Left D* for Comcast One Month Ago - No Going Back!

My commitment ends in August, I may take a look at what my local cable co. has then. I am curious to see what D* is going to be offering when the new birds go up though.

 

But with my need for ST and MLB EI, I can't find myself switching......

 

Comcast sucks. Youll want to come back once the 2 new birds go up.

 

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Maybe where you are, but not everywhere they are.

Maybe where you are, but not where I am. From what D* has announced, I have no compelling reason to go back to D*.

I fully expect DirecTV to keep whoring it's SD & HD quality for $$$, with or without the new birds. Of course they need to pay for those birds, and all the new HD content. It's good to see a horse race finally between satellite and CATV.

Please, watch the generalities.

 

I have to say Comcrap sucks here too. Cables goes out a every few days and and still cost a good a bit more than D*

Picture quality goes to D* (SD and HD), CS, D*, Picture Quality, D*, price D*

The only thing with Comcrap is no bugs with he HR10 or HR20 and rain fade.
But with OTA HD and cable going out when someone farts or a TS/Hurricanes comes I will take D*

Comcrap was out for 7 days after a minor storm here. I had D* signal until the power went out. Once power was back, so was my TV.

Just D* needs to pull their head out of their butt and get back to be the leader in PQ, channels and service.

Again, still better than Comcrap locally.

 

I totally agree with your assessment. I've been with D* since 1998 and although my HR10-250 (4 replacements) has been stable now I will not be going the 5LNB mega-dish route.

My 3LNB dish is mounted on the rear eave of my garage roof and never had any problems w/wind, etc. Some minor snow buildup that I clean with an extension poll window cleaner. I understand all the bandwidth constraints, but having to change dishes every few years is not the answer for me.

I will keep my DTivo since I have an OTA antenna and don't need the HD locals via MPEG4. Plans are to go w/Comcast later this summer, get a great 12-month deal, then go with Verizon's FiOS. D* doesn't have any more HD channels than Comcast or Verizon, so staying pat for now. And all the hoop-la about 100 HD channels from D* is just that..... (they are counting the LiL-HD in the number).

 

Most of my viewing has moved to the S3 box from the HR10-250. I was just about to finally cancel DirecTV until the MLB EI thing came up.

Don't know what I'm going to do, but keeping DTV just for EI seems a bit much, especially if there isn't a significant increase in the number of HD games.

 

I'm in the same boat. I've dropped my DirecTV programming except for the family programming and the HD channesl and dropped all my receivrs except two HR10-250 units. The picture quality from Comast for HD is noticebaly better than DirecTV. I just wish Comcast had HDNet. If they did I would have completely left. If the S3 implents MRV soon that might hasten my DireTV departure even without Comcast gettting HDNet. Plus they give Sat customers such a good deal to leave. $30 a month for a year that would normally cost $90 a month. Thats the main reason why I don't mind keeping both providers for now since I'm still paying less than when I just had DirecTV programming.

 

I'm a big hockey fan, especially the Flyers. When I went to D* in 1998 I thought missing Comcast SportsNet would be unbearable. I do like HDNet for their hockey games but not much else. HDNet Movie channel has the same movies just like HBO and Showtime.

I would miss them but it won't be the end of the world. INHD on Comcast leaves a lot to be desired too. That's why I'm staying put for now. Once Comcast can successfully implement Switched video (and Tivo S3 can upgrade to support it) there will be more HD programming. Only Verizon's FiOS has future bandwidth expansion capabilities. But it will be awhile before a large portion of their serving area has it.

 

I tend to agree. If D* would do the honorable thing and let me return the HR-20 that doesn't work (totally disaster of a box so far) and get me out of the contract commitment, I would probably switch.

I have been with DirecTV since 1995, across 4 moves and two states. And I have had the integrated TiVo DirecTV boxes since their first introduction in 2000. That said, I tried Comcast digital cable here a couple years ago basically for free while they ran a promotion (since I am already using them, to great success, for high speed Internet), while I also kept my DirecTV account. When the promotion ended, I dropped their TV service really only because I didn't like their Motorola DVR versus the TiVo units on DirecTV. It had only half as much capacity and a terrible UI...

But if I had been judging on any other factor, Comcast would have won hands down. The channel selection was better overall (I don't get the D* special sports packages which I guess is the draw for some), the HD choices and PQ was MUCH better, it was way cheaper as part of a package, and it is much easier in terms of cabling since I didn't need a unique cable for each tuner. On my most recent move, DirecTV sent out people that butchered my house installing cable the cheap and easy way, coming in thru window sills, running the black only cable visibly along the floors for 20+ feet in my rooms and putting the dish in the most obnoxiously visible spot in the front of the house. They never were so bad before but when I complained they basically cited a bunch of policies about how they do it now (no going only roofs or in attics or fishing cable through walls, etc.). Honestly, I would rather switch to Comcast and rip out all their hack work.

My only issue with the S3 is I am annoyed, having purchased a "Lifetime" membership directly from TiVo years ago that it won't be honored by TiVo now and that I would have to pay the extra fee. But I'd get over it given that the net result is still cheaper than DirecTV and they have just demonstrated to me, with the install and the total disaster of an HR-20 launch and their unwillingness to either give me a working unit or let me return it, that they just don't respect their customers anymore. By comparison, Comcast in my area anyway has been extremely reliable and very responsive as a cable modem service provider and has great pricing.

The real sign for me was a couple weeks ago when I hosted some of my new neighbors for dinner. Over the years I have been so convincing in preaching the benefits of DirecTV and TiVo that I have gotten many people I know to switch. But these neighbors all had Comcast with their HD DVR box and honestly they were completely unconvinced as I walked them through the DirecTiVo menus and guide of channels, etc. About the only thing I could say was “I like the TiVo interface better.” There was zero other compelling argument verss what they had, and they didn’t buy that one…

 

I'm a Flyers fan too, whsbuss, so I feel your pain this year.

 

Not all cable companies are a step up. If I were to switch to Cox, I would have to go the S3 route. They don't offer NBC or Fox in HD. I have 5 DVRs in the house. Cox's DVR fees alone would be over $50.00/month.

 

Yes, lots of pain!

 

My commitment has run, and I'm thinking about checking with our local cable, Charter, now that it has HD.
However, we've got an RV and use it frequently. With the old round 2 LNB dish and an SD Tivo, D* provides better, and sometimes the only, programming. Our local spot beam covers most of California, Oregon and Nevada, so even our locals are available.
I'll probably stay with D* because of that.

 

I am canceling DirecTV tomorrow after I get home from work. Got FIOS installed a week ago, and am considering an S3 after tax season (along with a Hi Def set.

DirecTV was fun while it lasted. Had a DirecTiVo since 2001, subscriber since 97.

 

It seems like alot of people are leaving DirecTV. People who they should be trying to keep. If DirecTV had just kept the TiVo and used it with MPEG4 I wouldn't have even considered going back to Comcast. It's only a matter of time until I fully cancel DirecTV. I'm don to two HR10-250 boxes now and barely any programming. I was paying the over $100 a month and they lost most of my busines.
I guess I need to change my signature since I'm no longer using three of the TIVos anymore.

 

Comcast is over 30% more for equivalent programming in Minneapolis. That's the gift that keeps giving after the thrill is gone. Free S3 TiVo doesn't come close to closing that gap.

 

I just installed the Directv HD DVR. I will admit I love the TIVO better, but so far I am not upset with the D* user interface. It has recorded all the shows I ask. It has a neat folder thing. HD looks great on my Samsung LCD.
Heck I have been with Directv since 94. I got 3 TIVOS (Directv models) and an HD TIVO.
I am a huge TIVO fanboy. Most of my friends still think I have stock in TIVO. BUt all of them went with Directv because of TIVO.

But do I trust cable to give me more HD then Directv after the Sats are up and running? NO.
Do I think cable will have better rates then Directv? NO.
Will I be able to call customer service and upgrade my channels or change my package without an hour wait on the phone and a tech guy to my house? No
Cable will never get my dollars the way they serve their customers. Cable internet might be good, but I get tired of my bill going up every 6-12 months for no extra channels or DVR.
I think I will ride the storm and give Directv the time it needs to get the Sats turned on. In time all things will be decided by what HD programing D* gets in the fall.

 

I too have been a long-time subscriber to D*. (My account number is around 10,000.) I'm so upset with them anymore that I'm considering moving to Comcast since the cable modem seems to be very reliable. D* seems to have gotten so arrogant, that they have lost site of the client. I love my Tivo, especially the 30-second skip. I seem to watch a lot of channels that have a huge need to repeat a commercial every other minute, so I have come to totally rely on that feature. I can't imagine watching TV without it.

I love the NFL ST, but think they are pricing themselves (or at least me) right out of the market, so that is the only thing keeping me with now. We'll see how much the HD pkg is this year - or is that part of the 10.99 fee?

I'm anxious to see how Tivo works out with Comcast. I'm hoping it turns out to be good because I'm now looking for another excuse or two to leave and then I'm gone.

I've had a dish since '84 - big dish back then, so this will be a big step for me. I just hate the arrogance. They had a good thing going with Tivo, but blew it - never giving us all of the features, etc. I don't like 2 -year commitments, and won't sign up for that. I hate the XM music and used to listen to the other a lot.

Even if there was some good reason for trying the MP4 units, I doubt if I would. From what I've read there is not much difference between MP4 and MPEG2 so I wonder why the switch? Plus, they don't have 30-sec skip.

In any case, I used to be a loyal D* customer - even getting family and friends to switch, but now I'm barely hanging on to their service. I'm glad to read these forums because it helps to read what other folks are thinking about.