Direct TV rasing package prices

[andrew64]

I just got an e mail stating there are price changes to all DTV prices. 3 dollars more a month i believe. Anyone else get that e mail.

[stevel]

Yes, I got it. The price hike was discussed here a couple of weeks ago. The bigger cable systems and DISH already announced rises, so DirecTV figured they could too.

[JimSpence]

More importantly, DirecTV needs to take a math class. :)

Individual DNS LA/NY service is going up to $2.99 (from $2.25). For all four nets the new price is $11.99, shouldn't that be $11.96 (4 x $2.99)?

[IminMs]

It's just an annual rate increase, just like every other company does each year. It covers their costs of raises for their employees, gas, utilities etc.
It is significantly lower than the cable companies increases of their rapes.(not a typo)

[JimSpence]

Not to mention the cost of launching a couple new satellites. :D

[innocentfreak]

More importantly, DirecTV needs to take a math class. :)

Individual DNS LA/NY service is going up to $2.99 (from $2.25). For all four nets the new price is $11.99, shouldn't that be $11.96 (4 x $2.99)?

I missed that part. I wish I could get in on the all 4 "deal" though since right now I only have access to two of them.

[codespy]

I get NY Fox (88), and still pay nothing.

[CrashHD]

Not to mention the cost of launching a couple new satellites. :D
Those sats were for HD. It would be more fair to pass that cost along in the form of higher HD access fees, than to require standard definition subscribers to subsidize equipment for HD subscribers.

[JimSpence]

I get NY Fox (88), and still pay nothing.The DNS increase is for the SD networks. I also get all four HD networks which are listed as $0.00 on my account. However, I'm going to wait until the dust settles to see if I would still get the HD version for 0 if I drop the SD ones.
The rules have changed a few times in the last couple of years with respect to DNS, that I don't want to mess up the HD DNS by dropping the SD.

Those sats were for HD. It would be more fair to pass that cost along in the form of higher HD access fees, than to require standard definition subscribers to subsidize equipment for HD subscribers.True, but it is one DirecTV.

[bengalfreak]

Those sats were for HD. It would be more fair to pass that cost along in the form of higher HD access fees, than to require standard definition subscribers to subsidize equipment for HD subscribers.

Abso-'freakin'-lutely. Not gonna happen though. The only way they can justify the cost is to spread it among all subscribers. If they only added the additional fees to HD subscribers, they would probably have to charge $20/mo. instead of $10.

They also figure that we are all going to be HD customers eventually. I'll buy in only when I absolutely have to. I just don't get spending all that extra money for just a better picture. I want more content to choose from, not the same content with a better picture. I just don't get spending $1500 or more for a new television just so the image looks better.

[CrashHD]

Wow. I never thought I'd find someone who would agree with me on that. I'm not replacing a perfectly good SDTV. It may be 15 years old, but it works great. When it gives it up, and has to be replaced, then I'll look into an HD set.

Does anyone know if there's a way to get locked in on the current rate? I'd be willing to renew my service committment if it DTV would lock me in at the current rate, and maybe throw me a discount or two. Anyone try to do such a thing?

[sven_kirk]

I really doubt I'll ever go to HD anytime soon. Only when they removing programming to SD is when I'll covert over. Or when HD tvs are rival SD in cost and size, excluding fire sales. Which will be a long time. 5-8years by my guess.

[magnus]

At some point.... you have to decide when the increase has gone beyond your threshold to pay for the service.

For a variety of reasons... I left Directv for OTA HD.

1) Price
2) Customer Service
3) Tivo Support

I found that paying $80 for Directv each month was too much for the content I was receiving. I thought that it was great getting all the channels but eventually determined that I only watched 5 channels beyond the locals.



I just got an e mail stating there are price changes to all DTV prices. 3 dollars more a month i believe. Anyone else get that e mail.

[BradL1279]

gahhh again, they are getting as bad as cable, i can't wait till IPTV comes out, or whenever they loose the contract for nfl ticket, i will probly be gone.

[tivoupgrade]

I just got an e mail stating there are price changes to all DTV prices. 3 dollars more a month i believe. Anyone else get that e mail.

I just got it too. Here is the link to their PDF:

DIRECTV RATE HIKE (http://www.directv.com/see/pdf/2008pricing.pdf?CMP=EMC-MQ-CS&ATT=120-6M-SD-080208final&m=)

[bgreen5]

At some point.... you have to decide when the increase has gone beyond your threshold to pay for the service.

For a variety of reasons... I left Directv for OTA HD.

1) Price
2) Customer Service
3) Tivo Support

I found that paying $80 for Directv each month was too much for the content I was receiving. I thought that it was great getting all the channels but eventually determined that I only watched 5 channels beyond the locals.

Yeah, 3 straight years in a row of price increases is pretty outrageous for my threshold.

I just got the e-mail today. :mad:

I'll be paying $10/month MORE than I was 3 years ago, and it was barely worth it to me back then.

The thing I liked about switching to DTV some 7 years ago was the TiVo integration. I don't watch a tremendous amount of TV though.

Seriously, now I'm going to have to give some thought to the possibility of doing OTA or basic cable and getting a stand-alone TiVo.

Has anyone gotten any giveback by talking to DirecTV customer retention? Or is that futile?

[dtremain]

Seriously, now I'm going to have to give some thought to the possibility of...basic cable and getting a stand-alone TiVo.
Sure, because the price of cable never goes up!

Why doesn't Directv stay the same price year after year -- just like everything else.:rolleyes:

If you are going to go to OTA, that makes sense, because that is free. But you'll be hard pressed to find cable, I suspect, that offers a comparable package at a lower price. And, obviously, the monthly cost of an SA TiVo is going to provide you with less quality for more money.

[phecksel]

Yeah, 3 straight years in a row of price increases is pretty outrageous for my threshold.

I just got the e-mail today. :mad:

I'll be paying $10/month MORE than I was 3 years ago, and it was barely worth it to me back then.

The thing I liked about switching to DTV some 7 years ago was the TiVo integration. I don't watch a tremendous amount of TV though.

Seriously, now I'm going to have to give some thought to the possibility of doing OTA or basic cable and getting a stand-alone TiVo.

Has anyone gotten any giveback by talking to DirecTV customer retention? Or is that futile?

I dropped it last fall. Couldn't get anywhere with retention. Few months after, they started sending me $30/$40 come back to us deals. Love the OTA! S3 with three year per paid, came out to $7.95 per month. With unbox, can download all the shows that I previously watched on DTV that I can't get OTA.

[stevel]

When I had cable, they raised the rates twice in one year, more than 20%. After three years of this I had had it and switched to satellite, and it proved more reliable with better choices and lower cost than cable. I would not switch back.

[nrc]

When I had cable, they raised the rates twice in one year, more than 20%. After three years of this I had had it and switched to satellite, and it proved more reliable with better choices and lower cost than cable. I would not switch back.

DTV has now raised prices three times in barely over a year. Last year there was an overall price increase, just in December there was the HD price hike, and now another overall price hike.

I already switched back. Lower overall cost (TV + Internet), better picture quality, and TiVo availability have made it well worth it.

[bgreen5]

Sure, because the price of cable never goes up!

Why doesn't Directv stay the same price year after year -- just like everything else.:rolleyes:



I'll ignore the sarcasm, just to say...

It's not a question of expecting the price to never increase. It's a question of the frequency and amount of increases.

Over the last 20 years of subscribing to cable and/or satellite, price increases had not become a "yearly ritual" (like clockwork) until recently... at least, not in my market, with the providers I've had.

This automatic "new year, new prices" is a relatively new phenomenon to my entertainment budget.

And it's not a supposition on my part either, that cable providers aren't as expensive, or never raise their rates.

In my market, though, there is competition between different cable (and sat) providers, and the price bumps have historically come every 3 to 5 years... not every single year, as we're seeing now.

Further, my reference to going back to "basic cable" and OTA means: buying an antenna and a SA TiVo.

I already have a "basic reception" package from my cable company that is essentially "free" (it's actually $15/month, but they throw it in free if you're a cable internet subscriber... which I am).

So, if I get rid of DirecTV, I'd be giving up premium channels (of which, HBO is the only one I'd miss), but my monthly would go from roughly $100 down to the cost of TiVo.

The main channels I watch (beyond locals and HBO) are, off the top of my head: TVLand, SciFi, Comedy Central, History, and Discovery. Most of what I end up watching on the first three are reruns of classic content I already own on DVD. I don't have History/Discovery covered... but Internet is a possibility... I'd have to figure something out there.

I watch zero sports content, little "food" (and I wouldn't miss it), have used the music channels about a total of one hour in the last 5 years, etc., etc.

$100/month is just massive overkill for the value, in terms of variety and frequency of what I view.

Maybe it's time to finally pull the plug?

[bgreen5]

I dropped it last fall. Couldn't get anywhere with retention. Few months after, they started sending me $30/$40 come back to us deals. Love the OTA! S3 with three year per paid, came out to $7.95 per month. With unbox, can download all the shows that I previously watched on DTV that I can't get OTA.

I think I'm going to check into this. :)

[magnus]

I would say that it is overkill as well. Until recently, Directv and cable companies had the advantage of bringing much clearer local channels but now that everything is digital for OTA.... they are not needed to get that content.

They're going to start losing subscribers with all the rate hikes and when their customers wake up to the reality that content is only worth so much.



I'll ignore the sarcasm, just to say...

It's not a question of expecting the price to never increase. It's a question of the frequency and amount of increases.

Further, my reference to going back to "basic cable" and OTA means: buying an antenna and a SA TiVo.

$100/month is just massive overkill for the value, in terms of variety and frequency of what I view.

Maybe it's time to finally pull the plug?

[magnus]

You could also try this:

S2 - satellite (Dish prepaid service)
S3 - OTA HD (transfer the shows from S2 to this box or just watch them on the S2)

I purchased my receiver from someone on ebay for about $30 but I do not see any that cheap at the moment.

Example for $40 card you could get (or look at the link below for other rates):
America's Top 100 - 40 days
HBO - 80 days


Dish Now (Prepaid Service) (http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/our_products/prepaid/)

Prepaid Rates (http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/our_products/prepaid/dish_now_rates.pdf)


I think I'm going to check into this. :)

[bgreen5]

You could also try this:

S2 - satellite (Dish prepaid service)
S3 - OTA HD (transfer the shows from S2 to this box or just watch them on the S2)

I purchased my receiver from someone on ebay for about $30 but I do not see any that cheap at the moment.

Example for $40 card you could get (or look at the link below for other rates):
America's Top 100 - 40 days
HBO - 80 days


Dish Now (Prepaid Service) (http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/our_products/prepaid/)

Prepaid Rates (http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/our_products/prepaid/dish_now_rates.pdf)

That's very interesting... food for thought.

Thanks for the ideas. :)

[bengalfreak]

DTV has now raised prices three times in barely over a year. Last year there was an overall price increase, just in December there was the HD price hike, and now another overall price hike.

I already switched back. Lower overall cost (TV + Internet), better picture quality, and TiVo availability have made it well worth it.

I doubt seriously that once your initial loss leader deals are over if your cable price will continue to be less than satellite.

[sulli2p]

I wondered when this would happen. Those of us who have been grandfathered in under the no longer offered Total Choice packages, (ours is 180 channels for $48), are also getting hit with a rate increase, now $51. Though they do not appear to be messing with our lifetime DVR $0... yet.

[MATT1981M]

gahhh again, they are getting as bad as cable, i can't wait till IPTV comes out, or whenever they loose the contract for nfl ticket, i will probly be gone.

wow im tired tonight... i had to read this post 4 times before i realized u were talking about IP based TV and not Iowa Public Television (or IPTV as we know it in my neck of the woods... or corn field if you will)...lol...