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Anyone have DirecTV?

Yancy Street Gang Feb 08 2006 09:23 AM

My cable company is forcing me to get a cable box if I want to continue receiving HBO. And I'm sure it's no coincidence that they've put the deadline at five days before the new Sopranos season starts. So I'm considering DirecTV. The cost will be about the same, with the added benefit of the MLB Extra Innings package. So it looks like a good idea. Has anybody had DirecTV? Any downsides that they don't cover on their website?

KC Feb 08 2006 09:30 AM

I don't have it. If Direct TV is the one with the NFL package - a good friend of mine has it. We all missed most of that Saturday night New England game a few weeks back because of poor signal due to the weather. I'm very happy with my digital cable, except the cost of course, and our cable company has MLB.

soupcan Feb 08 2006 09:35 AM

I lived in a house that did not have cable running to it and it was cost-prohibitive to install it so we went the DirecTV route. I had no problems except what KC mentioned - lost signal due to bad weather. It would go out and stay out, if it was cloudy, rainy or snowy. Once we moved we went back to cable because of that reason This was in 1997 and I would have thought they would have figured out some way to correct that. According to KC though, it appears that it is still an issue.

ABG Feb 08 2006 09:40 AM

I have it, and unless we're talking torrential downpour, I find the service to be excellent. I'd say the signal goes out less often than when I had cable. It's also cool if you live out of market for EI. Beyond getting the games, you can get the "sports package" which allowed you to get the pre and post game stuff on FSNY and MSG last year. I'd imagine the same will be true of the new network this year, meaning you can watch till your stuffed full of Mets-related programming. That option isn't available on digital cable as far as I know--their EI package picks up with the first pitch and shuts off directly after Benitez blows a big game.

Elster88 Feb 08 2006 10:00 AM

Had DISH, with the same problem. Cloudy, windy, whatever. Was always cutting out. Back to The Purely and Simply Evil Cablevision.

Yancy Street Gang Feb 08 2006 10:49 AM

Hmmm. Thanks everyone. I'm looking at the price list, and my Comcast Internet would go up by $15 if I didn't subscribe to their TV service. But they also offer a limited basic package (with local channels plus QVC and TBS) for $15. So it looks like that means that limited basic plus Internet would cost the same as just Internet. Maybe I can get that and keep the local channels as a backup if I have weather problems with the satellite. I might end up missing a Sopranos episode in bad weather, but they repeat those throughout the week. But if it's 24 or Lost I'd have the cable as a backup. And speaking of Sopranos and 24, well, I'll take that to the TV thread...

Yancy Street Gang Feb 09 2006 09:28 AM

After thinking and investigating, I've decided (at least for now) to stay with evil Comcast. I'll get two of their digital cable boxes and hook them up to my existing TiVo boxes. I've always tried to avoid cable boxes since they've historically been incompatible with recording devices. (You should have seen the crazy hookup I had back on Long Island when I wanted to have the ability to videotape Mets games on SportsChannel. A/B switches. Even an A/B/C switch! Yeesh.) But now there are infrared cables that allow TiVo to change the channel on the cable box when it's time to record something. (TiVo suggests I build a tent to shield the infrared signal. They must think I'm Alex Rodriguez or something.) I'm going to get the Extra Innings package. Last year I went with MLB.com's subscription. I think I'll enjoy watching baseball from my comfy couch instead of from the chair that's in front of my PC.

ScarletKnight41 Feb 09 2006 10:17 AM

As much as I hate Comcast, I do like the digital cable. The On Demand feature is great - you get a lot of free programming on it, plus you can rent new releases without having to deal with returning videos to Blockbuster. Enjoy!

soupcan Feb 09 2006 10:21 AM

ScarletKnight41 wrote: you get a lot of free programming on it... Nothing is free.

ScarletKnight41 Feb 09 2006 10:27 AM

Well, once you pony up the monthly charges, they don't make you pay any extra for a lot of the On Demand programming.