Newbie question: service for only a few months of the year?

[gopheralex]

I have never subscribed to satellite before. I am interested mainly in college football and am looking seriously into DirecTV because it is one of the few providers that will be carrying the new Big Ten Network this fall. Looking at the H20 or HR20 (not too familiar with the equipment). But since I don't really watch a lot of TV otherwise, I would like to subscribe from only September through December every year. So have some questions about this...

I assume that having a contract would prevent me from subscribing for only 4 months? Since I doubt there's a way to "suspend" a contract, can I subscribe to DirecTV without a contract?

Will I have to buy my own equipment up front?

Would buying the equipment and subscribing for 4 months ultimately be more expensive than doing the standard sign-up thing with the contract and getting subsidized equipment for lease?

I've heard that with the HR20 for example, the "up-front" price is not actually the full price, but merely a lease price, even if I "buy" it at Best Buy or wherever. Is that true?

Anything else I need to consider?

Thanks

 

[Bob Nielsen]

You cannot subscribe for only 4 months at a time (this may be possible if you pay full price--$800 for a HR20), but you can suspend an account. I believe the limit is 9 months, so you would be able to do that and reactivate during the next season. Advanced receivers (any HD or DVR) have a two-year commitment, while standard receivers require a one-year commitment.

The $299 price at Best Buy, etc., is the "lease upgrade" price.

 

[Brewer4]

Colebert has experience doing this. We discussed it in an NFL Sunday Ticket thread. He keeps his Directv account but only active during football season and puts it on hold for the rest of the year. Check out the thread.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/98404-nfl-package.html

 

[gopheralex]

Excellent! That is great news. Thanks.

 

[Newshawk]

Oh, and the committment clock runs during the suspension, so your committment will not change.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Oh, and the committment clock runs during the suspension, so your committment will not change.

So if we want to add a basic DIrectv receiver with a 1 year commitment to my DISH system and then suspend it for a few months , DIrectv will count that towards our commitment ?

 

[Newshawk]

So if we want to add a basic DIrectv receiver with a 1 year commitment to my DISH system and then suspend it for a few months , DIrectv will count that towards our commitment ?

Well, that's a yes and no answer. Yes, if you have a D* account with a one year committment that starts on, say, 7/7/07, the committment will expire on 7/7/08, no matter whether the account has been in active status for all 12 months or has been in suspension for up to 9 months.

Where the "no" comes in is that you cannot add a D* receiver to an E* system and have it work. They are two different animals. You would need a separate D* dish wired directly to the D* receiver. D*'s main satellite is at 101 degrees, to which no E* dish is pointed.

 

[iceturkee]

guys, we have rehashed this topic before, as brewer mentioned in a previous post. the way it was explained to me when i did it was you can only suspend your account for six months at a time and not when you are under a commitment. the rule is there to help people who travel a lot, so they aren't stuck with paying their bills if they are out of country.

we all know how reliable the csr's are. i would just say to you, do it at your own risk. and don't start whining when you find out the commitment was suspended a long with the account!

 

[colebert]

we've already been over this, iceturkee. :sleeo

 

[colebert]

turkey, i just want you to know that my edited post wasn't bad. he changed one word ...and it was cute.

brewer for some reason thinks we don't like each other. (wishful thinking.)

 

[Brewer4]

Please folks refrain from any name calling. I don't want to do moderation trust me. There are 2 sides on suspending an account. To summarize, Colebert does this and has had success and all Iceturkee is trying to point out is be careful that some CSR's may not accurately report things during the account suspension (commitment). Lets not rehash that debate again please.

To answer your original question Gopheralex, you can do this. Just make sure to call Directv to confirm the duration, minimum cost requirements, and any commitment extensions, etc.

 

[iceturkee]

thanks brewer!

colebert, i was just trying to point things out to the new op. i don't want to rehash this. lets put this baby to bed!

 

[Brewer4]

:clap

:

Music to my ears!!

 

[Newshawk]

AFAIK, the maximum time for a D* suspension is nine months, there are no fees involved in the suspension and there are no restrictions on suspending while you are under a committment.

 

[iceturkee]

i thought we put this to bed brewer?

 

[Brewer4]

i thought we put this to bed brewer?

What you think I can control everyone from posting? I am just here to help things stay civil.

Folks still have their opinions which I cant stop. I just didnt want this thread turning into the 2 individuals back and forth like we had in the other one. Newshawk is just adding his 2 cents which he is entitled. I dont know if it will ever be settled thats why I tried to at least add a summary of the opposing viewpoints. Oh well.

 

[colebert]

i'm all tucked in. :sleeo