Directv vs Cable

[Guest Lethargic]

We've been thinking about switching from cable to one of the dish thingies. Direct TV I guess. Wondering if anybody can tell me any pros, cons all that kind of crap. Any input on the idea. It's not that I need more channels, I think Dish would actually be less than what we currently have and I don't really think the price is that much different. But I am just so sick of watching this shitty picture quality. We have digital cable but all the channels we had before digital cable are still analog or whatever, only the new channels are digital. The digital channels look crystal clear. But I don't watch anything on there but TCM and IFC. I only really watch 3 TV shows on a regular basis. Smallville, Birds of Prey and Alias. The WB on our cable has so much distortion in the picture that it feels like you're watching TV while sitting in the middle of a sandstorm. And with Alias I sometimes get to see it twice because both our ABC and CBS channels usually have double vision going on. It just friggin sucks and I'm so sick of it. I get 100 times better picture quality by downloading the shows from the internet, burning them to CD and then watching them on my DVD player than by actually watching them on TV. We don't have another cable operator so that leads me to thinking about this.

 

Though I will miss Community Access if we get rid of cable.

[Guest MrRant]

Since I work for a cable company my view is biased... but if local channels are messed up then that is interference from over the air signal. Make sure your connections are tight. It could even be something loose at the tap (pole).

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

I have a big ass Satellite Dish (not the little pizza pan sized dish, but the one that sits out in the front yard and you can decorate it with 5,000 Christmas lights kind of dish) I know that this dish isn't the solution for most people who live in the city, but living out in the middle of nowhere where ya cant even get cable, its pretty awesome. 50 channels for about $280 a year (23 bucks a month). Plus theres the ability to watch most network tv shows before they air normally (for instance I tape 24 Tuesday mornings at 8 am, CSI and Smackdown early thursday Mornings.) We also get west feeds of TNN, USA, Discovery Channel, Comedy Central, A&E, Nickelodeon, MTV and History Channel. The west feed is basically 3 hours behind the East feed, which means I can watch RAW at midnight on TNN West and still watch the majority of Monday Night Football, etc. The picture quality isn't as good as the digital satellites but it doesn't go out in bad storms either.

 

There are a few negatives about it though(Network feeds aren't local, but we do get them and If I wanna watch local news I use my antenna) and there are few channels that I can't get that I wish I could get (foodtv, ESPNClassic..). Another sorta negative is that there aren't any PPV channels except for Boxing/Wrestling, but thats what they make the Video Store for.

 

As far as Directv vs Cable, I'd go with Directv is the picture quality is a major factor, although you should be warned that if you have a major storm or just some thick clouds, you are probably going to lose the signal altogether which is really annoying. Depending on where you live you can get local channels on Directv but it costs extra (I think 6 bucks a month..)

Another thing to consider is that if you wanna watch different shows in different rooms you'll need a second reciever, a special dish that costs more and it costs an extra 5 bucks a month to get programming in multiple rooms.

 

But with Directv you can get all of the sports packages (NFL sunday Ticket, NBA league Pass, NHL Center Ice, MLB Extra Innings..) tons of PPV Channels (including porn..hmm..) the music channels and just an overall ton of channels that most cable ops don't carry.. I used to have Directv but the price (40 bucks + a month) was too much considering what I was paying ($23 bucks a month) although sometimes I wish I had it for the Sports Packages..

[Guest Lethargic]

We can get all those sports packages, PPVs and everything you mentioned on our local digital cable too. Like I said, we get more channels than DirecTV right now but they all look like crap so yeah picture is what I'm looking for. It's not like I can watch all those things. I've done all the price looking. Our normal cable bill is 82 a month. DirecTV would be around 55 a month and have every channel I want and more. But it would take 150 to buy all the gear since we'd need 3 recievers.

 

Rant, it's not just the local channels for the distortion. For the double picture it is though. It's only our local channels and I can fix that sometimes by going out and working on the cable box on the side of the house myself. But that gets annoying. The bigger problem is the distortion which is on everything but the digital channels. Some channels are worse than others but it's still there on all of them. And friends that live up to an hour away have it too so it's not just me. it's the service. We also didn't seem to have this before Comcast took our service over last year. The distortion seems to go do"waves" through the dial. Like a few channels will almost be fine but then the next 5 or 6 will be awful, a few will be almost be fine, another group is awful, so on and so on. The group which contains E, SciFi and Bravo is horrible quality and the group around the WB channel is too. My friend wanted to watch Birds of Prey since he's a Batman fan but he saw how bad that channel is and refuses to watch it. He said he'll wait and hope it comes out on DVD. haha

[Guest Mad Dog]

Dish Network is the better choice. The customer support is better and if you move they'll give you a whole new system for free.

 

Plus the newer boxes have memory for you to record stuff and you can pause and rewind live tv (great for sports).

[Guest El Satanico]

Well for nearly $30 less a month for the same amount of channels. I'd say you'd be smart to switch to a dish.

 

Yeah the only major complaint with Directv type services is the losing signal in bad weather.

 

Unless you have a good VCR setup that you're happy with look into the boxes that you can record on. They are pretty nice to have

[Guest Lethargic]

Well, can anybody tell me how bad the weather factor really is? If I'm trying to record some movie off TCM like Der Golem that I've been trying to find for years, I don't want to have to worry about losing the movie because it might sprinkle outside.

 

You may remember when I first got here the first pet peeve that I ranted about was people buying TV shows on DVD for 100 dollars and stuff. My second pet peeve is this recording to a hard drive non-sense, Tivo and all that. I find this stuff utterly retarded. So I am not going to get one of those boxes. But I won't rant about them. haha

[Guest MrRant]

Weather is a big factor sometimes especially snow, wind and rain. Have you had a tech out yet?

[Guest El Satanico]

The weather thing is a big thing, but it doesn't happen that often. It probably happens to me 5 or so times a year. And my dish is on the side of the house that gets the stronge wind gusts.

 

The only time when the weather really messes the signal up and knocks the service out for a few minutes is when it's a hard blowing rain or heavy blowing snow.

[Guest C.H.U.D.]

I use a black market RCA dish up here in Canada. It's great, free PPV! Sorry, that probably doesn't help you much.

[Guest El Satanico]

Your's works still?

[Guest papacita]

Yeah, the weather thing pisses me off (the picture cut out in the middle of the TLC match at SummerSlam 2000), but it's really not that big of a deal. It happens rarely and when it does it's usually back in within a minute or two. I prefer DTV to cable.

[Guest Human Fly]

My roommate had DTV and it was not a good experience. The guy who put it up didn't do it right so he was losing his signal all the time (a little wind and it was gone). When he called to get them to come and fix it they told him that they would charge him just to come out and look at it, then even more if they did anything. He just went up and ghetto rigged it himself.

 

Another problem with DTV is you have to sign a contract for a certain amout of time. If you don't like DTV and want to get rid of it, you have to eat it. If you are going to move make sure you move into a place that can get the signal, that's another problem. A big tree in the wrong place and you're out of luck.

 

I can't speak for other Dish services but comparing Directv and Cable stick with cable.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

DirecTV with free everything = awesomeness

 

[Guest Eagan469]

I have Digital Cable - no complaints

[Guest Slapnuts00]

I like digital cable. Direct TV is essentially like digital cable in the sky anyway. Real sattellite is like what Marvin has. I get all my local channels, music channells, subsrcibe to all the premium services and have the option for all the sports packages and PPVs. I have it set up in 3 rooms too which would be more complicated with Driect TV. I don't notice picture quality problems unless you're talking about some local access channells or Sci Fi channell which I don't watch anyway. It's your choice though.

[Guest Mad Dog]

I think Dish Network has gotten over the bad weather thing. Or I can't remember it cutting out since we got a newer dish.

 

I still say look at Dish Network instead of DirectTV.

[Guest Lethargic]

Since Dish and DirecTV will most likely merge together eventually I don't really see much difference between the two except that DirecTV is cheaper and has more channels.

[Guest El Satanico]

DirecTV with free everything = awesomeness

 

Yours still works too?

 

damnit

[Guest redbaron51]

owning Cable, and Direct TV (which is illegal here in Canada, since its free) I'm biased, but watching free porn is pretty damn good.

 

 

And Canadian TV sucks (Except for hockey games)

[Guest Slapnuts00]

Why is Direct TV illegal in Canada? It's all free?

[Guest Karnage]

Its illegal because most of the American channels don't have this license thingy up here and because there is this law by the CRTC about having atleast 60% Canadian content.

[Guest Lethargic]

Well we got DirecTV yesterday. Overall I'm very happy. I love it. It's a lot better than cable. All the interactive features alone make it better than cable. My problem is that it doesn't seem like we get ANY sports anymore. I tuned in to watch the Predators game tonight and it was gone. I know the games are broadcast all through the South so I assumed it would still be on Sports South but it wasn't. I thought it was actually ON Sports South not just a spliced in thing. So I guess that means the Grizzlies games are gone too but at least I expected that. I didn't expect the Predators games to be gone. And that completely fucking sucks. Even the Atlanta Thrashers game was blacked out here last night. We're hours away from Atlanta so why would it be blacked out here?? I certainly hope that the Braves games on Turner South aren't blacked out cause that was the reason the rest of my family wanted to get the stuff. This just sucks. So it appears that unless miracles happen and the Predators make the playoffs to get on ESPN, I never get to see my own team play again. Either that or pay 200 dollars for that stupid hockey pacakge. But I bet those stupid Titans games won't go anywhere. And if we don't get our local teams and we don't get other team's games either, what is the point of purchasing the sports package? You just get 20 extra channels of lumberjack contests and extreme sports??

[Guest Slapnuts00]

I know the games are broadcast all through the South so I assumed it would still be on Sports South but it wasn't. I thought it was actually ON Sports South not just a spliced in thing. So I guess that means the Grizzlies games are gone too but at least I expected that. I didn't expect the Predators games to be gone. And that completely fucking sucks. Even the Atlanta Thrashers game was blacked out here last night. We're hours away from Atlanta so why would it be blacked out here?? I certainly hope that the Braves games on Turner South aren't blacked out cause that was the reason the rest of my family wanted to get the stuff. This just sucks. So it appears that unless miracles happen and the Predators make the playoffs to get on ESPN, I never get to see my own team play again. Either that or pay 200 dollars for that stupid hockey pacakge. But I bet those stupid Titans games won't go anywhere. And if we don't get our local teams and we don't get other team's games either, what is the point of purchasing the sports package? You just get 20 extra channels of lumberjack contests and extreme sports??

2 words: DIGITAL CABLE.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

Well we got DirecTV yesterday. Overall I'm very happy. I love it. It's a lot better than cable. All the interactive features alone make it better than cable. My problem is that it doesn't seem like we get ANY sports anymore. I tuned in to watch the Predators game tonight and it was gone. I know the games are broadcast all through the South so I assumed it would still be on Sports South but it wasn't. I thought it was actually ON Sports South not just a spliced in thing. So I guess that means the Grizzlies games are gone too but at least I expected that. I didn't expect the Predators games to be gone. And that completely fucking sucks. Even the Atlanta Thrashers game was blacked out here last night. We're hours away from Atlanta so why would it be blacked out here?? I certainly hope that the Braves games on Turner South aren't blacked out cause that was the reason the rest of my family wanted to get the stuff. This just sucks. So it appears that unless miracles happen and the Predators make the playoffs to get on ESPN, I never get to see my own team play again. Either that or pay 200 dollars for that stupid hockey pacakge. But I bet those stupid Titans games won't go anywhere. And if we don't get our local teams and we don't get other team's games either, what is the point of purchasing the sports package? You just get 20 extra channels of lumberjack contests and extreme sports??

Here's three words:

 

PREDATORS ARE USELESS

[Guest Lethargic]

I know the games are broadcast all through the South so I assumed it would still be on Sports South but it wasn't.  I thought it was actually ON Sports South not just a spliced in thing.  So I guess that means the Grizzlies games are gone too but at least I expected that.  I didn't expect the Predators games to be gone.  And that completely fucking sucks.  Even the Atlanta Thrashers game was blacked out here last night.  We're hours away from Atlanta so why would it be blacked out here??  I certainly hope that the Braves games on Turner South aren't blacked out cause that was the reason the rest of my family wanted to get the stuff.  This just sucks.  So it appears that unless miracles happen and the Predators make the playoffs to get on ESPN, I never get to see my own team play again.  Either that or pay 200 dollars for that stupid hockey pacakge.  But I bet those stupid Titans games won't go anywhere.  And if we don't get our local teams and we don't get other team's games either, what is the point of purchasing the sports package?  You just get 20 extra channels of lumberjack contests and extreme sports??

2 words: DIGITAL CABLE.

Maybe you should read the thread. I HAD digital cable. That's why I switched to DirecTV. So here's 4 words... digital cable sucks cock.

 

It turns out DirectTV just moves the games. They're not shown on Fox. Instead they set up a special channel an hour before both the Predators games and the Grizzlies games and show them on there. Channel 633 I believe. And it looks I get to see more of them on here than on pathetic ass cable.