Goodbye HBO and Showtime ... at least temporarily

[terpfan1980]

Just hit DirecTV's website and dropped both HBO and Showtime at least for the near future. $24/month savings for as long as I keep them dropped.

I hope the fans of The Wire enjoy it while it's on, but it is not a show I ever got into. Outside of that, looking at HBO's schedule, just nothing there that I've not already seen via Netflix or would care about. When the Hanks/Spielberg series: the Pacific (or whatever it will be called) comes, I'll probably jump back on it.

For Showtime, until the return of The Tudors and/or another season of Californication comes along, same deal. Brotherhood might be a great show (and I have the first season on DVD to watch, but haven't gotten around to it...)

So, for now I'm getting set to hand DirecTV $4.99 more per month for the HD Extras, but taking back $24 a month in not paying for HBO + Showtime.

[JohnB1000]

I looked at dropping them but with a total choice or whatever it is I have you really don't save the $24 cause they start hitting you with other charges that were "free" with the full package.

Brotherhood and Dexter are great shows though :)

[georgepds]

....
I hope the fans of The Wire enjoy it while it's on, but it is not a show I ever got into. Outside of that, looking at HBO's schedule, just nothing there that I've not already seen ..

Funny you should mention that. I just got the TivoHD installed, and did not bother to connect it to cable (just OTA). My wife likes the wire , and once that is done, adieu ( a enfer, peut etre) Comcast

--G

[RS4]

Just hit DirecTV's website and dropped both HBO and Showtime at least for the near future. $24/month savings for as long as I keep them dropped.

I hope the fans of The Wire enjoy it while it's on, but it is not a show I ever got into. Outside of that, looking at HBO's schedule, just nothing there that I've not already seen via Netflix or would care about. When the Hanks/Spielberg series: the Pacific (or whatever it will be called) comes, I'll probably jump back on it.

For Showtime, until the return of The Tudors and/or another season of Californication comes along, same deal. Brotherhood might be a great show (and I have the first season on DVD to watch, but haven't gotten around to it...)

So, for now I'm getting set to hand DirecTV $4.99 more per month for the HD Extras, but taking back $24 a month in not paying for HBO + Showtime.

Gosh, I hope Milo doesn't see this - I'm afraid he might lose some DirecTV commission from his Tivo forum business:D

[terpfan1980]

Gosh, I hope Milo doesn't see this - I'm afraid he might lose some DirecTV commission from his Tivo forum business:D

Realistically, if HBO and/or Showtime were showing something of value, I'd keep 'em, but the truth is that both are in lull periods for me right now.

Actually I should update that slightly to say if there was more value there. There are some movies coming up on both that aren't bad, but I've seen them via Netflix and I'm continuing to get movies on Netflix for now as they are about $6 - $8 cheaper per month than is the combo of Showtime and HBO.

I like HBO's original programming in most cases, but they are in dry spell for me, and I'd rather not pay for something that isn't offering up enough value. Same for Showtime. When either puts back on something I want to see, they'll get lit back up for me.

[jimb726]

Realistically, if HBO and/or Showtime were showing something of value, I'd keep 'em, but the truth is that both are in lull periods for me right now.

Actually I should update that slightly to say if there was more value there. There are some movies coming up on both that aren't bad, but I've seen them via Netflix and I'm continuing to get movies on Netflix for now as they are about $6 - $8 cheaper per month than is the combo of Showtime and HBO.

I like HBO's original programming in most cases, but they are in dry spell for me, and I'd rather not pay for something that isn't offering up enough value. Same for Showtime. When either puts back on something I want to see, they'll get lit back up for me.

For me HBO was always about the original programming, the Sopranos, Deadwood, Big Love. But there just isnt anything on it anymore. I actually drop all of the movie channels over the summer and havent missed them at all. Actually I have gotten to the point where so much of my viewing is done on local channels, I really dont see a need for movie channels.

[dslunceford]

Cr@p, has the new season of the Wire started!!!

[JohnB1000]

Cr@p, has the new season of the Wire started!!!

No, not until Jan.

[RS4]

Realistically, if HBO and/or Showtime were showing something of value, I'd keep 'em, but the truth is that both are in lull periods for me right now.

Actually I should update that slightly to say if there was more value there. There are some movies coming up on both that aren't bad, but I've seen them via Netflix and I'm continuing to get movies on Netflix for now as they are about $6 - $8 cheaper per month than is the combo of Showtime and HBO.

I like HBO's original programming in most cases, but they are in dry spell for me, and I'd rather not pay for something that isn't offering up enough value. Same for Showtime. When either puts back on something I want to see, they'll get lit back up for me.

We used Netflix for several months. They have great pricing and a lot of selection, but we dropped them after a while because it seemed too many of the dvd's were scratched - to the point where we could not clean them up, so we weren't able to view the whole movie. Boy, does that get to be frustrating.

[tucsonbill]

I looked at dropping them but with a total choice or whatever it is I have you really don't save the $24 cause they start hitting you with other charges that were "free" with the full package.

I guess I'm confused. Why do you think you'd have to pay something to not subscribe to HBO & SHO. They're premiums completely separate from your base package -- Unless your "base" package is Premier? If you're grandfathered into a base package that doesn't exist anymore, I think you'll only get hit with an increase if you actually change the base package. (I say this having subscribed and unsubscribed to premiums several times while keeping a grandfathered package and rate.)

[TyroneShoes]

Gosh, I hope Milo doesn't see this - I'm afraid he might lose some DirecTV commission from his Tivo forum business:D

This must be an inside joke that only you and maybe two other people get. Funny thing about that is that, not to speak for him, but Milo claims no affiliation with DTV and receives no remuneration, so while you might see humor somewhere in there, it's apparently based totally on a fantasy. The actual facts just aren't quite as funny as what you might believe.

But let's just say Milo was getting something for all the work he's done. DTV would be shrewdly clever to use a viral marketing technique like that, but I don't think they're anywhere near that clever, just lucky someone did it for them. Is that perception naive? It doesn't matter. Bottom line is A) if someone had done this and got some kind of compensation for it there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, and B) Milo has provided a great service, that appears to have no company spin or misleading bent to it.

What's funny about that?

[JohnB1000]

I am a grandfathered premier.

My point is that if I drop the channels I do not save $24. By dropping from Premier to Total, then adding back in what I do want I still end up at around $85. So I'm only saving $14

RS4 has his weird agenda. Milo has never done anything to suggest he works for DirecTV unless you somehow view his methods for getting them to reduce their prices to be good business. I like the way he just ignores the crap he gets :)

[tucsonbill]

I am a grandfathered premier.

My point is that if I drop the channels I do not save $24. By dropping from Premier to Total, then adding back in what I do want I still end up at around $85. So I'm only saving $14Precisely why I said "Unless your "base" package is Premier?". Your first post didn't mention that. It seemed to say you were a total choice subscriber.

JohnB1000: "I looked at dropping them but with a total choice or whatever it is I have...."

Your of course are correct, if not clear. But most of us don't subscribe to Premier. Although, I have been thinking aout it lately. By the time I've got two premiums, and HD, and DVRs, I start to think what's another $30 a month.

[cowboys2002]

I haven't had movie channels since 1999.

I rent movies, order the occasional PPV and buy DVD's.

And with free preview weekends, I am always reminded that I made a wise choice to drom the movie stations!

[terpfan1980]

I haven't had movie channels since 1999.

I rent movies, order the occasional PPV and buy DVD's.

And with free preview weekends, I am always reminded that I made a wise choice to drom the movie stations!

For me HBO and, to a large extent, Showtime have never been about the movies, or at least they haven't been about the movies in a long, long time. They've been about the original shows. Original movies at times, more frequently about original series. In the case of HBO events like From the Earth to the Moon, Band of Brothers and others. Shows like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage and Deadwood (and later John from Cincinnati). And a few others like Extras as well (and some Dennis Miller, along with some comedy specials and such too).

Showtime has had some originals that were outstanding as well. Californication was enjoyable. The Tudors was pretty good also.

Either of these programmers could come out with a must watch series, or at least one that generates a lot of buzz, tomorrow and I'd be signing right back up again. But until there is a series that fits that bill, I'm gonna sit on the sidelines a while and watch movies that I own HD DVD/Blu-ray discs of, or just rent them from Netflix/Blockbuster. With sports like college basketball (mens), NHL games, NBA games, and other similar programming, I can find something to watch and not waste my time watching crappy programming, or waste my money paying for programming that isn't up to the standards I've come to expect.

Again, no disrespect for The Wire (fine show, just not a fan of same) or Brotherhood and others, but I want shows I want to see. Until they are out, I'll save my money.