# Directv Price 4% hike 3/1



## vlj9r (Nov 23, 2005)

Looking at DirecTV's Price Hike 
Wall Street reacted to news that DirecTV plans to raise its subscription rates, which the company said could amount to a price hike of about 4 percent based on a customer's average monthly bill. 

The new prices take effect March 1. 

Craig Moffett of Bernstein Research pointed out in a research note that DirecTV's price increase comes on the heels of similar price hikes by cable MSOs and EchoStar. He said the DirecTV rate jump "is consistent with our view that the competitive intensity in the sector remains restrained." 

Moffett added, "As has been the case with increases recently announced by EchoStar and Comcast, the increases are largest - on a percentage basis - for introductory packages, and are smaller for high-end packages. We have previously referred to this strategy as flattening the demand curve, whereby the relative hurdle for upgrading to richer tiers is lowered even as prices rise across the board." 

What was surprising to Moffett, however, is DirecTV's plan to increase rates for new subscribers more than for existing viewers. "This appears to be a clear indication that, at this point, churn management is a higher priority than new subscriber growth," Moffett said. 

In response to questions about the rate hike, DirecTV spokesperson Robert Mercer said fees charged for programming have significantly outpaced the average increase of a customer's bill, which will show a jump slightly greater than 4 percent. 

"DirecTV continues to be a far better value than cable whose average annual price increases have typically been higher," Mercer said. "We continue to invest in the quality of the DirecTV viewing experience, such as launching new satellites to bring local stations to over 93 percent of the country, more high definition and even greater number of channels and original programming to enjoy."


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## vlj9r (Nov 23, 2005)

DirecTV Price Increase Details 
Last week, DirecTV sent a letter to its retailers saying that the company is raising the cost of its programming packages across the board beginning March 1. And what has most people talking is that the new prices under DirecTV's plan will increase more for new subscribers than they will for existing ones. 

For new subs, the introductory Total Choice package will increase $3 per month (7.1 percent) from $41.99 to $44.99; the Total Choice Plus package will increase $4 (8.7 percent) from $45.99 to $49.99 and the top Total Choice Premier package will increase by $6 (6.4 percent) from $93.99 to $99.99. 

For existing subs, DirecTV has announced a $3 increase across all programming packages. After March 1 the Total Choice package will increase from $41.99 to $44.99 (7.1 percent); the Total Choice Plus from $45.99 to $48.99 (6.5 percent) and Total Choice Premier from $93.99 to $96.99 (3.2 percent). 

"The price adjustments are designed primarily to offset the higher programming costs that we pay to carry many of the networks and programming services we provide our customers," the company said in the letter. "Other costs associated with the price increase include significant investments we have made for new technologies and exclusive content." 

DirecTV said that the price increase will not apply to the DirecTV PARA TODOS or other international programming services, nor to pay-per-view movies or a la carte services like premium movie channels and local channel packages. 

DirecTV began notifying customers this week of the change in rates. 

Asked if the price increase will negatively impact sales the company said, "No. Consumers will compare our service to cable TV and will see that we continue to offer a competitive service and a great entertainment value."


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## rid0617 (Dec 27, 2004)

I am just about to cancel and go back to an antenna. $50 a month for the trash on TV now a days is ridiculous. I have been a DIRECTV customer since 1997 and there have been more price increases in 3 years than there were since it come out. Everything keeps going up, income stays flat and when you call customer service you have to deal with India. Uncalled for.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

At least the other shoe has dropped. The only good part is that we don't have to deal with three dropped channels and a channel operator running full-page ads painting the company as a demon. 

There are a few gems on TV... you just have to know where to look for them. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Blame some of the price increases on the escalator clauses put in by the channel carriage contracts. The price is based upon how many potential eyeballs are out there... whether or not you actually watch the channel. The most expensive channels have to be E$PN and the R$Ns.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

With TC Plus and the HD package, my monthly fee is going up only $2. I can live with that. My neighbor's Comcrap cable is going up $3.50.


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## Chris Freeland (Mar 24, 2002)

The one thing that puzzles me is that these press releases claim their are no price increases on Premium services, this does not add up, the price of TC Premier for new customers is going up $6 from $93.99 to $99.99, however TC Plus for new customers goes up only $4 from $45.99 to $49.99, which means that the price of having all 5 premiums for new customers must be going up $2. The current rate for Premiums is 1 = $12, 2 = $23, 3 = $33, 4 = $41 and all 5 = $48, $49.99 + $48 = $97.99, not $99.99. Their must be a premium channel increase in their some where. Unless D* has invented some kind of all new math  .


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## Joe C (Mar 3, 2005)

vlj9r said:


> DirecTV Price Increase Details
> 
> "The price adjustments are designed primarily to offset the higher programming costs that we pay to carry many of the networks and programming services we provide our customers," the company said in the letter. "Other costs associated with the price increase include significant investments we have made for new technologies and exclusive content."


Well that sucks, we does the rest of the sub base have to subsidize NFLST?


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## ansky (Oct 11, 2005)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> With TC Plus and the HD package, my monthly fee is going up only $2. I can live with that. My neighbor's Comcrap cable is going up $3.50.


I can live with a $2 or $3 increase per month. Some people spend more than that on a cup of coffee every day.


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## ganz (Jan 18, 2006)

$2-$3. It could be alot worse! DTV is still so much better than any cable co. I've ever had. And still about the same cost per month.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

I hate to see another price increase, but I can handle it. When I first signed up back in the 90's, it seems like we went years without an increase while cable bills were going up $2-3 a year.

Mark makes a good point. How much of the increase is due to networks charging WAY too much for their programming?


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## brzmkla (Aug 26, 2005)

Chris Freeland said:


> The one thing that puzzles me is that these press releases claim their are no price increases on Premium services, this does not add up, the price of TC Premier for new customers is going up $6 from $93.99 to $99.99, however TC Plus for new customers goes up only $4 from $45.99 to $49.99, which means that the price of having all 5 premiums for new customers must be going up $2. The current rate for Premiums is 1 = $12, 2 = $23, 3 = $33, 4 = $41 and all 5 = $48, $49.99 + $48 = $97.99, not $99.99. Their must be a premium channel increase in their some where. Unless D* has invented some kind of all new math  .


just pointing out that the TC Premier also gives you access to all the RSN's plus a few additional channels on top of all the movie channels.


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## JLucPicard (Apr 27, 2004)

Maybe it's the mood I'm in right now or something, but this conversation just floors me. Or more directly, some of the harshness of the conversation just floors me. We all are trying to make things fit into our budgets and I understand that. But any time gas prices go up a nickel, dime, twenty cents a gallon, there goes an extrta couple of bucks into the tank.

As was mentioned by Mark Holtz, a lot of us have seen the fallout (and maybe tunnel vision here, but the more visible examples I've seen were with E*) of a channel being dropped by the DBS provider and the channel operator loudly proclaiming it's because the DBS provider won't pay them what they're worth. Programming contracts are being negotiated all the time, and the price of those things, I would suspect, are going up just like everything else.

As for NFLST, the cost of that service to the subscribers have also gone up, and we could play the game all day about "why do I have to subsudize the Home and Garden channel (or insert other channels here) when I never watch it anyway?".

And I guess if you want to pick nits, yes there most likely is some inherent increase on the premiums in the sense of how that all fits into the pricing scheme of the TCP package, but the ala carte prices are not changing.

Bottom line is, providing content costs money and that cost of doing business is normally passed along to the consumer, no matter what type of business it is. I have to give D* credit for the investment they are making in advancing the content they provide (which will be a process that doesn't happen overnight). I would be a fool to think that that doesn't come at some kind of cost.

I don't have an unlimited budget either, and if things were going up 10 or 20%, I'd probably be complaining, too. But a few dollars a month just does not seem that out of line to me.


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## Smthkd (Sep 1, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> With TC Plus and the HD package, my monthly fee is going up only $2. I can live with that. My neighbor's Comcrap cable is going up $3.50.


Yeah but your neighbors Comcrap cable has a better HD lineup that justifies its price increase, they only thing we got is a rediculous 1 hr/week HD broadcast of CD USA!:nono2:


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## Chris Freeland (Mar 24, 2002)

brzmkla said:


> just pointing out that the TC Premier also gives you access to all the RSN's plus a few additional channels on top of all the movie channels.


I realize that, but my point is that before March 1, 2006, the price difference between TC+ and TC Premier is only $48, however for new customers after March 1, the difference of $2, same package, same channels, but this means that their must be a price increase somewhere for Premiums (and yes I am including the Sports pack) even though D* is claiming their is no increase for Premiums. Why can't D* come clean and give us the details on the premium packages too.


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## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

There goes my raise !  I received a 4% increase this year which I was kinda happy about until I did all the math. DirecTV goes up 4%, my Gas & Electric bill went up almost 40%, gas for my car went up 30-35%, water & sewage went up on my house a couple percent, thanks to some new law credit card companies changed the way they charge us monthly so now my minimums have been going up, etc....

Even with a 4% yearly increase I actually have less spend money than last year.


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## Clemsole (Sep 8, 2005)

Everybody cry's that they want all the new things made available to them like mix channels, HD channels, enable the USB ports but when the price goes up to cover the cost of adding some of these features everybody cry's about the cost. Face up to it people if you want it you have to pay for it, if your unhappy with it go some where else.


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## orie (Jan 20, 2006)

a few dollars. big deal. 

It's still cheaper than cable.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

JLucPicard said:


> As for NFLST, the cost of that service to the subscribers have also gone up, and we could play the game all day about "why do I have to subsudize the Home and Garden channel (or insert other channels here) when I never watch it anyway?"


Somehow it seems like since NFLST is a D* exclusive, then it naturally has more impact than a network that stands on its own.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

rid0617 said:


> I am just about to cancel and go back to an antenna.


The problem with OTA is that you need to invest in a good DVR as you'll need something to skip the three minutes of commercials in every ten minute segment. I feel compelled to record all big four programming that I want to watch so that I can skip the commercials. The broadcast networks need to charge a whole lot more for a whole lot fewer commercials. Nobody needs that many potty breaks.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

orie said:


> a few dollars. big deal.
> 
> It's still cheaper than cable.


Ditto. If you have the HD package (which is actually going down a buck), the NET increase is $2.00 / month. WHOPPEE :lol:


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## Link (Feb 2, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> With TC Plus and the HD package, my monthly fee is going up only $2. I can live with that. My neighbor's Comcrap cable is going up $3.50.


Our local cable raised $2.00 for expanded basic (2-78) and $1.00 for digital premium packages. Everything else remained the same.

If satellite keeps raising prices each year, they are going to have to come up with lower end packages that are affordable to customers. Otherwise people will have to go back to the days of an antenna receiving over the air digital signals.

They can't really keep adding whatever new channels programmers come up with like Lifetime Real Women, etc, then just expect customers to pay huge rate hikes for channels they don't care about or watch. The channels we watch the most are ones that have been around awhile like Nick at Nite, USA, TBS, etc not newer ones as much.


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## midnight75 (Jun 25, 2004)

orie said:


> a few dollars. big deal.
> 
> It's still cheaper than cable.


Same is true in my area. In my area, digital cable would be $55.42 (before taxes) for the 1st TV & $6.95 for each additional TV.


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## Chris Freeland (Mar 24, 2002)

In my area, D* and E* is both cheaper then Cable, unless you bundle with Internet, then it comes out about the same, if you add HD to the mix, cable actually comes out cheaper.


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## Joe C (Mar 3, 2005)

JLucPicard said:


> As for NFLST, the cost of that service to the subscribers have also gone up, and we could play the game all day about "why do I have to subsudize the Home and Garden channel (or insert other channels here) when I never watch it anyway?".


The difference is that NFLST is an add on package, a very expensive package at that. The majority of the subs do not subscribe to ST, yet it affects everyone's rates.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Joe C said:


> The majority of the subs do not subscribe to ST, yet it affects everyone's rates.


Oh really - and what specific data do you base that conjecture on?


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Joe C said:


> The difference is that NFLST is an add on package, a very expensive package at that. The majority of the subs do not subscribe to ST, yet it affects everyone's rates.


Are you suggesting that Jon Q Subscriber is subsidizing the cost of ST? I really don't think so. In fact, I would guess that all of the high priced addon packages help subsidize the costs of the very basic package. Don't know this to be true, just a guess.


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## rid0617 (Dec 27, 2004)

Sure it's only $2-$4 but when everything else keeps going up, income stays flat eventually your in the hole. While at the same time the products that go up that $2-$4 a month keep turning in large profit reports to satisfy the stock holders who could care less about us, just making money. Plus there are channels on that bundle that I have not watched since I signed up in 1997 and I'm not talking religious or shopping. People on disability like me just cannot keep absorbing it without cutting back.


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## pudge44 (Jan 25, 2006)

Wolffpack said:


> Are you suggesting that Jon Q Subscriber is subsidizing the cost of ST? I really don't think so. In fact, I would guess that all of the high priced addon packages help subsidize the costs of the very basic package. Don't know this to be true, just a guess.


I'm just guessing as well, but I think there is some subsidizing of NFLST with rate hikes. It's got to be D*'s most expensive programming acquisition, by miles at that. Under the terms of the most recent extension of the exclusive deal, D* is paying the NFL *$700 million a year for five years*.

I don't know for sure but have heard from people in the industry that NFLST has around 2 million subscribers -- at roughly $200 each, that doesn't nearly cover what D* is paying for it. That doesn't factor in the much higher fees that are charged to bars and restaurants, but I don't know that that would be enough to make up the difference.


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Interesting. I just don't think DTV has that much to pull from subs. Maybe the commercial side is pulling in more than we think.

EDIT: With ST, Center Ice, Extra Inning and the such, how much can DTV pull from Jon Q Subscriber to cover these costs. I think DTV make more $$ the higher the package price. For example, I think they make more on TC+ than TC and more on TCP than TC+. But I could be wrong.


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## JLucPicard (Apr 27, 2004)

pudge44,

If my math is right, 2 million subscribers at $200 a year is about $400 million a year. At that rate, D* would cover what it's paying the NFL after two years on their five year contract. I don't see any reason why there would need to be anything subsidized by Jon Q Subscriber. In fact, I'd almost guess that some of the revenue from NFLST may go to subsudize other programming/technology - not the other way around.

(Numbers all based on what you posted - I did no independent research on this).


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## Blurayfan (Nov 16, 2005)

Chris Freeland said:


> I realize that, but my point is that before March 1, 2006, the price difference between TC+ and TC Premier is only $48, however for new customers after March 1, the difference of $2, same package, same channels, but this means that their must be a price increase somewhere for Premiums (and yes I am including the Sports pack) even though D* is claiming their is no increase for Premiums. Why can't D* come clean and give us the details on the premium packages too.


The price of premiums for existing customer are not going up. Thus making it appear the quote was meant to be for existing customer pricing. TC+ is $48.99, TC Premiere is $96.99 = $48.00 difference.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

JLucPicard said:


> pudge44,
> 
> If my math is right, 2 million subscribers at $200 a year is about $400 million a year. At that rate, D* would cover what it's paying the NFL after two years on their five year contract. I don't see any reason why there would need to be anything subsidized by Jon Q Subscriber. In fact, I'd almost guess that some of the revenue from NFLST may go to subsudize other programming/technology - not the other way around.
> 
> (Numbers all based on what you posted - I did no independent research on this).


The price was $700M PER YEAR for 5 years. With D* bringing in $400M per year, they are still $300M per year short. But then we had no estimates on the commercial purchases of ST.

Carl


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## JLucPicard (Apr 27, 2004)

OK. I misread the post I was basing this on. Should have been in bed! LOL


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## Chris Freeland (Mar 24, 2002)

DVDKingdom said:


> The price of premiums for existing customer are not going up. Thus making it appear the quote was meant to be for existing customer pricing. TC+ is $48.99, TC Premiere is $96.99 = $48.00 difference.


Yes you may be correct, however I would like to know how the premium price structure has bean changed because for new customers TC+ is now $49.99 and TC Premiere is now $99.99, now a $50 difference?


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2006)

There is other revenue from NFLST other than just the subscriptions. There is also a certain amount of advertising time available to DirecTV, in addition to the revenue from the add-on SuperFan package.


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## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

Besides this price hike has anyone noticed more DirecTV self promotion commercials all the time and on all the channels ? I never noticed it being so bad before but everytime you turn around there is a DirecTV promotion ad on about something. Its worse on some channels than others so many might not have noticed this yet.


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## DS0816 (Mar 29, 2002)

I'm on the verge of leaving DirecTV. Not because I don't like the service. My dad just got an HDTV. He asked me to arrange getting hook-up by the date of the Super Bowl. We have both cable and satellite. I'm figuring, with my cable high-speed Internet service, I may as well trim the bill. But if I stuck with DirecTV (which would mean dumping cable and high-speed in favor of DSL), I'd have to take the 1998-installed Single LNB from the roof (or leave it there) and expect delivery of a new Triple LNB dish (updated and as a replacement), while more than one room would get installed with DirecTV. In the past I would have pushed for this. But considering that DirecTV is no longer all-that-special, I figure I may return to DirecTV when I eventually move out. But I'm not wanting to fight over the cable-vs.-satellite issue -- it no longer is important. 

I leave folks here with two questions: Is there any offers, or benefits, for Returning DirecTV Customers? Oh, and if I were to hang onto both DirecTV and cable, is there a HDTV set-top box -- not connected with a satellite or cable provider -- good enough for Detroit locals?


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## newsposter (Nov 13, 2003)

JLucPicard said:


> OK. I misread the post I was basing this on. Should have been in bed! LOL


here's some reading for you

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=641794&highlight=

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading digital television service provider, today announced a five-year $3.5 billion agreement with the National Football League to extend and expand DIRECTV's exclusive rights to carry NFL SUNDAY TICKET, the leading sports subscription television package in the United States. DIRECTV will continue to have exclusive multichannel television rights to air NFL SUNDAY TICKET games through the 2010 season.


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## JLucPicard (Apr 27, 2004)

DS0816,

I don't know anything about the reception experience with Detroit locals, but did the HDTV your dad got have a built in tuner, or is it just a monitor? Depending on your location, you may be able to pick up an indoor antenna that would allow him to pick up the Super Bowl and give you more time to decide on what to do from there. When I bought my HDTV, the the guy where I bought it threw in an HD STB (LG brand) for free, but I think the retail price they had it marked at was about $200.00. A quick browse on BB and CC web sites show HD receivers starting around $230.

I know nothing of offers or anything to returning D* subscribers either.

Good Luck!


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## DS0816 (Mar 29, 2002)

JLucPicard said:


> DS0816,
> 
> I don't know anything about the reception experience with Detroit locals, but did the HDTV your dad got have a built in tuner, or is it just a monitor? Depending on your location, you may be able to pick up an indoor antenna that would allow him to pick up the Super Bowl and give you more time to decide on what to do from there. When I bought my HDTV, the the guy where I bought it threw in an HD STB (LG brand) for free, but I think the retail price they had it marked at was about $200.00. A quick browse on BB and CC web sites show HD receivers starting around $230.
> 
> ...


Thanks.

It's the TV alone. And my dad had the antenna -- the old rooftop antenna with a far reach of locals outside of Detroit (with a reach that would bring in Toledo, Ohio stations) -- taken down, back in the early-1980s, not long after we became cable subscribers.

Before delving into details, I want folks to know that anyone is welcomed to respond to the following that I have to add.&#8230;

New customers are the ones that DirecTV -- and Dish Network and cable providers in general -- bends over backwards to impress. But I have so far found that my research -- making inquiries -- has helped.

Here's _my_ situation (I don't think it's too _personal_): We have five TVs. I know, that's a lot for just two people. Two bedrooms are slept in; one is for a computer-and-TV room; one is the living room; and then the HDTV is in the family room. We move about.

Between cable television service providers I have the following choices -- aside from C-Band -- in Southeast Michigan that is directly in line with the Detroit market: Comcast and Wide Open West for cable, DirecTV and Dish Network for satellite. (Note: I'm in Wayne County. It's the fifth most-populated in the U.S. And, yes, Detroit is obviously the county seat. I'm located in the suburbs.)

Elimination time: My dad left Comcast in 2000 for WOW because locals on basic cable had embarrassing ingress and picture distortion. And no way in hell will I go with Dish Network and its occasional, prehaps-just-temporary, core channel losses (in the past couple years: ESPN Classic, Outdoor Life Network, and now Lifetime. What's next?).

So it's a matter of making the math work, and not inconveniencing anyone.

Right now, I pay for my DirecTV (from just one TV), and it's DirecTV Plus as well as two premiums (can always go down to one): $68. WOW Basic Cable and 6Mbps Internet (and figuring in my dad's senior discount) runs: $86. I pay for that as well. Total: $154.

Talking with WOW and DirecTV, I noticed it's nickel-and-dime time.&#8230;

WOW will provide HDTV tuner for HD content digital cable, and two premiums, as well as same Internet service, and basic cable would continue on the other four TVs for between $125 and $130. This may or may not include high-speed cable Internet modem of $2.50 (can't recall that detail), nor does it figure in Michigan's 6-percent sales tax and miscellaneous (read: franchise) fees. Any more digital cable set-top boxes would run $6.95 for each additional TV.

Talking with DirecTV, they'll provide: free installation. I'll keep my current receiver. Three more standard receivers come my way. An HDTV receiver joins the party. I'll subscribe to two premiums, have HD content for $5.99 (a $5 reduction) for six months (or I was given the option of same equivalency in premiums cost reduction). When figuring the costs of DirecTV Plus, two premiums, HD content (my locals, Detroit, are available in HD), it comes to: $95. It would be $100 after the grace period.

If I were to have WOW's package, I figure my costs would be $160 a month. For me to stay with DirecTV, I'd pay $100. (Two-year agreement with DirecTV. None with WOW! But I've been with DirecTV for eight years, and it's in my name. Not a problem.) When it comes to Internet I can still stay with WOW as a non-cable subscriber and have the option of four different Internet speeds: 112kbps Internet for $ 34.99; 500kbps Internet for $ 39.99; 4Mbps Internet for $ 44.99; and 6Mbps Internet for $ 54.99.

If sticking with DirecTV, I also can dump WOW's Internet for DSL -- but DSL service (provided in my area mainly by SBC/Yahoo may or may not be sufficient). Sorry, that's just a possible twist. And I dont' want to digress....

So here's what I'm figuring: DirecTV's package at $100 a month. Premiums can always be lowered. (I figure, though, for the total cost level it would be smart to have, say, at least HBO.) Reduce my current 6 Mbps to either the 500kbps or the 4Mbps (there's just a $5.00 difference between the two -- and it would trim between $10 to $15 -- cost of one premium channel).

$100 plus $40-50 would bring me the $150 level that I'm currently at. The change would include the following: Four TVs would have much more than just basic cable service -- they'd have the DirecTV subscription that covers content seen at the digital-cable level that is beyond analog. The fifth TV would go one step further by having HDTV programming.

I've been told by DirecTV that it's seeking to add extensive HD content by the time 2007 is up. Yes, I know -- we'll see. But HD is problematic in regards to HDTV that's _available_.

So how did this all come about? My brother made a move, sold his HDTV to my dad because my brother's girlfriend also has an HD of her own. My dad said to me, "Look into getting us HDTV." My dad's opinion on the DirecTV-vs.-WOW: He can adjust to triple-digit channel numbers, and thinks that the clarity of every channel on DirecTV being in true digital format is the wiser move, by comparison to the numerous hybrids as reportedly notorious amongst the many cable providers' digital cable content.

That's a lot of info. But I'll also say this: I wasn't impressed with WOW's digital cable lineup. It throws in Starz! as part of the Digital Basic lineup. But Starz! is, from my experience, the weakest of the premium movie services. I leave with a link to WOW's lineup.

Any and all feedback is welcomed.

http://www1.wowway.com/PDF/MichiganChannels.pdf


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## Coz (Feb 6, 2006)

Does anybody know if a current subscriber upgrades their package after 3/1 whether they'll pay existing subscriber or new subscriber rates on the new package?

Thanks,
Coz


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

I am 99% sure that this particular increase is accross the board, affecting ALL users. No difference between new and old (aka there is no grandfathering this time around)


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Coz said:


> Does anybody know if a current subscriber upgrades their package after 3/1 whether they'll pay existing subscriber or new subscriber rates on the new package?


Unless you paid in advance or are still on some sort of honeymoon contract, your rates will rise. You might ask D* if they will hold the 2005 pricing if you pay for a year now.


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## Crystal Pepsi Ball (Jun 29, 2004)

If you pay for service a year in advance, you are still affected by the increase.


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## Newshawk (Sep 3, 2004)

Coz said:


> Does anybody know if a current subscriber upgrades their package after 3/1 whether they'll pay existing subscriber or new subscriber rates on the new package?


You'll pay the existing subscriber rates... that is, your cost is going up only $3 a month. When D* says "new customer" they mean someone who has never had D* before in their life.


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## matty8199 (Dec 4, 2005)

Crystal Pepsi Ball said:


> If you pay for service a year in advance, you are still affected by the increase.


That leads me to an interesting question - is it possible to do this (write D* a check for programming package price * 12 months)?


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## JLucPicard (Apr 27, 2004)

I'm guessing if you pay a large payment up front, all that is done is there is a credit on your account that will get depleted over time as each monthly amount is billed. That being the case, you would still be paying whatever new rates apply to you once they start charging the new rates, and "12 months" of payment based on current rates (paid now) will carry you slightly less than twelve months at the new rate.


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