agree with you that price per channel will increase, but I disagree that overall cost will increase. $35-$40 is the sweet spot where people think it's worth it over a traditional TV subscription.

There are too many parties competing for business on both the content and the provider side that prevent price increases in OTT services. Right now you literally have zero competition on the content side (since none of the cable or satellite companies have the cajones to blanketly drop all of Viacom's/Disney's/etc content), and next to no competition in terms of cable/satellite providers.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

jimmie57 said:


> You might be interested in this.
> Apple releases fifth tvOS 11.4 beta for developers


Not for me. With all the problems I have beta testing isn't for me. My ATVs are glitchy enough.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

CTJon said:


> What a surprise- people are different and have different watching habits. One of the things that makes DirecTV and traditional cable so successful is that they provide for all these different viewing habits.


Not for the way we watch. Seems like what we do always surprises people. If D* gave me anything close to what I want I would not be considering giving it up. The sat and cable providers were so successful because they were the best choice at the time. Not now.

Rich


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## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

Now I wonder if ATT has actually processed my cancellation - no confirming email or USPS mail as of yet, logging in and going to my orders wind up eventually erroring out. 

Took the opportunity to remove my auto-pay information.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Some updated info today on the DIRECTV Now Cloud DVR: 
AT&T's DirecTV Now live TV service launches a DVR, upgrades the app with new features



> The DVR - which AT&T calls the "True Cloud DVR" - will offer users 20 hours of free recording, support for fast forward and rewind, and the ability to store shows for up to 30 days. This is far less storage than what beta testers had - they could save up to 100 hours of recordings. As it turns out, AT&T will make expanded storage a paid upgrade. Later this summer, users can opt to pay $10 per month more to save 100 hours of shows for up to 90 days, the company says.


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## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

Lolz, just reinforcing my decision...


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

bills976 said:


> That's the thing, though. Who's willing to pay Disney $10 for their package of channels? I'm not, but if I subscribe to traditional cable or satellite, I don't have a choice. Others may disagree and buy the $10 package. That's the great benefit of streaming - as Rich said, you can combine services and pick/choose what you want.
> 
> We actually like a lot of the cheaper networks - A&E for Live PD, my wife likes to binge watch reality tv on TLC. AMC is another one that my wife watches a lot of. I like the standalone sports subscriptions like MLB.TV and NFL Sunday Ticket (my teams are out of market) but never watch ESPN. We watch a lot of the traditional broadcast networks as well.
> 
> ...


How many channel groups do you think you will get for that $40? I'm guessing about 3.5 because of taxes. The less popular channel groups will be more expensive than Disney.

You may pay a lot for Disney but that makes your subscription to all the others a lot cheaper on sat and cable. Hollywood knows how to balance things. I don't know why people don't understand that part. If you buy a lot less and they want the same profit the prices will go up accordingly and you won't save much if anything after a while.

And wait till internet prices go up late this year.

Hallmark has a streaming service. $6 a month. And it's not for the stuff that's on it linear channel. It's just old stuff...


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

trh said:


> Some updated info today on the DIRECTV Now Cloud DVR:
> AT&T's DirecTV Now live TV service launches a DVR, upgrades the app with new features


Well that's a horses butt move. But not surprising as that's where all the streaming is headed for DVRs.

I'm very interested in the full DIRECTV streaming option coming later in the year that might include my sports channels. Finally.

Give me a place to subscribe to my Lakers and All the playoffs and I'll be much more likely to go all streaming. But we aren't there yet.


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## B. Shoe (Apr 3, 2008)

I'll never criticize anyone's choices for switching a service. I can understand why others become frustrated and want to test other options. I'm rather content with my D* service at the moment, but try to keep myself versed on what's happening/what's coming down the pipe in terms of streaming. For me, none of the streaming services yet offer local channels from my market. And while I consider my Internet service in my little rural corner of the world as reliable, I wouldn't want to rely on it for a full day of streaming NFL football, etc. Not just yet.

I'm also currently subscribed to AT&T for phone service. I receive HBO for free by having both D*/AT&T (although not bundled), and receive a corporate discount and additional small monthly stipend for my phone bill. While my situation is a little more unique, I'd actually be paying a few dollars more for streaming over my current arrangement, if I'm looking at an overall view of phone, Internet and television services.


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

DirecTV NOW v. DirecTV satellite

Which has has the better picture quality - DTV NOW or DTV satellite service?


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## bills976 (Jun 30, 2002)

Shockingly, it's the streaming service. So long as you don't get any buffering, and have at least 10Mbps of bandwidth available, you'll get 1080p 60fps. Looks significantly crisper and less soft than the HR24 on my LG OLED.


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

Rich said:


> Not for me. With all the problems I have beta testing isn't for me. My ATVs are glitchy enough.
> 
> Rich


I've been happy with my ATV4K so far after several months, and my movie collection is growing with my setup via iTunes. I like the fact that most of my movies that I am interested in broadcast in DV. I have not had any real issues with it like you seem to have, but wish the ATV4K would spit out Dolby Atmos since I have a compatible setup for it. Of course DirecTV's few decent 4K programs now have Atmos, but not Dolby Vision via the C61K.

I just purchased the Philips 4K Blu-ray player from Sam's for $129, which is supposed to do DV and Atmos. It's a pretty decent deal. I picked one up for my brother 2 months ago on the last shocking value for that unit, and he loves it.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> Some updated info today on the DIRECTV Now Cloud DVR:
> AT&T's DirecTV Now live TV service launches a DVR, upgrades the app with new features


I read that yesterday, made me wonder how many ways they can find to nickel and dime subscribers. PS Vue has a better DVR deal by far. D* should have at least matched PS Vue's DVR service. More capacity, more streams from PS Vue.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> How many channel groups do you think you will get for that $40? I'm guessing about 3.5 because of taxes. The less popular channel groups will be more expensive than Disney.
> 
> You may pay a lot for Disney but that makes your subscription to all the others a lot cheaper on sat and cable. Hollywood knows how to balance things. I don't know why people don't understand that part. If you buy a lot less and they want the same profit the prices will go up accordingly and you won't save much if anything after a while.
> 
> ...


Wait until this price goes up, wait until that price goes up. The sky is falling...

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> Well that's a horses butt move. But not surprising as that's where all the streaming is headed for DVRs.
> 
> I'm very interested in the full DIRECTV streaming option coming later in the year that might include my sports channels. Finally.
> 
> Give me a place to subscribe to my Lakers and All the playoffs and I'll be much more likely to go all streaming. *But we aren't there yet.*


You have to admit it's getting closer and closer. For you to admit you might take the leap is fantastic!

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

bills976 said:


> *Shockingly*, it's the streaming service. So long as you don't get any buffering, and have at least 10Mbps of bandwidth available, you'll get 1080p 60fps. Looks significantly crisper and less soft than the HR24 on my LG OLED.


The best streaming video services, NF and AP, put out 1080p and 4K. The 4K ATVs upscale all content to 4K. The PQ does look better than what you see on D*. Glad to see D* putting out 1080p for Now. I can live with the low number of streams and low capacity on the cloud DVR. Now I have to decide between PS Vue and D* Now. 1080p will always win. I'm not shocked, just pleased to have a choice.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

codespy said:


> I've been happy with my ATV4K so far after several months, and my movie collection is growing with my setup via iTunes. I like the fact that most of my movies that I am interested in broadcast in DV. I have not had any real issues with it like you seem to have, but wish the ATV4K would spit out Dolby Atmos since I have a compatible setup for it. Of course DirecTV's few decent 4K programs now have Atmos, but not Dolby Vision via the C61K.
> 
> I just purchased the Philips 4K Blu-ray player from Sam's for $129, which is supposed to do DV and Atmos. It's a pretty decent deal. I picked one up for my brother 2 months ago on the last shocking value for that unit, and he loves it.


Overall the ATVs are great. I have 6 at the moment and that produces some conflicts. Most of the time I can leave sn ATV and hop on another in a different location and go right to where I was. Most of the time. Sometimes I have to search thru an episode to find out where I was. That's annoying. I know all six can sync up with each other. Sometimes that doesn't happen. Minor annoyance.

And then there's the urge that each ATV (I have four 4Ks and two 4th generation ATVs) has to be the primary STB on its TV set. As soon as I turn on the TV sets the ATVs come on and then it's a battle to get to the STB I want. I use four TV sets, three 4K Samsungs and one 1080p Panny plasma. Same thing happens on all four sets. I have the HDMI control set to "Off" on each set and the damn things still can't get along with each other. If I pull the plug on the ATV on a particular set and use a Fire TV box I don't have this problem but I lose the functionality of the ATVs. Can't win.

Rich


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

I also cancelled and have received no confirmation or directions about what to do with my equipment. However, when I log onto my account it does say my account is scheduled for deletion


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## crkeehn (Apr 23, 2002)

Rich said:


> Interesting. Didn't know the cloud DVR had been activated on D*Now. I can't do anything til January but if the cloud DVR gets better I might just make the jump. Thanx for the very informative post.
> 
> Rich


It has been available with the Beta version for a while. It was rolled out to the mainstream app yesterday for Apple TV and Chrome. The DVR is still listed as a beta and it still has some glitches although they are minor. Version 2 is supposed to be rolled out to Roku and other streaming devices in the next few weeks.


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## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

CTJon said:


> I also cancelled and have received no confirmation or directions about what to do with my equipment. However, when I log onto my account it does say my account is scheduled for deletion


Thanks for the data point. About when did you cancel? I'm going to be traveling for a while so I won't know if anything comes in the mail.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

smithrh said:


> I'm going to be traveling for a while so I won't know if anything comes in the mail.


Getting off topic a bit, you might want to see if USPS Informed Delivery is available for your address. https://informeddelivery.usps.com/b...wtOByt2v2QYTUaBfOrAfn3MjcjqXuUu0aAvjrEALw_wcB

I have this free service. I get an email each day with a scanned image of each piece of first class mail that I'm receiving that day. Very nice with all the travel I do.


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

trh said:


> Getting off topic a bit, you might want to see if USPS Informed Delivery is available for your address. Informed Delivery
> 
> I have this free service. I get an email each day with a scanned image of each piece of first class mail that I'm receiving that day. Very nice with all the travel I do.


Whhhooooaaaaa....I didn't see that coming! I cannot believe how much knowledge I've learned on this site over the years. Thanks trh!! Gonna try this out. :thumbsup:


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

trh said:


> I have this free service. I get an email each day with a scanned image of each piece of first class mail that I'm receiving that day. Very nice with all the travel I do.


I have that. I have also signed up for similar services from UPS and FedEx that report when anything is shipped with my address as the destination (with tracking updates until delivered). All three services also allow for vacation holds to be entered (although UPS did not honor a hold during my last vacation ... I had a $150 item sit on my front porch for a week because they refused to hold the shipment).


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

codespy said:


> Whhhooooaaaaa....I didn't see that coming! I cannot believe how much knowledge I've learned on this site over the years. Thanks trh!! Gonna try this out. :thumbsup:


I use USPS tracking for specific packages, most things shipped USPS give you the option to do this by using a link supplied when you make the purchase.

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Rich said:


> I use USPS tracking for specific packages, most things shipped USPS give you the option to do this by using a link supplied when you make the purchase.
> 
> Rich


But this is all your mail coming to your address that day. Great for travelers, but I like even when I'm home. I know what is being delivered before the mail truck gets to my house.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> But this is all your mail coming to your address that day. Great for travelers, but I like even when I'm home. I know what is being delivered before the mail truck gets to my house.


I understand your situation, it's different from mine. I get notifications for everything I buy from most sites and I like the USPS notifications I get when I buy something from someone other than Amazon. But I'd rather stick to doing what I do. You have a very good reason to get all those USPS notifications, I don't.

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

I thought you previously mentioned about mail not showing up and or stolen? This shows the mail that goes through the scanners with your address on it. Good way to check if something is getting lost enroute from the PO. As I said, I got it because of my traveling. But I really like seeing what is being delivered ahead of time even when I'm home.


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## Blackloz (Aug 23, 2011)

I’m close to canceling myself after being a customer for 18 years. I’ve done extensive research on media streamers and while I almost Bought a Apple TV I settled on a TiVo Bolt for OTA and an Android Box for streaming stuff not available on OTA. I should have it setup by the end of the week and will use it for a while to see how it works before canceling. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## B. Shoe (Apr 3, 2008)

B. Shoe said:


> For me, none of the streaming services yet offer local channels from my market. And while I consider my Internet service in my little rural corner of the world as reliable, I wouldn't want to rely on it for a full day of streaming NFL football, etc. Not just yet.


No sooner have I typed this post nearly a week ago, as my telecom provider has announced that they'll be upgrading to fiber Internet services in the near future! It's a game changer for our rural area, and will definitely impact my thoughts on potentially making the switch to streaming. My current price point will be an increase from 30MB to 110MB! I may give DirectvNOW a 3-month trial on the side, if for anything to receive the AppleTV player for free.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

B. Shoe said:


> No sooner have I typed this post nearly a week ago, as my telecom provider has announced that they'll be upgrading to fiber Internet services in the near future! It's a game changer for our rural area, and will definitely impact my thoughts on potentially making the switch to streaming. My current price point will be an increase from 30MB to 110MB! I may give DirectvNOW a 3-month trial on the side, if for anything to receive the AppleTV player for free.


30MBPS is more than enough for streaming. 
Check out any data caps that those plans may have.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

B. Shoe said:


> No sooner have I typed this post nearly a week ago, as my telecom provider has announced that they'll be upgrading to fiber Internet services in the near future! It's a game changer for our rural area, and will definitely impact my thoughts on potentially making the switch to streaming. My current price point will be an increase from 30MB to 110MB! I may give DirectvNOW a 3-month trial on the side, if for anything to receive the AppleTV player for free.


I'm tempted to give it a try, mainly because of the ATV. $75 cheaper and you get Now to play with. But I've got 6 ATVs and don't need another one. Hard to pass up that deal.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> 30MBPS is more than enough for streaming.
> Check out any data caps that those plans may have.


If that's all that's going on in the house you are right. Throw in a gamer and you might have a problem. I have a gamer.

Rich


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## B. Shoe (Apr 3, 2008)

trh said:


> 30MBPS is more than enough for streaming.
> Check out any data caps that those plans may have.


I should clarify, 30MB is the max speed. We tend to experience a fair downturn during peak usage and some evenings I'm connected to my work network while working remotely from home to stay on top of projects.

If anything, I need a new router. Mine has some city miles on it.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

B. Shoe said:


> I should clarify, 30MB is the max speed. We tend to experience a fair downturn during peak usage and some evenings I'm connected to my work network while working remotely from home to stay on top of projects.
> 
> If anything, I need a new router. Mine has some city miles on it.


Right, I get about 300 down max. That's the beauty of 300 down and higher, when peak usage hits it slows down noticeably on a speed test but you can't see it when streaming. Must be hard for you.

If I had to rebuild my Wifi system I think I'd give a mesh setup a try. I spent ~ $600 on router a couple years ago. The mesh thing looks like it might be a better financial option.

Rich


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## B. Shoe (Apr 3, 2008)

Rich said:


> Right, I get about 300 down max. That's the beauty of 300 down and higher, when peak usage hits it slows down noticeably on a speed test but you can't see it when streaming. Must be hard for you.
> 
> If I had to rebuild my Wifi system I think I'd give a mesh setup a try. I spent ~ $600 on router a couple years ago. The mesh thing looks like it might be a better financial option.
> 
> Rich


It works reliably enough at the moment, if I want to casually stream something off HBO Go, Netflix, etc. I can usually get through with little issue. But if I'm going to seriously invest in streaming as my primary means of viewing, live sports...I want it to be as reliable as can be. I can try the trial to get the reduced price Apple TV and give it a test spin, but still wait until the fiber is here to make a final switch. (That, and my contract stands through August, anyway.)


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

B. Shoe said:


> It works reliably enough at the moment, if I want to casually stream something off HBO Go, Netflix, etc. I can usually get through with little issue. But if I'm going to seriously invest in streaming as my primary means of viewing, live sports...I want it to be as reliable as can be. I can try the trial to get the reduced price Apple TV and give it a test spin, but still wait until the fiber is here to make a final switch. (That, and my contract stands through August, anyway.)


Reliable Internet. I'm beginning to think that's an oxymoron such as D* tech support. My net feed was down to 4 Mbps a few days ago. We should be getting fiber within a year but right now I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling about Altice, my ISP. I'm back up to 300 but I don't trust our antiquated system.

I don't need another ATV but I do want to take D*Now for a test drive. I want to give the cloud DVR a look, see if it satisfies. The only time I care about recordings anymore is when boxing matches, MLB games and NFL games are on. This would be an ideal time to try it out. I'll have to pony up $150 bucks for the three months and the ATV, the package the Yankee games are on is one step up from the $105 package, naturally with my lack of luck.

I read an article about PS Vue last night from Cord Cutters, let me see if I can find it...seems to be gone but I found this: So What Can Save PlayStation Vue From Shutting Down? We Take a Look - Cord Cutters News
That article addresses to an extent the troubles Sony has with PS Vue. Sling and D*Now are the largest cable replacement services and PSV is nowhere near them in subs. Kinda looks like Sony might kill it. Might, no decisions.

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Rich said:


> Reliable Internet. I'm beginning to think that's an oxymoron such as D* tech support. My net feed was down to 4 Mbps a few days ago. We should be getting fiber within a year but right now I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling about Altice, my ISP. I'm back up to 300 but I don't trust our antiquated system.
> 
> I don't need another ATV but I do want to take D*Now for a test drive. I want to give the cloud DVR a look, see if it satisfies. The only time I care about recordings anymore is when boxing matches, MLB games and NFL games are on. This would be an ideal time to try it out. I'll have to pony up $150 bucks for the three months and the ATV, the package the Yankee games are on is one step up from the $105 package, naturally with my lack of luck.
> 
> ...


I didn't know they were under pressure to shutdown. But the article is right: Naming their system 'Playstation' Vue has added a lot of confusion over the service.

We're going to do a free trial with Vue next month. I had the family list all the channels they watch on DIRECTV and compared that against Vue. Everything is covered with the $55/month package. Not sure how the 30-day DVR storage will work for us, but since most of what you're watching is on demand anyways, I hope it won't be a big issue.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

Rich said:


> Reliable Internet. I'm beginning to think that's an oxymoron such as D* tech support. My net feed was down to 4 Mbps a few days ago. We should be getting fiber within a year but right now I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling about Altice, my ISP. I'm back up to 300 but I don't trust our antiquated system.
> 
> I don't need another ATV but I do want to take D*Now for a test drive. I want to give the cloud DVR a look, see if it satisfies. The only time I care about recordings anymore is when boxing matches, MLB games and NFL games are on. This would be an ideal time to try it out. I'll have to pony up $150 bucks for the three months and the ATV, the package the Yankee games are on is one step up from the $105 package, naturally with my lack of luck.
> 
> ...


They are making way too much of what Sony execs said at a recent investor relations meeting. DSLReports had an article about it and specifically pointed out that "the company stated that the service isn't going anywhere anytime soon". You can find the article here along with a link to the Sony material:
Sony Says the Future of Playstation Vue is 'Uncertain'


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> I didn't know they were under pressure to shutdown. But the article is right: Naming their system 'Playstation' Vue has added a lot of confusion over the service.
> 
> We're going to do a free trial with Vue next month. I had the family list all the channels they watch on DIRECTV and compared that against Vue. Everything is covered with the $55/month package. Not sure how the 30-day DVR storage will work for us, but since most of what you're watching is on demand anyways, I hope it won't be a big issue.


I don't know how accurate the articles are. The article I read and can't find had stats on how many subs D*Now and Sling TV has compared to PSV and they simply have a lot more. What I got from reading that article was Sony has thought about dropping PSV. Maybe. It would be a shame if they do that. I have seen Sling in action and wasn't impressed. I have seen PSV and been impressed. The ONLY reason I am considering D*Now is the without cost ATV. Since I can't get it at the advertised price I don't think I want to bother. I'm gonna reactivate the PSV sub and give that more reasonable cloud DVR a try.

About the cloud DVR: All I want it for are baseball and football games. I haven't set any series recordings on my DVRs in over a year. Kinda sad. Just don't see the need. As you said, everything you could want is out there on some streaming platform. Well, you said on demand but why even bother with that? I guess you could call a streamer like NF an "on demand" site. You want it, you demand it, there it is...no DVR needed and you can download that content for when you're traveling. Aside from sports you don't need a DVR. Yeah, I'm usually a few months behind on every series these days but I've been watching TV in this manner since the late 80s. VCRs>DVRs>Streaming...evolution...Hey, maybe something even more wonderful will appear.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

mjwagner said:


> They are making way too much of what Sony execs said at a recent investor relations meeting. DSLReports had an article about it and specifically pointed out that "the company stated that the service isn't going anywhere anytime soon". You can find the article here along with a link to the Sony material:
> Sony Says the Future of Playstation Vue is 'Uncertain'


Read that link, thanx. Kinda like what I read from Cord Cutters. I hope PSV doesn't go down the tubes. I am going to get off and reactivate PSV right now...I will watch the Yankees game tonight on PSV if everything goes well.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Rich said:


> Read that link, thanx. Kinda like what I read from Cord Cutters. I hope PSV doesn't go down the tubes. I am going to get off and reactivate PSV right now...I will watch the Yankees game tonight on PSV if everything goes well.
> 
> Rich


Well, I can't find WPIX (NYC local channel 11) on PS Vue. That's a deal killer. Nuts.

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Rich said:


> Well, I can't find WPIX (NYC local channel 11) on PS Vue. That's a deal killer. Nuts.
> 
> Rich


OTA or are you too far away for them?


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

Interesting about people's different use of DVR - we watch nothing live other than some sports and rare news. We can't stand commercials and he previously on ..... etc.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> OTA or are you too far away for them?


Never gave that a thought. Now I have to think about that. I do have a couple 20-700s that I could use to record the games. Right now I'm thinking the easiest thing to do is just keep D*. Path of least resistance always is a good choice. If I switch to a cable replacement service I would drop the top tier PP and lose the equipment charges. I could do the same thing with my present D* subscription, dropping the PP and equipment charges would lower my monthly to about $75, that's acceptable. I have to ponder...huh, can't drop the equipment charges. Nuts. Back to $125 a month. OTA looms, thanx.

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Rich said:


> Never gave that a thought. Now I have to think about that. I do have a couple 20-700s that I could use to record the games. Right now I'm thinking the easiest thing to do is just keep D*. Path of least resistance always is a good choice. If I switch to a cable replacement service I would drop the top tier PP and lose the equipment charges. I could do the same thing with my present D* subscription, dropping the PP and equipment charges would lower my monthly to about $75, that's acceptable. I have to ponder...huh, can't drop the equipment charges. Nuts. Back to $125 a month. OTA looms, thanx.
> 
> Rich


Go with all streaming devices. Install a roof-top antenna and use your current coax that goes to all your DIRECTV equipment to distribute your OTA signal from your antenna. At least that is what I'm looking at doing. I will have to replace my SWM16 with a 'normal' cable splitter.

I also have an HDHomeRun DVR that allows me to record OTA shows to my home network and can be watched on any of our streaming devices.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> Go with all streaming devices. Install a roof-top antenna and use your current coax that goes to all your DIRECTV equipment to distribute your OTA signal from your antenna. At least that is what I'm looking at doing. I will have to replace my SWM16 with a 'normal' cable splitter.
> 
> I also have an HDHomeRun DVR that allows me to record OTA shows to my home network and can be watched on any of our streaming devices.


Sounds like a lot of work. Path of least resistance beckons. Good suggestion, tho.

Rich


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## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

Well, another step closer to being 100% gone, I dropped off my HR24s at FedEx today. Of note, the access cards were singed/discolored by the chip - weird.

Made sure to get a receipt that I'm keeping. Upon giving my account number, they were able to tell me my name, so that should be correct. But I'm still going to verify that with ATT.

Why is that? Because (miracle of miracles, yet again) they never sent an email or letter telling me how to return my equipment.

I had to visit the website, which tells you to call a number to get the information. OK, I call the number. Get transferred twice, then I'm told I'll be sent a text with the information I need, and they terminate the call.

Text comes, I click the link, _and it sends me to the very same page I was at originally, which tells me to call._

OMFG. Thank you ATT for re-confirming my decision to drop you.

So, I decide to at least try chat, and finally success, the equipment goes back via Fedex. Why isn't that on the website, I ask? "Security reasons." Oh FFS.

Then I was told that yes, I was correct, I had never been sent any notification, so sorry about that, had a problem between systems. This was right around the time where the ATT system came into play, but it leads me to wonder - how many hundreds (even thousands) of customers does this represent, that may now forget they need to return equipment?

A few bottom lines, for me at least:

Unless absolutely mandatory and compelling, I'll never use someone else's HW again. 
Unless absolutely mandatory and compelling, I'll never enter a contract again - at least one I can't exit easily
I want as much control and ownership over my gear/system as possible
I won't pay stupid prices any more
Am I 100% there, no. But I am so much closer than before. I am thrilled with the SiliconDust hardware, and the DVR is easy to set up, and works well with Channels on my ATV.

PS Vue also is a good performer as well.


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## Steady Teddy (Jan 23, 2007)

No love here for Sling TV? That’s the service I was considering if I dropped DirecTv but was told it was unreliable.


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## Brian Hanasky (Feb 22, 2008)

Steady Teddy said:


> No love here for Sling TV? That's the service I was considering if I dropped DirecTv but was told it was unreliable.


I have been using Sling for about 1 year full time. I have zero issues with Sling. Picture quality is good. DVR works great and allows recording 1 episode, only new, and all episodes. Channels load fast. UI is fine and they added a grid guide 6 months or so ago. I get no locals on Sling (but due to my area get no locals on any service) but have found a workaround. If I search a show on NBC or FOX I can set up a season recording from the search results. This means I can record episodes of NBC and FOX shows even though I don't get those channels. This also works for NASCAR on FOX and NBC.

Sling does not have ABC (in most areas and certainly not mine) and does not have Discovery networks. ESPN / Disney are in a separate package. I pay for Orange with the "4 extra" package & DVR. Price is $43 a month.


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

I too am waiting for instructions as to where to send equipment and what equipment. I may just send it all to them


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## mgavs (Jun 17, 2007)

I am phasing out directv little by little, got HBO and Showtime via Appletv. For OTA see my AM 21 tuner post, we love it and it's the best way to get networks (Free!)
plus a lot more you can't get via streaming. Since we have Amazon prime I loaded that on Appletv since it's a freebie and has some pretty good stuff. Still on directv due to TCM not being availabile via streaming. Not sure about AMC and TNT. Turned off locals which saved some bucks.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

mgavs said:


> I am phasing out directv little by little, got HBO and Showtime via Appletv. For OTA see my post AM 21 tuner, we love it and it's the best way to get networks (Free!)
> plus a lot more you can't get via streaming. Since we have Amazon prime I loaded that on Appletv since it's a freebie and has some pretty good stuff. Still on directv due to TCM not being availabile via streaming. Not sure about AMC and TNT. Turned off locals which saved some bucks.


Sony Vue has all three of those channels.


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## mgavs (Jun 17, 2007)

Thanks I didn’t know that. Unfortunately I don’t want to give Sony my info and its very expensive just for the three channels for me. It looks convenient for those you want the majority of programming through it. I think it’s only a matter of time until TCM, etc. offer their own streams like hbo, etc.


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## riprecked (Oct 11, 2009)

Went down this road and tried PSVue back in February. Performance was terrible, skipping, pauses, etc. I have a 1GB Fiber Internet connection. Netflix, Amazon, etc are flawless.


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## DFWHD (Feb 9, 2008)

I had suspended my service back in January to try streaming. Since then, the family has never once complained, so I finally cancelled DirecTV this past week and also dropped our AT&T 50/10 internet and moved to Spectrum 100/10. I had to laugh when the CSR told me I'd need to return all remote controls "in working condition" along with my equipment and access cards. Never once during the call to cancel did they ever ask what they could do to keep me, which is a sad statement when a 22 year customer walks away. From a streaming perspective, we've primarily used PS Vue, but have also tried DTVN for the free Apple TV, both augmented with NetFlix and Amazon Prime. PS Vue still has a much better DVR and NFL network, but DTVN offers more channels. I'll probably use Vue once football season starts.

It will be interesting to see how the satellite version of DirecTV does over the next few years given the trend of cord cutting. I hope they can figure things out and get back to being the innovative, customer service oriented company they used to be. If that ever happens, I'll probably be back. And finally, thanks to all of the DBSTalk members for making this such a great place to talk about the products and services. This is and has been one of the best forums on the internet!


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## demyhhh (Aug 8, 2018)

Thought, when you cancel Direct TV, what about calling the credit card company and making sure no more charges go through? I wonder if anyone has done that.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

demyhhh said:


> Thought, when you cancel Direct TV, what about calling the credit card company and making sure no more charges go through? I wonder if anyone has done that.


I'd do that with my American Express account. Amex is easy to work with. Best card out there for things like this.

Rich


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

demyhhh said:


> Thought, when you cancel Direct TV, what about calling the credit card company and making sure no more charges go through? I wonder if anyone has done that.


I have mine set up to Auto Pay.
The same was true for my electricity supplier. I changed supplier last month. As soon as my confirmation email showed that my last bill from the original supplier was verified I logged into the account and turned off Auto Pay which removed the card from the account.


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## 1948GG (Aug 4, 2007)

trh said:


> I'm not trying to convince anybody but my wife. She is the only one that counts.
> 
> But we're paying $175 for DIRECTV and can get all the channels we watch with PS Vue for $55. One of our locals is On Demand only, but we also have a roof mounted antenna for OTA with an OTA DVR that we can access via our Plex service.
> 
> But wife isn't sure. Free week next month to test it before we drop DIRECTV, which we've had since 1998.


I've been with dtv since 1994, before they went 'national', bought dish/reciever in Indianapolis and fedex'ed to Dallas, customer # is low 5 digit.

Psvue with almost half price hbo/showtime, and unlimited comcast data (that's the expensive part but I need it for other purposes so doing 'double duty' is getting more bang for the bucks) is looking good, got roku boxes 2yrs ago so that part is done, and had mlb.tv for years before it was bundled with ExInn.

Bottom line, half the price of dtv, lose only rsn that has one of the worse teams in the MLB.

Will probably pull the lever in the next 2 weeks, drop dtv as soon as baseball season ends 1 oct.

Addendum: bottom line savings is $135+/month, I'll need (eventually) a fourth roku ($90), locals don't have abc/fox but programming in on-demand both on vue and on hulu ( which I already have) but have NBC (again on hulu) and CBS. ABC is owned by Sinclair so streaming off it will never happen, fox is tribune and FCC just ruled that Sinclair can't have them (would have had to sell it if they had anyway due to previous rules). Too bad comcast won't sell 'instant tv' where I am, carrys all locals but not some of my 'basic' favs like the discovery channels, so that's major downer. 
Btw, >100 miles from broadcast towers and only lp repeater in town is the CBS station. In my Dma one can be >200+ miles from the towers, plus my state has anti-antenna rules that the feds have never challenged, even if I was closer.


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

I was able to have MasterCard block AT&T from charging my card after cancellation.

AT&T sent me to a collection agency for $30.00 for programming for a period after I canceled. I was on auto pay for 14 years with them. What a screwed up company.

Full story here: The DirecTv/AT&T combined billing nightmare continues...


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

Phil T said:


> I was able to have MasterCard block AT&T from charging my card after cancellation.
> 
> AT&T sent me to a collection agency for $30.00 for programming for a period after I canceled. I was on auto pay for 14 years with them. What a screwed up company.
> 
> Full story here: The DirecTv/AT&T combined billing nightmare continues...


The DirecTV bill is payment in advance. The $30 could not be from that. Had to be from something else that was in the bundle.

Copied and pasted from my most recent bill.

Statement Date: 08/04/18
Billing Period: 08/03/18 to 09/02/18


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## 1948GG (Aug 4, 2007)

riprecked said:


> Went down this road and tried PSVue back in February. Performance was terrible, skipping, pauses, etc. I have a 1GB Fiber Internet connection. Netflix, Amazon, etc are flawless.


Would be nice on reports such as this if folks listed their ISP, physical location, etc. 40+ years designing and building us fiber infrastructure and there are spots in the us that despite the local interconnect speeds are on the back roads of the internet.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

1948GG said:


> *Would be nice on reports such as this if folks listed their ISP, physical location, etc.* 40+ years designing and building us fiber infrastructure and there are spots in the us that despite the local interconnect speeds are on the back roads of the internet.


Been asking folks to list their locations for years. Better now than it used to be in that regard. I tried PS Vue last winter and had absolutely no problems. I'm in Central NJ and my provider is Optimum. I have about 300 down most of the time.

Rich


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## demyhhh (Aug 8, 2018)

Rich, I have a ps3 but never really use it. I am thinking of canceling direct tv. Do you use the ps3 controller to change channels.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

demyhhh said:


> Rich, I have a ps3 but never really use it. I am thinking of canceling direct tv. Do you use the ps3 controller to change channels.


Oddly enough the ps3 is not a very good platform on which to run PSVue. I run PSVue on Amazon FireTV devices (boxes, sticks, dongles) as well as Nvidia Shield. Their are PSVue apps that run on most, if not all, of the major streaming devices (ATV, Roku, etc). PSVue really doesn't have any connection to the PlayStation game consoles (except of course the Sony company). They really should change the name.


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## demyhhh (Aug 8, 2018)

Thanks R rich, I thought the vue was used with the game controller through the ps3 because I noticed the app in one of the lists on ps3. Thanks


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

demyhhh said:


> Thanks R rich, I thought the vue was used with the game controller through the ps3 because I noticed the app in one of the lists on ps3. Thanks


PSVue can be watched via PS3 or PS4. I don't know how it is done, but my guess would be the controllers.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

trh said:


> PSVue can be watched via PS3 or PS4. I don't know how it is done, but my guess would be the controllers.


Yes, it is the controllers. The game controller isn't the handiest thing with PSVue but it works. There used to be an optional media controller for the PS3/4 but I don't know if it is still available.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

trh said:


> PSVue can be watched via PS3 or PS4. I don't know how it is done, but my guess would be the controllers.


Correct. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough. PSVue certainly can be used on a ps3. It's just that, oddly enough, the user experience is not nearly as good as on the other streaming devices I mentioned.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

demyhhh said:


> Rich, I have a ps3 but never really use it. I am thinking of canceling direct tv. Do you use the ps3 controller to change channels.


We do have Playstations in the house but I was using a Nvidia Shield when I tried PS Vue. Fastest device for streaming out there. If I ever decide to go with a Cable Replacement Service I would use my Apple TV boxes to change channels and all other commands.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

mjwagner said:


> Oddly enough the ps3 is not a very good platform on which to run PSVue. I run PSVue on Amazon FireTV devices (boxes, sticks, dongles) as well as Nvidia Shield. Their are PSVue apps that run on most, if not all, of the major streaming devices (ATV, Roku, etc). PSVue really doesn't have any connection to the PlayStation game consoles (except of course the Sony company). *They really should change the name.*


Read some articles weeks ago that hinted at a name change. All the present name does is confuse folks. Confused me.

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Rich said:


> Read some articles weeks ago that hinted at a name change. *All the present name does is confuse folks*. Confused me.
> 
> Rich


It is a significant 'mistake' on their part. When I first mention getting PSVue, everyone in my family wanted to know how they were going to be able to watch TV since we only have one PlayStation (son's room).


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> *It is a significant 'mistake' on their part.* When I first mention getting PSVue, everyone in my family wanted to know how they were going to be able to watch TV since we only have one PlayStation (son's room).


Same thing the articles said. Big mistake. Very confusing.

Rich


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## Blitz68 (Apr 19, 2006)

mjwagner said:


> Honestly I feel more like I traded in a Chevy for a Porsche...but that's JMO.


That is not an accurate statement, sounds like a hater.

You get what you pay for.

Have had DirecTV since 1995 and it has always been nothing but top notch.

If you are downgrading it is because you are to cheap to pay for what you really want and are just settling.

I love these goofy threads....good luck.


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## ColdCase (Sep 10, 2007)

Let me ask you this, its probably covered somewhere but I can't find it.

When streaming services, like PSView, say the offer BTN or MLB, is that just the main channel or do they also carry the alternative channels?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Blitz68 said:


> That is not an accurate statement, *sounds like a hater*.
> 
> You get what you pay for.
> 
> ...


No, he's just reporting what he sees. He's certainly not a "hater". He's exercising the courage of his convictions. I think he's right.

Rich


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

Blitz68 said:


> That is not an accurate statement, sounds like a hater.
> 
> You get what you pay for.
> 
> ...


Calling someone you know little to nothing about a "hater" and "cheap" in a single post is probably not conducive to reasonable discourse, but be that as it may...
I started with DirecTV around the same time, before it was even called DirecTV and you had to buy your equipment from the local hifi store and install it all yourself. It was great at the time mostly because it had excellent (digital) picture quality. The fact that it was less expensive than cable was just a side benefit as far as I was concerned. For a long time DirecTV was pushing the envelop wrt in home entertainment and really was on the cutting edge (hence the sub forum in which I was an active participant). IMO that all started to change prior to, but around the time of the AT&T purchase. My wife and I found ourselves using DirecTV less and less. We already had streaming devices on all of our TVs and thankfully had inexpensive high speed net access that we were already paying for. We started trying out the various OTT services that started appearing and found that PSVue had all the channels we needed that we were using DirecTV for and we liked the cloud DVR better than our Genie (no conflicts or storage to manage and no in home HDs). As an added bonus it was $80 a month less than our DirecTV bill. In fact the entire PSVue monthly cost was about the same as what we were paying DirecTV just for the "extras and equipment fees". Thankfully my wife and I are lucky in that cost is not really an issue for us. But why waste money. We switched to 4k almost a year and a half ago but why would I pay DirecTV $10.99 for a 4k movie rental when their are several places you can rent 4k movies for $5.99 for current releases (VUDU and others).
I understand that lots of folks still want/like/need DirecTV for many different reasons. I have no issue at all with that as long as they are doing it with their eyes open and fully understand that their are now alternatives IF your viewing habits, channel requirements and availability of reasonably priced high speed net access allows it. If not than by all means stay with DirecTV. The good news is that for many people their are now lots of alternatives. Consumer choice is a good thing and will hopefully continue to put downward pressure on prices. That is good for all of us, including those that, for whatever reasons, stay with DirecTV.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

ColdCase said:


> Let me ask you this, its probably covered somewhere but I can't find it.
> 
> When streaming services, like PSView, say the offer BTN or MLB, is that just the main channel or do they also carry the alternative channels?


I don't watch BTN or MLB but I just checked my PSVue guide and I see the BTN channel and then 3 additional channels all labeled "BTN Alternate". Hope that helps.


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## ColdCase (Sep 10, 2007)

Thanks, that helps.


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## Bribom (Sep 27, 2007)

So, after 17 years with Directv i was all ready to cancel this weekend and go to Playstation Vue. Even with the discounts from Directv, my bill would have been $40 a month cheaper and i would have lost minimal channels that i don't watch anyway. However, upon further research, it appears as though all the streaming services only stream in 2.0 stereo, No Dolby Digital 5.1. I'm not willing to compromise on the audio, especially with my home theater setup, so anyone who was thinking of making the switch, there is another data point for you.


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## cooleybird (Jun 12, 2018)

Bribom said:


> So, after 17 years with Directv i was all ready to cancel this weekend and go to Playstation Vue. Even with the discounts from Directv, my bill would have been $40 a month cheaper and i would have lost minimal channels that i don't watch anyway. However, upon further research, it appears as though all the streaming services only stream in 2.0 stereo, No Dolby Digital 5.1. I'm not willing to compromise on the audio, especially with my home theater setup, so anyone who was thinking of making the switch, there is another data point for you.


I recently did an exhaustive search of streaming TV options and found the exact same to be true everywhere I looked. We watch pay channel movies and "big" shows like GOT, Designated Survivor, Fargo, etc. in the theater room from DirecTV, and I just can't imagine a blast of dragon fire without the benefit of 5.1. To me it's not worth the cost savings to give up so much on the audio end.


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## Bribom (Sep 27, 2007)

cooleybird said:


> I recently did an exhaustive search of streaming TV options and found the exact same to be true everywhere I looked. We watch pay channel movies and "big" shows like GOT, Designated Survivor, Fargo, etc. in the theater room from DirecTV, and I just can't imagine a blast of dragon fire without the benefit of 5.1. To me it's not worth the cost savings to give up so much on the audio end.


Same here, As much as i think the streaming services are a great deal, the picture and audio quality are still a step behind and it probably isn't going to change soon. From what i gather, streaming live television in Dolby Digital 5.1 would add a significant amount of bandwidth to the services. The solution is to obviously encode in something more efficient like h.265. The problem is, it takes massive amounts of computing power and time to encode the stream to h.265 which isn't feasible for live tv. Someone like netflix can encode this way because it isn't live. Plus, your equipment on the backend would then have to decode that, so this isn't something we are likely to see happen for a very long time.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

Bribom said:


> Same here, As much as i think the streaming services are a great deal, the picture and audio quality are still a step behind and it probably isn't going to change soon. From what i gather, streaming live television in Dolby Digital 5.1 would add a significant amount of bandwidth to the services. The solution is to obviously encode in something more efficient like h.265. The problem is, it takes massive amounts of computing power and time to encode the stream to h.265 which isn't feasible for live tv. Someone like netflix can encode this way because it isn't live. Plus, your equipment on the backend would then have to decode that, so this isn't something we are likely to see happen for a very long time.


Realtime h.265 encoders are readily available now at reasonable prices. Also, just about every streaming device currently sold already has the ability to decode h.265 and they have for some time. Their are other issues but compute power or availability of real-time h.265 encoding/decoding is not one of them.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

Odd. I get 5.1 on Netflix, Amazon Prime, a smattering on Hulu and of course on the premium streamers too. Didn't like any of the cable replacement services as they didn't save me any money for what I wanted to watch and didn't notice what the audio was coming from them.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

cooleybird said:


> I recently did an exhaustive search of streaming TV options and found the exact same to be true everywhere I looked. We watch pay channel movies and "big" shows like GOT, Designated Survivor, Fargo, etc. in the theater room from DirecTV, and I just can't imagine a blast of dragon fire without the benefit of 5.1. To me it's not worth the cost savings to give up so much on the audio end.


This is definitely something that should be considered. One of the viewing areas in our home is a full on home theater with full 7.2.4 ATMOS so it's definately something I care about. Thankfully we only used DirecTV for things like sitcoms and news shows so it wasn't something we had to compromise about when we switched to PSVue. For movies we normally use Amazon, NetFlix, or VUDU which all support high end audio codecs (VUDU now includes ATMOS support for movie rentals that have it and 4k HDR for, at the most $5.99). We don't use or have HBO (I think that is where GoT is?) but if that is something you subscribe to I think thier app supports various high end audio codecs. Streaming is not going to fit everyone's requirements. Personally I would not compromise just to save a few dollars.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

mjwagner said:


> Calling someone you know little to nothing about a "hater" and "cheap" in a single post is probably not conducive to reasonable discourse, but be that as it may...
> I started with DirecTV around the same time, before it was even called DirecTV and you had to buy your equipment from the local hifi store and install it all yourself. It was great at the time mostly because it had excellent (digital) picture quality. The fact that it was less expensive than cable was just a side benefit as far as I was concerned. For a long time DirecTV was pushing the envelop wrt in home entertainment and really was on the cutting edge (hence the sub forum in which I was an active participant). IMO that all started to change prior to, but around the time of the AT&T purchase. My wife and I found ourselves using DirecTV less and less. We already had streaming devices on all of our TVs and thankfully had inexpensive high speed net access that we were already paying for. We started trying out the various OTT services that started appearing and found that PSVue had all the channels we needed that we were using DirecTV for and we liked the cloud DVR better than our Genie (no conflicts or storage to manage and no in home HDs). As an added bonus it was $80 a month less than our DirecTV bill. In fact the entire PSVue monthly cost was about the same as what we were paying DirecTV just for the "extras and equipment fees". Thankfully my wife and I are lucky in that cost is not really an issue for us. But why waste money. We switched to 4k almost a year and a half ago but why would I pay DirecTV $10.99 for a 4k movie rental when their are several places you can rent 4k movies for $5.99 for current releases (VUDU and others).
> I understand that lots of folks still want/like/need DirecTV for many different reasons. I have no issue at all with that as long as they are doing it with their eyes open and fully understand that their are now alternatives IF your viewing habits, channel requirements and availability of reasonably priced high speed net access allows it. If not than by all means stay with DirecTV. The good news is that for many people their are now lots of alternatives. Consumer choice is a good thing and will hopefully continue to put downward pressure on prices. That is good for all of us, including those that, for whatever reasons, stay with DirecTV.


Well said, Mark.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

ColdCase said:


> Thanks, that helps.


Can't you stream MLB Network from a computer to your TV sets? I just checked the apps on an ATV and don't see MLB there either.

Are you considering a cable replacement service such as PS Vue or D* Now?

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bribom said:


> So, after 17 years with Directv i was all ready to cancel this weekend and go to Playstation Vue. Even with the discounts from Directv, my bill would have been $40 a month cheaper and i would have lost minimal channels that i don't watch anyway. However, upon further research, it appears as though all the streaming services only stream in 2.0 stereo, No Dolby Digital 5.1. I'm not willing to compromise on the audio, especially with my home theater setup, so anyone who was thinking of making the switch, there is another data point for you.


I tried PSV early this year, wanted to try the DVR function. I liked it. Problem I had was, a cable replacement service is not what I want. We are perfectly happy with streaming, we use several video streaming services (NF, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.) and if it wasn't for the utter lack of sports on those services...well, those video streaming services are all we need. I'm a big baseball and football fan, I gotta get the games and I can't...safely. If the Net goes down, no games. No NF, no AP, no Hulu either. Also no PS Vue or D* Now. Easier to keep D*. Doesn't matter if a car hits a tree and knocks out the Net service, D* always works.

So I keep on paying $150 a month. Only money.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

cooleybird said:


> I recently did an exhaustive search of streaming TV options and found the exact same to be true everywhere I looked. We watch pay channel movies and "big" shows like GOT, Designated Survivor, Fargo, etc. in the theater room from DirecTV, and I just can't imagine a blast of dragon fire without the benefit of 5.1. To me it's not worth the cost savings to give up so much on the audio end.


Search again. I get 5.1 on a lot of content on my ATVs and FTVs. Not sure what cable replacement services pump out but NF sure has a lot of 5.1 content. Amazon is getting better with the 5.1 sound. You'll get a better picture too.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bribom said:


> Same here, As much as i think the streaming services are a great deal, the picture and audio quality are still a step behind and it probably isn't going to change soon. From what i gather, streaming live television in Dolby Digital 5.1 would add a significant amount of bandwidth to the services. The solution is to obviously encode in something more efficient like h.265. The problem is, it takes massive amounts of computing power and time to encode the stream to h.265 which isn't feasible for live tv. Someone like netflix can encode this way because it isn't live. Plus, your equipment on the backend would then have to decode that, so this isn't something we are likely to see happen for a very long time.


Are you comparing Video Streaming Services (NF, AP, Hulu, etc.) to Cable Replacement Services (PS Vue, D* Now, Slingbox)? They are not the same.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

lparsons21 said:


> Odd. I get 5.1 on Netflix, Amazon Prime, a smattering on Hulu and of course on the premium streamers too. Didn't like any of the cable replacement services as they didn't save me any money for what I wanted to watch and didn't notice what the audio was coming from them.


Yeah, I don't remember what kind of sound I got from PSV when I tried it. I was focused on the PQ and the DVR function. I have no idea what kind of sound D* Now puts out. I never watch live TV deliberately.

Rich


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## BreadDawg (Sep 12, 2016)

Rich said:


> I tried PSV early this year, wanted to try the DVR function. I liked it. Problem I had was, a cable replacement service is not what I want. We are perfectly happy with streaming, we use several video streaming services (NF, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.) and if it wasn't for the utter lack of sports on those services...well, those video streaming services are all we need. I'm a big baseball and football fan, I gotta get the games and I can't...safely. If the Net goes down, no games. No NF, no AP, no Hulu either. Also no PS Vue or D* Now. Easier to keep D*. Doesn't matter if a car hits a tree and knocks out the Net service, D* always works.
> 
> So I keep on paying $150 a month. Only money.
> 
> Rich


Rich I think this probably sums up why a lot of subscribers are still with Directv. I would love to explore the other side i.e. streaming services. However, just like you said, I am a huge football fan and baseball too, and there is still too big of a gap as far as sports go, to leave DTV.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

Rich said:


> Yeah, I don't remember what kind of sound I got from PSV when I tried it. I was focused on the PQ and the DVR function. I have no idea what kind of sound D* Now puts out. I never watch live TV deliberately.
> 
> Rich


The only time I watch live tv is during the day as noise in the house. But I recently switched ebook subscription service and am enjoying the wide variety of audiobooks they offer.

With the non-cable replacement streamers it can really make a difference which hardware u are running it on. I've found that my Xbox One S does a superb job of having the latest versions of the appropriate apps, as do the AppleTV 4K and Fire TV Cube.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BreadDawg said:


> Rich I think this probably sums up why a lot of subscribers are still with Directv. I would love to explore the other side i.e. streaming services. However, just like you said, I am a huge football fan and baseball too, and there is still too big of a gap as far as sports go, to leave DTV.


PS Vue would almost solve my problem. They don't have one NYC local and that would mean I'd miss about 25 games...not gonna happen. Same thing with D* Now. I think those two are the big hitters when it come to a cable replacement service. And then there's the Net going down unexpectedly (with my luck during the Super Bowl or the World Series) and then what do you do?

So here I sit, paying almost as much a month for streaming services as I do for D*...

Rich


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## Bribom (Sep 27, 2007)

Rich said:


> Search again. I get 5.1 on a lot of content on my ATVs and FTVs. Not sure what cable replacement services pump out but NF sure has a lot of 5.1 content. Amazon is getting better with the 5.1 sound. You'll get a better picture too.
> 
> Rich


Video streaming services can encode and then stream because they aren't streaming live television like PS Vue, DTV Now, Hulu, Etc. From my research, not one live television streamer gets you anything but stereo.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

lparsons21 said:


> The only time I watch live tv is during the day as noise in the house. But I recently switched ebook subscription service and am enjoying the wide variety of audiobooks they offer.
> 
> With the non-cable replacement streamers it can really make a difference which hardware u are running it on. I've found that my Xbox One S does a superb job of having the latest versions of the appropriate apps, as do the AppleTV 4K and Fire TV Cube.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


My son used his Xbox for streaming then he bought an ATV and now uses that. I thought that spoke volumes. Been an ordeal getting my family to buy into streaming. Now that's all they do.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bribom said:


> Video streaming services can encode and then stream because they aren't streaming live television like PS Vue, DTV Now, Hulu, Etc. From my research, not one live television streamer gets you anything but stereo.


Can't really comment, as I said I don't see a need for a CRS. Only tried PS Vue. I thought D* Now had 5.1 sound, I gather you checked that one out?

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Rich said:


> PS Vue would almost solve my problem. They don't have one NYC local and that would mean I'd miss about 25 games...not gonna happen. Same thing with D* Now. I think those two are the big hitters when it come to a cable replacement service. And then there's the Net going down unexpectedly (with my luck during the Super Bowl or the World Series) and then what do you do?
> 
> So here I sit, paying almost as much a month for streaming services as I do for D*...
> 
> Rich


Have you looked at MLB.TV? Or would your NY games be blacked out on that (which obviously wouldn't work for you)?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> Have you looked at MLB.TV? Or would your NY games be blacked out on that (which obviously wouldn't work for you)?


Looked at that years ago and nothing's changed. Cannot get home games. And I'd still need a working Internet connection. There is no way around this that I can find. If I could get the home games I would not need D* or a cable replacement service (PS Vue-like). That would give me all the games. The CRSs can't do that. But no home games and they don't seem to want to change that.

But all that demands a working Net connection and there's no way to guarantee that. I'm stuck.

Rich


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## b4pjoe (Nov 20, 2010)

Actually they have modified their blackout rules in the last year or two. I won't even pretend to understand them but I can sometimes get a home game in my area if it is not available on DTV MLB Extra Innings. Plus you get a free subscription to MLB-TV with your subscription to DTV MLB Extra Innings so it doesn't cost anything to try if you already have MLB Extra Innings.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

b4pjoe said:


> Actually they have modified their blackout rules in the last year or two. I won't even pretend to understand them but I can sometimes get a home game in my area if it is not available on DTV MLB Extra Innings. Plus you get a free subscription to MLB-TV with your subscription to DTV MLB Extra Innings so it doesn't cost anything to try if you already have MLB Extra Innings.


MLB is not the answer. Satellite service seems to be the only rational answer to my dilemma. I have never lost D* for more than a rain fade. I cannot say that about my ISP. I just lost the Net for over 3 hours a few weeks ago. Had the Super Bowl or the last game of the Dodgers/Yankees World Series game been on...well, MLB is not the answer.

What changed with MLB? I just looked and don't see anything but, "You will get 90 out of market games per week". If I lived in Sacramento that would be perfect (except for the Net thing). But Jersey?

Rich


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## b4pjoe (Nov 20, 2010)

Like I said their blackout rules are convoluted at best but supposedly they have relaxed their rule on being able to get some home games depending on several different factors. This outlines the changes that were recently made.

https://deadspin.com/mlbs-blackout-rules-improved-by-class-action-lawsuit-se-1753945222

Basically if the game is available in your area via any other means then you still won't see it on MLB-TV. I think.

But I agree MLB-TV is useless if you lose your internet service. If I lose internet as a short term solution I can use the data plan on my phone and set it up as a mobile hotspot for internet access. I get around the blackout rules by using a VPN on my computer. But that doesn't work on a mobile device as the mobile app uses your mobile devices location services instead of your IP address.

Also the MLB-TV feed lags about 30 seconds behind the live satellite feed which kind of sucks when you get a notification that something happened before you see it happen while watching the game on mlb-tv.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

b4pjoe said:


> Like I said their blackout rules are convoluted at best but supposedly they have relaxed their rule on being able to get some home games depending on several different factors. This outlines the changes that were recently made.
> 
> https://deadspin.com/mlbs-blackout-rules-improved-by-class-action-lawsuit-se-1753945222
> 
> ...


Thanx for the link. MLB just isn't gonna fit into what I need. We get every game. I don't remember one game that we couldn't get. There is just no way around this. And then there's the Internet thing.

Rich


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## CraigerM (Apr 15, 2014)

Won't DTV over the internet have the same PQ and sound quality as DTV over SatelliteTV?


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## compnurd (Apr 23, 2007)

CraigerM said:


> Won't DTV over the internet have the same PQ and sound quality as DTV over SatelliteTV?


It would depend on bandwidth both from the source and your home


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## CraigerM (Apr 15, 2014)

compnurd said:


> It would depend on bandwidth both from the source and your home


Sorry, should have said that AT&T's Donovan said it would be the same as the SatelliteTV service. I just assumed that he meant same PQ and sound quality. Unless he just meant same interface and channel packages?

AT&T to Introduce Broadband-Delivered OTT DirecTV Product

At the MoffettNathanson Media & Communications Summit, Donovan said the offering would be different from its current DirecTV-branded over-the-top product DirecTV Now in that it will be basically the same DirecTV service currently available over satellite.


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## cooleybird (Jun 12, 2018)

Rich said:


> Are you comparing Video Streaming Services (NF, AP, Hulu, etc.) to Cable Replacement Services (PS Vue, D* Now, Slingbox)? They are not the same.
> 
> Rich


Sorry, I should have specified cable replacement. We have Prime and Netflix, but we still watch a lot of network and cable shows, as well as local sports.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

CraigerM said:


> Won't DTV over the internet have the same PQ and sound quality as DTV over SatelliteTV?


I was told by a person at an ATT store that D*Now would put out 1080p. He wasn't sure that was for all content. But a 1080p picture is better than 1080i and upscaled 1080p certainly makes the same content look better.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

cooleybird said:


> Sorry, I should have specified cable replacement. We have Prime and Netflix, but we still watch a lot of network and cable shows, as well as local sports.


Thanx. I've never seen the need for a cable replacement service. We don't watch much live TV, haven't for over 25 years. Sports my son (hockey) and I (MLB, NFL, Boxing) watch but never live. We get pretty much everything that D* has and more. Just don't see the need for a CRS.

Rich


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

CraigerM said:


> Won't DTV over the internet have the same PQ and sound quality as DTV over SatelliteTV?


That is just one of the many many many many many many many unknowns about the service.

Too many people guessing and posting as if their guesses are stated fact. The world simply does not know.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

CraigerM said:


> Won't DTV over the internet have the same PQ and sound quality as DTV over SatelliteTV?


Not from what I read. If the line gets really busy the resolution will be downgraded.
The sound is just PCM, not DD 5.1.


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## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

OP here. 

Everything is still great without DirecTV/ATT. I'm getting great PQ and seeing everything I wanted to see, but at less than half the price of ATT. 

I did worry just a bit going into football season, but nope, no issues there at all. In fact, Vue records every available game - so if a great game happens to occur, I've got access to it. 

Other than corner cases (like 5.1 audio), you'd be throwing money away if you didn't consider cutting the cord at this point. ATT is milking DTV subs at this point. 

Bottom line, lots of money saved already, same or increased product quality.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

smithrh said:


> I did worry just a bit going into football season, but nope, no issues there at all. In fact, Vue records every available game - so if a great game happens to occur, I've got access to it.


Could you expand on that comment a bit. 'records every available game'?? By available, do you mean the ones you can watch locally or Sunday/Monday/Thursday night games?


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

Or for NFL - can you only watch, other than local, after the game is over - which is something the NFL offers?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

CTJon said:


> Or for NFL - can you only watch, other than local, after the game is over - which is something the NFL offers?


If you happen to know, does MLB do the same thing? That would interest me, I don't want to watch a live game.

Rich


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

smithrh said:


> OP here.
> 
> Everything is still great without DirecTV/ATT. I'm getting great PQ and seeing everything I wanted to see, but at less than half the price of ATT.
> 
> ...


Sadly Vue like all the other streams are worthless to me to even bother looking at... no Lakers....

And while 5.1 may not be a big deal to many, it's a huge deal to many others. Can't fathom not having true surround sound for anything... what a waste that would be for me personally. Of course I have a rather large system...


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> Sadly Vue like all the other streams are worthless to me to even bother looking at... no Lakers....
> 
> And while 5.1 may not be a big deal to many, it's a huge deal to many others. Can't fathom not having true surround sound for anything... what a waste that would be for me personally. Of course I have a rather large system...


I have 3 of those systems and when I use the Polk soundbar I don't get 5.1. The difference is immediately noticeable but once the program starts we seem to adapt. I don't go to the rooms where the AVRs are because of the sound. If the room where the soundbar was configured differently I'd have an AVR in there too. But the SB suffices when we are in that room. Cost almost as much as an AVR, it should suffice, I think it had an $799 MSRP on it, it should be decent at that price (goes without saying, I didn't pay anywhere near that price). It does have a very good subwoofer and has great bass response, but it is surely not the equal of my least expensive ARV system. Suffices.

Rich


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

The problem is you’re not just getting a lack of surroundsound and 5.1. You’re also missing out on a massive amount of dynamic range and a lot of times it’ll be even compressed beyond a simple two channel stereo.

For some it doesn’t matter for others it does. For me it’s more depending on the actual program. I watch a lot of sports without sound at all on a second TV next to my larger TV while I’m watching my main program.

Also some programs that makes a big difference some not so much. There’s a lot of variables. But I have a hard time with the idea of subscribing only to a service that would never give me high-quality sound on anything I watch.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> The problem is you're not just getting a lack of surroundsound and 5.1. You're also missing out on a massive amount of dynamic range and a lot of times it'll be even compressed beyond a simple two channel stereo.
> 
> For some it doesn't matter for others it does. For me it's more depending on the actual program. I watch a lot of sports without sound at all on a second TV next to my larger TV while I'm watching my main program.
> 
> Also some programs that makes a big difference some not so much. There's a lot of variables. But I have a hard time with the idea of subscribing only to a service that would never give me high-quality sound on anything I watch.


Not sure, I don't think I saw any 5.1 sound when I tried VUE and the PQ was at least the equal of what we see from D*. Didn't play with it long, have nothing bad to say about it. Really liked the NVIDIA Shield, that is one wicked fast streaming box. The fastest I've ever used.

Rich


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## b4pjoe (Nov 20, 2010)

Rich said:


> If you happen to know, does MLB do the same thing? That would interest me, I don't want to watch a live game.
> 
> Rich


You can watch any game 90 minutes after it ends using the MLB-TV app if you don't mind streaming.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

trh said:


> Could you expand on that comment a bit. 'records every available game'?? By available, do you mean the ones you can watch locally or Sunday/Monday/Thursday night games?


If you add "NFL" to your DVR it will then record all NFL games that are aired on any channel in whatever package you are subscribed to. So yes, all the Thursday/Sunday/Monday games.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

So an auto record like DIRECTV DVRs and most every other DVR can do as well. I’d hope they could do thatch the cloud DVRs. Question is how long before not all commercials are skippable...


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

inkahauts said:


> So an auto record like DIRECTV DVRs and most every other DVR can do as well. I'd hope they could do thatch the cloud DVRs. Question is how long before not all commercials are skippable...


Correct, except with essentially unlimited capacity so no need to ever erase anything to "manage capacity" and essentially unlimited tuners so no need to "manage conflicts". And as to how long before you won't be able to skip commercials, who knows unless you have a better crystal ball than I do. So far on DVR'd content I have not run into a situation where I could not FF thru commercials. My understanding is that their are some areas where some channels limit/prohibit it but that is the fault of the station(s) not PSVue. Maybe that will expand and/or become more widespread who knows. Like I said, maybe your crystal ball is better than mine. I personally prefer the cloud DVR experience but that is JMHO.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

b4pjoe said:


> You can watch any game 90 minutes after it ends using the MLB-TV app if you don't mind streaming.


Even out of market games? If the Yankees are playing at home the game gets blacked out, is that right? But I could get it 90 minutes after the game stops?

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Rich said:


> Even out of market games? If the Yankees are playing at home the game gets blacked out, is that right? But I could get it 90 minutes after the game stops?


From MLB.TV website:

*



REGULAR SEASON LOCAL LIVE BLACKOUT DISCLAIMER

Click to expand...

*


> All live games streamed on any MLB.TV product and available through MLB.com At Bat are subject to local, regional or national blackouts. If a game is blacked out in an area or available exclusively via Facebook as described below, it is not available for live game viewing through MLB.TV. If you are an MLB.TV subscriber within an area subject to blackout, the applicable game will be available as an archived game approximately 90 minutes after the conclusion of the game.


And often the Archives have 'condensed' versions of the game. Entire game in about 15 minutes. NHL Shortcuts showed every play. Took 30 minutes. MLB doesn't. They skip through many at bats.

And MLB.TV has home or away broadcasts and sometimes Spanish channels. Plus usually home and away radio feeds.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> From MLB.TV website:
> 
> And often the Archives have 'condensed' versions of the game. Entire game in about 15 minutes. NHL Shortcuts showed every play. Took 30 minutes. MLB doesn't. They skip through many at bats.
> 
> And MLB.TV has home or away broadcasts and sometimes Spanish channels. Plus usually home and away radio feeds.


Did not know that. Thanx.

Rich


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

mjwagner said:


> Correct, except with essentially unlimited capacity so no need to ever erase anything to "manage capacity" and essentially unlimited tuners so no need to "manage conflicts". And as to how long before you won't be able to skip commercials, who knows unless you have a better crystal ball than I do. So far on DVR'd content I have not run into a situation where I could not FF thru commercials. My understanding is that their are some areas where some channels limit/prohibit it but that is the fault of the station(s) not PSVue. Maybe that will expand and/or become more widespread who knows. Like I said, maybe your crystal ball is better than mine. I personally prefer the cloud DVR experience but that is JMHO.


No offense but that doesn't sound right... They don't let you keep recordings past what is it, a month isn't it? So they just fall Off after that right? Same as what a DIRECTV DVR did when it needed new space it deleted the oldest thing.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

inkahauts said:


> No offense but that doesn't sound right... They don't let you keep recordings past what is it, a month isn't it? So they just fall Off after that right? Same as what a DIRECTV DVR did when it needed new space it deleted the oldest thing.


It's actually 28 days. It has never effected me as I watch things within a few weeks. I never used a DVR as an "archive" although I know some people do. Not exactly "the same" but I understand your point. The conflict management issue is something I used to run up against and certainly no longer have to deal with. As I have said many times, it's all about your individual usage patterns. For many people the cloud DVR technology, at least as implemented by PSVue, is not a good fit. Their are plenty of alternatives including traditional in home DVR's for those who need/want that capability. For others, like me, the cloud DVR is better solution. Choice is good.


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## ColdCase (Sep 10, 2007)

I have been trying PSVue for a few weeks now and am mostly impressed. The DVR function is certainly impressive, you set it to record a show or sport and it just records. Never seems to miss a beat. As long you are watching these within 4 weeks, you are golden. I've been recording shows I want to archive off to a computer for years anyway (don't trust the D* DVR to not fail).

I like that they automatically record games that run long, so you don't miss overtimes or the end of long games. But if you start watching a game before it ends live, there can be some quirks when the scheduled time runs out. I have used it for baseball (been great for watching the Red Sox kick butt this year), college and NFL football. I found they record all NCCA football games broadcast in your area so you don't have to worry about last minute channel assignment changes causing you to miss a game. It just may take longer to find it.

5.1 is certainly missed. There are some must have channels not offered that are not available streamed anywhere.

I found a few shows where fast forward and reverse was disabled, but I haven't found one where the skip 10 second function is disabled. If you click on the skip 10 second icon repeatedly, it will increment and you can quickly get several minutes of skip.

I found the user experience to vary widely with the device you use, however. Some are downright confusing. Using a web browser seems to provide the best GUI. I routinely use AppleTV and iOS devices and there can be a quirk or two. Its tuff to use the AppleTV remote for most functions. I have a harmony remote programed with things like fast forward, pause, select. And using these hard buttons for negotiating the menus and controlling the video makes for a much less frustrating experience for me. I keep the apple remote handy as using it to swipe through a show instead of FF is nice in some situations. PSVue FF is not as good as you get with NetFlix or iTunes, however.

PQ seems the same on my 60 inch screen for HD content, but the lack of 5.1 and some channels makes it not a complete solution for me. I don't think there is one. I have fibre to the house and I have not seen any internet issues.

PSVue only gives you one free week as a trial, and thats hardly long enough to learn your way around. I'd plan on buying a month and giving it a thorough workout before making any decisions. So much of the user experience is subjective, it takes awhile to find the gems, so $70 or so may be worth it.


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## b4pjoe (Nov 20, 2010)

Rich said:


> Even out of market games? If the Yankees are playing at home the game gets blacked out, is that right? But I could get it 90 minutes after the game stops?
> 
> Rich


Yes that is correct. Are you aware that your subscription to MLB EI gives you a free subscription to MLB-TV?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

b4pjoe said:


> Yes that is correct. Are you aware that your subscription to MLB EI gives you a free subscription to MLB-TV?


No. Had no idea. We used to go to MD on vacation every summer and I'd end up hanging off a balcony trying to get decent radio reception so I could at least listen to the Yankee games. I looked at MLB then, I was willing to pay for a month to get the games but ended up not pursuing that line of thought. Only time I've had any interest in games other than the Mets and Yankees and I rarely have the time to watch the Mets. 162 Yankee games a year wears me out.

Rich


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## b4pjoe (Nov 20, 2010)

If you ever need it you just select DirecTV as your TV provider and enter your DirecTV user name and password.


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## smithrh (Oct 3, 2007)

OP back. 

It's been, what, 15 months since I cancelled. 

That's roughly $1,900 in actual dollars saved, and I haven't missed a thing. 

PS Vue and Silicon Dust with an AppleTV 4K has gotten me everything I wanted. Many upside (pleasant) surprises, a couple of minor temporary bumps but truly nothing major.

Apparently I've not been alone, given the huge cancellations AT&T is experiencing - reading the articles today is what prompted me to take stock again.


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