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Cinabre

Cable and satellite TV

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Posts: 2917

08-08-06 4:16 PM

Big Blue Cat in Warrior Garb

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Our cable bill kept going up and up, so my wife decided it was time to move to satellite. She calls to make sure the channels she likes/wants are available in one package. The channels she wants are Lifetime, Hallmark, HGTV, History Channel and A&E. The basic $24.99 package has Hallmark, but none of the others. The mid-tier package has all except Hallmark. To get all of them, she would have to go with the full blown all out everything package. That's about 155 channels she really could care less about, but must get if she wants to watch what she likes. Someone at Dish Network must have worked real hard to come up with this idea on how to screw customers. It sure would be nice if you could make your own package, but that would just make too much sense I guess.

Cinabre

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Soygen

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#1

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Posts: 7112

08-08-06 4:21 PM

100% Soybean

Place the blame where it belongs: Your wife's picky channel selection.

-Soy

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Aielman KajiraLiege

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#2

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Posts: 4606

08-08-06 4:59 PM

I find that directv is a little better on the channel selection, and they currently have the best setup deal for first time customers. It's also better of you're a sports fan because of the sports packages they have.

Dish has more movie channels, but you have more hoop jumping to do to get the channel selection you want...and their new customer special sort of sucks right now imo.

peace,
Aielman

"They say that 'Cleanliness' is next go 'Godliness'. But isn't...'Goggles' is next to 'Godliness'. 'Cleanliness' is next to 'Claustrophobia' and 'Cleavage'...you can look it up" - Gallagher

WoW - 60 Rabbit Rogue Aielman, 60 Dorf Warrior Aiel, Nathrezim
Husband, Father, Squisher of bugs.
aka Bret

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Feydakin Rainsong

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#3

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Posts: 5124

08-09-06 12:39 AM

Wholly Shi'ite

I keep flirting with the idea of getting a dish just so I can get the NFL Sunday Ticket, but then I think, "fuck that." My parents have satellite, all the same channels I do including HD (that they can't use because they don't have an HDTV) and pay just as much as I do for my cable PLUS cable internet. I'm with Adelphia right now, but I understand that Comcast will be officially taking over in our area soon, so I'll see how bad they try to screw me.

With my luck, Comcast will jack the prices, I'll switch to dish, and the NFL will decide to drop their exclusive satellite contract and switch to cable.

-Tim

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.

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Afmo

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#4

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Posts: 2327

08-09-06 5:12 AM

Properly Equipped

fuck comcast and fuck cable companies in general. They have such a fucking monopoly on the business that the only 2 options in my area are comcast and Dish. Dish is cheaper with better channel lineup, except that i live in an apartment where they dont allow sattelite dishes. Every month i get my comcast bill it feels like im being raped.

so yeah.. FUCK YOU COMCAST....shitty service, expensive, and their "digital cable" signal looks like shit, it looks like i jacked a 30 year old piece of co-ax straight into the back of the TV....

Its not that I don't believe in God, but the world could use a miracle, and until we get one, I'll put my faith in mankind.

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Muerta

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#5

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Posts: 2582

08-09-06 2:37 PM

Legend in the making...
Oh and quite modest

Quote:
The channels she wants are Lifetime, Hallmark, HGTV, History Channel and A&E.

With a Direct TV Plus package, we get all these and more.

(personally, I am addicted to TNT for its ER and Law & Order reruns, and to Animal Planet for Meekrat Manor!)

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Cinabre

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#6

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Posts: 2917

08-09-06 2:48 PM

Big Blue Cat in Warrior Garb

If DirectTV were significantly cheaper, we would probably go with it. She is looking at Dish as they have teamed up with our local telecom to offer better rates for our area. All of it, internet, telephone and satellite TV, will be on one bill.

Cinabre

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Aielman KajiraLiege

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#7

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Posts: 4606

08-09-06 3:20 PM

Quote:
With my luck, Comcast will jack the prices, I'll switch to dish, and the NFL will decide to drop their exclusive satellite contract and switch to cable.

We have comcast in the area here. I think you'll find that the Dish/Directv price will be a bit cheaper for the same or slightly better channel selection, but not a whole helluva lot better. I think the customer service with Directv is a helluva lot better, and much quicker for response time if there is a problem. Outside of the hurricanes a couple years ago, I never have signal down more than a couple of minutes, and only then on the leading edge of a very heavy rain storm.

I dropped the Sunday Ticket this year. I just wasn't watching enough games to justify the price, which seems to go up every year. The fact that local games are blacked out, and there is no coverage of pre or post season just pretty much killed it for me. It wasn't that restrictive when they first got it years ago.

Quote:
If DirectTV were significantly cheaper, we would probably go with it

There's very little difference between the two in pricing until you start getting picky with the a la carte channel selections. I've had both services, and the biggest draw is Directv just by virtue of the fact that they have the easiest website to navigate, the better customer service, and the much better start up deal (you get all the pay channels for free for a few months with directv, as opposed to just Starz with Dish). Price really isn't much of an issue between them.

peace,
Aielman

"They say that 'Cleanliness' is next go 'Godliness'. But isn't...'Goggles' is next to 'Godliness'. 'Cleanliness' is next to 'Claustrophobia' and 'Cleavage'...you can look it up" - Gallagher

WoW - 60 Rabbit Rogue Aielman, 60 Dorf Warrior Aiel, Nathrezim
Husband, Father, Squisher of bugs.
aka Bret

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Looseal

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#8

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Posts: 838

08-09-06 5:36 PM

Liberal Media Outlet

Quote:
except that i live in an apartment where they dont allow sattelite dishes.

Afmo, you may want to go check with the dish service provider on the apartment rules. I thought there were legal exemptions specifically in place to allow folks like you to have a dish, just not an antenna.

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Atrophic Decay

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#9

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Posts: 535

08-09-06 6:52 PM

ok maybe a bad area for this question but I will try anyway =)

I have regular comcast [not digital] -- I managed to get HD CBS but I have no idea how to find if I get nbc / fox / abc in hd somewhere also? My normal cbs is channel 4 and the HD verison is like 18-1.

Is there a way to just get the other HD channels without paying for HD programming [either $5 or $10 extra a month + the extra that digital is]? I don't want to get an antenna because I have read that you have to switch back and forth then?

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meynards corpse01

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#10

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Posts: 574

08-09-06 8:33 PM

Quote:
Afmo, you may want to go check with the dish service provider on the apartment rules. I thought there were legal exemptions specifically in place to allow folks like you to have a dish, just not an antenna.

I know this is true in townhouses (in IL at least) where associations are required by law to allow owners to have dishes, but I doubt there's a law requiring apartment building owners allowing dishes. I could be wrong, but just seems unlikely to me.

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Legolos

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#11

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Posts: 260

08-09-06 8:47 PM

It's the same for me in Michigan. My apartment states right in the lease that I cannot have an external antena or dish. So i'm stuck with Comcast. The service has been good for the 2 years I've had it. It's just about $30-$40 too high in my opinion. Basic digital + basic internet running me 117 a month. Knocking it town to basic non-digital will save me a while $10. woohoo.......

Uggliey of the Kithicor Server

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Aielman KajiraLiege

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#12

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Posts: 4606

08-09-06 8:58 PM

Quote:
Afmo, you may want to go check with the dish service provider on the apartment rules.

Yep. That rule often dates back to when dishes were considerably larger than 18" across. You can set one up on a balcony, if it's facing the right way, without it even really being noticable and then throw something over the dish that is trasparent to signal, but obscures the dish (certain types of cloth and netting can camo a dish). Some complexes have a community dish set up that you can hook into. All you need is a receiver.

Worth a try anyways.

peace,
Aielman

"They say that 'Cleanliness' is next go 'Godliness'. But isn't...'Goggles' is next to 'Godliness'. 'Cleanliness' is next to 'Claustrophobia' and 'Cleavage'...you can look it up" - Gallagher

WoW - 60 Rabbit Rogue Aielman, 60 Dorf Warrior Aiel, Nathrezim
Husband, Father, Squisher of bugs.
aka Bret

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Feydakin Rainsong

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#13

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Posts: 5124

08-09-06 9:12 PM

Wholly Shi'ite

Quote:
I just wasn't watching enough games to justify the price, which seems to go up every year.

I'm mainly interested in Steeler games which will either be on the ticket or broadcast locally. I just figure the cost of Sunday Ticket is cheaper than 12-15 visits to the sports bar at $40+ a shot for food and drinks for 2 people for 3 hours.

-Tim

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.

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Jinsai

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#14

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Posts: 9

08-09-06 9:42 PM

Community Member

Had DirectTV for awhile, hated it. Got fuzzy or went out completely everytime it rained and had to get them to come out and re-adjust the dish angle everytime we had a hurricane come through. On top of that it was more expensive and didn't include internet, we had to get DSL separately.

Ended up going back to Cox cable and couldn't be happier. Never goes out and internet is rock solid. Only complaint is it's pretty expensive, but then we have 6 boxes and a ton of channels.. and the premium internet package. So it could be cheaper if we wanted to give up some things.

So yeah, fuck satellite.

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Aielman KajiraLiege

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#15

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Posts: 4606

08-09-06 9:42 PM

Quote:
I'm mainly interested in Steeler games which will either be on the ticket or broadcast locally. I just figure the cost of Sunday Ticket is cheaper than 12-15 visits to the sports bar at $40+ a shot for food and drinks for 2 people for 3 hours.

Heh...that's what I thought for my Steelers, Browns and Raiders games. Right now it's cheaper, but the way it keeps going up every year, you may end up saving money in the long run real soon, hehe.

peace,
Aielman

"They say that 'Cleanliness' is next go 'Godliness'. But isn't...'Goggles' is next to 'Godliness'. 'Cleanliness' is next to 'Claustrophobia' and 'Cleavage'...you can look it up" - Gallagher

WoW - 60 Rabbit Rogue Aielman, 60 Dorf Warrior Aiel, Nathrezim
Husband, Father, Squisher of bugs.
aka Bret

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Dulcinea68

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#16

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Posts: 252

08-10-06 1:40 AM

We have Direct TV and have no issues. My parents have Dish Network and my mom is a Lifetime addict. At the beginning of the year, Dish and Lifetime had a contract dispute, so Dish dropped Lifetime for a few weeks. My mother was so annoyed that my dad asked us to record the Lifetime movies for her every night so he could have some peace. My parents have also had some service issues, rude customer service and lazy techs.

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Jayan Thornfoot

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#17

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Posts: 358

08-10-06 7:22 PM

I have had great service at both my homes with Direct TV but it is a tad pricy. The only thing that pisses me off is that I consider the Sunday ticket a must and they have a monopoly on said programming. So switching for me simply isnt an option. It would be nice to at least have the option to go somewhere else (ya know competition)

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Feydakin Rainsong

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#18

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Posts: 5124

08-11-06 1:28 PM

Wholly Shi'ite

That's not really DirectTV's fault though... blame the NFL and their hard-on for exclusivity contracts. Maybe with the new commissioner this will come to an end, but I doubt it.

-Tim

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.

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Muerta

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#19

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Posts: 2582

08-11-06 2:29 PM

Legend in the making...
Oh and quite modest

Direct TV is a tad pricy and we even bought their insurance policy to go with- the nice thing is that everytime something has gone wrong (like a really bad windstorm misaligning our dish or my husband mistakenly driving a nail through the cable), we have had a service representative within 24 hours and no charge to all work that they have done- and they have provided up with updated equipment free of charge as well.

Cox cable has been the worst for customer service for us- but we stick with them for internet and phone service. However, soon, we will be dropping our landline entirely and switching completely to celluar, and using them only for internet.

We are not saving money by using a provider for all three, but we have at least found which seems to be best to suit our needs.

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Afmo

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#20

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Posts: 2327

08-13-06 7:20 PM

Properly Equipped

thanks all, im definately going to check into that, since i only took the apartment managers word for it...

Its not that I don't believe in God, but the world could use a miracle, and until we get one, I'll put my faith in mankind.

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CaitlynLoyalhunt

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#21

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Posts: 236

08-15-06 8:43 PM

Quote:
It sure would be nice if you could make your own package, but that would just make too much sense I guess.

Adelphia Cable company used to do that - but they got in trouble with the FCC for predatory pricing and had to go back to bundles. I thought that was crazy BS. Letting people pick their channels is genius.

I got sick of Comcast raising prices a few years ago and switched to Directv. Directv seems to be about 15 bucks cheaper than cable per month. But I also had problems with reception every time it rained or snowed. And I don't watch much TV, but it frequently happens to be when its raining and snowing I guess. So I booted them to the curb and went back to Comcast. Right now I'm on the 55 a month plan (sell Comcast your Dish!!!), when it goes back up to 90 I'll have definate sticker shock!

It's interesting that you bitch about Cox customer service. They are the highest rated cable company in the country and they are a significant competitor to my employer (Qwest). They are absolutely kicking our ass in two of our top markets. They are extremely aggressive. Cox sux.

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Feydakin Rainsong

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#22

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Posts: 5124

08-16-06 12:19 AM

Wholly Shi'ite

Quote:
Letting people pick their channels is genius.

Last I heard, there's a groundswell of consumer support for a la carte cable, and they can't get it past the FCC. Go figure.

-Tim

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.

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Gudil

Re: Cable and satellite TV

#23

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Posts: 168

09-01-06 5:49 AM

I love my FIOS TV and Internet.. its way cheaper than comcast and direct TV.. I got all the channels i want and my internet is way faster than cable... Love Fiber...