Annoyed with wating for new HD

[Ronnie-]

The advantage that the PPV's have is you don't have to plan ahead to see a movie. You don't need to order it on NetFlix and wait for it to show up or get in the car and drive to Blockbuster to see what they have in stock. You're trying to find something to watch, come across a movie in the PPV list you want to see and say WTF, it's only $3.99 or $4.99 and hit the button. With the movies their pusing to the Movies now & showcases folder on the HR2X's don't even need to wait for a start time to roll around, watch it now.

Thats true, but the problem with them is, that many times, the same movies are on several different channels. In that regard netflix is better. Get what you want, a day or two after you order it. If they had different movies on each of these different PPV channels, I would see a HUGE advantage for having so many different channels. As is though, they dont.

 

[goaliebob99]

If I want to watch a ppv movie, I will pull it off of my dvr usally in the movies now and showcases section. No need for all these ppv channels when they can continue to put the HD PPV movies there and promo the hell out of that feature so people know that its there. Guess what, its ondemand too meaning I dont have to wait for the block to start. Come on directv!. They have like 10 movies there thats stored on my HDDVR IN HD!

Thats what I would do.

 

[Zellio2008]

Of the 5 channels on each transponder on d11:

29 are dedicated to ppv
16 dedicated to mpeg 2/nbcw type channels
16 dedicated to sports
7 new channels
3 test channels

 

[skottey]

The advantage that the PPV's have is you don't have to plan ahead to see a movie. You don't need to order it on NetFlix and wait for it to show up or get in the car and drive to Blockbuster to see what they have in stock. You're trying to find something to watch, come across a movie in the PPV list you want to see and say WTF, it's only $3.99 or $4.99 and hit the button. With the movies their pusing to the Movies now & showcases folder on the HR2X's don't even need to wait for a start time to roll around, watch it now.

Yes, if you want to watch a movie multiple times buying a DVD/BD will probably be the best bet but how many movies fall into that category? I have probably close to 300 DVD/BD/HD-DVD's and the vast majority of them were watched when they showed up and that's been it.

I think it boils down to what type of person you are. Like I said, I am by no means cheap when it comes to entertainment. I spend a lot of money on sat/cable/media. I am just spending in a different way. I feel like I have something to show for it with my media collection (DVD/bluray/the deceased format known as HD-DVD) and have everything else covered with sat/cable. It is so conflicting with my personality to order PPV. But, I understand what you are saying. My brother is more like you than I. While I will plan my shows and DVR the network shows for example, he'll wait and order whatever he feels like off Xbox Live. A little planning could have just as easily saved him the cost of the shows had he DVR'd them. They say he has A.D.D. He also has had impulsive gambling and pill popping habits over the years, yet he is doing well in law school. We all have different personalities and ordering PPV, as you admitted, is often an impulse. There is nothing wrong with that amongst your own self, but I see everything wrong with ordering a PPV. People are just different. They don't have 75 PPV channels for people like me. Nope, they sucker me with a package called Premiere and then don't offer me any more than 4 HBO/Max channels in HD and the few sports I do watch on the RSNs either end up in SD (FSN Florida HD Rays games not working?) or blacked out.

Anyway... I think we can all agree that DirecTV has too many PPV channels, both SD and especially HD. I don't see anybody clamoring for more HD PPV channels, yet they have added so many, while neglecting high demand channels like Fox News HD, Travel Channel HD, and others.

 

[ONUOsFan]

They need to pull some of the HD PPVs.... nobody is going to accept waiting for the next launch (whenever that is?) for Fox News HD, Travel Channel HD, and more premiums in HD.

FIOS was literally digging up the yard across the street today. Oct 7 they are getting ALL 26 HBO/MAX premiums in HD, among most of the Showtimes, all the Starz we get with DirecTV, and many HD nationals (more than we get). That leaves RSNs. I only watch my home RSNs anyway, and FIOS has those. I guess I'll drop my DirecTV package from the Premiere with two HD-DVRs and the extra HD channels down to the minimum until my buyout gets within reason and then scrap them. This is ridiculous if they ran out of space like that. Even my local cable provider, BrightHouse, is switching to SDV and FINALLY adding HD channels.

I feel like I made the wrong move going with DirecTV. The momentum was so strong that I guess many of us got carried away thinking it would last. Boy, it is starting to sound like we were duped.

Duped? Really?!? Because FIOS is finally catching up to D*? And even then, it's only true if you care more about movies than sports (not that there's anything wrong with that)....

A year ago this time we had, what, 10 HD channels? Even if you don't count the PPV's (which I don't), we still have 10 times more HD than we had a year ago, by most accounts we still have more than any other provider, and they have FAR more local HD markets than DISH.

I'm not saying you don't have a right to want more channels, but let's try to have some perspective here, people...

 

[gadgtfreek]

FIOS aint catching up to anyone. They put out a huge channel list that will be available in less than 10 markets if I remember correctly.

So, if your 5% of the nation, FIOS is great, other than that who cares.

 

[skottey]

And I just saw a commercial stating 130 hd channels. I have to laugh everytime I see or hear it.

Direct. Did Charlie lend you his hd calculator????

Just call them for something... the CSRs are saying 135 now. I get a good laugh out of it too and then my emotions turn to sadness, realizing I am such a sucker and they think we are all so stupid out here. That is like a slap in the face of America. People complain about politicians lying or bending the truth, but here we have a company blatantly lying about the number of HD channels they offer. We know they are lying, but they are fooling many more Americans than those of us that call them out on the truth.

 

[skottey]

DirecTV has become pathetic in this regard... I could have sworn this was an E thread from last year. I was a defender, arguing patience... cant justify their inaction.

I was one of the complainers about E* last year. Fortunately, I was able to cancel that service, having not been in a contract. But somehow I was swept out to the sea of deceit, while chasing the DirecTV ship. Things were looking so good with DirecTV six months ago. $300 for two HD-DVRs and the initial service, and a hefty contract later, and I am on here complaining the way I did a year ago about Dish.

I may sound like a little b*tch, but I don't think I am asking for too much. We know they have the capacity for some high demand HD channels like Fox News and Travel Channel. Instead, they have wasted space on Planet Green and PPV. Discovery owns Planet Green and Travel... they could have just as easily added Travel Channel instead of PG. What is going on with DirecTV?

 

[skottey]

Of the 5 channels on each transponder on d11:

29 are dedicated to ppv
16 dedicated to mpeg 2/nbcw type channels
16 dedicated to sports
7 new channels
3 test channels

That is pathetic. It should say 26 are HBO/Max HD channels
3 are dedicated to PPV
etc....etc... etc..

 

[Zellio2008]

I joined dtv because they were without a doubt the hd leader on super bowl sunday.

Something you directv apologists don't realize: HD nationals are only about 50-60 channels long.

In a few weeks they've added ppv at 10 times the rate they added hd nationals.

Skottey is right. Directv either needs to convert the ppv to hd nationals, or rename the service DirecPPV.

Lemme ask you guys something. Doesn't it concern you that while other tv carriers have added real hd, Directv has done nothing but add ppv? I feel the tortise about the beat the hare.

 

[skottey]

Duped? Really?!? Because FIOS is finally catching up to D*? And even then, it's only true if you care more about movies than sports (not that there's anything wrong with that)....

A year ago this time we had, what, 10 HD channels? Even if you don't count the PPV's (which I don't), we still have 10 times more HD than we had a year ago, by most accounts we still have more than any other provider, and they have FAR more local HD markets than DISH.

I'm not saying you don't have a right to want more channels, but let's try to have some perspective here, people...

I am new to DirecTV as of April or May, so no, the 10X count doesn't apply to me. I saw all the hype and excitement of DirecTV in all it's glory. They added all those channels and there was talk of them adding even more when the new sat went up. I bought into this, thinking they would remain the leader. Now FIOS, and it looks like my local cable company, will be passing them by. This exact same thing happened in the early-mid 1990s. DirecTV had all those HBOs and cable had 1-3. Cable passed them by long ago. Now, DirecTV has all that HD, and cable companies are passing them by. I have a feeling DirecTV has gotten where they think they ought to be and will stay for a while.

But, you have to consider the empty promises. There is that press release from June 2007, saying 13 HBO/Max channels in HD were coming in the fall of 2007. That never happened obviously.

As far as caring more about movies than sports. Overall, I do, but I watch sports too. But I watch my local teams, so there is no advantage to all those RSNs for me. I am not much of a baseball fan, but when I went to watch The Rays over the last few weeks on FSN Florida, I quickly discovered that FSN Florida HD is not HD as it appears on my channel list. So that is kind of annoying too. But honestly, I doesn't matter which provider I have, I can still see the Lightning, Buccaneers, and Rays. I can see all their games, whether it be in SD or HD, with any of these providers.

I do see your point about DirecTV if you are a total sports nut. I know sports nuts that just want to watch a baseball game for example, not caring what teams they are watching. Or fans that moved away to a new city and want to see their team. Sure, DirecTV is perfect for that. But what about the rest of us?

Is Fox News HD before election day too much to ask??????

 

[skottey]

FIOS aint catching up to anyone. They put out a huge channel list that will be available in less than 10 markets if I remember correctly.

So, if your 5% of the nation, FIOS is great, other than that who cares.

I am in one of those markets. I am half tempted to go outside and take a picture of the eight or nine Mexicans digging ditches with heavy Ditch Witch equipment across the street as I type this. I can see them in one of my security cameras, standing around again this AM.

At this rate I am not sure when service will go live, but I do know their lineup in my metro. Yes, they are adding a ton of channels in HD. I'm in St. Petersburg, FL... Tampa market.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Lemme ask you guys something. Doesn't it concern you that while other tv carriers have added real hd, Directv has done nothing but add ppv? I feel the tortise about the beat the hare.

and E* has dropped as many as they've added . So its the same thing. They both have a good HD Line up. D* has more Showtime HD, E* has more HBO and Cinemax HD. Sports D* beats anyone in HD sports. But its been well known for the last 5 or so years that D* has the Least amount of Premiums offered, IMO you don't pick D* because of its HBO,Cinemax,Starz and Showtime packs, Maybe in 1995, But not anymore.
But from the premiums they do have in HD ,they have enough to give them a 2nd or 3rd place. Not bad,At All!

 

[Zellio2008]

That's if you count D* and E*. Fios and some cable companies are quickly catching up.

And yes, when I joined at super bowl sunday of this year, Directv had the most premium channels.

If you wanna say their going back to their roots, then I guess you don't care about HD.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Fios is far from catching Up. If you live in NY City then sure.

 

[Zellio2008]

Honestly I can't believe any one of you are even defending a company sitting on it's ass while the hd market has exploded to over 150 channels in 2 years.

Imagine if Intel forgot to make new cpus... Which btw, the technology of chips is the same rate hd channels are flowing out now.

Your talking a company sitting on it's ass while others catch up. In a few months D* will be last place.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

And yes, when I joined at super bowl sunday of this year, Directv had the most premium channels.

Not over all. IN HD yes. But not combind SD and HD.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Honestly I can't believe any one of you are even defending a company sitting on it's ass while the hd market has exploded to over 150 channels in 2 years..

I'd like to see a list of HD networks available that equal 150.

 

[Zellio2008]

HD is all I care about. Most people who got 1080p tvs would feel the same.

We spent $1000's for our hd tvs. We got D* because it was adding so many and was suppose to keep doing it.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

.Your talking a company sitting on it's ass while others catch up. In a few months D* will be last place.

Who is catching up? Cable , Have you ever had cable? the PQ SUCKS