Why should I stay with Directv?

[Frank Furter]

Howdy group - I need some bullet points. I've flip-flopped between cable and sat for years. I've been with D* for over a year now, but I really want to get a couple of HD-DVR's. If I understand correctly, the current Tivo's are Mpeg2, and D* is starting to rollout Mpeg4, so my days would be numbered if I were to buy the Tivo HDDVR. Especially considering they retail for around $400 now.

SO, I did email them and someone from retention called a few days later. They offered my $100 off of the Tivo (from them, which they said sells for $500), and $5 service for 6 months or something. Seemed silly, and a waste of my time.

I emailed them back, and said thanks for routing my concerns, but the only thing I'd consider was $500 off of a $500 box (hey, swing for the fence) and I'd be calling in soon to close the account. They actually replied saying to chill and they'd have another person call. They haven't called yet, but I imagine they're gonna try and toss in HBO or something for 6 months. Yawn.

I played around with the Cox cable HD Fake-O at Best Buy, and no doubt it's no Tivo. BUT, I lease the box (no upfront costs), it's dual tuner, one line going in, no phone line for updates, and the overall service would be 20%-25% cheaper than D*.

Would anyone be kind enough to beat a dead horse for this newbie and tell me why I should stay with D*? Or point me to a similar thread, I'll happily research it. I'd just like to know if there's something I'm overlooking. I'm not into hacking or that kind of thing, and as far as I can tell, all I'm giving up is 30-sec skip, an intuitive interface, and thumbs up/down (I know it's not that simple, but those are -my- main pros/cons).

Thoughts?

Frank

[Boston Fan]

Given the situation as you've described it, I see no reason for you to stay with D*. I went with D* initially because of service and value. At the time of my switch, D* was the hands-down winner. At such time as my local cable company or other option exceeds D*, I will have no trouble with the idea of switching.

I believe strongly in the importance of competition, and think those that offer overall better service and better value should be rewarded with our business. The cable companies only started improving when their monopolistic market share became threatened by satellite TV. D* needs to also be aware of the pitfalls they face through such poor decisions as their leasing model, etc.

For now, however, D* remains the best choice for me, and so I will stay.

[Daytona24]

I would agree with Boston Fan, when I went to DTV last year they were hands down the best in price and quality. Fast forward a year and my cable co has left them in the dust, I had two reasons for switching back to cable, I bought a HDTV and had a baby, with the HDTV I wanted HD programming and cable had the best, with the baby we were watching TV in a room I rarely watched in so we needed a second DVR (and I wasnt paying $100 plus a two year commitment). Along with cable service it made using the tuner on my media center PC a lot easier and now with two Xbox's and media center extenders I have MRV as well (for SD only). DTV couldnt touch that. I gave up some SD quality but got ALOT more in return. But its on a case to case basis. My opinion go where the content and quality you want is, dont switch for cost.

[davecramer74]

the only reason i stayed with directv was because of the NFL package. With it costing me 1500 bucks to go HDDVR in 3 rooms, i dumped directv last month and went to comcast. It cost me ZERO up front and have HD DVR's in 2 br's and my living room. I lose my football package, but im not spending 1500 bones to have HD dvr's in the house. Its a ripoff. Not that my monthly bill from comcast isnt a ripoff, at least i didnt have to cut them a 1500 dollar check to come out to my house.

it was quite an easy choice.

[Frank Furter]

You guys raise some good points. Understand, I've had TiVo since they were introduced. I LOVE my TiVo, and it almost nauseates me to think of using the Cox DVR. BUT....

$1000 for something that will be out of date within a year (maybe not even work?), STILL uses a phone line, doesn't communicate with my other TiVo's....blah blah blah.

Like was said, <insert your cable co here> is sticking it to us as well, but between the price hikes, lack of new technology, and these $&#! 2-year commitments, I think I've had enough. Guess I was hoping someone might jump in and say, "But what about THIS!!!", but I don't think that will happen.

It's not all about money, but in this case there's too many pros with switching to cable. I'm gonna miss laying on the couch in a tv-induced haze, pressing buttons on my TiVo remote with as much thought as breathing, but whatcha gonna do. (Those Motorola HDDVR remotes are pretty weak... maybe I can use a Harmony or something.).

Anyone else?

[denary]

Frank...I feel your pain as I am in the same boat as you, my friend.

I recently bought a new HD set and am coming to terms with the fact that I must now give up my beloved Tivo. It saddens me to do so, but I feel that given the choices that are out there today....Cable is the choice.

Hopefully that will change when the Series 3 is introduced...but for now it's off to Comcast.

[Proc]

I have D* for the NFLST. I seriously thought about jumping ship a month or so ago and going to Comcast. They offered their famous "Ditch the Dish" offer of $400 off, which basically is $25 off a month the bill for 16 months. It really was a good deal. I would've got the HD DVR (Motorola 6412) and HBO/Cinemax as part of the deal with no commitment, no upfront costs, for $16 a month cheaper (actually more because the HBO/Cinemax is thrown in) than D*.

Why haven't I switched?

Well, when football comes back in the fall, I would've kicked myself.

Two, I like the XM stations on D*.

Three, the wife likes the Tivo (even though its the old RCA40 it still keeps tickin').

Four, Comcast has treated me poorly in the past.

The old "bait and switch" is in effect here. Once the 16 months are up, they'll jack the price up so high and then fight you when you call in to "renogotiate".

D* has at least given me rebates on my receivers and has thrown me freebies for programming on occasion.

The only thing that will make me switch is if I can't get a line of sight when I have to move my dish this summer, but I will be making every effort to find that line of sight!

[reh523]

the only reason i stayed with directv was because of the NFL package.



I still have a UTV that the wife loves. I refuse to pay for a Hi Def PVR. I have a HD TV that I watch OTA on (it is expensive to record OTA HD). I am building a MPC to do that and keeping the UTV with D*TV for now. I am going to be slowly working the MPC into the loop as I add tuners to it. The interface is kind of like the UTV (both Microsoft Products) Once it is stable I will drop the UTV and use 2 small D*TV recvrs for sources for the UTV. So I will be able to record the OTA HD and watch the NFL (no HD NFL though they charge way to much extra for it).....

[fastep]

I recently switched to Comcast and with the 12 month all inclusive high speed internet - HD TV deal they offered I am saving close to $1500 over the next year. Because comcast in my area is all digital, HD and SD PQ is better than D* and the comcast dvr works fine (and 1000x FASTER than HDTivo!).

I also recently sold one of my HDTivos for $400 and will be selling the other as soon as I am done with the recorded shows. After that, I should be up around $2400 and have better PQ and more HD channels.

So long football package - I wasted enough money on that over the past 4 years! And who cares about xm radio on your tv? I use xm in the car and at work. TV stands for teleVISION not teleHEARING! BTW - for those who do care, Comcast has SIRIUS (not sure what Cox has).

[Proc]

TV stands for teleVISION not teleHEARING! BTW - for those who do care, Comcast has SIRIUS (not sure what Cox has).

Very witty :)

I've got my teleHEARING set hooked up to a nice sound system, so I listen to the XM stations instead of a radio/stereo and it sounds great.

Comcast has SIRIUS? I know DISH has SIRIUS. I thought Comcast was still Music Choice?

[BillyBob_jcv]

If I had a decent cable service available, I would probably switch back - but for me that would be Adelphia (A-he11-phia). No way I'm going back to that cr@p. I was paying almost $60/month just for analog cable (no premium channels or dvr). I might revisit the cable offerings after TWC takes over our area, but from what I have seen on the TWC web site, it won't be much of an improvement.

[Guindalf]

I have the same problem here - no good cable co to choose. So, I have no choice but to stick with D*. The only other possibility is E*, but that means a potentially crappy DVR that is not cheap and, when I moved from a rented house to my own, I made the mistake of keeping my phone number. Then when I called E* for their new customer offers, they told me that I was an existing customer and had to pay full price for anything I wanted. I was NEVER an E* customer - apart from having it installed and removed on the same day because the local company that sold it to me lied!

So, I'm stuck with D*. I now have three DVRs (one HD, one Philips DTiVo box and an R15 and a spare Hughes DTiVo box thanks to the DVR4ME promo). There are many things I'd like to change or see D* improve upon, but like others on this forum, I just have to live with it and complain occasionally. Maybe even chase the odd freebee here and there.

[JWThiers]

It's not all about money, but in this case there's too many pros with switching to cable. I'm gonna miss laying on the couch in a tv-induced haze, pressing buttons on my TiVo remote with as much thought as breathing, but whatcha gonna do. (Those Motorola HDDVR remotes are pretty weak... maybe I can use a Harmony or something.).

Anyone else?
You can still lie on the couch pushing the buttons, they just won't do anything useful. :D BUT Series 3 Tivo is coming eventually. That will probably be my tipping point.

[Steveknj]

Does anyone know how Cablevision stacks up to D*? Their website is very vague. They talk about their cable packages but mention nothing about their DVR and I know they offer one. I have yet to take the plunge for HD, the cost to me is still prohiibitave, but as prices drop, it will become more enticing. But to lay out another $1000 on top of what it will cost for the TV seems nuts, especially since I won't own the equipment, just lease. When I did a comparison of the channels I'd get, it is comparable to what I get on D*, plus, when I'm ready for HD, I also get the Cablevision owned sports channels in HD (FSNY, MSG), which I won't get on D*. AND my cable internet price will drop as well.

Also as an option, I could also buy a Stand Alone Tivo if the DVR is just that crappy.

[dtremain]

Does anyone know how Cablevision stacks up to D*? Their website is very vague. They talk about their cable packages but mention nothing about their DVR and I know they offer one. I have yet to take the plunge for HD, the cost to me is still prohiibitave, but as prices drop, it will become more enticing. But to lay out another $1000 on top of what it will cost for the TV seems nuts, especially since I won't own the equipment, just lease. When I did a comparison of the channels I'd get, it is comparable to what I get on D*, plus, when I'm ready for HD, I also get the Cablevision owned sports channels in HD (FSNY, MSG), which I won't get on D*. AND my cable internet price will drop as well.

Also as an option, I could also buy a Stand Alone Tivo if the DVR is just that crappy.Not sure what county you live in. I live in Morris. I left Cablevision for Directv seven years ago and have never regretted it. I see the analog signal at the local "Y" very often and it looks like comparative crap.

I figure that by the time I spring for a digital set, Directv will either be competitive in that area or a dead duck. Bet it's about the same for you.

If you're currently happy, why switch?

Standalone TiVo would cost you an extra $13 a month. Forget that!!!

[Steveknj]

Not sure what county you live in. I live in Morris. I left Cablevision for Directv seven years ago and have never regretted it. I see the analog signal at the local "Y" very often and it looks like comparative crap.

I figure that by the time I spring for a digital set, Directv will either be competitive in that area or a dead duck. Bet it's about the same for you.

If you're currently happy, why switch?

Standalone TiVo would cost you an extra $13 a month. Forget that!!!

I'm in Middlesex and yes, there analog signal is crap, but i've seen their digital signal and it's not bad. I switched to E* from CV mainly because at the time IO digital was not out in my area and for less money I could get more channels, AND rental fees at that time on E* equipment was not bad. I switched to D* when YES game out and neither CV or E* was going to carry it (YES is on CV now). I've laid out a lot of money over the years with D* equipment and that is one of the reasons (TiVo being the other) why I have stayed. But the amount of money I have to lay out to upgrade to HD is rediculous, and I would say, within a year, I will probably have an HD set, so, will D* be competative in a year? It's not sounding like it.

Does anyone really have any idea what D*'s strategy is? Seems to me like they are trying to push away HD users rather than go after them. To me, it seems that their one selling point is NFL football, and if you are not a fan, then it's not worth it. Me, I'm a Giants fan and could care less about watching Steelers-Browns or any other NFL game that is not in my area, so NFLST doesn't apeal to me. I love hockey and can get NHLCI on CV now as well. And it seems that cable has a whole lot more HD content than D* does.

[taylor2767]

I too was on the fence about D* vs cable. I've been with D* for about 5yrs but made the switch to cable 3 weeks ago. After purchasing a HDTV I wasnt about to fork over $400 for a HD-DVR and D* was not making any concessions so I made the jump.

With D* lack of new programming and no HD locals the choice was easy especially after some hard negoiating on my part. After all was said and done I came away with WOW's (WideOpenWest) digital package w/locals in HD all movie channels(HBO,Starz,Showtime and Cinemax),HD package and HSI(4mb down and 500K up) for about $130/mo with a price guarantee until 2008

[Frank Furter]

I'm a huge NFL fan, and have had the NFLST for 3 or 4 years, but last year said, "Enough". I'm in Kansas, so we are guaranteed a Chiefs game (ugh), but can usually find a game worth watching. But with D* charging (are they at $300 yet?) for the NFLST, no thanks. It's ridiculous.

But I've made up my mind now anyway. It's off to Cox cable I go. I told you all that the retention dept called me, and offered me squat. I emailed the reps back later and said thanks, and I'll be cancelling soon. Well, another rep called today and wow - this guy meant business. He was polite, I guess, but IN MY FACE about how bad cable sucked. His speech was filled with "we have a lot of overhead" and "this business is expensive", trying to justify their price hikes.

I told him if he would GIVE me two HD-DVR's with no comittment I'd stay. Absurd, he said. I mentioned that since my market was #67 on the list to go to MPeg4, why would I spend the dough to just have it not work within 6 mos or a year? He quickly said they'd offer me a new box with the new technology, but when I asked if that would be without a comittment, he kinda George Castanza'd me and mumbled a few things. <Edit - he also doubted my info about being #67, saying, "Not sure where you get your info from, but...". I started to provide the URL to the location on D*'s website where I got that from, but he again changed the subject....">

I politely said no thanks. He seemed irritated and said, "So should I set up your disconnect order right now?". Sheesh. I'm waiting a bit, but I'm about 99.5% sure I'm switching. I'm so sick of ANYONE making me sign up for a comittment. Matter of fact, he said they wouldn't necessarily hold me to it if I was really upset about something in the future. At this point, I could tell they are using desparation tactics to keep customers (can you imagine what the CSR would say if I called up 6 months into a 2-year contract and tried to cancel for -any- reason? LOL).

So thanks for everyone's insight. I hate the man, but right now Cox is the cheapest and friendliest man. And if they pi** me off, I'll be back here asking y'all what's so great about D*? :^)

Frank

[fastep]

Very witty :)

I've got my teleHEARING set hooked up to a nice sound system, so I listen to the XM stations instead of a radio/stereo and it sounds great.

Comcast has SIRIUS? I know DISH has SIRIUS. I thought Comcast was still Music Choice?


I stand corrected - it is music choice. My wife says it sounds as good as xm. The only problem with comcast is if you are tuned to a music channel using the moto6412 you better turn your wide screen tv off as the music info is boxed in 4:3 with a stagnant picture (pretty dumb).

[ScottE22]

I'm on the Comcast bandwagon now, too. What prompted this was the purchase of an HD TV and the almost-completed construction of a basement home theater/media area where I want to be able to watch HD TV.

I was perfectly happy with DTV when I had one TV w/ TiVo and one in the bedroom, but now that I was looking at adding a 3rd TV, an HD programming package, and two HD DVRs, I couldn't justify the price. I'm getting the $69/month for a year package and that includes my Internet (switching from Qwest DSL). As it is, I'm at $60/month just for DirecTV and that would skyrocket with the setup I want to have.

My experience with DTV has been nothing but positive, but at this point (and at least for the next 12 months), Comcast has more of what I want at a better value.

[jtseltmann]

Is it me or is the Tivo interface going away when D* goes to MPG4? That will no longer be a good reason to stay with D* over Cable.

I am on the fence with Cablevision vs. D* and i am almost ready but the guy at BestBuy says that in 2007 and 2008 there should be a huge increase in D* HD. I hate the HR10250 and am on my third one (and yes, the this HDMI port has failed also).

I think I would get less hassle from Cablevision...and i think a better price. THey have more HD but I know the non HD quality isn't there yet but I rarely watch any non HD...

any thoughts ? the CV hd dvr is coming close to the HR10250 right???

[BillyBob_jcv]

I seriously doubt "the guy at BestBuy" has any clue what D* is going to do in 2008. He probably heard it from the previous customer, who heard it from a friend, who read it on a forum...

[Frank Furter]

While I'll be the first to knock Best Buy, you have to take them somewhat seriously. I know that the manager of electronics at my local store was usually accurate with his D* news - the D* rep came in often and kept him in the loop. Maybe they were buddies, maybe just doing their job, but he seemed to know more than many forums did.

Anyway, my order is scheduled for this Wednesday to get Cox cable installed. I'm gonna miss that 'ol TiVo..sniff...sniff....but with the lower priced bill and no contracts, I'll sleep better at night. Maybe that series 3 will be worth checking out later.

Frank

[ScottE22]

Agreed. And if the Best Buy guy does indeed have some "scoop," I'll certainly be willing to switch back when my 12 month special runs out next year... I just wasn't prepared to re-up for 2 more years of DYV just to get one HD-TiVo that would cost me $300 or $400 out of my pocket.

[super dave]

I have had DTV for 6 years now, but now I am thinking about moving on. I haven't decided on CC or Dish, but I want HD and I want to record it. I currently use CC for HSI, and I have jacks all around the house (it is 3 years old, we bought it last year), so I ran a cable to my KDF-50WE655 to rate CC and DTV's PQ side by side. I am only day 2 into this experiment but I have noticed CC PQ is the same as DTV's on the digital channels my set found. I also found a set of channels that is the local HD, and it is OTA quality.

I just don't get DTV's attitude toward HD, and I am NOT committing myself for 2 years to them.

[dtremain]

While I'll be the first to knock Best BuyActually, BB has changed quite a bit. The Perfect Vision gave them an award last year for the change in their business model, becoming a large brick and mortar store that offers service comparable to small, high priced salons.

They sometimes do know what they're talking about these days.

[ScottE22]

Actually, BB has changed quite a bit. The Perfect Vision gave them an award last year for the change in their business model, becoming a large brick and mortar store that offers service comparable to small, high priced salons.

They sometimes do know what they're talking about these days.

I did not know that. I've been avoiding BB since a lousy experience there a few years ago. If I absolutely need to buy something in a B&M store, I will usually go to Circuit City. Maybe it's time to give BB another shot.

[jtseltmann]

Just a follow up on the guy at BB...he said that this is what he heard because Cable apparently is under no obligation to up the HD content while there is some reason for D* to do it...and all the MPG4 stuff + the new sats should allow them to provide some 200 HD channels plus.

I am not sure whether to trust him or not...but I was just passing it along. I am still on the fence and thing that Cablevision with two HD PVR's may be in my future...I have had more problems with the HR10 250 and I have another HD/LCD set coming for another room. I want to get HD there but will not buy another HR10250.

If the D*/Tivo interface goes away...there is hardly a diff other than the SD stuff on D* is usually regarded as better quality than the SD stuff on Cablevision. ANyone have any comments on that?

I would just go with the Cablevision sa8300 in two rooms and deal without my "tivo-ness" that i have grown to love. I have read that the sa8300 is acceptable and now with the dual tuners and such it is becoming comparible to the HR10. There is little difference...

someone help push me off the fence? CV has FoxSports Net in HD and then I get all the NJ DEVILS Games which would put a serious smile on my face...and CV has the On demand stuff...

I'm stuck..i don't want another 2 yr contract...

[wilsonjd]

I just switched from DTV to Cablevision. My reason was practical. We moved to a new house, and we have very tall trees, that make it impossible to get clear line of sight to the satalites. I'm really going to miss NFLST.

I got an 8300HD for the HiDef in the Family room, and a regular 8300 for the bedroom. So far, I'm pleasantly surprised by the 8300. It is no TiVo, but it's not bad. My biggest complaint is that it can be difficult to find the program you want to record. On TiVo, I just searched by name, and there it was. On the 8300, first I had to know what day the show was on, then I had to sort the list for that day by title, and then I had to scroll through all the shows that started with the same letter, and find the one I wanted. I've only had it for a few days, so still getting used to it.

I'm in Dutchess county. The picture quality for is much better than I expected. I have seen some "rain fade" on HiDef channels (I thought that was a dish-only problem!)

[taylor2767]

Just a follow up on the guy at BB...he said that this is what he heard because Cable apparently is under no obligation to up the HD content while there is some reason for D* to do it...and all the MPG4 stuff + the new sats should allow them to provide some 200 HD channels plus.

I am not sure whether to trust him or not...but I was just passing it along. I am still on the fence and thing that Cablevision with two HD PVR's may be in my future...I have had more problems with the HR10 250 and I have another HD/LCD set coming for another room. I want to get HD there but will not buy another HR10250.

If the D*/Tivo interface goes away...there is hardly a diff other than the SD stuff on D* is usually regarded as better quality than the SD stuff on Cablevision. ANyone have any comments on that?

I would just go with the Cablevision sa8300 in two rooms and deal without my "tivo-ness" that i have grown to love. I have read that the sa8300 is acceptable and now with the dual tuners and such it is becoming comparible to the HR10. There is little difference...

someone help push me off the fence? CV has FoxSports Net in HD and then I get all the NJ DEVILS Games which would put a serious smile on my face...and CV has the On demand stuff...

I'm stuck..i don't want another 2 yr contract...


I recently switched to WOW (wideopenwest) and got the SA8300 HD-DVR. I was pleasantly surprise with the SD picture quality most likely due to less channel compression. Personally I haven't found any reason to switch back to DTV since I'm getting HSI and everthing WOW has to offer + HD package and saving $15-$20/mo when I was with DTV with no HD or Premeir Choice.

[pin21]

Another opinion for you:

I've had 2 S2directTivo's non-modified for about 2 years now. I recently purchased a 42" plasma HDTV, and found DirectTV's HD options extremely limited. Unless you do OTA, there is no option for an HD DVR currently. Last week I switched to a Cablevision Triple play offer, and get HBO HD included for $30 less than what I paid for my TV/internet and phone.
I have the HD8300 and SD8300 DVR's. I mourn the loss of my Tivo interface, especially the 2 tuner cache, even if it was only 30 mins each, at least I could switch between 2 live channels, but the quality of the HD blows me away on the local channels with the HD8300.


"If the D*/Tivo interface goes away...there is hardly a diff other than the SD stuff on D* is usually regarded as better quality than the SD stuff on Cablevision. ANyone have any comments on that?"

I was also afraid of this. Good news though-On my analog TV, I find that the channels look the same or a little better than with DirecTV. I still have both hooked uo, so I do tests ocasionally to see which looks best.
On the HDTV, the one channel I have trouble with is the SCI-FI channel, which does look somewhat worse. Other channels are about the same as with DirectTV.

Bottom line: If you want a DVR with HD now, make the switch. If you're willing to wait another year, keep your DirecTivo and wait it out.

P.S. Tivo functionality may become more widespread if they win their DVR patent suit against Echostar, which it seems they will

Pin21

[jtseltmann]

Pin21,
Thanks for the feedback..I appreciate the help....

Question...you say you cannot go back and forth between the two tuners on the 8300? Darn, if that is true then that is another feature i love about the D*/HR10-250.

If I wait it out for D* and the MPG4 conversion is the new HR20? (I think) the same as the HR10 ? Isn't it completely different and all that I know and love about the HR10 going away?

Anyone upgrade to the new HD DVR and have anything good to say? Other than new dish and pricing/leasing etc?

Thanks all!!

[Proc]

D* will launch 2 more sats next year (D10 and D11 in 2007 to join the other new birds at the 99 and 103 slots) which obviously opens the door for expanding HD programming.

Some neat info in this document: http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=7484&d=1140623682

[ScottE22]

D* will launch 2 more sats next year (D10 and D11 in 2007 to join the other new birds at the 99 and 103 slots) which obviously opens the door for expanding HD programming.

Some neat info in this document: http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=7484&d=1140623682

Excellent. When my 1-year $69/month deal with Comcast runs out, that will be great leverage to consider switching back to the dish if they won't work with me. Unless I can get the triple play in my area by then -- that might be a deal-breaker. Digital voice is available in "some parts" of my town, but I'm in a new development so hopefully we'll get it sooner rather than later!

[pin21]

JTSeltmann

"Question...you say you cannot go back and forth between the two tuners on the 8300? Darn, if that is true then that is another feature i love about the D*/HR10-250."

It does have a PIP function, but if u switch between PIP and main picture, you lose your cached program. If u switch ot recorded programs, you also lose your cache. The UI is like going from Windows XP to DOS 6.22, so be prepared.
It does have a first run only season pass-like option, but u can only seach with the online guide, which contains 7 days of data only.
Another annoyance is that it automatically turns off between 1 and 6am (set recordings will still record), and the channel gets reset to channel 2. When it is off, there is no caching of the tuner.
In other words, lots of room for improvement, but it's still worth it, and you'll eventually get stuck with a non-Tivo interface anyway even if u stay with DirecTV.

Pin21

[goony]

...and you'll eventually get stuck with a non-Tivo interface anyway even if u stay with DirecTV.How long is 'eventually'?

Eventually, I will not be able to drive my 2002 Toyota Camry (worn out, no parts, etc.) so should I switch to a 2006 Ford now?

[TomDac]

NFL Sunday Ticket. It's the reason I went to DirecTV and the reason I'm staying... :-)

[Frank Furter]

NFLST is the original reason I switched too, when it was reasonably priced (though even then it was still silly at $149 or $169 or whatever it was). But I really enjoyed it, especially when it went high-def.

Ironically it was also what started to cause me to leave. I still love NFL, but I've got better things to do with the money now. And $240? Please.

Slightly OT, but I've been on Cox cable for a couple of days now. The PVR's sure ain't Tivo, but we knew that now, didn't we (I have the Motorola DCT-6416's). I actually enjoy the change, it's a little clumsier, but so far no real complaints. Matter of fact, I'm finding I -enjoy- not having suggestions. Tivo was always hit and miss with this anyway, and I always felt like I needed to watch all that crap. Now, if I want it, I make it record it.

These are, of course, personal preferences, YMMV. But I encourage anyone on the fence to make the leap. It's been nice, no phone lines, extra cable lines, multiple boxes for one TV, lower bills, basically same quality pic. It's also been raining the past few days, and to my amazement, no signal loss <sarcasm>. And no COMMITMENTS!!! Bye bye D*......

[Proc]

NFLST is the original reason I switched too, when it was reasonably priced (though even then it was still silly at $149 or $169 or whatever it was). But I really enjoyed it, especially when it went high-def.

Ironically it was also what started to cause me to leave. I still love NFL, but I've got better things to do with the money now. And $240? Please.

Slightly OT, but I've been on Cox cable for a couple of days now. The PVR's sure ain't Tivo, but we knew that now, didn't we (I have the Motorola DCT-6416's). I actually enjoy the change, it's a little clumsier, but so far no real complaints. Matter of fact, I'm finding I -enjoy- not having suggestions. Tivo was always hit and miss with this anyway, and I always felt like I needed to watch all that crap. Now, if I want it, I make it record it.

These are, of course, personal preferences, YMMV. But I encourage anyone on the fence to make the leap. It's been nice, no phone lines, extra cable lines, multiple boxes for one TV, lower bills, basically same quality pic. It's also been raining the past few days, and to my amazement, no signal loss <sarcasm>. And no COMMITMENTS!!! Bye bye D*......

Frank...enjoy the cable. Hey, nothing wrong with being happy, heck its just TV after all. I bet you'll be a bit bummed come football season though.

[Boston Fan]

NFL Sunday Ticket. It's the reason I went to DirecTV and the reason I'm staying... :-)
That was my original reason as well. But with the new NFL schedule offering expanded nights with national games, the appeal and value of NFLST just decreased significantly.

Take a look at the 2006 NFL schedule. In addition to the five regular games you can count on every week without ST - 2 at 1pm (usually a game on both CBS & Fox at 1), 4pm & 8pm on Sunday, plus MNF, there are now extra games available on national TV a lot of weeks:

*Thursday night plus a MNF double-header in week one
*Three games on Thanksgiving day/night
*Thursday night games EVERY Thursday beginning in week 12
*Saturday night games for the last three weeks of the season
*MNF double-header on Christmas night

With so many games available for free every week - some weeks as many as half of all games! - I'm not sure I can justify paying the same amount for NFLST this year.