# It was 15 years ago today...



## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I've got it on good authority that 15 years ago, June 17, 1994, was the day that DIRECTV signed up its first customer, in Jackson Mississipi. 

Congratulations DIRECTV!

How about sharing your stories about DIRECTV? I know we've asked before, but how about hearing from those who've been with DIRECTV for over 10 years? What was your first experience? 

Personally I didn't make the switch until later, but a close friend of mine had DIRECTV in 1996.


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## belogical (Nov 14, 2006)

I've been on board since 1999, the day we moved out of Redskins territory. I've been a ST fan ever since, and also a directv fan.


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## randyk47 (Aug 21, 2006)

We signed up at a BestBuy in Northern Virginia in May 1999. Our cable system up there was just horrible and many channels in the higher numbers were basically unwatchable. My wife of one year had just moved from Huntsville, AL and couldn't believe the lack of quality or the fact you could only have one provider. We just happened to be in BestBuy when DirecTV had a table set up signing up new customers. We got a dish and two Hughes receivers for something like $600 and it was installed a week later. Been with DirecTV since then except for a one year interruption when we moved to Texas and were forced to go with Pegasus to get DirecTV service. Unfortunately, though I'm not sure it really makes a difference, DirecTV only counts our time with them since we came back when Pegasus went away. They can see our old account number, the time we were with Pegasus, and our history since then but somehow can't seem to put them all together for us to be a 10-year subscriber. NFL ST and the problems we had with TWC when we first moved here has kept us with DirecTV and will for the foreseeable future.


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## say-what (Dec 14, 2006)

I don't recall exactly when, but it was probably early 1995 (possibly late 1994) that I helped my parents install their first DirecTV system. I just remember that it was shortly after the systems became available - we went to Circuit City and got one. It was the only option they had, other than OTA, where they lived.


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## carlsbad_bolt_fan (May 18, 2004)

Had D* ever since I bought my first house in 2000. Then brought D* with me to my 2nd house in 2004.


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## goldwing (Aug 25, 2006)

It was either late 94 or early 95 when i signed up. I remember having a hard time finding anyone that sold them and paying $795 for receiver/dish. It was a friday night and i aimed the dish during a major snow storm with my windows wide open so i could hear the beep of the tv to find the signal. I never had cable tv so i was going straight from analog antenna. Those were the days


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## gpg (Aug 19, 2006)

Today's my birthday too, but I'm a lot older than 15. 

I've been with DirecTV since March of 1996. I paid about $1000 to get two Sony A-1 receivers (including installation). Friends marveled at the clarity of the picture. Of course back then DirecTv was only part of the story. I had to subscribe to USSB for most of the movie channels.


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## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

In 1995 I moved to Reading, PA. Had to buy a new washer & dryer at Maidencreek Appliances and saw a Sony Dish display and talked to the guy who knew dishes. Pretty much ordered service and installation at the same time.

Previously I had a 10 ft C-band Channel Master dish in Windber, PA. I remember being so impressed as I didn't have to swing the dish around to change channels. What a progression we've been through!

[edit] just found my invoice dated 02 Nov 1995
Sony SASBD! Dish & Receiver 779.95
Install 200.00
State Tax 6% 58.80

Total 1038.75

:hb: DIRECTV!


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## mhayes70 (Mar 21, 2006)

I have had Directv since 1996. The main reason for switching from Cable to Directv back then was that our local cable company did not carry our local RSN. So, I switched and never looked back. 

My first DVR was a Tivo with Directv. I don't remember exactly when I got it. But, I think maybe around 2003 or 2004.

Happy 15th Birthday Directv!!! :hb:


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

I was selling and installing Primestar.
When DTV bought Primestar I did conversions to connect some but not all local Pstar customers to DTV. My son was still in a car seat when I sold the Pstar......"don't park me near the cows and try to finish talking to the people before the shade moves." Later son was my "inside man" who connected the DTV receivers and demonstrated the features. When he was ten he did the installation on our house...peaked the round dish in the dark. He gradually got busy with HS and stuff but I always enjoyed having him along. Now he is in college about to become an engineer. DTV work is through HSPs.

Fun for awhile,

Joe


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## xmguy (Mar 27, 2008)

Sadly I've only had D* since March 2008.


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## bgartz (Jun 24, 2006)

Been with D* since 2000 when I bought my house, but tried for about 2 years prior to get installed in the apartment I was in.

It would be cool if anyone has any marketing literature from back then, to see how D* has changed from its intro.

I remember the displays at Sears back in '94.


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## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

Been around since the 90's, someday I need to figure out the day.

Congrats DirecTV!


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Moved to Texas in 2000 and I wanted a Tivo I had been hearing about. Knew D* had a TiVo box integrated with their DVR, so took the plunge.

Signed up at Blockbuster where I paid $100 (install, DVR, 2 standard receivers) and also received 1 year of free rentals (1 per week).


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## johnp37 (Sep 14, 2006)

My first satellite provider was USSB(United States Satellite Broadcasting) in 1994. Purchased all my equipment from a local mom & pop electronics store which included single LNB dish,mount etc., receiver, cabling, a cheap signal meter, and installed the works and up and running in about 3 hours. Subsequently Directv bought out USSB and I became D* sub. in 1996.


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## Ken984 (Jan 1, 2006)

I got my first system in May or June of 1995, self install kit and dual output dish and one receiver $1049.99 +tax. Took me about 4 hours to aim it, move the dish 3 degrees...grrr. 
The instructions never mentioned that 3 degrees was about a hair wide at the dish


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

I was installed the last week of September 1994. We got married and were moving into a new house in a new neighborhood. The cable build out on our street was not complete, so while we were on our honeymoon, my father had a local TV dealer install DirecTV for us.

We knew about it because my wife had done a marketing class research project over the summer on USSB.

What I remember is the PQ was stunning on my 31" Mits. Looked almost as good as a laserdisc. My friends were jealous of the fact I had muliple HBO's etc and they had one. And I was paying less per month.:lol:


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## Justin23 (Jan 11, 2008)

The retailer that sold the first DIRECTV system....Cowboy Maloney's...little tidbit of DIRECTV trivia.

J


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## ChrisPC (Jun 17, 2003)

I grew up an hour from Jackson. I'll never forget the DSS "test project". A dish that's only 18" and only $800? Wow..what a great deal. It was back then!

Cowboy Maloney's (which is still there) had 250 units, and 500 people in line. I once met the first guy in line. He said he was there at 5AM, and D* told him he was the first subscriber.

Needless to say, it took months to get one. Most people got Primestar instead, which you also had to buy at first. Those things were popping up like mushrooms.

My folks finally got D* a couple years later, and I had it made. 100 channels!


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## dettxw (Nov 21, 2007)

In Sept. 1998 my oldest kiddo was working at Radio Shack and they were closing out an old Hughes system (I think) for $50, so I got one to replace the complete crap Cox analog cable. Installed the original dish myself using the bands around the chimney mount. Aimed it with the audible signal strength meter display on the TV. 
It worked great and have had DirecTV ever since.


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## realracer2 (Jun 11, 2006)

I drove with my youngest son 65 miles to Indianapolis on the first day DirecTV went on sale in 1994. I live in a small town of about 500 people and our cable was very poor at that time.

Sadly though as times change I am thinking of leaving DirecTV. I find I spend more time on the Internet than watching TV now. Netflix and the ability to watch all kinds of live racing on the Internet has made me think about dropping DirecTV. I have already cut back to the family package.


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## redsoxfan26 (Dec 7, 2007)

Bought my first RCA receiver and single LNB dish at Radio Shack in 1995.


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## Retro (Nov 27, 2007)

I followed the promise and development of DBS since the mid 80's when they were searching for smaller more affordable satellite tv options so everyone didn't have to get a 12ft c-band dish.. I was in the air force till early 90's so not much chance to get Directv till then.. 

In 1996 i moved from Austin, tx to Lake Charles, LA and i first got a system for my then fiance (now wife) and her mom because their cable was crap with bleed over channels, etc in 1997.. 

At that same time there was battle going on with the local FOX station that served both this area and Beaumont, tx as far as which NFL team to show between Saints and Cowboys as both played at same time slot most of the time.. At about the same the cable company had a 2nd fox station out of lafayette that always showed the saints, but then the cable company dropped that channel for fox news and that was the last straw..

Well, with this and the crappy cable, we got a directv system in 1997 and have never looked back..


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## hoopsrgreat (Sep 4, 2006)

I had Primestar in about 94 or 95. It was great as back then I got both east and west coast feeds from the networks. So I didnt need no stinkin NFLST. Between the different network feeds I could get a large variety of NFL games for free. The word got out that so many people were getting different network feeds and the local affiliates began crying foul. Then rules came that made us only get our local affiliate

When I bought my house in 98 I switched to DTv.. I think that was the year.


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

The company I worked for became a subsidiary of Hughes in the mid 90s. In 1996 I got into DirecTV because of an employee discount. Bought a Sony Sat A2 system/dish for ~$600 (about $200 off). Self installed it in November. Later added the Sony B2 receiver. 

Later (forget the date), I added the Sony Sat T60 TiVo and then the Philips DSR6000. Then came along the HTL-HD receiver, then the HR10-250 HD TiVo followed by the HR20-100 DVR. The latter two are the only ones active.


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## VeniceDre (Aug 16, 2006)

I've been a subscriber since 1996. I remember ordering a Sat A1 & B1 over the phone from some retailer in Florida, God that SAT A1 was expensive! I remember getting two bills for awhile, one from DirecTV and another from USSB for the premium channels if am I correct.

It was all very exciting at the time. My neighbors were always coming by and checking it out.


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

DIRECTV customer starting Jan. 26, 1998. Day after the Super Bowl. Bought an RCA system from HSN. $200 including install and it was a well done installation. Sunday Ticket from 1998 to 2006 and had a special offer last year. First DVR in Spring of 2001 and did Lifetime on the Hughes GXCEBOT for $199. Upgraded to HD in August 2005. I've been with DIRECTV longer than TWC now and done more things. About as happy as I can be with a provider and hope that continues. Congrats DIRECTV and here's hoping for bigger and better. Get Malone out and let's focus on more HD.


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## knoxbh (May 1, 2002)

First had Directv (plus the other provider for the premium channels) in 1996. Sure beat the local cable company and still does. Can't remember what the number of the first receiver was but have upgraded every time it was possible. Have gone from one receiver to 8 now (4 HD DVRs and 4 SD receivers - one in each room, including the master bathroom - can't miss a game!). Have never had any major problems and never regret signing up. Unfortunately, here in central Florida in the summer we have quite a few heavy thunderstorms nearly every day so do have basic cable for those interruptions. And hurricanes. Thanks a lot, Directv.


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

I didn't become a Directv subscriber until much later, but I worked at Hughes and remember the announcements. I was planning for early retirement and a move to a HOA community that had some restrictions (this was before OTARD) so couldn't join in, but a number of my co-workers signed up as soon as they could. I think there were some employee hardware discounts at the time and I still get a $5/month discount.

I also recall some discussions we had at Hughes back in the mid-1960s about using fixed dishes to broadcast directly to the home. At that time, the thought was that 8 ft. was about the minimum size needed (C-band, of course).


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Customer since Oct 1995 here....a year or so after the first launches, but actually pretty much one of the first in the Midwest at that time.

It's hard to believe it's been that long already.

It seems like only yesterday that I had all my neighbors asking me "what is that thing you have up on your roof? Oh...it's a satellite dish....why?" :lol:

I also remember some of those same neighbors coming over and being amazed at the great TV picture I had compared to their cable access...some things never change.


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## JimAtTheRez (May 9, 2008)

ChrisPC said:


> I grew up an hour from Jackson. I'll never forget the DSS "test project". A dish that's only 18" and only $800? Wow..what a great deal. It was back then!
> 
> Cowboy Maloney's (which is still there) had 250 units, and 500 people in line. I once met the first guy in line. He said he was there at 5AM, and D* told him he was the first subscriber.
> 
> ...


Yep, it is quite improbable that that this whole thing started in Jackson, MS. And, yes Cowboy Maloney's Electric City is still there. Con Maloney is a great guy (as are his brothers who work with him) and has done a lot for the community. Kudos to Cowboy Maloney.

Having said that, I find it very ironic that the place where D* started, to this day does not have our locals in HD. Sorry, I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but to say I am frustrated is an understatement. All I hear (and have heard for 2 years) is soon, lol.


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## LameLefty (Sep 29, 2006)

I got Directv in April 1997 when my first wife and I moved out into the sticks on a 9 acre piece of property pretty nearly in the center of a valley, 15 miles from the nearest large town and over 50 miles from Nashville. Needless to say, cable was unavailable and analog OTA, even with a good antenna on a 40' telephone pole, was terrible. We paid $799 as I recall for a dual-LNB 18" dish (pre-multiswitch days, that meant you could run two separate receivers off the dish) and two RCA receivers, plus another $50 or so for the self-install kit. I remember the picture quality was simply amazing. I wrote all the "local" stations (including one in Huntsville that Directv said was considered local - based on distance and geography) and got waivers so I could get network television through Directv. Interestingly, the ABC local offered at the time was WKRN, the Nashville ABC affiliate so I still managed at least somewhat "local" TV. 

Aside from around a year spent in an apartment after that marriage ended in divorce, I've been with them ever since.


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## RobertSeattle (Aug 27, 2006)

... "And the person is STILL on hold".

Thankyouverymuchbesuretotipyourwaiter.


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## kocuba (Dec 29, 2006)

Should be 10 years this fall for me. I had them shipped to me and had to goto the UPS center to pick them up as they would not leave them without a signature. I lived in a row house with four units. To getup on the roof I had to take my ladder and climb on the front porch roof then bring the ladder up on their and then finish my climb to the top. Me and a friend who had already had DirecTV did the install ourselves and I never had one single problem with it. Moved all that equipment myself to my house in 2002. Had those 2 RCA receivers in use till 2006, and I don't think I called Customer Service once with any issues.


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## Dale in PA (Nov 14, 2007)

I paid $700+ in Sept 1994 for a single LNB and a Thomson DTV receiver at Sears. They charged $900 for the dual LNB system which only got you a second fitting on your LNB. I did a self install. They had an 800 number. Since I didn't want to drill an additional hole thru the wall in our house, I called the 800 number and they told me it was okay to run the coax from the dish to the cable fitting outside the wall and use the cable hookup to the DTV receiver. Of course that was RG-59 (a term nobody knew back then). After sweeping the sky for 2 hours, I called the 800 number again, and the 2nd guy told me why that wouldn't work. I hooked the line from the dish directly through the open window to the DTV recvr and had a signal in seconds.

I worked in propulsion at Hughes then, so it was a big deal to actually see the signal from something I had worked on. A year later, the guys at work jumped on employee discount deals where they paid $10 a month for 5 years. A year after that, the price dropped below $300 and they were upset because they still owed $500 on their systems. 

Ah, the good ole days.


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## Crow159 (May 23, 2007)

Back in 1994, I bought the single LNB dish, receiver, and "self installation kit" for $695 for my parents. We were excited and when I got home, we hooked up the receiver and put the dish on a tripod to see if we could get the signal. The next day we installed the dish permanently and had regular channels from Directv and all the premiums through USSB. When I eventually moved out on my own, I had to be without Directv until 5 years ago when I had it installed for my at my house. 

Happy B'day Directv.:hb:


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## Mark Jay Jones (Oct 2, 2007)

I got my first DirecTV receiver from Fry's Electronics here in Northern California in February 1997 - over 12 years ago now.

I installed (myself) the dual-LNB 18" oval dish. I subsequently installed multiswitches, 2 LNB and then 3 LNB dishes as the HD stuff rolled out. I finally gave up on self installation with the new system HD dish, as the alignment is too difficult for me to do without a meter.

Anyway, back to Feb. 1997. I got sick of the overpriced and poor quality local cable company (Charter) and decided to go with DirecTV.

I liked the first satellite receiver so much that I bought a second one within a month. Both Uniden receivers, and they both still work! One of them had a radio (RF) remote (pretty advanced for 1997) so I hooked up the channel 3 antenna output into the old cable wiring in the house and had DirecTV in every room (although just tuned to one channel at a time).

I got one of the first Toshiba HD sat receivers (with true 1080i) and a TV that would really do 1080i in Feb 2002, later SD Tivo, HD Tivo and currently HR21 DVR and H20. Still have 5 satellite receivers running:

Uniden UDS 200 (from Feb 1997)
SD Tivo (Samsung upgraded from 40gig to 160gig)
HD Tivo (HR10-250)
HR21
H20

My son uses the old Toshiba HD DirecTV satellite receiver as an HD OTA tuner for his HDTV (no DirecTV), and I keep the old Uniden UDS 100 as a spare if I have problems with the other receivers.

Jeez, every satellite receiver I ever bought in the last 12 years still works!

Never regretted going with DirecTV, nothing but great service and a great product.


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## mikeinthekeys (Feb 10, 2007)

In 1994 as a transplant to Florida from SoCal, when I found out that Directv was going to carry MLB, I went out and dropped about $800 as I recall on the Sony receiver. A friend had a Hughes box (I think) and it was s-l-o-w changing channels, but at least it worked. So I not only gained satellite TV, but got the edge on my best friend who could send out for pizza waiting for the channels to change. But the main thing was I got to see the Dodgers games and could give up on shortwave, next-day newspaper box scores and other struggles to keep up with the NL west. Congrats DirecTV, I've been with you since the beginning and we've both improved with age.


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

Moved into my house in 1996 and discovered that the cable company charged $20 per month more than my old cable company did. So I decided I would just make do with and OTA antenna.

But I discovered that I missed ESPN and my RSNs. After one of my neighbors got DirecTV, I decided to give it a shot, and had it installed in April 1998 (I think). DirecTV at that time was more than $25 a month cheaper than cable, and I thought DirecTV was great.

But over time I noticed that customer service got worse and worse. In 2007, after an especially bad experience trying to correct a billing error, I made the decision to leave DirecTV when my newest 2-year commitment ended in 2008. 

My local cable company had been bought out a few times, and was now Comcast. Now my monthly cable is slightly cheaper than DirecTV, plus I got a great promotional deal on top of that. Although DirecTV treated me like crap my last couple of years as a customer, I now get weekly letters offering me the world if I come back.


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## kbxm (Mar 15, 2007)

johnp37 said:


> My first satellite provider was USSB(United States Satellite Broadcasting) in 1994. Purchased all my equipment from a local mom & pop electronics store which included single LNB dish,mount etc., receiver, cabling, a cheap signal meter, and installed the works and up and running in about 3 hours. Subsequently Directv bought out USSB and I became D* sub. in 1996.


Ditto here. Aug of 94 to be exact. I was living in central NY and only had one channel that came in marginally, WUTR. Couldn't get cable to my house in the country so splurged and bought a new USSB setup for $1300 installed or thereabouts. Still have the original dish hanging in my garage after going to HD, it'll make a great birdbath or something.

I thought the TV Gods had smiled on me with all of the channels I could get :lol:

Now about the 20 pounds I put on watching all of those channels....Still got them too. :grin:


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## Mark_M (Oct 31, 2006)

Subscriber since September 1996. Don't remember where I bought everything. It was about $1,000 for two RCA receivers, dish, and RCA self-install kit with chimney mount. One bill from DirecTV and second bill from USSB for the premium channels. 

I believe I had an antenna for locals to start. At some point along the way remember getting all east/(maybe even west?) coast DNS. Even after the SD LIL came through D* let you keep the DNS. Then there was at least one point where the DNS went away but then came back again (for a while) and then finally went away all together until you had to apply for waivers to try to get them back.

Great experience & very happy overall.


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## gphvid (Jun 19, 2007)

After working for a week on a TV remote for a national TV chat show (The Rolonda Show, I think) in addition to my regular job, I took the proceeds and picked up a system at Circuit City and installed the disk on a pole out in the yard below the fence level. We have a HOA, and at that time, they were forbidding anything on the roofs that would "deter views and lower home values." It was also before the sat dish act out of Congress that I think came out in 1995.

I bought the system in Nov 1994 and had it operational by early December and then I formally gave it to my family for Christmas that year by hiding the remote in the tree and having my young daughter find it.

That old generation 1 system lasted for many years until it finally black screened in 2006 and I was able to upgrade to a R15-500 unit. ANd not too long after that, I purchased my first HDTV, a Sony three-LCD projection set (which I still use) and also won a 42" Panasonic Plasma TV at a company picnic. This forced me to upgrade finally to HDTV and 2 HR20-100s which still work great to this day.


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## TANK (Feb 16, 2003)

I left cable for D* in Jan 1998 and have been happy ever since.

The PQ and NFLST were two big reasons ( also NHLCI , Game Plan and all those other channels cable didn't carry ) for spending the cash to get D*. Most friends thought I was crazy to spend $499 for the dish and two RCA receivers. 

But when they saw the PQ and all those NFL games that Sept , I thought they were crazy to stay with cable :lol:


D* isn't perfect, I have had some minor problems but all in all I have been satisfied all these years.


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## dshu82 (Jul 6, 2007)

Ah, the old RCA self install kit..... little compass and all!


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## badger04 (Jun 7, 2007)

I've been a Direct TV subscriber since 2002 and have never looked back. I was living in Lincoln NE and got tired of Time Warner Cable. Since we moved to the Madison area, we've updated to the DVR and now HD DVR. D*TV has great because of the great programming and especially the sports programming. ( Go Huskers!!!
Happy Birthday Direct TV:hurah::hurah::hurah:


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## mcbeevee (Sep 18, 2006)

When I got my first big screen tv (50") back in 1999, the cable pq was really bad. Some channels like Comedy were so bad, they were unwatchable! I then decided to try satellite, and have not looked back since. Me and a co-worker used an online auction site (not ebay) to bid on Directv kits containing a single lnb 18" dish and a basic Hughes receiver (I think we only paid around $25!). The pq was unbelievable compared to cable! It was a proud day in my life when I installed the 18" dish and got the first all-digital signal from space!

Over the past 10 years, it seems like I've been constantly upgrading the dish and receivers. Added a 2nd receiver, then upgraded to a dolby digital receiver, then moved to the 18x20 oval dish, then the first HD receiver along with the 110/119° lnb, then a 3rd receiver, then a mpeg4 HD receiver and the slimline dish. I waited out the first gen of HD-DVR's, then made the jump to the mpeg4 HD-DVR in 1996. Can't wait to see what the future holds!

The overall Directv experience has been very positive for me!


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Date November 24th 1994...
Place... Alpharetta GA
RCA install kit ordered for me from a dealer in Mississippi.

It was the night before Thanksgiving and on my way home I stopped at Home Depot and purchased a length of galvanized pipe. I used a sledgehammer to pound the pipe in the ground. I mounted the dish and ran a wire thru the door frame to the living room and hooked up the unit and got it to the menu page were there was an aiming tone.

Aimed the dish manually listening to the tone from the TV. I was pretty lucky and it only took me about 20 minutes. Called DirecTV and they seemed somewhat surprised that I was calling from Georgia. We did the "paperwork" and they turned it on... first channel I tuned in was SciFi.

Slight problem came along in the following Spring when I had to relocate the dish when the tree regrew it's leaves :lol:

Been a happy customer ever since and I proudly hold a 6 digit account number that starts with a "1".

Larry


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## Podkayne (Nov 1, 2007)

In late Sept 1994 I bought a 35" Proscan TV (weighed as much as a volkswagen, and I still have it, too!) and a single LNB dish with self-install kit from Circuit City. The dish/kit was about $800 or so with the RCA DRD-somethingorother receiver. I've been with 'em ever since. My account number is 33xxx, so I was easily in the first 50,000 subs.


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## Mertzen (Dec 8, 2006)

Great thread, love to read these stories.

Did an install for the mother of an engineer who designed some of earliest D* dishes [ RCA ones if I remember correctly] fascinating person.

Also, when I was back in europe a few months back you could buy a kit with dish, tripod wire and IRD for sat services. They are a few years behind on that front.


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## Go Beavs (Nov 18, 2008)

I bought my 1st system in '99 for about $300 I think. It was a Sony unit that had an optical audio output for my brand new surround receiver. I did the instal myself and discovered that you *HAD *to use rg-6. 100' of rg-59 just didn't work... at all.

No Portland locals at 1st and then I couldn't just hit '2' for local station '2'. I think it was channel 944 or somthing like that.

I was so amazed with the picture and sound quality of the system and that it could all be received by one little 18" dish without having to move it like the BUD days. AND you could watch every single NFL game w/ Sunday Ticket!

Things really have come a long way in the 10 years I've been a suscriber!

Congrats DirecTV!


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## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

My brother was a Prime Star convert... Everyone laughed at him when he got it.....
Then I bought a house in Mar. 2000, with a C-Band and when the actuator went in OCt. of 2000 I got a free one room DirecTv system and heave been with them ever since... Except when I suspended in December of 2007 to try a 6 month cable promo.... 
Less than a week I was begging D* to unsuspend my account and returned all my Cable equioment... Learned my lesson.

Oh and now Both my brothers, my nephew, my girl friend, and my parents have DirecTv..... All are happy except my parents.


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## cb7214 (Jan 25, 2007)

Been with D* directv off on various time since 1999 when we orginally bought a single LNB dish and rca receiver, and me and my landlord mounted the dish, boy that was fun lol, and signed up for ST and got 4 free months of the everything pkg


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## sacalait (Aug 6, 2007)

Been with Directv since the spring of '97.

Back then we had to walk uphill a mile through snow to get to school. (Oops, wrong topic).

I was working for company that went out of business and in the process of liquidating their inventory, offered me a really good deal on 2 receivers and a dish. One RCA (can't remember the model) and a Sony Satb-1 with a Sony branded dish. I paid $20 for everything.

I went home, cut the cable feed to my house and diplexed into the existing RG-59 cables to install the dish. A buddy helped me mount and align the dish and 30 minutes later I was done.

When the wife got home, she said "What do we need that for?" "We have cable!" I said not any more and explained the NFL package to her so I could watch the Saints every weekend. Being a Saints fan herself didn't hurt and made the sales pitch a little easier.

I've been with Directv ever since, faithfully renewing my ST every year. I don't even have cable as a backup and even the house I am now in, I cut the cable feed coming in. At the old house they tried to charge me for cable 6 months after I disconnected saying I was never disconnected. I don't want to give them the benefit of even seeing my address on their radar.


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## narrod (Jul 26, 2007)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I've got it on good authority that 15 years ago, June 17, 1994, was the day that DIRECTV signed up its first customer, in Jackson Mississipi.
> 
> Congratulations DIRECTV!
> 
> ...


I've been a customer for ten years. The first five I was in Southern California and picture quality and service were outstanding. Because of the consistent climate I never experienced a weather related outage. Moving from cable, I was blown away by the consistently outstanding standard definition picture. There wasn't much HD at the time.

Five years ago I moved to the east where there are a lot of rain related outages which is, in my opinion, the most significant weakness of satellite television. During the last five years I've watched the SD picture to continue to degrade to the point that I try not to watch anything that is not HD. I've also seen customer service get worse and worse as the cost has gone ever upward.

I'm not the fan I used to be but, for now, it's the best option available to me.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

I don't remember the date but I was one of the 1st to get a Sony branded DirecTV system, an A1 receiver and the dish with the LED on the LNB to help you align the dish. I did leave for a couple years for Dish (they had Showtime HD while DirecTV didn't) around 2002 but returned to DirecTV and have been with them since.


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## kfcrosby (Dec 17, 2006)

1996 with a Sony Receiver and a new Sony 48" TV. My wife was convinced I was nutts


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## hobie346 (Feb 23, 2007)

Sixto said:


> Been around since the 90's, someday I need to figure out the day.
> 
> Congrats DirecTV!


Talk to a CSR and ask what your signup date was.


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## sacalait (Aug 6, 2007)

kfcrosby said:


> 1996 with a Sony Receiver and a new Sony 48" TV. *My wife was convinced I was nutts*


Doesn't take much, ask mine...:up_to_som


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## hobie346 (Feb 23, 2007)

I had just moved into my second home in SoCal on Nov 2, 1994. I made a commitment to not go back to the Cable Co (TCI) but only getting 1 local station OTA and watching VHS tapes was not for me. After 6 weeks of hearing/reading about D* and how good an all digital signal looked like I made the break and hunted down a retailer.

Installation turned into a 2 kegger party with several neighbors. :lol:


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## msmith (Apr 23, 2002)

I've had DirecTV since March of 1998, after thinking about it for several years.

I'm on my 3rd dish in the 4th location on the house. I started with one receiver and drops for 2, I now have 3 DVRs.


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## DirectNJ (Jul 17, 2007)

I've been with D* since week 2 of the NFL ST in 1994. I grew up in CT, as a Philadelphia Eagles fan. (Another Long Story) So, I had a BUD dish in my backyard there, which I used to pick-off the CBS backhaul feeds (Pre NFL Sunday Ticket). In 1993, I moved to the East End of Long Island (NY) for a new job. After having access to all the CBS games and a few NBC games each week via the dish, going to a market where you ONLY saw the Giants & Jets each week was killing me. (In those days, NYC stations almost never got the doubleheader games, just the Giants @ 1 & The Jets at 4, or vice-versa). I was able to hang a UHF antenna in my apartment there to get TV from Connecticut which helped, but was still not good enough. I was working for a radio station on Long Island, so when DirecTV announced that they were going to get NFL Sunday Ticket, it was a MUST have for me. It was a VERY small market, so I was making no money, which made the $699 price tag for the single LNB dish a challenge. The general manager of the station had just given me a promotion, with no additional money coming until the start of 1995 (typical), so I convinced her to do a "trade" with PC Richard for my dish. It was a beautiful thing, we ran some commercials for them & I got the dish. Only problem was, my apartment complex wouldn't let me put the dish on the roof. So, I had to improvise. On Sundays, I would put the dish on a dresser and poke the LNB out of the bedroom window, with a long cable run to the living room TV. It wasn't perfect, but I got about a 60 signal level. After a couple of weeks of that, I had to find a way to use the dish all the time. So, I cut the Cablevision down to the lifeline service (another beautiful thing) and mounted the dish inside this little coat "nook" that my apartment had. It was a very strange little space by the front door, but it had a window facing "The Southern Sky". I went to Home Depot and bought an accordion door, so I could cut it to fit, and a bunch of thermal insulation to keep the cold & wind out, which worked most of the time. On REALLY cold nights, I'd take the dish out of the window when I went to bed. I lived in that place until the Fall of 1999 and remain a D* sub to this day...


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Since fall 1996 here. Back when USSB did the Viacom and most of the premium channels.

Reason I went with DirecTV was because the local cable company wanted $35 a month for 30 channels and DirecTV was $30 a month for 90 channels. Was a no brainer. Of course I paid $800 for a single LNB dish and Sony receiver and had to install it myself (remember the self install kit?) But it felt good.


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## turey22 (Jul 30, 2007)

Wow, 15 yrs now and going stronger than ever! congrats DirecTV!


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## arkeng (Mar 5, 2006)

We signed up on 12/11/96 and have been with them ever since. Bought our system from Circuit City in Fredericksburg, VA. Total cost for a Sony SAT-B2 receiver and dish, and self-install kit was $658.33, tax included. Total Choice programming for a year at $29.95 per month. According to the original receipt, there was a $200.00 mail-in rebate as part of the deal, don't remember the particulars. Also signed up for USSB, I think it was for Showtime. And as I recall, a requirement to get D* at that time, at least in our area, was that we had not been a cable subscriber for at least six months. Don't remember why. I've done all my installations, upgrades and moves except one. The one "professional" installation I agreed to in a moment of weakness simply wasn't, so I will continue to do my own until they have to pry the screwdriver out of my cold, dead hands. I still have the original receiver and dish up in the attic somewhere. Congratulations to D* and may they have many more. I'm counting on it.


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## HDTVsportsfan (Nov 29, 2005)

I signed up in October of 1996. I specifically did this for the only reason to get the NFLST. I purchased the kit for close to 800. I remember the first night i tried I didn't show enough patience in locking in a signal and was convinced trees were my problem. 

The next morning I kept trying and trying and suddenly obtianed a blip on the signal strength meter. Man i was a happy camper. At that point I realized how much of a difference in the signal strength can be affected by merely moving the dish less than an inch in any given direction sometimes. That's kinda obvious now, but back then w/ the no past experience, I thought that the "window" for the signal was very small and very easy to miss.

Anyway almost 13 years later I'm still here and will continue to as long as DirecTV has NFLST. I must say I really haven't had any major disruptions of service and problems w/ CSR's. I've spoken w/ a couple of dud's on the first level support, but they were always nice. I have had no complaints.


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## ShawnL25 (Mar 2, 2007)

Bought my first RCA receiver and single LNB dish at Best Buy in the fall of 1995.
Subbed to USSB only until Early 1996.


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## fwlogue (Dec 6, 2006)

I signed up with Directv in October of 1996. Been very happy with them ever I since I bought my first system.


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## Spanky_Partain (Dec 7, 2006)

I got a RCA box from Radio Shack and a dish came free with it. I thought it was so cool to have a satellite dish on the house. I was proud of that thing and I made it so everyone could see it. I mounted it on the side of the chimney on the front of the house back in March of 1998.

EDIT
It was actually a Birthday gift for me and my wife put the account in her name so it would be ready to go on my birthday, it has been in her name ever since.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

I became a DIRECTV customer in March 2003, and it was because of the New York Yankees. Love them or hate them, and love me or hate me, but you can thank them for bringing me to DBSTalk as well. 

You see, up until September 2001, the majority of the Yankees games in the NYC market were shown on MSG Network, which was owned by Cablevision. The Yankees organization had other plans, though, and formed their own network, Yankees Entertainment and Sports, or YES, and went live in March 2002, so MSG no longer had Yankees games to show and lost a ton of viewers. Cablevision decided not to carry YES, so for all of 2002 I was blacked out by Cablevision, and could only watch the few games that were on the local OTA station.

I started looking at the alternatives to Cableivsion, Dish and DIRECTV. Well, Dish wasn't carrying YES either, so I zeroed in on DIRECTV receivers online. RCA, Hughes, Pinoeer, Samsung, etc. The choices were endless! The differences in features went on and on! 

I finally wound up at Best Buy and saw this interesting satellite receiver with TiVo service builtin. A DVR? Hmmm ... I went back home, did more reseach, decided I was in love and had to have it, signed up for the Premier plan with DIRECTV, and my new 3-LNB dish was installed in March 2003. 

Service was so good that I arranged for my mother, also a Cablevision customer, to switch to DIRECTV in April, a month after me, and just about a week after her dish was installed, Cablevision caved in and started carrying YES. 

It was too late for Cablevision, though. They were losing customers left and right to DIRECTV! I was a DIRECTV customer, so was my mother, and Cablevision just didn't and couldn't cut it. 

It's been a great 6 years for me, and it's only getting better.


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

This was my first receiver.









I don't remember what year I subscribed, but I bought this receiver, the dish, and the install kit for $500-$600(I think).


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## slapshot1959 (Jan 24, 2006)

Continuously since Dec. 1995. and through 5 moves and a divorce!

Bought a Sony system from Crutchfield for $900!

Also had a 10' Orbitron C/Ku Band Dish with a Chaparral Monterey 50 receiver. Man I miss that thing,though I don't miss having to go outside with my little tv and try to fine tune satellite F5 way over at the western end of the ark every time it got too windy!:grin:


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## sat4r (Aug 27, 2006)

I bought my first RCA receiver and single LNB dish from the people who installed my C-Band in March2000. I still use both to this day. Congrats DTV on 15 years!!!!


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## myselfalso (Jan 26, 2006)

We've been with D* since 2005. We bailed on Comcast when they decided to pull Fox Sports Pittsburgh and give us a $10 more, more generic version of FSN. That meant while we got Pens and Pirates games, we lost stuff like SportsBeat and other FSP shows. We joined in March, so we've been on board four years now.


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## ARKDTVfan (May 19, 2003)

12-31-99 
had Primestar and Directv wanted to switch it out at my old apartment but I told them I was moving soon so they waited until I moved into my house to install the dish and receiver
Old Sony receiver


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## Spoonie (Nov 14, 2006)

I’ve been with D* since early 1997. I got the service because Formula1 switched from ESPN to Speedvision. My local Cable provider didn’t have speedvision then so I went with D*.

I signed up for the Ultimate TV Package and to be honest all the DVR’s that I’ve purchased after the ultimate TV are not as good. Even after 12 years!

I got the TIVO (10-250) in 2004. That unit was by far the worse DVR/VCR that I’ve ever owned in my life. I was an early adopter so I paid $1,000 for the piece of crap. The Ultimate TV was so much better. 

About 3 years ago I was talked into getting a 5-LNB dish (another early adopter). After the dish was installed I would get “searching for signal” messages (even during clear days) throughout the day. There were several times that I couldn’t watch TV because of this. This issue didn’t happen at a certain time during the day, so whenever the tech came by the problem wasn’t happening. This was very annoying. 

I put in a service call and the tech replaced the Multiswitch. This didn’t resolve the issue. I then put in another call and the tech said I needed to replace the receiver (thus forcing me into a 2-year contract). This also didn’t resolve the issue. I set up another call and the tech replaced the wiring. The problem still existed. I was about to get rid of D* because they couldn’t resolve the issue. But as with most things these days, you have to figure it out yourself because the “experts” couldn’t figure it out. 

I put a post on DBSTALK and the kind folks here stated that I might have a bad LNB. That’s funny because when the first tech came over, I mentioned to him that I didn’t have this problem unit I got the new 5-LNB dish. He said that LNB’s never go bad and it wasn’t the dish.

Armed with that knowledge I called D* again. This time I recorded the problem happening. When the techs would come over, the problem wasn’t happening. The tech took some readings and said that nothing is wrong with my system. I then showed him the video I recorded. He replied that it was probably raining out when I recorded it. The video that I recorded wasn’t finished playing when he said that. After I recorded the problem I walked outside and recorded the sky (which was clear that day). When he saw that he couldn’t say that I “didn’t have a problem”. I mentioned that he should change the Dish. He said that the Dishes do not go bad. I said that everything has been replaced except the dish. The only thing that wasn’t replaced was the Dish. He listened, replaced the dish and all has been fine since then.

It took D* 3 separate trips, 2 receivers sent back, A new mutiswitch, and complete rewiring before they were willing to replace the dish. D* troubleshooting skills were awful. A common rule of troubleshooting is to find out what was the last thing that was changed before the problem existed. In this case it was the Dish. A real tech should have figured that out from the first visit! D* refused to believe that a newly developed dish would be where the problem was. So they wasted 3 days and I had to take a half day off 3 times! 

Then I replaced the TIVO unit with the D* unit. The D* unit is OK but lacks DLB and the interface looks like something from the 90’s.

Which brings me to this; all satellite, Cable and Fiber-Optik based TV providers have crappy receivers. They all suck!! Fios called wanting me to switch but their DVR only records 20hrs worth of HD. Which is less than half of what I can record on my 2 year old D* unit. So much for progress.

Gone are the days of the Jog-Shuttle VCRs that gave me the ability to pause action (mainly Boxing) and frame-by-frame advance the action. With the TIVO unit it’s impossible to do the frame-by-frame stuff without it skipping frames. If you advance one frame and want to go back a frame, the unit will go back several frames. At that point you would think that if you go forward, the next frame will be displayed? But no, it would skip several frames forward and go past the part that I wanted to pause. The D* unit isn’t any better. The D* unit didn’t skip frames as badly, but if I wanted to do a Frame-by-frame advance of an HD program, I would have to press the advance button 3 times in order for the frame to advance once on the screen. I find it hard to believe that outdated VHS technology handles pauses and frame-by-frame advances better than any D* DVR or TIVO unit. 

I thought that maybe it’s because of the digital format of the recordings was the reason that I couldn’t frame-by-frame advance efficiently. But then I got a Windows Media Center PC and the frame-by-frame stuff works like a charm. Just like the Ultimate TV did. What’s strange is that the Ultimate TV and Windows are both Microsoft products. They should have stuck with it because the current DVR manufactures are building crap. 

The lessons that I’ve learned from all of this is that I will never be an early adopter again. An Early Adopter sometimes is nothing more than folks paying money to be a Beta Tester. How does all this crap make it past Q&A? And it isn’t only TV electronics that suck these days. Everything seems to work like crap lately. Don’t even get me started on my Windows Based Smartphone.


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## JMII (Jan 19, 2008)

I got DirecTV sometime in 1997. Me and the wife moved into our first house and the local cable company (the ONLY choice in town) had the nerve to charge $3 a month for "remote rental". Yep that's right... they wanted you to PAY $3 a month for the remote to change the channels on their converter box. I was outraged, I was already paying a monthly fee for the programming and the stupid box, now they wanted me to pay for remote? So I told them to take a hike and got D*, bought the system from Sound Advice (called Tweeter in some parts of the country).
I had a choice between an RCA or Sony receiver. Since I had an RCA big screen (52"), VCR and small surround sound unit so I got the RCA unit and included (free) remote controlled ALL my RCA branded stuff! I was thrilled. Wife was thrilled. Everyone I knew as amazed I could control everything with ONE remote. I put up the dish and aimed it myself, no problem. The whole process was painless and way cheaper then cable. I even got Dolby Pro Logic II sound output, which back then was pretty much limited to the expensive "fancy" VCRs. The cable company didn't even know what PLII, what a bunch of low tech losers. I don't remember how much I paid but at the time we were spending alot buying all new furniture (two leather sofas for example) for our home so the DirecTV part seemed cheap in comparison.
I've never considered leaving, because even today the choices are limited. I can go with the local cable company or AT&T U-Verse, neither of which offer as much HiDef as D*


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## marksrader (Sep 14, 2006)

I may be mistaken but I think I started very close to the 1994 date. I was a subscriber to a magazine called On-Sat and using one of those huge 10ft dishes with the clunky polarity changers... anyway… D* got my address from On-Sat and sent me a letter asking me to beta test their new small dish system and give them feedback on how I liked it. They sent me some "no label" equipment and instructions... I installed myself. Once the beta was over they asked me to sign up. I did and they sent me a Sony box and dish. I have been with them ever since.


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## mrjim (Dec 4, 2006)

I signed up with USSB in 1994, which merged with DirecTV Jan 1998. For the first few days after the merger had no service (new years) had to wait hours to get anyone to answer. Since then the service has been a lot better, except lately it's getting worst.


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

DIRECTV since 1997, and proud to say it!


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## kfcrosby (Dec 17, 2006)

sacalait said:


> Doesn't take much, ask mine...:up_to_som


Mus jus be us Loozana boys Sacalait....


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## longrider (Apr 21, 2007)

January 1997.

It was the launch of Speedvision that made me switch, the cable company was not going to carry it. Lack of locals was not an issue, while it was fixed by the time I switched cable locals had been so bad I had an OTA run to every TV with an a/b switch. My original Hitachi receiver was still functioning 2 years ago, I had switched to my business account for a managers office but it is now sitting on a shelf.


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## DF Wavelength (Apr 29, 2009)

15 years ago today June 17, 1994.
OJ Simpson went on a joy-ride around the LA area in his White Bronco.
You may have heard about it. I doubt you watched it on DirecTV.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

September of 1994 as I recall. Single LNB dish, SD receiver, no such thing as a DVR...all for only $900.00

Sheesh!


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## prozone1 (Sep 22, 2007)

Had a 10' dish from oct 1982 until switched to direct tv Oct 1996.
In northwest Montana you need a dish.


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## jerrylove56 (Jun 15, 2008)

When news broke in the late 80’s regarding the existence of direct broadcast satellite technology for consumers, I promised myself that I would jump at the opportunity to become a early subscriber. In 1995 – I subscribed to the now defunct Sat. provider, Primestar. Truly the best sat provider, in my opinion that ever existed. In 1999, DirecTV bought them out and I became a Direct Subscriber with a couple of short unhappy tryst with Dish Network thrown in. 

It’s interesting to see how far Direct has come. I remember trying to understand why Direct was unable to provide premium channels and you had to subscribe to USSB or some other sub to get HBO or Showtime. The addition of the NFL package is what finally sold me on Direct.


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## bigoldboy (Nov 6, 2007)

January 14th, 1995. Did it for the quality of picture, and the Disney Network. Paid $699 at Sears in Buffalo for a first generation DSS RCA receiver. Thought it was the coolest thing ever.


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## mystic7 (Dec 9, 2007)

How did Directv survive with just that one customer? How long before customer #2 signed up?


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## C-Dub006 (Aug 23, 2007)

Been with them since March 2000. I thought how much better it was compared to crappy cable. Also remember getting the first Sony HD receiver for $799.00 and the triple LNB dish installed and the installer telling me I was the first one he had installed!. Loved those 3 or 4 HD channels! And those first few Fox NFL "Wide screen Enhanced Resolution" (480p) games. They have definitely come a long way. No worries as everything worked out great and I've been with them ever since.


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## Ed Campbell (Feb 17, 2006)

Took out a loan in February, 1994 for my first DirecTV system, Company store here in Santa Fe on Cerrillos Road - and got Sunday Ticket on an opening special for $99.


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## roywatson (Aug 20, 2008)

January 28, 1995


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Fall of 1996 at my home in Martha's Vineyard. Got it from Vineyard Electronics unfortunately it was serviced by Pegasus - Those that dealt with them know the horrors.
Installed in our Florida home in 1998.

I wonder how many total customers DirecTV has had...50 million? more?


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## rob316 (Jun 29, 2008)

I am a newbie to DTV, been a customer since June 08. I left Comcrap, because of their bad dvr's, picture quality and lack of HD. I have been loving D ever since. I have 4 receivers 1 STD DVR 1STD RCVR, 1 HD-DVR and 1 HD receiver( I just got this today from BB) and just extended my contract for 2 years. Overall great pictue and with all the new goodies and features D will offer in the future, it's a no brainer for me to extend the contract.


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## jazzyd971fm (Sep 1, 2007)

Signed up July 2003 for me. Was moving & had to get away from Charter Cable. Being a big NFL fan, that the Sunday Ticket special (Free Premier for 4 months, pay for ST) didn't hurt either . Single LNB dish, 2 RCA receivers (since replaced by Hughes DVR w/Tivo & HR20-700 w/Slimline dish)

Congrats DirecTv on 15 Years :hb:


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## tfederov (Nov 18, 2005)

I think it was 2000 or 2001 when I signed up with Pegasux (I'm sorry, to this day I hate Pegasus and celebrate the day they went bankrupt (June 4). Awful, awful provider). As soon as DIRECTV came to save us, I signed up under my wife's name to get back with DIRECTV and haven't looked back since.

Being a Detroit Lions fan living in Cowgirls country, the only way to watch my team was with Sunday Ticket. I still have ST today, paid good money to watch my team have the perfect season last year in HD.... 4-0 preseason, 0-16 regular season. 

Happy 15th, DIRECTV!


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## CrazyforYeshua (Feb 23, 2008)

We got it back in 99 when we moved here. Saw a dish and box on an internet auction site (maybe Buy.com, or one of those), and paid like $10. Got the dish and a box, installed ourselves, been with them pretty much ever since.


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## mrdobolina (Aug 28, 2006)

I got my first DirecTv receiver back in 1996 when I bought a 32inch tv at SoundTrack (Now Ultimate Electronics) here in the Denver area. I bought the TV mostly because of the fact that the receiver and dish were thrown in, even though I wasn't able to set up the dish until much later that year when I moved into another house. I think I still have that original receiver in my basement. 

Every house I've lived in since then I've been known as the TV guy. No matter what they had set up (cable, Dish), I would insist that we switch to DirecTv. I bring in DirecTv with NFL Sunday ticket, get it set up on every tv in the house and everyone enjoys football sundays. 

My first foray into DVRs was UltimateTV by Microsoft. I still think they had one of the best user interfaces ever. At one point, I had 3 UltimateTV receivers running, all which I had upgraded hard drives on. I still have all of those receivers, too. Taking up space in my basement. 

Now I have 2 HD DVRs. One in the living room, one in the bedroom. 1 SD DVR in the basement. Only 1 of those is hooked into my home network for DOD. I think back to that first receiver gathering dust in the basement. How slow it was! How the guide looked, and the fact that the guide didn't have a window that allowed you to keep watching the channel you were on. 

Thanks, DirecTv. And Congrats.


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## seymouru (Feb 15, 2008)

Last month was my 12th anniversary with D*. I still have the round dish from the original install attached to my chimney, even though I added a SlimLine 5 LNB dish a couple of years ago. Finally getting around to removing the round dish from the chimney next week.

Procrastinators unite!


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## Zellio (Mar 8, 2009)

I watched OTA/cable until super bowl sunday 2008, when I got a hdtv and had Directv installed.

I needed a real hd service, and I am NOT going to watch OTA HD, no matter how good it looks (esp. when all it ends up being is judge shows, springer talk shows, sensationalist news, american idol, reality shows, etc)

Before all that mattered was computers and such. Streaming was good for dvd quality video. Not so much for hd quality video, even on a 20 mBit service.


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## PicaKing (Oct 8, 2006)

I signed up on the first day Directv was available for sale in 94. My account number starts with 4 zeros.


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## CorkyMuldoon (Oct 6, 2006)

I've been with DirecTV since May of 1996. I lived in Chesapeake, Virginia and was motivated primarily to see an NFL team besides the Washington Deadskins on Sundays.

I did my first single LNB installation all by my lonesome. Dug a hole in the backyard to bury half of the galvanized mounting pole and installed an old RCA receiver (which I think I still have up in the attic somewhere). Wasn't too long before I replaced the single with a double LNB and a second receiver.

I continue to do most of the installation and maintenance of my existing system - except pointing the 5-LNB dish.

I've enjoyed my 13+ years with DirecTV and look forward to many, many more!


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## prospect60 (Aug 26, 2006)

8/17/94 -- $954 at Circuit City. 

MLB had just gone on strike and I was looking for a new hobby. I was actually bought it thinking of getting it for my parents, but after playing with it for a few days knew it was never going to go anywhere.

I bought the first Deluxe RCA unit available in the state and it may have even been among the first batch sold in the country. Greensboro was one of the early 2nd wave roll out cities and is 2+ hours away, but all their stores (mostly Sears) were limited to the the Basic Units (different dish, single LNB, single AV output, etc). I still almost bought that unit a month earlier, but really wanted a couple of the extra features on the Deluxe model. 

A friend was working at the local Circuit City and for some reason they got a large shipment of the Upscale model and called me since she knew I wanted that model. Jumped in my car, bought it, installed it after dark that night using a baby monitor to hear the aiming test tone while I was at the dish, called DirecTV and had things set up in 3-4 hours total time and was watching TV all night. There was also a free 3 month trial with USSB. Been with them since them nonstop.

Since very few retailers in the country had this model and that CC had the units, with permission I posted the store's phone number and salesperson's name on the old Compuserve Home Theater Forum and she was swamped for days selling and shipping units all over the country. The store manager couldn't believe what was happening and kept calling corporate supply for more pallets. She was selling them as fast as they would come in. Most Sears and the local stores who had them wouldn't/couldn't ship the units so you had to drive to one of limited localities that had service to even get a Receiver. CC was still on commission back then so she made a killing earning several awards for Sales Performance and became a local legend for years over that coup. 

The Internet as we know it now didn't exist and was dominated mostly by closed Services like AOL, Compuserve, Delphi, etc. This was before the idea of a Nationwide Web Sales (or the WWW for that matter) existed and in retrospect it was an interesting experiment showing how powerful a sales tool a National Computer Network could be. She took the family to Hawaii or some sort of huge vacation -- I think she said she ended up selling 100 or more units by herself over those couple weeks until units started trickling out to other outlets.


Sunday Ticket for the 1994 season for $99

I think MLB Extra Innings package started in the Fall of 1995 with a free preview for the last month of the season and 1996 was the first full season ($139) -- literally thousands of baseball games per season to watch, 10 different games per night to choose from for months on end from anywhere in the country. Remembering as a 12yo Baseball FaNUTic having to struggle with only 1 or 2 TV games a week limited to Saturday afternoon and Monday Night. What a dream come true! Tell Costner to forget Iowa, this really was Heaven.


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## ub1934 (Dec 30, 2005)

Had C band 10' BUD with a Replay unit from 1995 till i went with Directv/USSB in mid 1999 .


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## prospect60 (Aug 26, 2006)

PicaKing said:


> I signed up on the first day Directv was available for sale in 94. My account number starts with 4 zeros.


Is that the 9 digit number on the statement or are you Forum Royalty? [EDIT -- Man that doesn't really read right -- anybody with an account less than 1000 is Royal IMO]

I think there was a thread long ago looking for the oldest member and/or lowest account number on the forum and I think somebody posted was below 2000. Mine was in the mid 30K range and seemed to be among lowest 10 of those whose posted.


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## steinmeg (Nov 23, 2006)

signed up 12/31/94...spent $ 899.00 for 2 line LNB staellite setup...spent $ 699.00 for the second receiver.....sent bills to DirecTV and USSB (for the premium movie channels)...now they are just giving away equipment including a HD DVR for new customers

[email protected]


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## bjlc (Aug 20, 2004)

and if I knew then what I know now, I would have had it 10 years before.. GOSH... what a major difference over cable.. a giant difference.. its too bad, that no one TOLD US ABOUT the DISTANT NETWORKS. why? because the sales men at best buy and all the rest didn't know CRAP ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE SELLING. 

No one told you about distant networks.. NO ONE.. No one explained that to you at all. which is total sales problems.. they would have had me from the get go..


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## William1 (May 11, 2009)

I signed up in April, 2000, I got a Hughes DTC-210 (HD) receiver and a 3lnb oval dish, no one knew how to install it. Paid about $800 for the dish and the box, install was free. Had the tech put in about a dozen outlets and cable to a home run, all wall fishes. Was here a week, charged me $250.00


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## RD in Fla (Aug 26, 2007)

Signed up with USSB and Directv in 1995 at the Circuit City in Daytona Beach, Florida. Suspended service for a brief period of time in 1999 but I have had an open Directv account since '95. I still have my original RCA receiver in the garage. My first dish was installed by a local installer. I have done every other install myself over the past 14 years which has included 4 moves and at least 3 different dish designs. I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on the Directv picture quality on my 32" Proscan back in '95. I was amazed. LOL.


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## glorman (Jun 22, 2008)

Got my 2 receiver RCA DSS system Summer 1997 for about 400 bucks. DIY install. I've had Directv ever since. I remember being blown away by the pq compared to local cable.


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

:hb: DIRECTV!


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I've got it on good authority that 15 years ago, June 17, 1994, was the day that DIRECTV signed up its first customer, in Jackson Mississipi.





Ed Campbell said:


> Took out a loan in February, 1994 for my first DirecTV system, Company store here in Santa Fe on Cerrillos Road - and got Sunday Ticket on an opening special for $99.


I guess your source is wrong Stuart.


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## JB292 (Apr 25, 2009)

I got mine in '94 or '95, $1000 roughly with tax, for a huge RCA 102??? And some people complain about slow receivers today? Now that's funny.


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## CouchTater (Dec 19, 2006)

I believe I signed up in Oct. 94. I know I'm one of the first 100,000. It cost me $800 and I had to install myself.


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## pearkel (Feb 1, 2007)

I signed up in August of 96 when we moved to the country. I think we paid around 799 for the Sony dual LNB B2 system. I was anxious to get the system installed so I started working at dusk and in my haste read the azimuth/elevation example as where I needed to point. I had the compass out and never could get the little lights on the Sony LNB to light up-remember those?. Tried well into the dark and finally gave up. Came inside and reread the directions only to find my error. When out the next morning and had lights on the LNB lighting up in about 5 minutes. Man I felt like an idiot!! Left for the dishplayer for a year or two came back to my senses for the Directivo in 2001 and have been happy ever since.


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## roadrunner1782 (Sep 28, 2008)

I signed up for D* in 2004, upgraded to HD in 2007 and have loved every minute of it! Congrats Directv on 15 years!


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## Terry Kennedy (Apr 6, 2008)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I know we've asked before, but how about hearing from those who've been with DIRECTV for over 10 years? What was your first experience?


I started with a DTC-100 and Phase II dish in 1999. In 2004 I installed the SAT C upgrade kit. Eventually technology left the DTC-100 behind and I purchased a Sony HD receiver on closeout as DIRECTV phased out 3rd-party receivers. I purchased this unit as it was the last receiver (that I know of) to support 15-pin VGA HD output (as my plasma at the time didn't support HDMI). I also picked up a D10 from Amazon for $15.50 to replace the DTC-100 as my second receiver, as by this time the DTC had "gone insane" due to out-of-date firmware - if you tried to look ahead in the guide, it would crash and need a power cycle to get it to respond again.

In early 2008 I upgraded my plasma to one that supported HDMI and bought a new HR21-700 and an AU9S Slimline on eBay. I self-installed those as well. I was amazed to get 95+ signal levels with the initial coarse aiming, so I just locked it down with that alignment. I also upgraded from the "Total Choice Plus w/ Local Channels" that I had had from the beginning, to Premier + HD Access + HD Extra.

In July 2008 I ordered a second HR21-700, also from eBay.


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## fortnerw (May 7, 2006)

Wow! 15 years. I signed up in Oct 1994 through NRTC in Ga. Also started installing for that business that had NRTC. I installed a dual lnb system and it cost me 799.00. The Total Choice package was 21.99. You had to go to USSB for the movie channels. We charged $150 for single install and 200.00 for dual install. For that price it was a custom install with hidden cables, feedthrus, wallplate, etc. Those were the days!!


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## WillieWildcat (Nov 4, 2007)

11 years for me! My first system was a Sony SAT-B3 Dual LNB system along with a Toshiba receiver for the bedroom......That was a picnic to install....

Anyone remember the LED on the Sony dish that would blink the closer to the correct setting you were?

I think I still have that receiver sitting in my camper.....


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## ChrisPC (Jun 17, 2003)

spartanstew said:


> I guess your source is wrong Stuart.


No, he's right. I grew up in the Jackson market and specifically remember the June 1994 launch. D* was all over the local news that day.

If he got a loan for his system in February, he either pre-ordered or was a beta tester.


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## FYRPLG (Nov 11, 2006)

Happy Birthday DirecTV.
Had C band when the sky went black when HBO scrambled.
Had a Friend in Electronics business, He said 18" dish Satellite is coming dont spend anymore on big dish. Got RCA receiver and single LNB Dish when he first got them in stock.
Very expensive.
WOW!! How far have we come since then....


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## ajc68 (Jan 23, 2008)

June 17, 1994 was also the day of the O.J. Simpson slow-speed chase. What a first day to be on the air... I joined the party in the fall of 1999.


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## sacalait (Aug 6, 2007)

kfcrosby said:


> Mus jus be us Loozana boys Sacalait....


Ca c'est bon!


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## bikerpaul (Jan 13, 2007)

I have been a subscriber since April, 1995. I was told I was one of the first to have the system in Toledo, Ohio. I paid $699.00 for a one LNB system and had to self install it. Shortly thereafter I got Directway for the internet and also had to install it. I kept the bigger dish through several receiver upgrades until I got my HD receiver. Extremely happy with the system and the service.


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## Cyber36 (Mar 20, 2008)

Bought my first RCA receiver and single LNB dish off the internet(forgot the site already!)Back in July of 95. Installed it myself. Funny though, *tv trimmed/lost 4 years off my anniversary date. How that's possible is beyond me.Pretty happy with their service all these years. NOT HAPPY with having to change programming package to be able to receive locals. I'm grandfathered in with total choice. Why would I pay more money to loose channels I had?? Tried to get a straight answer from them through calls & emails to no avail. Crazy chit.............


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## EricRobins (Feb 9, 2005)

First receiver (Sony A1 ?) and dish installed (single LNB) in March 00. At the time our crappy cable system had pissed me off with their marketing and deceptive rate practices.

D* also had MLBEI. 

Added an RCA receiver in order to get free install when I moved in Sept '00 (was there Movers' Connection back then)?

XMas '01, convinced the wife to buy me a DTiVo (she thought it was the stupidest piece of equipment). 

Used Movers' Connection (6/04) to have 3LNB dish installed along with my newly purchased HD-TiVo along with older DTiVo.

Used Movers' Connection (7/07) and got 5LNB....replaced TiVos w/ 2 HR20-100's.


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## vonzoog (Jul 23, 2005)

Signed up in early 1995 and have been continually connected since. This includes several moves along the way. My account number is in the 600,000's so I was at least in the first million. I don't know if they still do the account numbers in order of activation like they use to do anymore.


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## RH22205 (Sep 14, 2006)

It was July 1994, and I was living in Washington DC at the time, with cable service provided by TCI. I read that DirecTV's first offering anywhere near me would be in Roanoke Va, 240+ miles away. So around the end of July or early August, I hopped in the car one day and drove the almost 500 mile round trip to pick up 2 RCA boxes ( DRD 100 series ) from Sears. As far as I can remember, I paid around $1,800 for the 2 including a self install kit. I installed it the day I got back, and when activated service with DirecTV received a 5 digit account number, which I still have today. USSB had all the movie channels and the Viacom suite of MTV, Nick, etc. The mirroring fee at the time was $2 / month for DirecTV, and $1 / month for USSB.


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## propaganda (Dec 16, 2006)

Started with Primestar back in 1996 and I do not remember went i was transition over to Directv, I think it was around 1998 or 1999, customer ever since


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## renbutler (Oct 17, 2008)

I "won" some equipment in a contest in November 1997 when I was in college and still living with my parents. Looking back, it might have just been a promotion. When I moved out on my own in 1999, I took the dish and RCA receiver with me -- right into Pegasus territory. Thankfully that was over after a couple years. I got my first season of Sunday Ticket in 2001 and have never dropped it.

In 2006, I upgraded to an HD TV and receiver. I moved that old RCA receiver to the guest room where it's still functioning to this day. I also upgraded to an HDDVR in November 2008.


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## ddobson (Nov 25, 2003)

I signed up for DirecTV in December of 1995. I remember driving all the way from where I live in Indiana near Chicago to Fort Wayne because I wanted the Sony System and not the others. I got the A2 receiver and I'm not sure what the whole system number was. Here's a link to the manual.

It had an RF remote and believe it or not when it finally got killed by lightning in 2003 IMO it was still a better receiver than the RCA that replaced it. The only downfall was the memory was designed for the number of channels offered in 1995 for 2 weeks of guide. I think it only held about 4 days worth of guide by 2003. Oh and I had to watch my local channels in the 900's on it..

Here is a link to a manual for the receiver.. 

I haven't yet read all the stories here so I might be repeating, sorry if I do but there were too many to read now.

When I got DirecTV you had to buy from 2 companies. DirecTV didn't offer any movie channels. You had to buy those from USSB (United States Satellite Broadcasting). Also something that was cool of DirecTV back in the day was every month in your bill you got a coupon for 1 free PPV. Actually they PPV were $2.99 and you got a $3.00 off coupon if you bought a PPV that month. They used to have a lot of bonus stuff for ordering too. Got a $5.00 calling card with Apollo 13 on it for buying that one. Movie was great and never used the card. Was cool to get.

The Sony dish was a little differently shaped than the other brands of dishes you could buy. It was oblong and the others for the most part were round. you could tell a Sony a long distance off. Theirs were white with grey lettering and the others were all darker colors. Not sure what the purpose of the different shape of the dish was but it worked well.

I didn't find a pic of one but I'm sure they're out there.

Back then no installs either. In fact the HD system I had installed last year was the first professionally isntalled system I had. I installed all the others myself. When the lightning struck in 2003 I got the 3 LNB system so I could get RFD, NASA and a couple of other channels. I think it was the next year the moved them all to 101 so the only extra channels I got with the 3 LNB system were spanish language.

I got TIVO systems in 2004 and then upgraded and now have 3 SD DVR's (R-15) and I have 1 HD DVR (HR20). I had one other receiver in a room at time of install so I have a 4x16 multi-switch now too.

Well I think that is about it.

I Love and have always Loved DirecTV. I am quite disappointed in the HD rollout after the D11 launch last year. Expected so much more out of them. They honestly really got me when they counted all the sports channels as nationals. But I've only had a couple of disappointments in 13+ years... Really the only HD I really want is RFD. I dropped all the movie channels because of lack of HD feeds. I don't miss them so will probably never get them back anyway. Hope they add RFD soon and I'm not sure if NASA has an HD feed yet. Haven't really looked into that one.

Hey guys can we work on the Local Weather for the HD boxes?


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## badgerdave (Dec 15, 2006)

I can't remember whether it was the end of 1995 or the beginning of 1996, but in some ways still the salad days--I used to love watching the West Coast feeds if I missed something on the East Coast. And who could forget those cheesy ads for Bassett Hound Bingo--or something to that effect.


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

Started in November, 1997 with a package deal from a local retailer that included the round dish and two Toshiba receivers (still stored away somewhere) for $399.00. Self install and activated DirecTV and USSB. My Christmas present for myself and the family that year. Been with them ever since.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

Almost got DirecTV in 1996. The had a kiosk at the Big E*.

I was reall POed at our cable company and was looking for a change. Just as I was ready to sign up I asked if they carried the locals. He said no but they would have them with in six months. What he should have said was "six years" because that's how long it took. I finally dumped the worst cable company in the country when DirecTV got locals (don't try to say your cable was worse because you'll lose).

Mike

*The Big E - Eastern States Exposition. A State Fair for all the NE states.


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## gully_foyle (Jan 18, 2007)

I remember reading about it going live in Los Angeles, sometime in September or October of 1994. I signed up immediately: I think it was $999 for the 2-LNB system and you had to pay for your own installation (in my case a chimney mount about 40 feet up). That was another $200 or so. Today, they whine about a $99 charge for 4 rooms and HD. Oh, and if you wanted locals, you needed your own antenna.

But the image was MUCH MUCH better than the SD Lite DirecTV offers today. A perfect SD signal.

I still have the original RCA box somewhere, although I deactivated it a few years back due to it being SD and it not being a DVR....


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## gully_foyle (Jan 18, 2007)

I think some mention should be made of Stanley S Hubbard, who founded United States Satellite Broadcasting. USSB was bought out in 1998 by its partner, DirecTV, but it was Hubbard's vision that made all of this possible.


> USSB was founded in 1981 by Hubbard Broadcasting founder Stanley S. Hubbard, who is widely considered to be the father of modern satellite broadcasting. Hubbard spent most of the 1980s raising awareness and money to launch a digital satellite television service. In the 1990s, he had teamed up with RCA/Thomson Consumer Electronics and Hughes Electronics Corporation to come up with a practical digital satellite service capable of 175 channels. The original name of the service was HUBTV, named after Hubbard, but was soon changed to USSB before launch. When the service launched, USSB offered a comparatively small slate of channels, but included almost all of the major American premium channels. while Hughes offered programming under the banner of DirecTV. DirecTV later acquired USSB.


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## digitalfreak (Nov 30, 2006)

I'll just be glad once it's over. I'm sooo tired of seeing the commercials with paid celebs saying "Happy 15th, DirecTV". Like any one of them gives a sh!t. Talk about pathetic. :nono2:


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## EricRobins (Feb 9, 2005)

digitalfreak said:


> I'll just be glad once it's over. I'm sooo tired of seeing the commercials with paid celebs saying "Happy 15th, DirecTV". Like any one of them gives a sh!t. Talk about pathetic. :nono2:


Commercials? What are commercials? Dude, you need a DVR!


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## MrLANlord (May 11, 2006)

I started with USSB in the Fall of 1994 when I relocated from CA to MA after leaving the USMC. I think I started with a Sony receiver, but the details are pretty fuzzy.


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

" It was 15 years ago today... 
Sgt Pepper taught the band to play..." 

Oops, sorry. Wrong thread. :lol: I'm five years off.


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## Dominic26 (Jun 25, 2008)

We started back in 1996/97 (not sure which). My wife called me at work and said she had see it on HSN for a price of $249 installed. I told her to "jump on it". Back then it was about $300 to $400 to get a system. We were fed up with our local cable company and the price seemed good then. Not as good as the free offers today. We never looked back. That was an old RCA receiver and RCA dish.

In fact,we got 2 bills back then. One from DirecTV and one from USSB for the movie channels. Anybody remember that?

Dominic


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## rabit ears (Nov 18, 2005)

Started in May 1995.

The local cable guys had been jerks and when we moved into our new house I knew I wanted something besides cable. Bought my dual LNB dish and two receivers from Video Only for $700 and had it up and running in a couple of hours. We didn't get locals then so I installed an antenna as well.

A neighbor told me that the antenna was against code and I told him to wait until they saw my satellite dish. I did get a nasty letter from the city, but I knew my rights and after speaking with the city attorney I never heard another word.

Now I see the poor people standing in line out the door of the local Comcast office every Saturday and realize how smart I was fourteen years ago.


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## juniormaj (Feb 9, 2009)

I bought my first RCA DSS receiver (DRD203RW) in the early fall of 1994. I don't remember the date anymore, but I think it was August or September. The DirecTV website says "Loyal Customer since 1995", but I'm not sure why. I think there were some account changes in the first year.
There were 2 models at the time and I opted for the "better" model that also came with the dual output LNB dish. I think it was around $900 at Best Buy.
Service was provided by USSB and DirecTV until they merged.
I remember taking the cable box back to the local cable-co with a big grin on my face and telling them that I didn't need them any more.
They told me I'd be back. That was nearly 15 years ago, and they were wrong.
A few years later I added the RCA DRD515RB. This was (I believe) the first model with Dolby Digital and an RF remote. I think it cost around $300-$400 at the time.
Also in this time period I purchased a Hughes HIRD-B1 as an open box at Best Buy for about $30. It died within a year of use.
There were a couple of other small RCA boxes in there somewhere. Possibly the 220 or 400 series. Kinda forgettable. They had "Wink" ability.
In 1999 I bought the RCA DTC-100. This was DirecTVs first HD receiver. I think I paid around $500-$600 for it and used it until 2006.
The DirecTV with TiVo era brought a Phillips DSR-704 into the house and was followed by 2 DirecTV R-10 units about a year later.
An H20 replaced the DTC-100 in 2006.
In the past 2 years I've added an HR-20(700) and an HR22(100).

So the list is something like this:

RCA DRD203RW
RCA DRD515RB
Hughes HIRD-B1
RCA 220 or 400 series (x2)
RCA DTC-100
*RCA H20
Phillips DSR-704
*DirecTV R10 (x2)
*DirecTV HR20
*DirecTV HR22

*= currently in use.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I was living in an apartment building in Minneapolis when I got the first one in 1994. The building manager let me move to a different apartment with Southern exposure so I could mount the dish on the balcony rail (3rd floor). I remember taking the equipment over there to test it out before committing to the move. It stayed clamped to that railing (yes, clamped) for 5 years until I got the 3 LNB dish for HD. That one stayed clamped to the same railing until I moved to California in late 2001, where it is still mounted to the roof and has been used for the SD TiVo units since getting the newer Slimline in 2007.


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## NaperDan (Jun 9, 2009)

I was in Costa Mesa in a condo and I remember shortly after signing up in 1994 all the hoopla about the dishes. Many thanks to the FCC!:joy:


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## Dominic26 (Jun 25, 2008)

juniormaj said:


> I bought my first RCA DSS receiver (DRD203RW) in the early fall of 1994. I don't remember the date anymore, but I think it was August or September. The DirecTV website says "Loyal Customer since 1995", but I'm not sure why. I think there were some account changes in the first year.


Where on the website does it show "loyal customer since 1995"? I have never seen that and have been with them since 1996/97. Also, where does it show if there time left on your contract?

Dominic


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## prospect60 (Aug 26, 2006)

Dominic26 said:


> Where on the website does it show "loyal customer since 1995"? I have never seen that and have been with them since 1996/97. Also, where does it show if there time left on your contract?
> 
> Dominic


On the main directv.com page mine shows "Loyal Customer since 1994" in the upper left under the Logo/Hello/LogOut after you sign into your account (might have to reload the opening page after login) -- sometimes mine shows up.

I'm not sure about the Time Left since I can't find it anywhere on my account detail or statement page.


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## Tom Servo (Mar 7, 2007)

You guys sure do remember a lot about stuff that happened a long time ago_!_ :lol:

I think it was either 98 or 99 when I bought a single LNB and single RCA receiver, while still living with my parents. The cable we had wasn't bad but I just wanted more channels. Both parents were working that evening, so I set up the dish on the back patio and ran the cable under the door.

When they got home I was watching some channel the cable didn't have and they were surprised to say the least.

Despite not offering locals back then, they got hooked and we dropped everything but lifeline cable and I haven't looked back since.


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## tbpb3 (Dec 10, 2006)

late 1994, RCA receiver for $499.00 from FED-CO here in SoCal. Neighbors thought I was nuts up on my roof installing that dish.Back in the USSB days.Did construction work in the El Segundo main offices,so we knew it was comming


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## Lefky (Jun 23, 2007)

Installed in 1995 and I was the initial "Test" Case for the historical townhome Coop I live in. I had to apply for a permit and present it in front of the COOP board. It was approved with a 1 vote majority. Then the community engineer had to watch the install and approve it on site. Based on what the community learned during my install, the community install rules were born.


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## Tubaman-Z (Jul 31, 2007)

A few months after my daughter was born (May 1994) my wife and I decided that she would quit working outside the home to be a full-time stay-at-home mom. We live in a rural area without cable service and so had few choices other than an antenna (good for 4-5 channels) or this newfangled thing called satellite television. My wife liked the idea of the small, unobtrusive dish compared to the other satellite dishes she had seen. At the time I think that there were 2 related providers - USSB and Primestar with Primestar carrying HBO and other premiums. We contacted our "local provider" who also happened to be our telco and had a dish and a single RCA receiver installed. That was sometime in 1995. We had previously lived in S. Florida with cable and were favorably impressed with satellite both in terms of quality and variety of channels. I remember in those early days receiving a couple (3?) coupons good for free PPV movies with each bill. Nice extra.

Fast forward to about 2003 (still using that single RCA receiver) and we bought into the concept of a DVR. My wife and I are both technologists and enjoy gadgets - but preferably gadgets that work as they should (I'll put up with a bit more than she will). So I installed a dual-LNB on that 1995 dish and ordered an RCA DVR39 (35 hours I think it held). After about 2 days with our new DVR we were hooked and haven't looked back. We've added to the family since then (2 more TiVo-based DVRs - 2004 and 2005 I think) and upgraded to the elliptical dish and 2 HD DVRs (HR20-100 and HR21-200). It wasn't until the 1st HD DVR arrived in 2007 that the old original RCA receiver was retired to the basement after 12 years of faithful service. Still works great, but it can't skip commercials. I've also now retired 2 of the TiVo DVRs due to lack of use, so we're a 3 DVR family.

No one wants to ever pay more for anything - and I try not to think of the total $$ that I have spent with DirecTV over the years. But in terms of monthly value (I have the grandfathered Total Choice Plus pkg and HD access) I think that they are second to none. Could they do things better? Sure. But that is largely true everywhere. I am no D* fanboy - I can see their warts. But in the large it's been a good 14 year run - with additional channels, DVRs, and high-def.

Happy Birthday D*.


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

1991 is my start year but i don't think my first 2 years counted whit Radio Shack. All and all it's been real.


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## kevinmcginnis (Feb 12, 2003)

I recall installing my 1st DBS system which was made by RCA & I had to order from a RadioShack in Tulsa, OK in May 1994 which cost me $900! for the deluxe system. I self installed, today I have 3 SD DVR's & 1 HD DVR. I've been with them the whole 15 years & watch changes have taken place in that time - truly amazing technology, just wondering what the future holds with the cable & telco's trying to play catch-up? DirecTv still offers more than anybody else!!!!


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## MountainMan10 (Jan 31, 2008)

I got my first Hughes receiver in 1995. It came free with the purchase of a computer from Elek-tek. It sat in the box until 1997 when I dropped cable and switched. Second and third receivers cost $300 to $500 each. Bought my first Tivo with lifetime service for about $500 plus $200 for the tivo service, in 2000.
Now have 2 HD DVR's and SD DVR and a Tivo. The Tivo has been running since 2002.


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## jshortess (May 13, 2008)

I've been a DIRECTV subscriber since sometime in early 2001, after a year or so with Dish. I wanted TiVo, and Charlie Ergen had pissed me off on the Charlie Chats one too many times. Since then I've moved to an HR21, and Chase Carey and Rupert Murdoch have annoyed me plenty of times, but they never came close to good ol' Charlie. :lol:

I actually ended up working for DIRECTV, indirectly, for awhile. About four years ago I got a job in the communications department at NRTC, (among many other things) editing the weekly operations newsletter that they send to their members that sell DIRECTV. I eventually moved on to other things at NRTC, and left that job completely back in January. My free DIRECTV service (just about the best job benefit ever!) runs out in a couple of weeks, at the end of the fiscal year. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to stay with DIRECTV (I'll be downgrading my package, certainly -- I don't watch nearly enough TV to justify Premier if I'm paying for it!) or switch to FiOS, who I've had Internet service with since 2005.

Any other current/former NRTC or NRTC member employees out there?


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## RobertDeckman (Nov 14, 2006)

I've been with DirecTV since April 1, 1995. It's been a great experience and I would HATE to go back to cable.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

dave29 said:


> This was my first receiver.
> 
> View attachment 18738
> 
> ...


Yeah that looks like one of the orginal RCA receivers. Cool.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I've got it on good authority that 15 years ago, June 17, 1994, was the day that DIRECTV signed up its first customer, in Jackson Mississipi.
> 
> Congratulations DIRECTV!
> 
> How about sharing your stories about DIRECTV? I know we've asked before, but how about hearing from those who've been with DIRECTV for over 10 years? What was your first experience? .


They started in a couple test markets. Little Rock was one. I remember going to store after store trying to find one that would finance the setup (RCA receiver, 18" dish, mount, coax cables...all in a kit).

It was a week later I scratched enough money together to buy the $800 receiver/dish. Got it home, and installed it (no professional installation then), and called Directv to subscribe. I was just over the 5000th customer. I was then transferred to USSB for my complimentary movie channel package, which I also kept.

I still have my original receiver, although Im not currently using it , and have enjoyed the "pizza pan" satellite company (what the BUD owners called it), ever since.

Funny too, even back then, their picture blew away Comcast. Friends would rave over the PQ on my Sony Trinitron


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## Tim Petlock (May 26, 2007)

I bought my first DirecTV setup in 1995 - Sony receiver with the distinctive white dish. One account with DirecTV, one with USSB. I've no idea what the account number was. I think the receiver was the SAT-B2. The picture quality was awesome compared to cable. 

I switched to Dish Network though to get a DishPlayer. :lol: What a nightmare.

My next experience with DirecTV was in South America in 2004. Manufacture date of the RCA receiver they provided was 1994! They do things a little different down there  The alternative service where I lived was 18 channels on MMDS so I was thrilled to have it! The receiver was every bit as slow as I remember the 1st Generation RCA receivers I'd seen in the US.

Back in the US I've been a DirecTV customer since 2006. I have three DVR receivers and enjoy participating in the "cutting edge" software updates. Kinda neat to get new features before they become generally available. It's great they've been around for fifteen years now.


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## tivoboy (Aug 16, 2006)

Yes, I got mine in the fall of 1995 when I was renting the rooftop of a house in Del Ray Beach, FL. I just put the dish on a post, and aimed it out the window. I had the signal seeker dish, it worked fine.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

I installed my first single LNB system in July, 1994. I ordered my system from a Radio Shack store in Rochester, NY as equipment was not yet available in my area. My neighbor at the time worked for the local cable company and commented (through my installing the dish) how little dish services would be out of business in a few years because there was no way to offer local channels. 
The thing I remember the most about that day was my calling DirecTV and after giving them my service address, the CSR having to put me on hold in order to confirm she could actually sign me up (as they were not yet officially available in Southern California).


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

Happy "belated" Birthday DirecTV. I haven't been a customer very long, but I will never go anywhere else, you're stuck with me and my family!


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## cowboys2002 (Mar 16, 2006)

I can remember Primetime 24 and getting West coast and East Coast feeds.

Living on the west Coast, Received CBS fron SF, ABC from Seattle and NBC from LA. This was before Fox was considered a network and we also received the national PBS feed. Alos received East Coast feeds (cool to watch SNL LIVE!) until the local affiliates started complaining and "waivers" being required. That process was a mess as many stations (even those carried by DTV) would simply deny folks a waiver on the first or second try! Then more sats were launched and the rest is history.

I would hookup a set of rabbit ears to receive my locals and this was fine as it was way before TIVO and other DVR's!!

Spent $399 on my first system and $200 on installation. A few years later,moved into house and purchased a new 2 receiver system installed (Radio Shack) for around $250.

I remember working at Sears Service Center where we sold the "BUD's". We had a demo system and would watch sporting evebts and "raw feeds" of "free and in the clear" programs. This was before encryption of course! Those systems started at around $2,000 if not more!


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## VLaslow (Aug 16, 2006)

I had subscribed to two different OTA subscription companies that both went out of business. I really didn't like cable. So, in Oct. 1996, I marched myself down to Circuit City (you remember them, right), bought one of those "fancy" RCA receivers, installed the dish myself, and signed up for service. 

BUT, I couldn't get a real picture with the dish, just a 100% signal. After a long discussion with a CSR, we determined that I was pointing at someone else's satellite in the general vicinity of Direct's sat.

After that it was all good!


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## johnchart (Sep 17, 2006)

I had DirecTV installed in January 1995. I had been looking at Primestar but wound up with DirecTV. Glad I did! I paid about $700 for my first box. Only thing I'm disappointed with DirecTV is they rewarded me with 3 months of Showtime! What a joke!

John H.


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## knew001 (Sep 13, 2007)

Bought an RCA deluxe dish and box for 800.00 in 1995 and was part of Pegasus then USSB before they were bought out by DTV in 1999. Still no calbe where I live(not that I would switch)


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## GBFAN (Nov 13, 2006)

The DirecTV website says loyal customer since 1996. I wasn't sure if it was 95 or 96. It was the Saturday before the NFL season started and my wife said "you can go buy one of those satellite dish things because I don't want to go to the bar on Sunday anymore". I was out the door and on my way to Best Buy within seconds. I did the self install and activated the system by 4:00 that afternoon and have never looked back.


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## Lyle Thorogood (Jun 27, 2004)

1994! Costco sold me my first receiver and single LNB dish in Chula Vista. With them ever since.

I do miss USSB and their cell-phone like bills. I think I paid like $14.99 for the whole movie package.


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## smokechaser (Jul 11, 2007)

It was sometime in 1996. I received a free system from a email campaign. Installed it my self. Dumped Cox cable after numerous cable name changes and the inability to receive a good picture on HBO. Been with Directv ever since.


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## thefoyboy (Apr 1, 2007)

Became a customer in December 1995 when the wife and I bought our first home. We have never known cable and never will. Installed the pizza pan myself but cannot recall my first receiver. Have had the East and West coast network feeds. They come in real handy when LA has a chase going on. Still grandfathered on those and will never give them up.


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## ejjames (Oct 3, 2006)

As a former USSB op, i just want to say a few words. IMHOm we did things well. We were each in charge of 5 channels for a shift. if we noticed bad audio, tape glitch, even low video levels; we had a speed dial to a[ll master controls. we usually caught errors before HBO or SHO knew about it.

HBO execs came for a tour and wondered how we did it. just eyes on the signal/


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## mobouser (May 23, 2007)

Got mine in the fall of 98 from Sam's Club. Small dish self install kit and the best part was able to pay for everything with my GM Credit Card Points (before the company was sold). I think that lasted for about six months. Things may change now with the advent of streaming feeds over the internet I think that may be the next big leap maybe even directly to your TV.


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## HoTat2 (Nov 16, 2005)

Sorry to post my experiences so late in the thread here;

But wanted to see if I could dig up the old receipts on my first system. And found them!  ... tucked away in an old metal strongbox where they had been sitting for over a decade.

Anyway, been a DirecTV sub. since Sept. 19, 1995 (date on the installers receipt) after leaving our crappy analog cable service then called "Continental Cablevision" at the time and never looked back. First system was an RCA DS2430RW 1st generation DSS system comprised of a Phase I dish with a DRD-203RW deluxe receiver, plus purchased four additional DRD-102RW receivers. Add in two electromechanical 2X4 multiswitches, outside OTA antenna, cable, splitters labor, etc. total cost came to approx. $4000.00 at the time. :eek2: 

Initial packages were "Total Choice" from DirecTV and "Entertainment Plus" via USSB.

This plus the monthly bill to the equipment financier certainly didn't make for the most cost effective system, but once I saw those crystal clear images on TVs all over the house coming down from space to a pizza sized dish I've never regretted any of it. 

Hey its been quite a fun ride. HAPPY 15th DIRECTV!


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## Losana (Sep 13, 2006)

I remember a Radio Shack employee telling me of a new form of tv through a small dish. I was just out of college and had extra cash, I gave him my number and told him to call me when it was avalible. The day they shipped it to radio shack I bought it. I installed it in my in-laws house (I lived in an apartment in Wrigleyville) and I never looked back that was late 1994. I wanted to watch all the football games.


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## wmj5 (Aug 26, 2007)

I've been with D* since sept. 13th 1995, the first one I got was the rca receiver w/ 16 bit proseror, it was so slow it was like watching grass grow, I kept it 3 months and sold it for $300.00 and bought a sony 32 bit and I think from then on everthing is a 32 bit, I didn't have but very little trouble with them until the came out with hd, then all hell broke loose, I don't know how many receivers I have had since then but I haven't had a single one that worked right, the last on I got and have now is a new one the H23-700 and it don't work right, I've already got me an outside antenna, and if they don't get their S..T togeather I'am going to try that free stuff, I don't watch sports, I can get 24 channel without a rotator, I don't know how many I can get with one, I will let you know.


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## JB292 (Apr 25, 2009)

Does anyone remember the pricing? I seem to remember paying USSB $35 per month for all the movie channels. I think everything else was in the $40-$45 range through DirecTV.


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