I purchased the protection plan and got the 20 dollar tech fee waived for the first month. If I cancel during the first 30 days, I'll be charged 6 bucks which isn't bad. I'll let the plan ride out for 2 months and then cancel. Maybe I'll have my HD box replaced since it sometimes goes blank for a second. Thanks folks.
And what happens the next time you have a problem and need a tech to come out? DirecTV keeps track of stuff like this in your account. Here's what'll happen then...you most likely will have to pay the FULL service call fee of $90 regardless of whether or not you sign up for the protection plan again.