DIRECTV HDTV Owners: Want a Refund?

[Poke]

To me its simple folks just need to switch to Dish if you want HD! Direct trying to crame everything togather and you can not do that.


http://www.tvpredictions.com/directvrefund101506.htm

The satcaster is providing monthly refunds to high-def owners calling to complain about dropped channels.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (October 15, 2006) -- DIRECTV owners must pay $9.99 a month for the satcaster's package of High-Definition TV channels.

However, there may be a way to reduce or perhaps eliminate that fee for up to a year.

Got your attention? Keep reading.

Every Sunday during the current National Football League season, DIRECTV has dropped one high-def channel from its lineup. The first week, TNT HD went black; the following week, Universal HD; and then HDNet.

The reason: DIRECTV needs extra satellite space every Sunday to air Fox and CBS' high-def broadcasts of the games as part of its NFL Sunday Ticket PPV package.


DIRECTV must drop a HD channel for the NFL Sunday Ticket.

So, to make room, the satcaster takes one regular HD channel off the air during Sunday afternoon when the games are played.

However, the practice has enraged some subscribers who say they are being cheated.

"I take exception to DIRECTV removing one of the HD channels included in my $9.99 HD Package in favor of bandwidth necessary to provide NFL Sunday Ticket to other subscribers," one TVPredictions.com reader said in an e-mail letter to DIRECTV. "I subscribe to the HD package and I expect to be able to view any of the channels in that package at any time, day or night. If you cannot provide the level of service for which you are charging $9.99, then you need to credit my account until such time you are able to provide uninterrupted service."

The letter writer tells TVPredictions.com that DIRECTV's Customer Service department agreed to credit his account by $9.99 a month for a full year.

Yes, that's right, he will get DIRECTV's HDTV programming package free for a year.

As a DIRECTV HDTV subscriber, I thought I would call and ask for a refund today after noticing that TNT HD had been dropped to make room for the Sunday Ticket HD broadcasts.

After a few moments pause, the Customer Service rep said she would give me $5 a month off my HD package for three months.

Well, it's not a free year, but I said I would take it. Afterall, $15 is $15.

So, there you have it. I'm not saying that you will get a refund if you call to complain.

But I did.

 

[pro96]

I hate dish HD... and very happy with DIRECTV HD, so why would I want a refund when I watch NFL SUNDAY TIX HD all day, and dont miss the channels they drop..

HR20-700 rocks

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Good work to Swan.

I have been hinting to it for awhile and have been hearing rumors for awhile of talk to DROP the monthly extra HD feed by both Satellite Companies.

The fact that DirecTV is willing to credit an entire year of HD Charges says a lot.

Satellite will indeed need to drop the extra HD fees to compete with cable who gives HD included in the channels proper packages.

This is one of the reasons of why Dish Network is now including channels like National Geographic HD only in the same tier package as the regular National Geographic is in.

The question now becomes who will be the first the drop the extra monthly HD charges and builds the channels into its standard packages. Who ever does it first will have a lot to gain.

I predict it will be DirecTV when they lauunch all the new HD they have planned.

Doing this will fuel HD and HD Equipment sales and will also gain many new subscribers who are not happy about paying extra to watch HD versions of the same channels they already get included in their packages.

 

[geaux1]

Uh, Comcast charges about 10 bucks for the their HD tier, and a few bucks or so extra for the digital box, you have bad info about cable HD being free. It is slightly better if you don;t like ST, but it isn't free.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Where I am at most of the channels are free.

Guess it depends on where you live.

 

[bidger`]

I hate dish HD... and very happy with DIRECTV HD, so why would I want a refund when I watch NFL SUNDAY TIX HD all day, and dont miss the channels they drop..

:up +1

I said no to Dish when I got my first sat receiver in 1997 and see no reason to switch now since, despite their ads with Tiki Barber, don't have Sunday Ticket to this day.

 

[nitstalker]

Comcast here charges extra for the HD too... (and they only have a few)... Thats why I have E*...

 

[texas16309]

Time Warner has an HD tier which includes things such as INHD and HDnet. But their digital cable package includes all the HD locals, Discovery HD, and TNT HD. I'd be with TWC if they'd offer Voom.

 

[TulsaCoker]

People complaining about a channels being removed for 10 hours on Sunday that they don;t pay for anyways. LOL. Poke give it up on trying to convert D* subs to E*. There is a reason D* has more sub and HD subs then E*. Let's talk about RSN in HD along with Local HD.

 

[Satmeister]

It seems like the only posters who are on here regularly are those who:

1) Want everything for free (or less)
2) Love to blast D*TV and any of its customers who are happy (most of them)
3) Want to convert people to E*
4) Just love to hear themselves complain about almost anythng, just for the shear enjoyment of it all...

Free speech indeed.

 

[boston area dtv]

I actually usually hate the E* is better than D* crap. However the OP was basically saying that if you want to save money and stay with D* complain and D* will waive the fee.

I have issues with the local HD channels and their stuttering affect I called a couple of times. They sent techs out to my house twice insisting it was my equipment and nothing was fixed.

All the while the D* denied having any other reports of an issue. D* did drop the HD charge ENTIRELY for four months. Now Im not sure if thats so it coincides directly with football or if its because they think they will fix their HD in 4 months but I feel less frustrated knowing Im not paying for inferior HD signals.

 

[Thomas P.]

When I converted from the glory days of C-band to E* years ago, I lasted about 9 months with E*. Their picture clarity was soft, the receivers were slow & customer service was just plain deplorable.

While D*’s customer service isn’t that much better, they listen to complaints and most often, immediately offer to credit my account for poor service or disruption in programming. To me, they seem concerned with their customers and that means alot to me

While E* right now may have more HD programming, I’m going to remain loyal to D* and wait till next year when the HD programming at D* jumps significantly.

I don't miss the few hours of dropped programming on Sunday afternoon, when I probaldy wouldn’t have watched the shows anyway.

 

[Upgrade Lately?]

I called and complained about D* turning off channels without any notification. They gave me free HD for 4 months. I can't complain about that!

 

[johnml]

"People complaining about a channels being removed for 10 hours on Sunday that they don;t pay for anyways."

"It seems like the only posters who are on here regularly are those who:

1) Want everything for free (or less)"


Why wouldnt you want it for free if you could get it ? Me, If they will give it to me for free - Give it to me. I want what I pay for. If I pay for HD channels, I want them. If I pay for a months worth, I want a months worth, Not a month less 36 hrs. When Directv bills me, They bill me for the full amount (in full) What if I gave them less then they bill me ? Its no different.

 

[TulsaCoker]

"People complaining about a channels being removed for 10 hours on Sunday that they don;t pay for anyways."

"It seems like the only posters who are on here regularly are those who:

1) Want everything for free (or less)"


Why wouldnt you want it for free if you could get it ? Me, If they will give it to me for free - Give it to me. I want what I pay for. If I pay for HD channels, I want them. If I pay for a months worth, I want a months worth, Not a month less 36 hrs. When Directv bills me, They bill me for the full amount (in full) What if I gave them less then they bill me ? Its no different.

John that's my point. You don't pay for TNT-HD in the first place. It's a free channel.

 

[boston area dtv]

See as much as youd like to think that TNT HD is the reason youre getting HD for free I think it has to do with their local channel MPEG4 troubles.

They figure why fight it. Have it free and we will charge you when our act is together. The thing is they cant come out and say "Hey we havent worked out the bugs in this MPEG 4 stuff so I tell ya what you stay for us now and we will toss in the HD."

I do find it hard to call and complain about a service I dont pay for.

At this point its pretty simple, their response is going to be look we have done all we can for you...you dont even pay for the service. Its now up to me the consumer to decide whether to ride out the storm or make a move. Its that simple

 

[johnml]

John that's my point. You don't pay for TNT-HD in the first place. It's a free channel.

Isnt TNTHD part of the HI-DEF package ? If it is then it's not free. Im on my last month of free HI-DEF, so I'll soon be paying and if I'm paying, I want what I pay for. If Directv drops channels (HI-DEF) then I will call to complain. I dont have Sunday ticket, So they drop the channels for Sunday ticket that i (will) be paying for. Thats not right. People are complaining about the "whiners" complaining about dropped HI-DEF channels, But its not right.

 

[RIRWIN1983]

I just called and the CSR openely admitted that they are doing this for the entitre NFL Season. To be able to provide additional bandwith. Now i know this is allready know by us all on here, but i dident even push her, i just called and asked whats going on with TNT HD. Bear in mind that was a retention CSR. The regular CSR i talked to also blamed it on TNT and asked if i wanted the info for TNT. I got nothing from either CSR since i just reactivated my service and got 4 months of the HD pack free, found that out when i called as the REtention CSR stated i allready got that. and thus there was nothing she can do

 

[TulsaCoker]

john, the HD package was 10.99 per month before they added TNT, and after 9.99. Some people have stated that TNT-HD comes in even of you don't buy the HD package. (I have not tried).

 

[ChrisPC]

D*'s HD compression isn't too hot, but neither is Comcast. We have both hooked up where I work, and Comcast is just as blocky, if not worse. Plus, they cost more!