[farleyruskz]

Not true. From a snail mail letter received yesterday:

...we are raising the proce of our DIRECTV PARA TODOS base packages by $3/mo.

I got the same letter today.

Now what the hell...they just redid the Para Todos packages in November.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=266327

I switched from Opcion Ultra Especial to SELECCIÓN ULTRA at that time to lock in the lower rate of $39.99/month (compared to the listed price of $49.99).

Now I can't figure out what I'll be paying come March 1. $42.99? $52.99? That's more than regular old Total Choice Plus. There's no benefit to having the Para Todos packages over the Total Choice counterpoints anymore.

Maybe that's the whole point. I guess I'll wait and see how my account reads come 3/1/06 and downgrade accordingly.

 

[rmassey]

My current service is:

TC+ w/locals.....$45.99
HD package......$05.99 ($10.99 - $5 discount)
DVR fee............$04.99
Mirror fee.........$04.99
.....................--------
Total...............$61.96

Early Feb. my 6 mo HD discount expires along with free SHO. w/ price increa$e, Plans are to drop down to:

TC w/locals.......$44.99
HD package.......$00.00 (drop it, due to no new HD in '06)
DVR fee............$04.99
Mirror fee.........$04.99
.....................--------
Total...............$54.97

Well, I called today to drop HD and TC+ down to TC. They offered me HD free for 3 months, so it stays for now. I mentioned that Dish is kicking their butt with HD offerings and this is when the rep mentioned D* will be adding 6 new HD channels and upto 100 National HD channels the year. He wouldn't specify what HD channles and I did mention that HD locals do not count (for me), so what are these 100 national HD channels anyways?

So, with my programming changes, I now have:

TC w/locals.......$41.99 ( +$3 March '06)
HD package.......$00.00 (3 months free HD)
DVR fee............$05.99 - yeah the finally added $1)
Mirror fee.........$04.99
.....................--------
Total...............$52.97

Price goes to $55.97 with the price increase in March. This is as low as I can go with D* unless I want to deact a receiver and/or drop Tivo service (not likely). If I keep the HD pkg, bill goes to $65.96. Still too much IMO for TV. I still cannot believe the average revenue per D* customer is like $68.

 

[tbeckner]

Does anyone know, is the DVR fee increasing for everyone on March 1 to $5.99?

 

[Steve1212]

Well, I called today to drop HD and TC+ down to TC. They offered me HD free for 3 months, so it stays for now. I mentioned that Dish is kicking their butt with HD offerings and this is when the rep mentioned D* will be adding 6 new HD channels and upto 100 National HD channels the year. He wouldn't specify what HD channles and I did mention that HD locals do not count (for me), so what are these 100 national HD channels anyways?

So, with my programming changes, I now have:

TC w/locals.......$41.99 ( +$3 March '06)
HD package.......$00.00 (3 months free HD)
DVR fee............$05.99 - yeah the finally added $1)
Mirror fee.........$04.99
.....................--------
Total...............$52.97

Price goes to $55.97 with the price increase in March. This is as low as I can go with D* unless I want to deact a receiver and/or drop Tivo service (not likely). If I keep the HD pkg, bill goes to $65.96. Still too much IMO for TV. I still cannot believe the average revenue per D* customer is like $68.

I must be in the minority that thinks you are crazy for thinking over $50 is too much for TV. My bill is TC Premier, +HD Package, plus 5 sports packages. I average over $150 a month.

 

[rmassey]

I must be in the minority that thinks you are crazy for thinking over $50 is too much for TV. My bill is TC Premier, +HD Package, plus 5 sports packages. I average over $150 a month.

I think I am in the minority objecting to $55-$65 TV fees, given the average D* customer revenue of $68. But, I'd say you are perhaps a bit more crazy to accept $150/mo as accetable for TV service. To each his own, but as my bill approached $70/mo, I began to look closely at what's really necessary (TC+ and D* HD are not IMO). Given all my other monthly service fees, I cannot imagine spending $150/mo on TV.

In the long run, If the T3 comes to market and is priced right, I could see using free OTA HD only and dropping D* competely. No sat, no cable. My only monthly fees would then be $13/mo Tivo fee. 99% of waht I watch and want to Tivo is network TV, why should I pay for what I can get free via OTA. All I need is a means of recording it for time shifted palyback. Bring on the Tivo Series 3

 

[mikeinla]

This increase is most disappointing. The cost differential between cable and DTV is almost gone. Frankly, the only reason I'm not switching back is DTV Tivo.

Both mine are about two years old..once they go and Rupert tries to replace them with his pos R15, I'll be back on Adelphia, which is sad.

Leave it to Rupert and the brains behind Fox to screw up DTV.

 

[dtremain]

I must be in the minority that thinks you are crazy for thinking over $50 is too much for TV. My bill is TC Premier, +HD Package, plus 5 sports packages. I average over $150 a month.

I think you're crazy to pay $150 for TV.

The smile is just friendliness. I do think that that's a heck of a lot of money. Count me in the circa $50 crowd with TC+ (with locals), no premiums (I have a DVD player, consider the PPV's to be just fine, and think the Sopranos stinks), no HD (HD sets cost too much for just "TV" as well), two mirrored receivers and the DVR fee.

Anything more would be too much, price increase or not.

 

[smark]

/HBO cancelled.

For the first time in 10+ years, I am considering going back to <shudder> cable.

The Comcast TiVo will probably push me to the dark side.

I weep for my soul...

It's actually kinda warm over here, so I don't understand where all this hate comes from.

 

[jfh3]

I got the same letter today.

Now what the hell...they just redid the Para Todos packages in November.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=266327

I switched from Opcion Ultra Especial to SELECCIÓN ULTRA at that time to lock in the lower rate of $39.99/month (compared to the listed price of $49.99).

Now I can't figure out what I'll be paying come March 1. $42.99? $52.99? That's more than regular old Total Choice Plus. There's no benefit to having the Para Todos packages over the Total Choice counterpoints anymore.

Maybe that's the whole point. I guess I'll wait and see how my account reads come 3/1/06 and downgrade accordingly.

You sure you're talking about the same package?

Well, I must've gotten some grandfather clause then - I switched to "Opcion Ultra Especial " a year or so ago last time they raised rates and my monthly fee has been $39.99. I don't think DTV offers that package anymore, but I'll probably end up keeping it, at least for a while, if it doesn't raise past $42.99

 

[rminsk]

Does anyone know, is the DVR fee increasing for everyone on March 1 to $5.99?

From what I understand everyone fee is going to be increased to $5.99. I have tried to find out how they can justify the increase as their costs have not changed but have yet to receive a reply.

 

[jrinck]

From what I understand everyone fee is going to be increased to $5.99. I have tried to find out how they can justify the increase as their costs have not changed but have yet to receive a reply.

DirecTivo costs:

Tivo: $1.00 per month per subscriber
Guide: $0.00 since it's already provided no matter what level of service you have.
Updates: $0.00 since they're not updating it.
Greed: $3.99, soon to be $4.99. Why? Because they know we'll pay it.

 

[tbeckner]

I called DirecTV and talked to billing and they confirmed that my "TOTAL CHOICE PLUS" with locals is increasing by $3.00 to $48.99 and my DVR fee is increasing by $1.00 to $5.99.

And she confirmed that everyone’s existing DVR fee of $4.99 is increasing to $5.99, starting March 1.

Their timing sure makes it suspect, that we all are actually paying for the development and deployment of the new "R15" and "HR20" boxes.

I have been with DirecTV almost 12 years now and over the last three to four years, they just keep getting worst.

I will absorb the increase of $4.00 per month and DO NOT plan on jumping ship to cable. But then again, some people may find that their local ISP is going to be run by Murdoch, see the news of the past six months about Murdoch buying broadband capability. (Note: He understands the threat that VIDEO ON DEMAND has over DirecTV.)

 

[jrinck]

One day we'll get 90% of our TV programming over the Internet. As the world moves to timeshifting, it's only a matter of time before the Murdoch's of the world realize that it's much easier just to let people download the shows they want since they won't be watching the datastream live, except for sporting events and the like (award shows, news, etc.)

Imagine if you could only access Internet sites WHILE they were being broadcast unless you set up site content to record ahead of time. Blech. Watching pre-recorded TV programs should be no different. When you want to watch it, you just go and download it, same as going to a website!

 

[jfh3]

From what I understand everyone fee is going to be increased to $5.99. I have tried to find out how they can justify the increase as their costs have not changed but have yet to receive a reply.

They're just planning ahead for when a large portion of the existing DirecTivo users jump ship to cable when the Series 3 arrives.