Talk Me Off the Ledge

[GaryPen]

I go back & forth using either my Dish receiver/DVR or DTV receiver/DVR & say "it's just TV."

It's quite obvious from the number of receivers, plus subbing to both DirecTV and Dish, that it's not "just TV" in your household.

 

[SpencerCat]

OK, this is my current thinking.

I went to the DirecTV website and found out what it would cost to get the DirecTV Premier package with one HD DVR. Note that I am currently paying Dish $123 per month for one HD DVR and the AEP plan.

With DirecTV, the first three months would cost $54.99.
The next nine months would cost $99.99.
The last 12 months would cost $119.99.

Of course I have no idea what the price increases will be for Dish and DirecTV, but it appears that my savings over the two years would be significant if I switched to DirecTV, around $400.

And the bonus would be NFL Sunday Ticket.

Am I missing something here? Why wouldn't I jump all over this right now? I will miss my 622 and the Epix channels, but I can't think of anything else significant.

Richard

 

[Yespage]

For the mid-term (two years), you make off well with Directv. If the channel slate is good for you and no one tosses up red flags in the Directv zone, then it may be in your short to mid-term best interest to move.

The bad side is that you are stuck with a two year contract, and I've heard that Directv likes to kill puppies.

I'd check to make certain you have Line of Sight for the Directv birds in the sky. I think there is a link at this forum that shows you the alignments on Google Maps.

 

[ttomni6]

I'm on the ledge myself due to concerns over carriage of the PAC 12 networks. I've had DISH back in Oregon throughout the 1990's and for 9 years here in Hawaii.

I just got off the phone with DirecTV exploring my options if it ends up DirecTV carries the PAC 12 networks and DISH does not.

The guy on the phone was very nice. Much of the spiel was talking about this discount and that discount. I constantly tried to find out what my "post promotion" costs would come to.

What I finally came up with was what my "discounted" fees would be if I was to be confirmed as good credit, etc. (I didn't want to provide my SS# for a credit check until I actually make an order.

The following would come close to matching what I have with DISH.

First, in Hawaii, I'd need to install a 1.2 meter diameter dish. That's a big, honkin' antenna. The houses for us common folk aren't that big here. So once you get around the 2 DISH dishes that are already up there, plus the solar hot water and PV panels - there's not much real estate left. When you also consider that it's normal to get 30 mph trade wind gusts on a fairly regular basis at this location, I'm not sure what it would take to guy that sucker down!

Monthly fees for 1 HD DVR for 1 TV - discounted for good credit > 44.99/mo.
Choice Ultimate package (to be somewhat equivalent to America's top 250> post promotion price $74.99/mo.
Sports Pac (equivalent to DISH multisport)> $12.99/mo.
HBO/Showtime > $27/mo.

That would be about $50 more a month than what I pay to DISH after all my accumulated credits expire at DISH. That's $600 per year. Supposing I had to go to a bar to watch the entire Ducks 12 game football season, that would equal a $50/tab for each game. That's alot of food and drink.

 

[dare2be]

OK, this is my current thinking.

I went to the DirecTV website and found out what it would cost to get the DirecTV Premier package with one HD DVR. Note that I am currently paying Dish $123 per month for one HD DVR and the AEP plan.

With DirecTV, the first three months would cost $54.99.
The next nine months would cost $99.99.
The last 12 months would cost $119.99.

Of course I have no idea what the price increases will be for Dish and DirecTV, but it appears that my savings over the two years would be significant if I switched to DirecTV, around $400.

And the bonus would be NFL Sunday Ticket.

Am I missing something here? Why wouldn't I jump all over this right now? I will miss my 622 and the Epix channels, but I can't think of anything else significant.

Richard

Like I said, find out what the non-discounted prices are after the 2-year agreement (annual price increases nonwithstanding). Unless you are willing to switch back and forth every 2-3 years or so, you may only break even after 4 years, if the DTV price is more than the $123 you are paying now.

Also, I'm confused how you get the $123 price for Dish, as the AEP is 104.99 undiscounted + $6 DVR fee for 1 HD DVR. If you're counting in taxes in that figure, you need to do the same for Direct.

 

[Tampa8]

The bad side is that you are stuck with a two year contract, and I've heard that Directv likes to kill puppies.

You sir win my post of the week.

 

[oldanbo]

Hi Richard,
I was with DISH for 12+ years and made the switch to Direct in July (yes due to the whole AMC thing) I waffled for a bit before I made the move, I did feel "loyalty" to Dish, then realized that with any product/company that changed enough to make me unhappy it was time to move on. So I know where you are coming from in questioning the switch. I have the basic equipment with Direct, no DVR or home cinema system. 2 Receivers 1HD 1 SD. I opted for the highest price package with Direct, with the savings when I signed on it is very good. I DO know when the sign on bonus ends I'll end up paying a bit more than I was with DISH (but with the package I chose I understand that). I like the fact I can now get ST and watch my beloved Packers here in MA instead of waiting for the network to show one. The remote takes a bit of getting used to, and the menu (and where the channels are placed LOL I KEEP looking for them on the old Dish numbers)
But I am getting used to it. Dish didn't have me send anything back I "own" them, so you may end up like me having 2
"dishes' on your roof (and a huge OTA on my house) plus a couple extra receivers in the basement . The picture quality is great, I have had bad storms here and HAVE lost the signal but I had that with Dish also. But the signal loss time seems less with Direct. The installer was nice with Direct. (just a plus) I was able to get locals (but actually don't need them with my OTA) with Direct. (Dish told me I was eligble for far away "locals" which never made sense to me.when I inquired a few years ago, I think they since added a few to my area ) I am happy that I made the switch. I am not a "fan girl" either way. I figure I am paying my hard earned money to a provider and of one stops providing me with what I want then it's time to look elsewhere. I believe the savings will make you happy. I also was like dang a 2 year contract but then figured what the heck, I might as well do it. I hope some of what I wrote made sense. I tried to be objective.

Except for the equipment, this pretty much sums up where I am right now. I checked it out and think I will switch away from Dish. Not happy with the treatment I received regarding a dying 622 and not enough tuners in hopper for my needs. I would save money over the two years with the other sat company. Thank you Annie61 for your post.

 

[mdram]

OK, this is my current thinking.

I went to the DirecTV website and found out what it would cost to get the DirecTV Premier package with one HD DVR. Note that I am currently paying Dish $123 per month for one HD DVR and the AEP plan.

With DirecTV, the first three months would cost $54.99.
The next nine months would cost $99.99.
The last 12 months would cost $119.99.

Of course I have no idea what the price increases will be for Dish and DirecTV, but it appears that my savings over the two years would be significant if I switched to DirecTV, around $400.

And the bonus would be NFL Sunday Ticket.

Am I missing something here? Why wouldn't I jump all over this right now? I will miss my 622 and the Epix channels, but I can't think of anything else significant.

Richard

not missing a thing, directv can be cheaper, the 119.99 should be your price from 2 years out

 

[mdram]

just looked at the website
the prices you are quoting are package only
does not include other things like whole home, reciever ect
look at the bottom line price

 

[mdram]

there will be taxes, ect in there also
maybe protection plan if you want that, ect

 

[Yespage]

I'd say try and ask Dish for a 722, $10 off a month, and waive the DVR fee for 12 months after telling them the deal you can get with Directv. I don't think you'd get more than that, if you could even pull that off (but it'd most probably put you in a 2 yr contract). That'd get you $16 off a month for a year which would save you near half what you'd get from Directv, but you'd be staying with your first choice.

 

[SpencerCat]

just looked at the website
the prices you are quoting are package only
does not include other things like whole home, reciever ect
look at the bottom line price

We would not get whole home. We want just one HD DVR receiver, and it is 'free', since it is the primary receiver.

Here is the Monthly DirecTV Price Breakdown for Months 13-24:
Premier Package: $119.99
Bill Credit: -$10
Advanced Receiver Service: $20
Discount: -$10
Primary TV: $6
Discount: -$6
Monthly Total in Months 13-24: $119.99, plus taxes.

I chatted with someone at DirecTV, and he said that the only additional charges would be state and local taxes, which, on my Dish bill, amount to $1.54.

Later today I'm going to call Dish and see what, if anything, the retention department will offer me, but I doubt that they will be able to come anywhere close to matching my savings by switching to DirecTV, which I estimate to be about $400 over the two years.

 

[mdram]

is it just the cost that is motivating you?
or are there other things?
everyone has things that will make them look other places.
if its just cost and you are happy other wise, id stay

if there are stations you want that dish does not have, then i would leave
do a channel comparison of what you watch between the two and see what stacks up best for you

 

[SpencerCat]

Like I said, find out what the non-discounted prices are after the 2-year agreement (annual price increases nonwithstanding). Unless you are willing to switch back and forth every 2-3 years or so, you may only break even after 4 years, if the DTV price is more than the $123 you are paying now.

Also, I'm confused how you get the $123 price for Dish, as the AEP is 104.99 undiscounted + $6 DVR fee for 1 HD DVR. If you're counting in taxes in that figure, you need to do the same for Direct.

dare2be:
Starting with the second year and onward, the DirecTV price is almost exactly what I'm paying Dish now.

I'm willing to switch every 2 years if I can get a better deal from the other provider.

Regarding my current Dish bill:
AEP: $104.99
DVR Service: $6
BB @ Home: $10
State/Local Taxes: $1.54
Total: $122.53

I know that by going to DirecTV I would lose BB @ Home (the service sucks, anyway) and a few channels that I like, but I can live with that in exchange for saving $400 in two years.

 

[dare2be]

We would not get whole home. We want just one HD DVR receiver, and it is 'free', since it is the primary receiver.

Here is the Monthly DirecTV Price Breakdown for Months 13-24:
Premier Package: $119.99
Bill Credit: -$10
Advanced Receiver Service: $20
Discount: -$10
Primary TV: $6
Discount: -$6
Monthly Total in Months 13-24: $119.99, plus taxes.

I chatted with someone at DirecTV, and he said that the only additional charges would be state and local taxes, which, on my Dish bill, amount to $1.54.

Later today I'm going to call Dish and see what, if anything, the retention department will offer me, but I doubt that they will be able to come anywhere close to matching my savings by switching to DirecTV, which I estimate to be about $400 over the two years.

So, correct me if I'm wrong, your costs for months 25 and later (after all discounts expire) would be:

Premier Package: $119.99
Advanced Receiver Service: $20
Primary TV: $6

Monthly total: $145.99, which unless you switch back after 2 years, would eat rapidly into your savings from the first 2 years.

 

[SpencerCat]

is it just the cost that is motivating you?
or are there other things?
everyone has things that will make them look other places.
if its just cost and you are happy other wise, id stay

From your signature, it appears that you were a Dish customer for five years and then switched to DirecTV, but it sounds like you are trying to convince me to stay with Dish. Do you regret having left Dish and gone to DirecTV? If so, why?

Regarding the cost savings, Social Security and teacher's retirement don't provide a luxurious lifestyle, so saving money is important.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[mdram]

From your signature, it appears that you were a Dish customer for five years and then switched to DirecTV, but it sounds like you are trying to convince me to stay with Dish. Do you regret having left Dish and gone to DirecTV? If so, why?

Regarding the cost savings, Social Security and teacher's retirement don't provide a luxurious lifestyle, so saving money is important.

Thanks for your comments.

i have no regret, im happier with directv actaully.
but if your happy with your service, channel selection, and equipment, why switch?
a good long term cost savings would be to go to a lower package. ditch the premium channels, use bb at home on dish, or some other on demand, ect

my bill is @ $10 a month higher with direct then with dish
but i added 1 room, and went to whole home, thats the $10 diff

 

[SpencerCat]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, your costs for months 25 and later (after all discounts expire) would be:

Premier Package: $119.99
Advanced Receiver Service: $20
Primary TV: $6

Monthly total: $145.99, which unless you switch back after 2 years, would eat rapidly into your savings from the first 2 years.

Good point, but the increase would actually be $20 per month because the Primary TV always has the $6 discount. However, I would lose the following two discounts:
$10 Bill Credit for Months 13-24
$10 discount on Advanced Receiver Service for 24 months

So at that point, I would see what kind of a deal Dish would give me as a returning customer. Or perhaps DirecTV would give me a $20 per month discount just to keep me.

 

[SpencerCat]

I talked with Dish's retention department, and they offered me some incentives to stay, but after running the numbers, I see that switching to DirecTV will still save me approximately $190 in the first year. The second year would be about equal.

If anyone is interested, here is the spreadsheet I created to compare the two companies. Unfortunately Excel spreadsheets don't copy into a forum message exactly as they look in Excel. I'm assuming that the state and local taxes will be very close.

[TABLE="width: 715"]
[TR]
[TD]DirecTV
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Dish
Network
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]Months
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Cost
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Extended
Cost
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Monthly
Savings
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Extended
Savings
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Months
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Cost
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Extended
Cost
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]3
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$54.99
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$164.97
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$42.00
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$126.00
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$96.99
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$290.97
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]3
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$99.99
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$299.97
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-$3.00
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-$9.00
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$96.99
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$290.97
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]6
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$99.99
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$599.94
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$12.54
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$75.24
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]6
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$112.53
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$675.18
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2, align: right"]1st Year Totals:
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,064.88
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$192.24
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2, align: right"]1st Year Totals:
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,257.12
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[cosmo_kramer]

If saving money is your primary goal and cutting programming/hardware with your current provider is not an option, then unfortunately switching providers will always be the answer.