# What will it take to keep you a DirecTV client?



## oldfantom (Mar 13, 2006)

I have been thinking about this for a few weeks. I certainly don't have a time frame, but I do have a list of the killer apps that are going to get my business in the future. If some other provider put them in front of me right now, however, I might drop the dish from my roofline. 

(1) More HD choices. 
(2) Centralized receiver hardware with multiple tuners that will let me
(3) Serve high def signals to multiple locations from that central source. 

(1) should be a no brainer. I don't any single channel in particular. I just don't want a single channel (BET in '09). 

(2) I want to be able to record - without having to cobble together a Microsoft Server - and store to a single location. I want one reliable central setup for all my shows. I think I need at least four tuners on that central source with the ability to record on all four and playback content to multiple locations at the same time. A four in, two out is all I really would ever need. 

(3) I want an easy way to serve a HD signal to a TV in my wife's office or the kitchen or the guest bedroom. I want those signals to be served by a central location. When I am tired, I would like to be able to watch my network shows in my bedroom. I would like to be able to watch my Monday night football Tuesday morning in my office. 

That's the list for me. The bad thing for D* is that FIOS is probably getting closer to offering that wish list to me. The good news is they just aren't here yet. 

So am curious as to the items that will make you stay if they are offered or go if they aren't.


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## eandras (Feb 16, 2007)

What it would take to keep me at this point is just tell me that I have to have optimum. I had them when I was laid off and their HD system is a piece of Crap. Fios is not available where I am. Directv is by far the best tv and equipment available to me. 

I am not a fan boy and will voice my opinion as I see fit.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

oldfantom .. Q1/2010 should be good to you


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

My subscription in my signature is why I'll be on Directv forever...no one has the HD sports like them. 
Hardware's fine now...I set, it records, & I watch...no complaints.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

Doug Brott said:


> oldfantom .. Q1/2010 should be good to you


But March is in Q1...along with the yearly price increases!


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## morbid_fun (Jan 16, 2007)

I am loyal to DirecTV period. Unless they f up bad nothing will get me to switch as I know DirecTV will eventually have the same or similar.


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## scottchez (Feb 4, 2003)

My 2 Year contract ended last week.

For me its all about the GUIDE.

Cable, DIsh, and Direct all have the same channels I watch in HD now.

So for me a NEW HD GUIDE is a must. Find the shows on the HD channel quickly with pictures and info is a must. I know all 3 are looking into this but have not seen true HD guides yet in my area.

Who even has the best guide will get my business. I am now looking at the the other guys, studying and comparing. I will decide by xmas.


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## Msguy (May 23, 2003)

My answer is simple. I will go where the NFL goes. I've had DirecTv since 1997 for NFL Football and I have never looked back to going to cable or any other tv provider. Simple. DirecTv has the NFL and that is who is going to be getting my business. Keep the NFL exclusive to DirecTv and all will be well.


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## HerntDawg (Oct 6, 2008)

Msguy said:


> My answer is simple. I will go where the NFL goes. I've had DirecTv since 1997 for NFL Football and I have never looked back to going to cable or any other tv provider. Simple. DirecTv has the NFL and that is who is going to be getting my business. Keep the NFL exclusive to DirecTv and all will be well.


+1


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## soloredd (Oct 21, 2007)

For me it's NBA LP. I'm moving to a new home and have the chance to get U-Verse and the only thing that stopped me was LP. However, I have until next Sunday (installation day) to cancel so I'm going to be doing some thinking over the next few days. I see that NBA LP is available on broadband now so that is an option along with U-Verse.

I think I'm ultimately just scared to switch. D* has been good to me so far, haven't had any outages and the only issue I did have was an HR20 that bit the dust but quickly got replaced.

D* definitely needs to keep up with the tech, though. U-Verse's whole home DVR system is a great idea and I'm not sure, as the tech matures, if D* can keep up. The future is less hardware.


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

Directv has sunday ticket exclusively thru the 2014 season so i aint goin anywhere.


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## lee78221 (Sep 25, 2007)

As long as DirecTV keeps on the path their on right now I will be a sub for the foreseeable future. 

I'm get great customer service and I love the amount of HD I'm getting(And at this price I'm getting it at).


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## kevinturcotte (Dec 19, 2006)

oldfantom said:


> I have been thinking about this for a few weeks. I certainly don't have a time frame, but I do have a list of the killer apps that are going to get my business in the future. If some other provider put them in front of me right now, however, I might drop the dish from my roofline.
> 
> (1) More HD choices.
> (2) Centralized receiver hardware with multiple tuners that will let me
> ...





Doug Brott said:


> oldfantom .. Q1/2010 should be good to you


Including "(2) I want to be able to record - without having to cobble together a Microsoft Server - and store to a single location. I want one reliable central setup for all my shows. *I think I need at least four tuners on that central source with the ability to record on all four and playback content to multiple locations at the same time.* A four in, two out is all I really would ever need" Doug?


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

What will it take to keep me?

Keeping the cost/benefit ratio at an acceptable level. I'm pretty much at the maximum I'm willing to pay for TV. As prices increase, I find ways to reduce my bill proportionally. When I have to reduce it to the point I'm no longer getting the channels I want, I will drop service. I don't know if that will be this spring, or in twenty years.


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## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

Keep doing the great job with the sports, like they have been, will keep me as a happy camper. The more in HD, the happier I am.


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## ub1934 (Dec 30, 2005)

carl6 said:


> What will it take to keep me?
> 
> Keeping the cost/benefit ratio at an acceptable level. I'm pretty much at the maximum I'm willing to pay for TV. As prices increase, I find ways to reduce my bill proportionally. When I have to reduce it to the point I'm no longer getting the channels I want, I will drop service. I don't know if that will be this spring, or in twenty years.


Hope when they give us the 200+ HD chs they drop the HD fee but then they may charge us a SD fee:lol:


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## Fenway (Aug 25, 2007)

What brought me to DirecTV, and will keep me here - *Mega March Madness.*


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## SWORDFISH (Apr 16, 2007)

I've been with DirecTV since the beginning and plan on staying. 

However, I would like to see the following:

1) An economical way to upgrade boxes to HD. I have three active SD DVRs that I would upgrade if it didn't cost me $100-$200 per box.

2) Change the coding, so external hard drives are not married to one receiver. I would hate to lose saved recordings on a perfectly good drive because the receiver went bad.

3) Resolve the dispute with Versus. I'm tired of watching Blackhawks games on my computer monitor in SD.

SF


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## brucegrr (Sep 14, 2006)

For me it is all about cost. I would also like more choice of which channels are a part of my package.

Directv is the only choice for me. Sports. Sports. Sports. The only other option is Dish, but Directv's sports offerings are far superior. Time Warner is available but they offer less than 20 HD channels for more money than I pay Directv. (I ain't kidding about the number of HD channels. Terrible and laughable)

No FIOS here. Verizon has a phone presence here BUT it probably does not make economic sense to offer their service to a rural county of only 36,000 people. 

So it's Directv. As long as service remains affordable I am a Directv customer.


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## usnret (Jan 16, 2009)

Cost and MRV!!!!


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

oldfantom said:


> I
> So am curious as to the items that will make you stay if they are offered or go if they aren't.


Not even thinking of leaving, Dtv suits my tv viewing purposes just fine.


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## slimoli (Jan 28, 2005)

I like Directv but I'm waiting for :

-More HD channels, not the "cheap" ones but more movies and Travel Channel. 

-MRV without any glitch , assuming the home network is fast enough. I don't like the idea of a single server and prefer the way it is now being tested.

-Decent price policy. 

-Reliable service. 

-Good customer service.

Overall, I think Directv is pretty good but there is room for improvements. If the D12 goes well, chances are we will have the best provider in USA .

There is only one thing that scares me : The potential Directv sale or merger that most certainly will paralize some developments.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I certainly don't think a sale or merger is going to make a short-term difference. People thought the sale to Liberty was going to be a big change, but really it didn't change much at all. 

If DIRECTV were sold to a telco, you might see more synergy, but say for example they get sold to AT&T. They're not going to abandon everyone who can't get AT&T local phone service.


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## Ronmort (Apr 23, 2002)

More HD
Less rain fade

I will most likely remain a DTV sub


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## Stanley Kritzik (Aug 4, 2005)

With all the goodies coming -- sooner or later -- such as media center/multi-room viewing, four tuners, etc., having a very large (2-3 TBytes or more) disk is called for. But, if there's a disk crash; having mirroring, such that the good mirrored disk can be painlessly swapped into a new box is really crucial, and not that expensive these days.

All the I T services have disaster recovery to some degree or another, ranging from simple to fool-proof (depending on how critical up-time is), and recovering from a disk failure is the minimum we need to have, as we begin to archive our stuff on our media center devices. We don't need real time fail-over, in my opinion, but disk failure is something that needs to be covered.

I'd pay $100 or so for the peace of mind.

Stan

Stan


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## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

Ronmort said:


> Less rain fade


It will take either higher output from the satellites or larger dishes to decrease rain fade.


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## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

I'm a shameless fanboy
Been with Directv since 1995 and I'm not going anywhere else.


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## longrider (Apr 21, 2007)

I'm not going anywhere, my only other options are Dish Notwork or a BUD. That said there are a few improvements I would like to see - First, teh ability to marry an eSata drive to your account, not a specific DVR. The second would be to have greater flexibility in channel packages. I realize that ala carte is not going to happen unless mandated but one idea would be to group the channels in blocks of say 20 and do something like Bronze - any 2 blocks, Silver - any 4 blocks, Gold - any 6 blocks, and Platinum - everything. Everybody of course would get the channels that pay DirecTV to carry them such as shopping channels


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

Their isn't any package that D* has that fits my needs at what i feel i can pay,so i don't plan on staying after my contract expires. 

I felt this way for a long time so i don't plan on going to Dish,Comcast or anyone else, just use OTA Netflix and maybe FTA but i don't think i have a wide enough los for it.


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## wildbill129 (Dec 22, 2006)

1. More HD (Doug, I hope you are right about Q1/2010)
2. Bring Versus back!!
3. Don't even think of charging for MRV as a monthly service (not installs for those that need it)
4. Improve customer service
- better communication on contracts when adding equip, etc.
- show contract date on bill and web site
- improve training with CSR's so they know when contracts apply or don't.


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## mishawaka (Sep 11, 2007)

show some interest in expanding their HD offerings


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## paulh (Mar 17, 2003)

SWORDFISH said:


> I've been with DirecTV since the beginning and plan on staying.
> 
> However, I would like to see the following:
> 
> ...


...wonder if I could legally sub-divide and rent out dish space in my MEPG4 locals market, about 3 hours down from you. You move your receivers down here, and they have to replace with HD DVR's (could be an R22, but as long as a HD receiver is primary, the R22 shows HD), then move back up to Chicago. I wonder what the minimum move time is for the movers connection...


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## lman12 (May 23, 2007)

Msguy said:


> My answer is simple. I will go where the NFL goes. I've had DirecTv since 1997 for NFL Football and I have never looked back to going to cable or any other tv provider. Simple. DirecTv has the NFL and that is who is going to be getting my business. Keep the NFL exclusive to DirecTv and all will be well.


You and me, too. I have been a fan of the NFL for 40+ years and as long as DirecTv has NFL Sunday Ticket, they will have my business, plain and simple.


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## webdog (May 24, 2008)

I wonder what model SD DVR's _SWORDFISH_ has? 

-----

As far as keeping me under contract, I just signed up a few months ago. So I still have close to 2 years left. I'm not going anywhere for a while.

I also agree with wildbill129's 4 things they could do to improve service.


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## SWORDFISH (Apr 16, 2007)

webdog said:


> I wonder what model SD DVR's _SWORDFISH_ has?


I'm not sure why it matters, but I have three DirecTiVo SD DVRs:

1 - DVR40

2 - R10

_____________________________________________

I also have one HD DVR and one HD receiver.

SF


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

Give it to me for free. My 2 years will be up in January. Too many screw ups.. AM21 debacle, multiple problems with credits and referrals, lousy HD DVR.

edit: also taking away versus and dropping the HTPC hardware plans which is what lured me to DirecTV in the first place.


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## SteveHas (Feb 7, 2007)

HerntDawg said:


> +1


+2


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## joed32 (Jul 27, 2006)

dcowboy7 said:


> Directv has sunday ticket exclusively thru the 2014 season so i aint goin anywhere.


Me too.


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

All D* has to do to keep me is to continue providing the same quality TV service (not "Customer Service", because that's usually not very good, but luckily I rarely need it), and to have rate increases that mirror increases in services as opposed to increase "just because we can".


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

More HD channels (I think we'll see with D12)
Bring back Versus
Fix RF key bounce
Whole home DVR system that allows you to send HD signals over coax
New 4 tuner DVR/whole home DVR that allows for PIP/QUAD PIP, 2 to 4 channels on the TV at the same time


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## Eddie501 (Nov 29, 2007)

They'll have to do away the contracts to keep me. I find it ridiculous that you have to lock into a 2 year contract anytime you do an equipment upgrade. Even moreso that the equipment is 'leased' and you have to return it anyway.

Reallocate some of the PPV bandwidth for national HD channels. 10 years ago, dedicating 4 channels to one movie so you could have start times every 30 minutes made sense. Now we have DVR's and VOD, yet we still have the newest movies taking up 4-5 HD channels. Meanwhile I've had to watch 3 seasons of Mad Men in SD.

More flexible packages. The base minimum package I can get for HD and a DVR is $75. Most of which is commercial-riddled basic channels. If I could get around a $45 HD only package, that would be price point I felt better about. I simply don't need or want to pay for 150 SD channels & the music package, etc.


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## SledDog (May 6, 2007)

carl6 said:


> What will it take to keep me?
> 
> Keeping the cost/benefit ratio at an acceptable level. I'm pretty much at the maximum I'm willing to pay for TV. As prices increase, I find ways to reduce my bill proportionally. When I have to reduce it to the point I'm no longer getting the channels I want, I will drop service. I don't know if that will be this spring, or in twenty years.


+1. I'm not going to keep paying for increases without additional benefit. There is a ceiling of what I'm willing to pay for TV services. I'll wait to see what the spring price increase is before I decide what add-ons I will drop to keep the cost in check. If FIOS every get to my neighborhood, I can see myself dropping DirecTV.


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## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

Eddie501 said:


> They'll have to do away the contracts to keep me. I find it ridiculous that you have to lock into a 2 year contract anytime you do an equipment upgrade. Even moreso that the equipment is 'leased' and you have to return it anyway.


I don't think we will ever see that, as long as they have the monopoly on the NFL package. People would be subscribing for football season and dropping it shortly after it ends. They would never recover the cost of installation, in that short amount of time.


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## ahintz (Jan 14, 2007)

I've had both U-verse and Comcast here in Northern California. Comcast's DVR software is horrible - I can't imagine ever switching to them. U-verse's DVR software is OK, but HD quality is somewhat lacking and there are still HD channels DirecTV has that U-verse doesn't have.

One of the little things that I love about DirecTV that I haven't found with other providers is that HD channels exist on the same channel numbers as their SD counterparts. As DirecTV continues to add HD channels, the fact that I don't have to learn new channel numbers or go to some other area of the guide has been great. Everytime I have used another provider, it is something I really miss.


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## GregLee (Dec 28, 2005)

loudo said:


> I don't think we will ever see that, as long as they have the monopoly on the NFL package. People would be subscribing for football season and dropping it shortly after it ends. They would never recover the cost of installation, in that short amount of time.


I could certainly understand requiring subscribers to the NFL, or other sports packages, to sign a year's contract, or 5 year's, for all I care. What does that have to do with me? I don't subscribe to sports packages. And what does it have to do with extending the contract when equipment is upgraded?


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## longrider (Apr 21, 2007)

GregLee said:


> I could certainly understand requiring subscribers to the NFL, or other sports packages, to sign a year's contract, or 5 year's, for all I care. What does that have to do with me? I don't subscribe to sports packages. And what does it have to do with extending the contract when equipment is upgraded?


That is my thinking too. I can see the need for a commitment from a new subscriber, and even a shorter commitment if an upgrade requires a tech visit, but if all they are doing is sending you a receiver (which they get back anyway) there should be no commitment.


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## longrider (Apr 21, 2007)

I am going to have to qualify my earlier statement about not going anywhere, while I would never switch pay TV providers I have to admit I am thinking about dropping pay TV altogether. While I cant do without a DVR a Tivo subscription is $10 a month or less and I doubt I would pay over $100/year for the shows I would then have to get through online VOD.


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## nucat95 (Sep 22, 2007)

I live in AT&T/Uverse and Comcast territory. 

Unless the D* satellites fall out of the sky, I'm not leaving.


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## IHeartMASN (Nov 22, 2009)

First post, but I've lurked here for years. 

I signed up for DirecTV because Time Warner here in NC would not add MASN to it's service. For me, it was the last straw. Every time there was a new channel (Big Ten Network, ESPNU, NFLN, MASN), TWC would always drag it's heels. We still don't have NFL Network or MASN.

After the switch, I noticed how much better the picture looks vs. cable. The DVR works a lot better and, after a big of a learning curve, the channel numbers were much more intuitive.

I'm a big hockey fan so I wish they'd work things out with Versus, but they'd have to really jack up their prices or lose a lot of channels for me to ever consider going back to TWC.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

1) Improve customer NO service

2) Improve SD picture quality OR make their HD packages more affordable


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## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

*NFLST*


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## webdog (May 24, 2008)

SWORDFISH said:


> I'm not sure why it matters, but I have three DirecTiVo SD DVRs:
> 
> 1 - DVR40
> 
> ...


If you had the R22's, I was going to suggest upgrading to one HD or HD DVR to enable the HD features of those boxes. But since they're not and since you already have HD access on your account, my suggestion I was going to make wouldn't help. Bummer. :nono2:


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

dubber deux said:


> 1) Improve customer NO service
> 
> 2) Improve SD picture quality OR make their HD packages more affordable


Other than free no provider charges less. $10 a month and you get all the HD you subscribe to in your monthly programming packages.


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## VLaslow (Aug 16, 2006)

Here's the thing, I got rid of my Verizon land line because it was costing way too much (I added VOIP with a ROI of 5 months), I reduced the cost of my newspaper subscriptions by simply asking, I reduced the cost of my magazines by simply asking, when the cost/benefit is more than I care to pay, I'll be gone even though I love this system. And, by the way, the cost/benefit is getting pretty close right now.


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## VLaslow (Aug 16, 2006)

IHeartMASN said:


> First post, but I've lurked here for years.
> 
> .......


:welcome_s We'll look forward to hearing more from you!


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## RCY (Nov 17, 2005)

A good deal on 2 HD DVRs. I've been free from contract comittment for over 3 years now. And $149 a DVR isn't a good deal. $99 each is ok, good is somewhere better than that. I'd like to get both at the same time to limit my time comittment to D*.


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## RogueWing16 (Aug 25, 2009)

RCY said:


> A good deal on 2 HD DVRs. I've been free from contract comittment for over 3 years now. And $149 a DVR isn't a good deal. $99 each is ok, good is somewhere better than that. I'd like to get both at the same time to limit my time comittment to D*.


+1. Also would like to see a standard pricing for equipment. This CSR roulette is ridiculous. I would like to
know what criteria determines how someone gets one time credits, monthly credits, free programming and
DVRs ranging from free to $199.

Looking to upgrade to HD in the near future and I have to idea what to expect in terms of pricing.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

For me I want to see In State Out of Market DMA Locals turned on here for me. With any luck Congress will rule in my favor soon and let me keep my DNS feeds as well. 

Also I want a HD DVR that has 4 tuners that are recordable at the same time and has a bigger hard drive on it. 50 hours of HD just dont cut it. Makes me want to buy a HR20 and drop a 1.5 hard drive in it myself.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

joshjr said:


> Also I want a HD DVR that has 4 tuners that are recordable at the same time and has a bigger hard drive on it. 50 hours of HD just dont cut it. Makes me want to buy a HR20 and drop a 1.5 hard drive in it myself.


Why not just use two DVR's? I would recommend against dropping a larger drive IN an HR2x though. That is why the eSata port is there - just get the proper drive and enclosure, and plug it in.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

carl6 said:


> Why not just use two DVR's? I would recommend against dropping a larger drive IN an HR2x though. That is why the eSata port is there - just get the proper drive and enclosure, and plug it in.


I really dont want to have to have 2 DVR's plugged into the tv. I wont install a hard drive in my HR20 unless I get one thats owned. The leased ones I will not touch.


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## xmguy (Mar 27, 2008)

Simple for me. Keep cost increases as low as possible. I have the Choice Plus w/ DVR. Adding HD later next month. I have 3 (4 later for HD requirements for HD on my R22) receivers. 2 R22's 1 R15. They serve me well. I can't complain. The costs for me is the biggest issue. Whether the cost increase next year is HUGE or small is the clincher for me.


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## spidey (Sep 1, 2006)

been with D* since 1995 it hard to say never but I will never go back to cable. Each year Directv adds new features, new receivers and new channels


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## CJTE (Sep 18, 2007)

spidey said:


> been with D* since 1995 it hard to say never but I will never go back to cable. Each year Directv adds new features, new receivers and new channels


And a bigger price tag!
:lol:

Not saying that nobody else does it...


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## iamqnow (Dec 26, 2007)

oldfantom said:


> I have been thinking about this for a few weeks. I certainly don't have a time frame, but I do have a list of the killer apps that are going to get my business in the future. If some other provider put them in front of me right now, however, I might drop the dish from my roofline.
> 
> (1) More HD choices.
> (2) Centralized receiver hardware with multiple tuners that will let me
> ...


No reason to drop them, their customer service record with me is excellent. But....I have had so much defective equipment replaced it's scary. And the annoyance factor is growing daily with the audio dropouts. Also, bring on MRV already! I have 1 HD/DVR and 3 HD receivers. Would really like the ability to watch recordings in the other rooms without spending $ on upgrades and adding 2 more years to my commitment.


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## Daniel (Feb 6, 2007)

_<<Putting on flame-proof jacket...>>_
The only thing that is keeping me a DirecTV customer is the upcoming new DirecTiVo. I _will_ be moving back to TiVo next year and I would prefer it to be with DirecTV, but if not, I'll happily go to Grande Communications, which already provides me my fiber-optic broadband and land-line telephone. The current DirecTV DVRs that I have been using since my SD DirecTiVos died are, IMOHO, crap.


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## CJTE (Sep 18, 2007)

Daniel said:


> _<<Putting on flame-proof jacket...>>_
> The only thing that is keeping me a DirecTV customer is the upcoming new DirecTiVo. I _will_ be moving back to TiVo next year and I would prefer it to be with DirecTV, but if not, I'll happily go to Grande Communications, which already provides me my fiber-optic broadband and land-line telephone. The current DirecTV DVRs that I have been using since my SD DirecTiVos died are, IMOHO, crap.


*pats flameproof jacket*
I don't agree with your evaluation of the DirecTV STB's but... That doesn't mean its not a totally legit view. When I look at Tivos I shudder. Its like TV for 3 year olds... Teletubbies, ya know?

So, hopefully the DirecTV HD Tivo is what you're looking for to stay a customer, otherwise, triple play grande!


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## rich67 (Mar 11, 2009)

I have choice extra, in the future, and soon, I want a decent ala cart choice. I am sick of paying for a lot of irrelevant channels I don't want to watch. If not I'll just spend my time on line. Or go back to radio...


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## oldfantom (Mar 13, 2006)

Funny thing about some of the posts, and this is a "for me" statement..

(1) Customer service not important - I don't use them. My tune might change if there is hardware failure. But I have only had to deal with them once after Ike
(2) Cost is not an issue. I am not rich. But it is not so high that I notice.
(3) I used to say that NFLST was the killer app. I dropped it this year. I am watching a lot less football this year. 

I think I may be a geek after all. The most important thing to me is the technology and the content. D12 and an MVR. Looks like I will wait until Q2 for the first (see the Sixto report).


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## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

For me it's simple, I would love it if they dropped the mirroring fees for all the additional receivers, but that ain't gonna happen....


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## primetime (Mar 23, 2007)

MRV is probably my biggest wish. There aren't really any more channels I care about in HD. I dropped the movie packages in favor of Netflix and all that is left for channels to go HD are niche channels I am really not interested in. 

Overall, I have been pretty satisfied with customer service, hardware and pricing. It beats the pants off Charter and the ease of adding the external hard drive on the 
HR20's lets me record more HD programming than I have time to watch. The VOD works well enough for the limited time I actually use it, maybe be a little better if they kept the current season's shows on it a little longer so I could go back and get the first episode of a new show if I don't start watching until week 4 or 5 like White Collar or Sons of Anarchy last year but that is probably the network's decison.


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## gomezma1 (Mar 28, 2006)

I have a problem with having to pay for equipment out of my pocket and have to return it. Also if you buy another receiver your not only losing out what you paid for it but the extra $5 a month charge. I was gonna go with Dish becuase of the duo reciever that you can use for two tv's and not have to pay for the equipment or extra $5 charge. I guess we are never satisfied any way because at times the grass is greener on the other side.


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## islesfan (Oct 18, 2006)

My choices?

1. Stay with DirecTV
2. go to Dish
3. Go with local government owned phone company TV (like a cut rate FIOS)
4. Switch to Charter Cable (ok, cue the laughter)

So, as you can see, I don't really have any choice but stay with DirecTV. I'm angry over two issues only. First MSG HD on NHLCI. That's the fault of the Dolan$ and not DirecTV, so no switch will solve that one (except maybe switching Gary Bettman, but that's not my choice). The second is Versus, and if you think that Comca$t won't play exactly the same games with Dish or Charter as they have with DirecTV, then you're sadly mistaken.


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

I just recently did a trade study on this and my choices were:


DirecTV
DiSH
Charter Cable

The value versus the cost model showed that DirecTV was the least expensive to have as a TV service and provided everything I needed now and for the foreseeable future. So, I have no need, nor the desire, after doing the study, that I would go anywhere else.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

For me there are no real alternatives and I'm happy with my service.

That is to say, for now, I'm not considering leaving.

I can't say what my options will be five or ten years out but is doesn't like there will be a viable replacement. 

Mike


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

smiddy said:


> I just recently did a trade study on this and my choices were:
> 
> 
> DirecTV
> ...


Oh, I forgot to mention OTA, since I have a decent set of OTA station available to me, this was a non-starter due to the programming for both my children and my wife. Though the cost model on this is far superior to any of these choices...you can get everything you "need" with OTA if you have the stations near enough to you to do OTA.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

smiddy said:


> Oh, I forgot to mention OTA, since I have a decent set of OTA station available to me, this was a non-starter due to the programming for both my children and my wife. Though the cost model on this is far superior to any of these choices...you can get everything you "need" with OTA if you have the stations near enough to you to do OTA.


That's a consideration for me as I can't get the CT locals where I am...I get some of the RI locals but none of mine. :grin:

Mike


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## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

gomezma1 said:


> I was gonna go with Dish becuase of the duo reciever that you can use for two tv's and not have to pay for the equipment or extra $5 charge.


The problem with that is that second output is only a coaxial cable output to an SD TV. If you have HDTVs you will only have an SD signal on the secondary output of the HD 722 DVR. To me it is worth the $5.00 for better quality video for my second TV. I have family members who have a DISH 2 TV DVRs, and the picture is good on the HD output, but not so good on the coaxial SD output.


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## merchione (Apr 28, 2008)

dcowboy7 said:


> Directv has sunday ticket exclusively thru the 2014 season so i aint goin anywhere.


Thats what I thought at first but this season I could not afford it, so it forced me to go and seek a place where I can see my team. Now I cant wait to go there every sunday and have a beer a cheer and hi fives all around when we score...cant beat it. So NFL package is not so important to me anymore.


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## gphvid (Jun 19, 2007)

Now that Comcast is buying NBCU, a hold on any price increases and a stand up to any attempts by Comcast to up prices. Funny how these people haven't realize yet they are pricing their service out of the market...


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## merchione (Apr 28, 2008)

smiddy said:


> I just recently did a trade study on this and my choices were:
> 
> 
> DirecTV
> ...


My choices are:


DirecTV
DiSH
Time Warner (never again)
Uverse 

Uverse is looking really good right now, still under my 2 year contract but I got some thinking to do.


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## dog6869 (Oct 27, 2007)

#1 Bring Versus back!! (That is a major deal breaker with me)

#2 HD that counts no more PPVHD channels

#3 CSR roulette is ridiculous.


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

dog6869 said:


> #1 Bring Versus back!! (That is a major deal breaker with me)


I never watched it, I have no clue what it is (or was), but I can respect that as something you miss.



> #2 HD that counts no more PPVHD channels


I could not care less about HD channel counts. What I care about is if they carry the HD that I want to watch. There are a few channels I would like to see n HD, but I can wait.



> #3 CSR roulette is ridiculous.


Inadequate customer service is an unfortunate sign of the times. D* like to tout themselves as a "premium" service, but until they can actually offer excellent customer service, they will never truly be "premium".


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## IDRick (Feb 16, 2007)

smiddy said:


> I just recently did a trade study on this and my choices were:
> 
> 
> DirecTV
> ...


Hi Smiddy,

Great job!  I'm curious, could you share a bit more on your value versus cost model comparison? Cost comparison is obviously less subjective than a value comparison.

Thanks!

Rick


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## VARTV (Dec 14, 2006)

dcowboy7 said:


> Directv has sunday ticket exclusively thru the 2014 season so i aint goin anywhere.


NFLST-HD is the only reason I stay. I would got FIOS TV otherwise...


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

IDRick said:


> Hi Smiddy,
> 
> Great job!  I'm curious, could you share a bit more on your value versus cost model comparison? Cost comparison is obviously less subjective than a value comparison.
> 
> ...


Yes, when I am able. I have it at the house, I'm at work at the moment. This included putting money into the addition of one HD Receiver as well, which as you know is $99 for most folks and comparing my current package (HD DVR Plus with HD Extra) for the period of two years (contract length in most cases) at regular prices (no incentives; since I am a current subscriber). A lot of folks here can get an HR Receiver for free too (no incentives) so your own mileage will vary, as they say. Total savings I want to say was near $400/yr over DiSH and Charter. Charter was a non-starter since they didn't have all the HD for the same price I am paying now (plus I had some issues when I built my house, which momma said no, no Charter, so she said so, so there it is).


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## IDRick (Feb 16, 2007)

Hi Smiddy,

I look forward to seeing your analysis! I agree, if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy...

Take care,

Rick


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

Yep, gotta make certain momma is happy.


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## Barry in Conyers (Jan 14, 2008)

I am in a top ten DMA (Atlanta) with easy access to OTA, so getting locals via DirecTV is not important to me. In fact, I generally go OTA for network programming because of better PQ, less brrrrp's / dropouts and no rain fade.

What I want from DirecTV (or any other provider) is:

1. Access to non-network HD programming.
2. RELIABLE recording / playback (including guide data).
3. A UI that is easy to read, reasonably intuitive and consistently quick.
4. Decent policies and customer service.​
What I DON'T want from DirecTV (or any other provider) is:

1. Upgrades that introduce new problems.
2. Treating customers as nothing more than cash cows.
3. Mushrooming customers.
3. Excuses instead of solutions.​
My only choices are DirecTV, DishNetwork and Comcast so I will probably continue to be disappointed.

Before anyone starts flaming, I have been a DirecTV subscriber since 1996 and agree that my alternatives are worse. However, I also remember when DirecTV had a clearly superior product and great customer service; sadly, that is no longer true.


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## guffy1 (Apr 23, 2006)

Lets see, if I turn on one of my TV's and I am able to watch TV then I will remain a Directv customer. I guess its not something that I roll around in bed thinking about at night. Its only TV, I have real adult things to roll around in bed worrying about at night. Maybe if FIOS rolled into my area then Id have something to think about


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## HerntDawg (Oct 6, 2008)

smiddy said:


> Yep, gotta make certain momma is happy.


I agree, mamma has to be happy(me as well) NFLST is the only option. The superfan is cool too.


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## ub1934 (Dec 30, 2005)

Not having to pay for HD that we cannot watch when we get some light rain or snow (771) on # 1 & 2


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## loudo (Mar 24, 2005)

ub1934 said:


> Not having to pay for HD that we cannot watch when we get some light rain or snow (771) on # 1 & 2


And when I had cable, I had to pay for cable when trees fell on the lines, someone cut the line, or line amplifiers went down. That is why I switched to satellite TV, down time from rain fade was less than downtime from all the cable issues.


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## Darcaine (Aug 31, 2009)

They can't afford to keep me long term. With technology offering me other ways of paying only for the shows I actually watch, I don't see myself subscribing to any service that offers me a product, that at most, I only use 2 - 3% of.

Once I have a reliable enough alternative to all the shows (not even channels, just the shows) I want, then I'll probably stop subscribing.

Until then though I doubt I'll go anywhere. D* offers a decent enough package, and it's not worth the hassle to switch to anything else, I just wish they had a HTPC tuner option.


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