Why is it so much more expensive than cable?

[trenton76]

Again, maybe for *you* it's cheaper to go with cable, but you can't make that a statement for everyone. More people are on my end of things in terms of cable costs.

I honestly don't believe you're representing your cable fees fairly. For instance, I've moved several times and have had switched between cable and DTV a couple times and have NEVER paid for cable installation anywhere. I did, however, pay $99 for the Directv pole in my backyard!

It also appears that every charge you listed for cable was approx double what it should be.

Here is standard rack rate pricing from my cable company:
Time Warner Cable: Raleigh Durham Fayetteville : Digital Cable, High Speed Online, Digital Phone

I would be interested to see the link to yours (or anyone elses).
Thanks-

 

[Hemi 6.1]

$75 for cable install plus 1st months bill. Thats what cable is in my area.E* cost me $49.99 to get a HD-DVR one HD and one Standard Receiver.Plus free install. D* charged me $49.99 for 3 standard def receivers in 2003,Plus free install. Not sure what Directv would charge now for new customers,but I'd bet its real cheap.

 

[bidger`]

I had to pay for installation for TWC when I moved one apartment over in the same building. When I moved with DIRECTV the only charge was for shipping the new dish, ~ $14.00.

 

[bonscott87]

I honestly don't believe you're representing your cable fees fairly. For instance, I've moved several times and have had switched between cable and DTV a couple times and have NEVER paid for cable installation anywhere. I did, however, pay $99 for the Directv pole in my backyard!

It also appears that every charge you listed for cable was approx double what it should be.

Here is standard rack rate pricing from my cable company:
Time Warner Cable: Raleigh Durham Fayetteville : Digital Cable, High Speed Online, Digital Phone

I would be interested to see the link to yours (or anyone elses).
Thanks-

Charter Communications - Home Page my friend. I *just* went there and punched in what I wanted. Those are the fees. It's on their rate cards that you can pick up in the office or they mail you. I know cause since I have Charter for Internet I get one sent to me at least twice a week.

Like I said, there are a few good cable systems out there, but not many.

And yes, $30 installation is right on the first months bill.

 

[bonscott87]

Hey trent, if I read your rate card correctly you are talking $16.25 for the digital cable box and $7.95 for DVR added to it.

That's $24.25 a month 1 DVR and doesn't even include HD. I don't see anything on there about an HD DVR so I can't compare apples to apples.

 

[ShadowEKU]

Thanks, you definitely had the best reply. Everyone else seems to want to pick a fight (such as calling my post a sales pitch?).

I guess the difference between you and I is:
1. I honestly don't care about quality. You could put 10 different HD pictures up on different screens (plasma, LCD) and different providers (cable, satellite) and I'd be happy with any of them. HD quality is great... I haven't seen an HD picture I didn't enjoy. I do understand that's just me.
2. I care more about price. Unlike you, I'm not happy about spending over $1,200 per year on tv. This is why I was switching yearly to get the huge promotions from both companies.

Also consider the following:
a) The $300 total you paid for DVR's four years ago was for you to OWN the equipment. I wouldn't mind paying to own equipment. It's the $300 upfront leasing fee before paying a monthly leasing fee that I have a problem with.
b) For you to only have paid $300 over 4 years seems like you're not necessarily the typical customer or one that I could compare to. You're obviously using outdated equipment. I want two HD/DVR's which would be $500-$600. If the equipment lasts 4 yrs from now and I remain a "loyal" customer, that's roughly $10.50 on each bill on top of the leasing fees.

Anyway, based on the replies here, I have concluded that Directv is certainly more expensive than cable (once you factor in the equipment fee into the monthly fee). But most directv customers are willing to pay more because they either hate their cable company or believe it's better quality.

Just a small followup... all my equipment is very good. my HR20s are less than a month old and my R10s while why have some age still work great and were really the last tivo receiver that Directv had.

So yes Im a generation behind on the SD DVRs but the HD DVRs are less than a month old.

If you are counting the 5-6 hundred for the HD dvrs and such what about the rebates you get back? I know a lot of people look at the very bottom line and some people look at the out of pocket.

I do agree with you on the HD front... right now Direct offers more HD than cable in the area... not quality but quantity this time. on top of that I had Dish for a time... I guess i am a dish basher but i always ahd problems to the tune i had almost 5 522s at one point.

 

[Rassilon]

Also consider the following:
a) The $300 total you paid for DVR's four years ago was for you to OWN the equipment. I wouldn't mind paying to own equipment. It's the $300 upfront leasing fee before paying a monthly leasing fee that I have a problem with.

Is there a monthly fee to lease also? I'm currently thinking about switching from comcast to Dtv and was under the assumption you paid the $$ upfront but in return there weren't any monthly lease fees. Is that incorrect?

 

[iwc5893]

Is there a monthly fee to lease also? I'm currently thinking about switching from comcast to Dtv and was under the assumption you paid the $$ upfront but in return there weren't any monthly lease fees. Is that incorrect?

The lease fee is $4.99 per receiver after the first. If you buy the equipment (at 3 times what the upfront lease fee is), then you will be paying a $4.99 per receiver access fee for every receiver after the first.

 

[bonscott87]

The lease is so you only have to fork over 0-$300 instead of $750 up front.

Monthly fees are the same owned or leased as noted above, $4.99 a month beyond the first receiver.

 

[trenton76]

Hey trent, if I read your rate card correctly you are talking $16.25 for the digital cable box and $7.95 for DVR added to it.

That's $24.25 a month 1 DVR and doesn't even include HD. I don't see anything on there about an HD DVR so I can't compare apples to apples.

It appears you added it incorrectly by viewing "a la carte pricing". The digipic packages include one digital receiver in the $64.75 price. It's $8/mo to add DVR to it and $6.95 to add HD to it. So $15/mo for one HD/DVR box.

Not that I'm suggesting $15/mo is a good price... My expiring promotional rate was pretty amazing.

 

[trenton76]

The lease is so you only have to fork over 0-$300 instead of $750 up front.

Monthly fees are the same owned or leased as noted above, $4.99 a month beyond the first receiver.

So there is ZERO advantage to owning Directv equipment, correct?
I have two modified tivos but they're standard def.

To keep costs down, I think I'd do one HD/DVR and use one of my tivo dvr receivers... unless I get a new HDTV for football season then I'd need to throw away the old receiver and get a second HD box.

 

[iwc5893]

So there is ZERO advantage to owning Directv equipment, correct?
I have two modified tivos but they're standard def.

To keep costs down, I think I'd do one HD/DVR and use one of my tivo dvr receivers... unless I get a new HDTV for football season then I'd need to throw away the old receiver and get a second HD box.

Not really, unless you plan on hacking the equipment for some reason. If it's leased and something goes wrong, it gets replaced. If you own it and something goes wrong, you're going to be buying another one.

The other advantage of owning it is that you are not under a two year contract with D*.

 

[MLBurks]

The lease is so you only have to fork over 0-$300 instead of $750 up front.

Monthly fees are the same owned or leased as noted above, $4.99 a month beyond the first receiver.

Now I'm confused. I OWN one of my R15's (bought it at Walmart) and I do NOT get charged for it. I pay a lease fee for my other R15 and a DVR fee of course. But I do not pay a lease fee for my owned R15.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Not really, unless you plan on hacking the equipment for some reason. If it's leased and something goes wrong, it gets replaced. If you own it and something goes wrong, you're going to be buying another one.

The other advantage of owning it is that you are not under a two year contract with D*.

You can buy your equipment,and protection plan,and they will still replace for free.

 

[bonscott87]

Now I'm confused. I OWN one of my R15's (bought it at Walmart) and I do NOT get charged for it. I pay a lease fee for my other R15 and a DVR fee of course. But I do not pay a lease fee for my owned R15.

There is no fee for your first receiver. Any receiver beyond the 1st will incur a $4.99 a month "additional receiver" or "lease fee".

So if your owned R15 is listed on your account as the primary receiver then you get no monthly charge for it. Then beyond that your 2nd R15 will incur the $4.99 a month fee.

 

[MLBurks]

There is no fee for your first receiver. Any receiver beyond the 1st will incur a $4.99 a month "additional receiver" or "lease fee".

So if your owned R15 is listed on your account as the primary receiver then you get no monthly charge for it. Then beyond that your 2nd R15 will incur the $4.99 a month fee.

Well, the owned R15 is not my primary receiver. My primary is the leased R15 because the purchased one came a few months later.

 

[bonscott87]

Doesn't matter, it's how they list it in their system. The order you got them doesn't matter. Anyway, if these are the only 2 receivers you have then you'll only have one $4.99 charge for the 2nd one.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Doesn't matter, it's how they list it in their system. The order you got them doesn't matter. Anyway, if these are the only 2 receivers you have then you'll only have one $4.99 charge for the 2nd one.

There is still a $5.99 per month DVR charge.So if he has a R-15 and a D-11 he has to pay $4.99 for the D-11 and $5.99 for DVR service on the R-15. If he had 2 D11 and no DVR the his charge would only be $4.99. And you can call them lease fees or what ever. They are mirror fees for additional receivers. If you own all of your equipment ,,you still have to pay $4.99 for your 2nd receiver.

 

[ktk3438]

Now I'm confused. I OWN one of my R15's (bought it at Walmart) and I do NOT get charged for it. I pay a lease fee for my other R15 and a DVR fee of course. But I do not pay a lease fee for my owned R15.

After reading this, I called D*, and looked at my last statement which has my first receiver for free (but DVR Fee) and the other 3 showed leased equipment @ 2 charges of $4.99/mo.

Now I own one of those 3 boxes, so I called but they said it is not a "Lease" but a mirroring fee, and I would be paying it regardless. Although the statement does label the charge as "Lease"

Is that true? Or should I call someone else and try to get that 3rd lease/mirror fee erased?

 

[Brewer4]

After reading this, I called D*, and looked at my last statement which has my first receiver for free (but DVR Fee) and the other 3 showed leased equipment @ 2 charges of $4.99/mo.

Now I own one of those 3 boxes, so I called but they said it is not a "Lease" but a mirroring fee, and I would be paying it regardless. Although the statement does label the charge as "Lease"

Is that true? Or should I call someone else and try to get that 3rd lease/mirror fee erased?

Do you own 1 and lease 3? If you do, make sure the own is the primary box and the other 3 would be correct as Lease. If you own a total of 2, again make sure an own is the primary but the other own should reflect mirror fee not lease fee. The cost is the same but its a big deal as they have in the system that box as leased. I would get it changed if thats the case.