You're in a good bargaining position with DirecTV if you really are strongly considering dumping them. Call them back and explain to them why you are switching to Dish, and they just might make it worth your while to stay. As long as you wouldn't be too disappointed if they just tell you "that's the best we can do" and actually disconnect your service, then you've got nothing to lose.
Am I making a mistake to switch?
As an eleven year DirecTV customer paying 100+ a month and I am thinking about switching to Dish. The reason is this
.TIVO.
I love Tivo I have been using it since the first DirecTivo was introduced many years ago and was one of the first to purchase the HR-250. Unfortunately, it is becoming patently obvious that my HR-250 days are numbered. Without mpeg-4 compression I get very few high def channels and have to deal with good, but inconsistent, OTA local HD, rather than over the dish.
I was willing to live with this imperfect situation by getting an HR20 and buying a second HDTV (currently my second TV is SD with a conventional DirectTivo) so at least I could watch some of the HD channels unavailable on the HR-250. When I called DirecTV (retentions) I was obvious to me that they could care less. The best deal they offered was $199 and exchange my HR-250, or $299 without the exchange. I really didnt want give them my HR-250 for $100, especially since it was their change in technology that is making it worthless.
I feel like DirecTV is putting its own customers in a terrible position. Ive paid for three years of high definition with very few channels and now they want me to invest more (in an inferior product, the HR20) to get the new channels. It is not the money that bugs me so much as their disregard for a long term well paying customer.
If I switch to Dish at least I will receive a better pvr, the ViP722 for free, eliminate the mpeg4/ota problem, and give DirecTV the finger!
Am I missing something?
I love Tivo I have been using it since the first DirecTivo was introduced many years ago and was one of the first to purchase the HR-250. Unfortunately, it is becoming patently obvious that my HR-250 days are numbered. Without mpeg-4 compression I get very few high def channels and have to deal with good, but inconsistent, OTA local HD, rather than over the dish.
I was willing to live with this imperfect situation by getting an HR20 and buying a second HDTV (currently my second TV is SD with a conventional DirectTivo) so at least I could watch some of the HD channels unavailable on the HR-250. When I called DirecTV (retentions) I was obvious to me that they could care less. The best deal they offered was $199 and exchange my HR-250, or $299 without the exchange. I really didnt want give them my HR-250 for $100, especially since it was their change in technology that is making it worthless.
I feel like DirecTV is putting its own customers in a terrible position. Ive paid for three years of high definition with very few channels and now they want me to invest more (in an inferior product, the HR20) to get the new channels. It is not the money that bugs me so much as their disregard for a long term well paying customer.
If I switch to Dish at least I will receive a better pvr, the ViP722 for free, eliminate the mpeg4/ota problem, and give DirecTV the finger!
Am I missing something?
1 - 20 of 33 Posts
If they had you send your HR10 back to them then you would be the first one I have ever heard of having to do that. I still have my two HR10s. They simply have no use for them and don't want them back. You must have talked to their worst CSR. You could try again or switch to Dish, good luck to you whatever you decide.Ozam said:As an eleven year DirecTV customer paying 100+ a month and I am thinking about switching to Dish. The reason is this .TIVO.
I love Tivo I have been using it since the first DirecTivo was introduced many years ago and was one of the first to purchase the HR-250. Unfortunately, it is becoming patently obvious that my HR-250 days are numbered. Without mpeg-4 compression I get very few high def channels and have to deal with good, but inconsistent, OTA local HD, rather than over the dish.
I was willing to live with this imperfect situation by getting an HR20 and buying a second HDTV (currently my second TV is SD with a conventional DirectTivo) so at least I could watch some of the HD channels unavailable on the HR-250. When I called DirecTV (retentions) I was obvious to me that they could care less. The best deal they offered was $199 and exchange my HR-250, or $299 without the exchange. I really didnt want give them my HR-250 for $100, especially since it was their change in technology that is making it worthless.
I feel like DirecTV is putting its own customers in a terrible position. Ive paid for three years of high definition with very few channels and now they want me to invest more (in an inferior product, the HR20) to get the new channels. It is not the money that bugs me so much as their disregard for a long term well paying customer.
If I switch to Dish at least I will receive a better pvr, the ViP722 for free, eliminate the mpeg4/ota problem, and give DirecTV the finger!
Am I missing something?
Actually there are many reports now that they are requesting them as an exchange, perhaps as a way to make sure they are not put back into service. That being said, I have read just as many threads where they were supposed to exchange the units and the installers dont take it. I think the key is to tell them that you want to relocate the unit.joed32 said:If they had you send your HR10 back to them then you would be the first one I have ever heard of having to do that. I still have my two HR10s. They simply have no use for them and don't want them back. You must have talked to their worst CSR. You could try again or switch to Dish, good luck to you whatever you decide.
IMHO, yes you are making a mistake. D* sent me a free HR20 in June to replace my HR10 (and I got to keep my HR10) when I mentioned to them that E* was giving their HD DVR away for free. I would call again and see what happens when you talk to a different CSR. After 4 months of using the HR20, I love it and don't miss the Tivo interface at all.
Why would you want to leave D* which is adding dozens of new HD channels (over 30 already) to go to E* that can't really add more until their new sats are launched (which I don't even know when that is)? With the HR20 and 5 LNB dish, you'd get 5 of your locals channels in HD with D* without having to fight with OTA reception with just as good PQ as OTA.
Why would you want to leave D* which is adding dozens of new HD channels (over 30 already) to go to E* that can't really add more until their new sats are launched (which I don't even know when that is)? With the HR20 and 5 LNB dish, you'd get 5 of your locals channels in HD with D* without having to fight with OTA reception with just as good PQ as OTA.
Ozam,Ozam said:As an eleven year DirecTV customer paying 100+ a month and I am thinking about switching to Dish. The reason is this .TIVO.
I love Tivo I have been using it since the first DirecTivo was introduced many years ago and was one of the first to purchase the HR-250. Unfortunately, it is becoming patently obvious that my HR-250 days are numbered. Without mpeg-4 compression I get very few high def channels and have to deal with good, but inconsistent, OTA local HD, rather than over the dish.
I was willing to live with this imperfect situation by getting an HR20 and buying a second HDTV (currently my second TV is SD with a conventional DirectTivo) so at least I could watch some of the HD channels unavailable on the HR-250. When I called DirecTV (retentions) I was obvious to me that they could care less. The best deal they offered was $199 and exchange my HR-250, or $299 without the exchange. I really didnt want give them my HR-250 for $100, especially since it was their change in technology that is making it worthless.
I feel like DirecTV is putting its own customers in a terrible position. Ive paid for three years of high definition with very few channels and now they want me to invest more (in an inferior product, the HR20) to get the new channels. It is not the money that bugs me so much as their disregard for a long term well paying customer.
If I switch to Dish at least I will receive a better pvr, the ViP722 for free, eliminate the mpeg4/ota problem, and give DirecTV the finger!
Am I missing something?
Many of us are in the same boat as you with pretty much the same feelings. We are waiting a while longer until we get a sense of where DirecTV is going when the new owners take over. I think that will happen by the end of the year. We will then see if there is any kind of hint as to a follow-on Tivo mpeg4 product.
I think that DirecTV will wait until the first quarter of next year to see how many HR10-250 holdouts there are and then decide a course of action. It makes no sense at all to me that they would just abandon this group of customers, especially if there are a few thousand of us.
If Dish offers you what you want then rock on. But switching because DirecTV has no Tivo doesn't make much sense since Dish doesn't have Tivo either.
And you may not be aware but Dish is also converting all their HD to MPEG4 (in fact they are switching *everything* to MPEG4) so make sure you get an MPEG4 capable receiver. Just this summer they told customers that paid for the Voom channels that they had 2 months to switch to an MPEG4 receiver (and not for free) or else lose the channels.
Not sure what "ota" problem you are going to get over. Dish doesn't carry very many HD locals at all. DirecTV by far carries more markets. But if Dish carries your market and DirecTV doesn't then certainly that's a plus. If they don't then you'd still need OTA with Dish for your HD locals, and again you can only record 1 at a time.
If you want to just leave DirecTV out of spite then by all means do so, nothing wrong with that. Just wanted to make sure you're educated on everything. And you really should visit Satguys or DBSTalk to get all the detailed info on the 722 and Dish in general. Just like with DirecTV there are people that hate Dish and people that love Dish.
Not sure why you think the ViP722 is better then the HR20. First, it's not Tivo based. Second, might want to spend some time at Satellite Guys and DBSTalk and research the Dish DVRs first. I believe the 722 is a pretty solid DVR but it has it's host of problems just like any other DVR. It's biggest downside is you can't record 2 OTA at the same time.If I switch to Dish at least I will receive a better pvr, the ViP722 for free, eliminate the mpeg4/ota problem, and give DirecTV the finger!
And you may not be aware but Dish is also converting all their HD to MPEG4 (in fact they are switching *everything* to MPEG4) so make sure you get an MPEG4 capable receiver. Just this summer they told customers that paid for the Voom channels that they had 2 months to switch to an MPEG4 receiver (and not for free) or else lose the channels.
Not sure what "ota" problem you are going to get over. Dish doesn't carry very many HD locals at all. DirecTV by far carries more markets. But if Dish carries your market and DirecTV doesn't then certainly that's a plus. If they don't then you'd still need OTA with Dish for your HD locals, and again you can only record 1 at a time.
If you want to just leave DirecTV out of spite then by all means do so, nothing wrong with that. Just wanted to make sure you're educated on everything. And you really should visit Satguys or DBSTalk to get all the detailed info on the 722 and Dish in general. Just like with DirecTV there are people that hate Dish and people that love Dish.
Why would a few thousand matter to them when they have over a million HD customers and 16+ million total subs. A few thousand mean nothing. You need to get that straight in your head.RS4 said:It makes no sense at all to me that they would just abandon this group of customers, especially if there are a few thousand of us.
thanks for all the dialogue. this is exactly the type of info i was hoping to gather. i've been loyal to directv for all these years primarily due to its affiliation with Tivo and was willing to pay a premium to do so, including spending $1000 on equipment. but now that my Tivos are effectively becoming obsolete, i might as well go with the best deal. i'll give retentions one more chance to "keep me" (dish offers a free hd pvr) or just cancel. thanks.
You are in the best position in that you are really willing to leave. First, get straight to retention by saying "cancel" at the prompt. One trick to use with retention (besides trying at least 2 or 3 times or just keep calling until you get what you want) is when you actually get set to cancel they should ask you for what date you want your service to end (if they don't, ask about it) and then pick a date in the future, say 2 or 3 weeks. Now (assuming you really want to stick with DirecTV) call back in a few days and see if you can strike a deal now (since you are really cancelling and they know you're serious). I've seen guys getting great deals doing this.Ozam said:thanks for all the dialogue. this is exactly the type of info i was hoping to gather. i've been loyal to directv for all these years primarily due to its affiliation with Tivo and was willing to pay a premium to do so, including spending $1000 on equipment. but now that my Tivos are effectively becoming obsolete, i might as well go with the best deal. i'll give retentions one more chance to "keep me" (dish offers a free hd pvr) or just cancel. thanks.
I'm sure you'd probably be happy with Dish. But just know it's not the promised land any more then DirecTV is. They all have their good and bad things.
I currently have 3 HR20's that were all suppose to replace HR10's. Not one installer has wanted to take an HR10 with him.
They do not want an HR-10 they want my HR-250 for which I paid a grand!!! I would rather it be worthless than accept their $100 credit. It is pretty much of an of an insult since the units low value ($ or otherwise) was caused by their actions!
The HR10-250 is referred to as the HR10 sometimes. The R differentiates it from the H10 which is a non-dvr receiver.Ozam said:They do not want an HR-10 they want my HR-250 for which I paid a grand!!! I would rather it be worthless than accept their $100 credit. It is pretty much of an of an insult since the units low value ($ or otherwise) was caused by their actions!
You bought and paid for your receiver same as I did. I'm keeping mine and getting the HR20, new dish and multi-switch for $19.95. I was polite and and just asked for what I wanted. When they told me the deal was $99, I reminded them my commitment was over, I was a premiere package subscriber and I used autopay. That convinced the CSR to offer me the better deal. I confirmed that I get to keep my HR10. Before the installers get here on the 17th, I'll have the cables for the HR20 run so they don't have to do anything more than install F-connectors when messing with wires. I don't let anyone touch my system if I don't have to.
-Robert
I was a serious Die Hard Tivo Fan..have been for years....but after using the Hr20 for a few weeks.... I don't miss it all all. The menus are much faster and beta testing Directv On demand has been a great expierence. I think they are leaping towards a much better product shortly. I hooked up a external drive and have plenty of recording time.
orry Tivo.... DT* is catching and surprassing.
As far as the Dual Buffers...never really used it that much myself. Prob Sports fans do more....so that really wasn;t a issue. I still have my Hr10 hooked up...but rarely use it now
orry Tivo.... DT* is catching and surprassing.
As far as the Dual Buffers...never really used it that much myself. Prob Sports fans do more....so that really wasn;t a issue. I still have my Hr10 hooked up...but rarely use it now
X2mikehome said:I was a serious Die Hard Tivo Fan..have been for years....but after using the Hr20 for a few weeks.... I don't miss it all all. The menus are much faster and beta testing Directv On demand has been a great expierence. I think they are leaping towards a much better product shortly. I hooked up a external drive and have plenty of recording time.
orry Tivo.... DT* is catching and surprassing.
As far as the Dual Buffers...never really used it that much myself. Prob Sports fans do more....so that really wasn;t a issue. I still have my Hr10 hooked up...but rarely use it now
The HR20 is easy to use, (very high wife factor)
I have my HR10 and HR20 both in use. I use the HR10 for the weekly series recordings, and the HR20 is used for movies and concerts and sports stuff.
Actually, I rarely use the HR10 anymore, because I setup the HR20 to record the weekly stuff now too. I have problems with some of my locals on the HR10, but no probs at all with the HR20
Anybody see a Cubs score?
I'm coming a little late to this party but there are some things I wanted to point out. First, you really don't deal any sort of moral blow to DTV by leaving, they are dealing with so many subscribers that the individual just doesn't kill them. So, you have to accept that leaving DTV and all the new HD programming because they don't have TiVo anymore seems like a bad idea considering Dish doesn't have TiVo either. The bottom line is that TiVo has lost the satellite market.
Now, I wouldn't go to Dish because there is some a good deal of legal wrangling over the DVRs they have out. I'm not sure when all of that will be cleared up but I'm hesitant to jump into a DVR technology that was a judges ruling away from being turned off once already.
Then there is the HR20. I don't like it as much as my HR10-250 but it's not a bad box. I have both hooked up to my Sammy DLP and now I have 4 tuners and tons of storage space so it work out great for me. The HR20 does some things better and some things worse but all in all I'm happy with the new box.
Oh, and on the replacement they aren't going to take your HR10-250 if you own it. If you were one of the people who somehow ended up with a lease then they may take it. They cannot walk into your house and take a $1000 piece of equipment. What they will do is call in and deactivate the card. Luckily I had the guy deactivate a (VERY) old Hughes receiver I wasn't using much anymore instead. They didn't take it, just deactivated the card.
Now, I wouldn't go to Dish because there is some a good deal of legal wrangling over the DVRs they have out. I'm not sure when all of that will be cleared up but I'm hesitant to jump into a DVR technology that was a judges ruling away from being turned off once already.
Then there is the HR20. I don't like it as much as my HR10-250 but it's not a bad box. I have both hooked up to my Sammy DLP and now I have 4 tuners and tons of storage space so it work out great for me. The HR20 does some things better and some things worse but all in all I'm happy with the new box.
Oh, and on the replacement they aren't going to take your HR10-250 if you own it. If you were one of the people who somehow ended up with a lease then they may take it. They cannot walk into your house and take a $1000 piece of equipment. What they will do is call in and deactivate the card. Luckily I had the guy deactivate a (VERY) old Hughes receiver I wasn't using much anymore instead. They didn't take it, just deactivated the card.
Many are having your same experience.Indiana627 said:IMHO, yes you are making a mistake. D* sent me a free HR20 in June to replace my HR10 (and I got to keep my HR10) when I mentioned to them that E* was giving their HD DVR away for free. I would call again and see what happens when you talk to a different CSR. After 4 months of using the HR20, I love it and don't miss the Tivo interface at all.
Why would you want to leave D* which is adding dozens of new HD channels (over 30 already) to go to E* that can't really add more until their new sats are launched (which I don't even know when that is)? With the HR20 and 5 LNB dish, you'd get 5 of your locals channels in HD with D* without having to fight with OTA reception with just as good PQ as OTA.
People are getting $99 or $19 or even free deals here on first or added HR20's:
HR10-250 and MPEG4; Upgrade Offer
- Craig
Is DirecTV offering you a $100 credit to take back your HR10-250? I have two sitting in a closet collecting dust since I replaced them with the HR20s. I would love to get $100 for each of them.Ozam said:They do not want an HR-10 they want my HR-250 for which I paid a grand!!! I would rather it be worthless than accept their $100 credit. It is pretty much of an of an insult since the units low value ($ or otherwise) was caused by their actions!
I think it is a case of swapping them out they will give you a 100 dollar credit but you obviously you would have to return the old HR10's.rgswff2 said:Is DirecTV offering you a $100 credit to take back your HR10-250? I have two sitting in a closet collecting dust since I replaced them with the HR20s. I would love to get $100 for each of them.
1 - 20 of 33 Posts
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