We have had DirecTV service since 1997, with the Premiere package and, at times, as many as five boxes, now four (well, zero today), hooked up to a whole house audio video network. For a variety of reasons, we've finally and happily said a final good-bye to DirecTV effective today. We are now competely a Verizon FIOS household, with new TiVo Premiere boxes (which ROCK, by the way, and thanks to Weaknees for their usual greatness in customer service) to cushion the impact of Verizon's obsolete boxes and clunky software interface.
What I'll probably miss most is this DirecTV Forum and the incredible knowledge of the members here. Of all the electronics related Forums out there, I think this one is the best at providing terrific group knowledge and support. It seems to me virtually impossible that even the most obtuse and electronics challenged customer could ever have a DirecTV related problem which the members here could not solve or assist with, promptly and helpfully. If your provider is DirecTV, there is no better place to be for any knowledge or support you might need.
So, thanks to everyone here for your help, support, knowledge, interesting and 'spirited' discussions and general incredible pool of DirecTV genius and news. I will stay around to occasionally read, and to follow the related FIOS, non-satellite discussions elsewhere, but I'll miss you guys supporting me in my love-hate relationship with DirecTV.
By the way, cancellation with DirecTV is interesting, a little snippy, and fairly hostile once they figure out that you do not want anything from them except to cancel. There are all kinds of abitrary policies and rules they have about return of equipment, time limits, etc. that they read to you on and on, basically saying, "We'll d owhatever we want on our own time schedule, and you do what we want very promptly on our arbitrary schedule, immediately and when we want you to or we will charge you various fees and charges." They ask you why you want to canel, but when I asked them if they were really interested in all the reasons, they actually and astonishingly admitted, "Not really."
For those of you interested, our reasons for switching to FIOS are probably familiar to all of you:
1. Our long-standing dissatisfaction with DirecTV's arbitrary policies and charges, like two year service commitments, paying for boxes you then 'rent,' having to have a 'service protection' package even though the boxes are 'leased', after you pay for them, the extra charge for HD, the extra charge for additional channels we used to get, like HDNet movies, their consistent practice of adding a two year commitment on after activation of replacement service plan boxes until you catch them and complain, etc.
2. Persistent loss of signals during our frequent Texas rainstorms, snow on the dish (five lnb oval), etc.
3. HD lite compression (hate it) and occasional signal attenuation from some satellites, no matter how we aimed, some signals were much better than others. And lately, even though we have a professionally installed dish with ample reinforcement, which has been strengthened and troubleshot several times, we have had pixellation on some channels (like my wife's beloved Fox News or the Golf Channel) any time the wind gusts over 40 miles per hour,a frequent occurrence in North Texas in the Spring.
4. DirecTV installers and/or technicians who are poorly trained subcontractors-when we know better what the fix is than they do, but DirecTV persists in sending them because they don't believe us.
5. A general impression of overall bad D* customer service, high costs for what you get (and niggling extras which nickel and dime you to death), false, misleading and deceptive trade practices.
6. The ability to bundle our FIOS TV (everything except 'adult' and foreign language), internet (25/15, actually working at about 30/25) and phone (basic phone services and unlimited domestic long distance) for a package price which results in really significant savings for us (about $97 per month over our previous piecemeal, more if you add in the value of the extra HD channels like Smithsonian, HDNet movies, etc. we weren't getting but now do) . The cost of our buying new TiVo boxes will ammortize in seven months (we got two TiVos and two Verizon boxes).
7. A way better, stronger FIOS signal and less complex system when you have lots of boxes and TVs-no multiswitches, dual lines, aiming, etc. I like the integration with our antenna system on the TiVo boxes and signal box, plus one button access to EVERYtHING, including Netflix, other boxes, your computer, iTunes, etc. etc. world without end on the TiVo Premiere (hear the heavelny choir? I do.)
8. Ultra fast tuning and 30 second advances on FIOS, more music channels, pretty much more of everything, including HBO on deand, with FIOS.
Obviously, D* does some things well, but not enough to keep us, and at too high a price (and I'm still peevish about two year commitments-even we had no commitment because I carefully, defensively ran out the term).[ But, I'll not miss D*, which is now dead to me. I just hope we do not move further out into the country in retirement, at which point I'd have to slink back-sigh.
Any, thanks guys, for all your help over the years. Truly.
Best Regards,
The Camper
Free at last, free at last
P.S. Both of us believe that the picture, on every one of our TVs, is noticeably better and sharper with FIOS. Other opinions will vary, no doubt.
What I'll probably miss most is this DirecTV Forum and the incredible knowledge of the members here. Of all the electronics related Forums out there, I think this one is the best at providing terrific group knowledge and support. It seems to me virtually impossible that even the most obtuse and electronics challenged customer could ever have a DirecTV related problem which the members here could not solve or assist with, promptly and helpfully. If your provider is DirecTV, there is no better place to be for any knowledge or support you might need.
So, thanks to everyone here for your help, support, knowledge, interesting and 'spirited' discussions and general incredible pool of DirecTV genius and news. I will stay around to occasionally read, and to follow the related FIOS, non-satellite discussions elsewhere, but I'll miss you guys supporting me in my love-hate relationship with DirecTV.
By the way, cancellation with DirecTV is interesting, a little snippy, and fairly hostile once they figure out that you do not want anything from them except to cancel. There are all kinds of abitrary policies and rules they have about return of equipment, time limits, etc. that they read to you on and on, basically saying, "We'll d owhatever we want on our own time schedule, and you do what we want very promptly on our arbitrary schedule, immediately and when we want you to or we will charge you various fees and charges." They ask you why you want to canel, but when I asked them if they were really interested in all the reasons, they actually and astonishingly admitted, "Not really."
For those of you interested, our reasons for switching to FIOS are probably familiar to all of you:
1. Our long-standing dissatisfaction with DirecTV's arbitrary policies and charges, like two year service commitments, paying for boxes you then 'rent,' having to have a 'service protection' package even though the boxes are 'leased', after you pay for them, the extra charge for HD, the extra charge for additional channels we used to get, like HDNet movies, their consistent practice of adding a two year commitment on after activation of replacement service plan boxes until you catch them and complain, etc.
2. Persistent loss of signals during our frequent Texas rainstorms, snow on the dish (five lnb oval), etc.
3. HD lite compression (hate it) and occasional signal attenuation from some satellites, no matter how we aimed, some signals were much better than others. And lately, even though we have a professionally installed dish with ample reinforcement, which has been strengthened and troubleshot several times, we have had pixellation on some channels (like my wife's beloved Fox News or the Golf Channel) any time the wind gusts over 40 miles per hour,a frequent occurrence in North Texas in the Spring.
4. DirecTV installers and/or technicians who are poorly trained subcontractors-when we know better what the fix is than they do, but DirecTV persists in sending them because they don't believe us.
5. A general impression of overall bad D* customer service, high costs for what you get (and niggling extras which nickel and dime you to death), false, misleading and deceptive trade practices.
6. The ability to bundle our FIOS TV (everything except 'adult' and foreign language), internet (25/15, actually working at about 30/25) and phone (basic phone services and unlimited domestic long distance) for a package price which results in really significant savings for us (about $97 per month over our previous piecemeal, more if you add in the value of the extra HD channels like Smithsonian, HDNet movies, etc. we weren't getting but now do) . The cost of our buying new TiVo boxes will ammortize in seven months (we got two TiVos and two Verizon boxes).
7. A way better, stronger FIOS signal and less complex system when you have lots of boxes and TVs-no multiswitches, dual lines, aiming, etc. I like the integration with our antenna system on the TiVo boxes and signal box, plus one button access to EVERYtHING, including Netflix, other boxes, your computer, iTunes, etc. etc. world without end on the TiVo Premiere (hear the heavelny choir? I do.)
8. Ultra fast tuning and 30 second advances on FIOS, more music channels, pretty much more of everything, including HBO on deand, with FIOS.
Obviously, D* does some things well, but not enough to keep us, and at too high a price (and I'm still peevish about two year commitments-even we had no commitment because I carefully, defensively ran out the term).[ But, I'll not miss D*, which is now dead to me. I just hope we do not move further out into the country in retirement, at which point I'd have to slink back-sigh.
Any, thanks guys, for all your help over the years. Truly.
Best Regards,
The Camper
Free at last, free at last
P.S. Both of us believe that the picture, on every one of our TVs, is noticeably better and sharper with FIOS. Other opinions will vary, no doubt.
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