Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with directv

How is DirecTV so cheap compared to "Cable?"

teriyaki_tornado — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:10:19 -0800

DirecTV seems too cheap to be true. Is it really a good deal vs. cable vs. fiber? Ok, so we're a household of college basketball junkies (we live in Indiana, natch). We had u-verse a year or so ago, but ditched it to save cash.

The prices at U-Verse and Comcast seem pretty similar. If we want a good package that serves up all the sports, we're looking at roughly $130 a month (this includes HD service, DVR, Sports pack, etc..)

DirecTV has a comparable package (Choice Ultimate) that is only $45.99 a month the first year, and $65.99 a month the second year. The catch is that there's a $99 up front fee for the DVR, and the big one: you've got to sign a two-year contract.

So, people of the green, tell me of your experiences with DirecTV, especially if you can compare it with cable or fiber. Is the service good? Are they tricky/sneaky with hidden charges? I know, you've gotta sign a two-year contract, BUT ITS ALMOST HALF THE PRICE. Which frankly, makes me a little scared.

Should we sign up for DirecTV?

JuliaKM — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 09:51:48 -0800

Should we sign up for DirecTV when we know we will move within the contract period? We're thinking about getting DirecTV for the NFL Sunday Package but I am wary of the two-year-contract. I talked to the sales rep and it looks like a two-year contract is the only option unless we want to buy the equipment ourselves, which seems insane.

The catch is that I'm 99 percent sure we'll be moving, likely to an apartment, within the contract period. I've tried to research how often apartment complexes don't allow DirecTV and can't figure it out.

Wise Mefites, do you know how much of a pain it is to move with DirecTV and how frequently apartment complexes don't allow satellites? Unfortunately, we have no idea where we'll be moving yet. My husband is just starting his academic job search.

Help me understand how DirecTV handles installations

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:10:00 -0800

Could you help me understand the structure and entities involved in DirecTV installation? This information I need pertains specifically to DirecTV, not to any other company. I'd like to know about the relationships between DirecTV and the companies and people who do the installations, and how the money flows between the various people and entities. Take a situation in which a company (let's call them Acme) is somehow involved in DirecTV installation. Now, Acme is NOT a subdivision of the DirecTV, but appears to be a small company with eight or ten people who work in its office. Acme installs DirecTV equipment ... or, maybe it just finds individuals to work as subcontractors to do installations.

Acme enters into contracts with individual installers, and ships DirecTV equipment to these installers, and has contracts with the individual installers (let's call them the Joe Installers). The Joe Installers then go out and install the equipment in consumers' homes.

My questions:

(1) Is Acme a "contractor" for the installation of DirecTV equipment? Or is there some other designation for what Acme does?
(2) Are the Joe Installers considered "subcontractors"?
(3) Does the equipment being shipped to the Joe Installers belong to DirecTV until it is sold to the consumers? Or has it been purchased by Acme to re-sell to individual consumers who subscribe to DirecTV services?
(4) Let's say some of the equipment sent to Joe Installer goes unused; under what circumstances does it get sent back to Acme or DirecTV? Specifically, let's say Joe Installer terminates his contract with Acme (or vice versa), what does Joe Installer do with any uninstalled equipment that he still has?
(5) How does the payment "flow" for installations work? Does DirecTV pay Acme only after a successful installation in a subscriber's home? And does Acme pay Joe Installer after it is paid by DirecTV? Or something else altogether? What mechanisms are in place to make sure Joe Installer gets paid?
(6) Any other interesting information about the way DirecTV installations are organized, assigned, farmed out, whatever? I'm trying to understand it from an insider perspective, so any firsthand information you can provide will be appreciated.

I would appreciate anyone with insider knowledge helping me out here. Throwaway e-mail account: joeinstaller2012@gmail.com

Canadian Seeks DirecTV HD DVR

Peeekay — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:45:01 -0800

I'm a Canadian who currently has a DirectTV subscription with a non-HD receiver. I want to be able to purchase an HD DVR and wanted to make sure I know everything before hand. To my understanding, all I need is to purchase a new dish capable of receiving the HD signal and the HD DVR from an online retailer like amazon (also the HD package from DTV)

Can some one tell me the specific satellite model I'll need along with the HD DVR model that people prefer.

Thanks everyone

Will an HTPC help get shows off my DirecTV DVR?

mrhaydel — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 06:30:29 -0800

Can I use an HTPC/DIY DVR solution to record shows off my DirecTV DVR? In a few months, we'll be cutting the cord on DirecTV - canceling our service with them, and effectively going to just having OTA channels (along with Netflix and all that jazz). That being the case, I'm planning on going the route of building myself a little HTPC of sorts, using this site as a guide, and purchasing a Revo AR3700, and this USB tuner so that we can still timeshift stuff as we see fit.

Let's assume that I get the RevoHTPC up and running prior to us canceling DirecTV. If there are a few shows that are on our DirecTV DVR that we'd still like to save to watch later, would it be possible to record said shows by harnessing the Revo? I feel like the answer is "yes", and that it wouldn't be too difficult, but I'm a bit unsure as to what all would be involved in doing that. FWIW, I'm fairly certain I'll be running Windows 7/Media Center on the little guy. Nothing's been purchased yet, on the off-chance what I'm thinking of getting is not what I want.

I recognize that the DirecTV DVRs are probably built in such a way to make getting content off of them as difficult as possible, but, I'm not giving up hope just yet! I've done a bit of Googling/searching around, as well as the forums on the RevoHTPC site (I've asked a similar question there, but it's not really as well-trafficked as AskMeFi), and haven't had much luck.

As a secondary question, if the Revo won't work, what are my options? Unearth my old school DVD-recorder and go that route or something?

I'd appreciate some help/direction HiveMind!

Cricket World Cup on DirecTV?

TuxHeDoh — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:17:55 -0800

Is it possible to view the Cricket World Cup on DirecTV without subscribing to WillowTV or DirecTV's Cricket Ticket? Is ESPN or some other sports network showing the games? Our office has a directv installation, of which I control the feed out to all the tv's in our buildings. Each tv can only receive what the receiver is tuned to. We don't really have any control over purchasing pay per view or anything like that, so this prompts my question. How can we get the Cricket World Cup on DirecTV without an additional subscription?

What kinds of information does Directv/Dish Network capture on my viewing habits? Aren't they sitting on much more data than Nielsen Ratings?

thisisdrew — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:22:01 -0800

What kinds of information does Directv/Dish Network capture on my viewing habits? Aren't they sitting on much more data than Nielsen Ratings?

English Subtitles from Spanish channels (DirecTV)

sirhensley — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:29:27 -0800

How do I get English subtitles from spanish channels (I am using directv)? Hi Everyone,

I have Directv and would like to be able to view english subtitles on some of our spanish channels. My wife and her family watch a lot of novellas on Univision and I am left always asking what happened.

Is there any way to get english subtitles? Can anyone help?

Thanks.

Winegard DirecTV satellite

mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:55:24 -0800

What are the correct settings on a DirecTV HD23 receiver in order to get it to work with a Winegard MV3500A "Movin' View" mobile antenna? We bought a motor home with the MV3500A dish on the roof, but no receiver. DirecTV is our provider at home. I called their customer service and told them about the RV dish, and was assured that it would work with the HD23 receiver.

I've installed the receiver and cannot get the receiver to see the signal from the dish. The manual (found online at the Winegard site) says to set the "dish type" on the receiver setup screen to "two LNB oval", which isn't an option on this receiver.

When I turn the power on to the dish, I can hear the motor moving the dish until it finds the satellite and locks in, so I am pretty sure that part is working correctly.

Help?

Is there a way I can get Seattle TV channels from DirecTV even though I live in the Portland, OR market?

jorlando — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:17:03 -0800

Is there a way I can get Seattle TV channels from DirecTV even though I live in the Portland, OR market? I live in Southwest Washington State - about 30 miles north of Portland, OR. The location is considered part the Portland TV market so we are only allowed Portland local channels. There is a vacuum of news coverage here concerning Washington State affairs, politics, government, etc. On the other hand, we're well informed about Oregon affairs which are mostly irrelevant.

Is there any way to get around this barrier? I have no objection to paying for additional service. What is the source of this policy?

CAN DIRECTV ANTENNAS AND OLD TIVOS WORK TOGETHER?

shipbreaker — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:47:56 -0800

I now have a TIVO and a DirecTV antenna. Can I connect them together to do anything cool? Well, my uncle gave me an 18 Inch x 20 Inch Triple LNB DIRECTV Multi-Satellite Dish Antenna -- KT1820BXLNB... and a TiVo TCD649080 Series-2 80-Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder. It seems to me that the antenna could be connected to the Tivo, and maybe pointed at the right spot in the sky for some free channels? Can the Tivo be used as the satellite tuner? Am I dreaming, or do I need to sign up and pay for two different services, and/or throw these items back in the trash?

MTV Hits is not available for DirecTV, so how do I watch it?

schindyguy — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:19:14 -0800

I want to watch MTV Hits, but I have DirecTV. Any suggestions? MTV Hits is not available for DirecTV, so how do I watch it?

Can I stream it from somewhere online?

FYI: MTV Hits is only music videos, something that MTV forgot about a long time ago

DirecTV electrical issues?

PhillC — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:31:07 -0800

So, I've got an electrical problem in my house. Somewhere between my DirecTV installation and my house wiring, I am blowing up TVs... Here's the skinny:

A friend of my moved into my basement a couple of months ago. I had DirecTV install a new line for him into his room. The DirecTV installer ran a new coax line, plugged in the box and connected the TV via HDMI.

BOOM! Dead TV and dead DirecTV box.

The TV is under a Best Buy service plan, so we had them fix it. It came back and the same thing happened.

Today, we got the TV back again. This time, a local TV repair guy brought it and hooked it up. Again, same thing.

Although he is not an electrician, he found that there was approximately 120V from the ground on the coax cable (the outer cooper) to the ground in the wall outlet. And there was enough current to give him a nasty shock.

A quick check of the outlet with a polarity tester shows that is wired correctly. We took the cover plate off the outlet, and everything is connected correctly. This is in the basement, so I can see the entire coax run and there aren't any nicks or cuts.

The ONLY thing that looks suspicious, is the coax follows some electrical lines through holes in the floor joists. Everything is insulated and fairly modern wiring. When I switch the circuit break off for the room in the basement where we are having issues, I no longer get any voltage. It's worth noting, the wiring next to the coax in the floor joists is on the circuit we have turned off. Could we be INDUCING a current in the coax? Or is it something else?

So, what the hell? I'd rather not have the house burn down...

Don't qualify for UVerse, what now?

tomwheeler — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 12:25:40 -0800

I am seeking opinions and advice about TV/DVR service or setup that will let me record multiple programs at once and watch them from any TV. I have a Series 2 TiVO (with a lifetime service plan) purchased in 2003 when I still had cable. I switched to DirecTV a couple of years later and got their dual-tuner TiVO system. Although I have these two TiVO units, DirecTV apparently hobbled theirs so it's impossible to watch shows recorded downstairs on the upstairs TV and vice versa.

This has annoyed me for years, so I finally signed up for UVerse which comes with "multi-room DVR" service. Unfortunately, the tech came out to install it and found that I was a few hundred feet too far away from the telco equipment for the service to work reliably.

I want to achieve "multi-room viewing" somehow and am looking for advice about how to do it. I still have DirecTV for TV and I have a DSL broadband connection, though I am open to switching either of those if needed (I live in the St. Louis area in case it's relevant). I'm also open to replacing the TiVOs with something else, whether that's a device I buy or something I build like MythTV. I'm a programmer, good with a soldering iron and handy with technical things in general. Finally, I don't mind spending money up-front on equipment, but I hate monthly fees and want to avoid or minimize them as much as possible.

Any ideas?

Is there a good third-party TV guide website that interfaces with DirecTV?

nitsuj — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:48:55 -0800

Is there a good third-party TV guide website that interfaces with DirecTV? I have DirecTV, and currently use their website's TV guide to see what's showing, and schedule stuff to record directly to my (DTV-provided/branded -- not Tivo) DVR. Problem is, their guide mostly sucks -- I can't specify which channels I want to see; the default shows all channels, most of which I don't care about.

Is there a good third-party TV guide website that will allow me to customize the list, as well as set programs to record directly to my DVR?

Can I convince DirecTV to upgrade me or should I switch to Dish?

chndrcks — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:20:59 -0800

Should I stick with DirecTV or switch to Dish? OR: Can I get DirecTV to upgrade my receiver for free? (I've read this previous question but there are some differences in options and preferences)

I've had DirecTV since 2005 and have always been happy with their service, but I'm looking into upgrading to HD and can save a not insignificant amount of money with Dish (Comcast is more expensive).

DirecTV has a reputation for good customer service, which is important to me and is part of the reason I chose DirecTV when first signing up. We've been thinking about upgrading to HD-DVR, and to do so we would have to get a new receiver - we currently have an old DirecTiVo receiver (from 2005). I've called DirecTV twice and the best (they say) they can offer me is the receiver for $200. In addition, adding the HD package ($10/month) will bring our monthly cost to around $77.

With Dish, we can get the channels that we want, plus their HD and DVR for $67-$77 (depending on which package we go with) a month and we wouldn't have to pay the $200 for the new receiver. Also, we would get a -$15 /month promotion for the first year.

The biggest sticking point right now is the $200 for the receiver. I've been happy enough with DirecTV that I wouldn't mind the extra per month cost (there are more channels, even if they're not on our 'must have' list - and their customer service at least until now has been good).
Is there a way I can convince DirecTV to upgrade my receiver for free or less than $200? Here are the ways I'm a good and bad customer for DirecTV:
Pro:
-Customer for 4 years
-First upgrade in 4 years (first person I talked to said this would help)
-I've had premium channels (HBO) in the past
-I've referred a friend (did the actual referral so DTV knows)
Con:
-No current premium channel subscriptions
-Last summer and this summer we put the satellite on vacation mode (so we didn't get or pay for service for ~4 months each year)

I thought my next step would be to call directv and tell them I'm thinking about switching to Dish, is there something else I should try first? Should I tell them that I'm thinking about switching because I can get the free receiver?

If they still won't budge - should I switch to Dish? My concerns are:
-Customer Service
-DVR cool features
-DVR ease of use

I've never experienced Dish's customer service, but for some reason I have a bad impression of it (probably just a sense I've picked up from the internet). Those of you who have it - how is the customer service? How does it compare to DirecTV?

How is the DVR service? I get the impression that neither will live up to the DirecTiVo that I have right now - is one significantly worse than the other?

Does either offer cool ways to connect my service with my computer? (e.g. an easy way to stream shows from my DVR to my computer) It looks like I can schedule recordings from the web or iphone with both, but does one company offer other features that the other doesn't?

DirecTV, DishNetwork or uVerse?

tippiedog — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:00:56 -0800

Dish Network, DirecTV or uVerse? We are a family of four living in suburban Austin, Texas. Our local cable service has changed hands two times in the last few years and is now owned by Suddenlink. We've had cable (with their provided DVR, a Motorola 6400 series) and internet with them for years, and have not been particularly unhappy until recently. With one of the buyouts, they removed some channels that we like (BBC America primarily) from our package and we really don't want to pay more for them.

But here's the big problem: I knew the DVR was not anywhere close to TiVo in functionality, but it did the job. In the last two weeks, however, they REPLACED the OS on the DVR (and cable box for our non-DVR TV, but that has less of an impact) and as a result, our DVR has lost some significant functionality and is practically unusable. That really pisses me off!

We're thinking of going elsewhere for TV and I would like your feedback.

NOTE: Our neighborhood was recently wired for AT&T uVerse, so that's an option, in addition to satellite.

Based on recent threads, it looks like MeFites generally prefer DirecTV over Dish, but Uverse is so new, I'm not seeing much about it on the green.

Here is some relevant info about us:

I'm not unhappy with my cable internet service; I don't see any reason to change it from Suddenlink unless there's a big bundling advantage

We have landline phone service with AT&T; we have tried Vonage and Suddenlink's VoIP but had voice quality problems (which may indicate that our internet service isn't that great; see first bullet item above)

We don't care a whit about sports on TV

We currently subscribe to basic cable + the big package of miscellaneous stuff: SciFi, Discovery, Comedy, TBS, etc., which is about what we would like to keep

We live by the DVR, so it's a must whichever way we go. Obviously, DVR usability is an issue

We get movies via NetFlix, so don't want to want to pay for premium movie channels

We watch primarily PBS, documentaries, some re-run sitcoms, etc.

We have one HDTV (with the DVR) where we do about 95% of our TV watching. We have a second, small analog TV in a study that hardly gets used for anything but gaming; we don't need a DVR for it

I'm a Comcast customer is looking to expand my TV horizons.

bamassippi — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:27:25 -0800

I'm a Comcast customer is looking to expand my TV horizons. The wife and I are looking into DVR options. We currently use Comcast (Seattle, WA) w/HD channels and, due to our apartment complex, do not have the option of Dish/DirecTV.

I would prefer a TiVo HD recorder due to TiVo's position in the market ad an industry leader. What successes/failures/thoughts do you have on TiVos current DVR technology

Is Comcast's DVR technology worth it? Obviously, the month-to-month payment is more wallet-friendly than the investment of a TiVo, though I didn't know if the end result was any better.

Thoughts?

DirecTV technical help needed

crapmatic — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:02:09 -0800

Somewhat technical question about DirecTV equipment. Any DirecTV aficionados in the house? I have ONE DirecTV box (this model). We just moved to another state, so I uprooted my DirecTV simple round dish and installed it at the new location (I decided not to do the movers connection as I figured they'd yoke me to a contract). This dish used to get my DirecTV programming the Dallas local channels just fine, but after I "registered" the new location with DirecTV, I lost all my local channels except for something called "Ion" on 62. I worked with a DirecTV representative, and not only will the box fail to get the new channels; we found the DirecTV signal meter cannot even be scrolled out of any satellite except 101.

So the agent says I will need a 3 LNB unit. He said it would be free and they'd send an installer over. So the installer shows up. The installer wants $75 for a pole mount. No, I'm not paying $75 for a pole when there's a perfectly good oak stump outside that I'm using, and I don't want a dish stuck to the house. I asked him to just leave the equipment, and he said no, he's responsible for it. Sigh. I declined the install, and he left. So I'm going to finish the job or give up.

Anyway I want to clarify a couple of issues:

* How does hooking up ONE DirecTV box to an oval 3 LNB unit instead of a round 1 LNB improve my reception? Would this actually give me access to other local channel spot beams? I thought 3 LNBs were designed for 3 receivers in a house.

* Should I just order a 3 LNB off eBay? Do these require any kind of complicated adjustments like polarity, etc, or is it just point and go?

Homebrew PVR with HD?

joshuaconner — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:30:33 -0800

Just switched from cable to DirecTV (7 HD channels on cable just wasn't cutting it), and we have a Mac Mini we'd like to use as a DVR. Possible? Practical?

I need a code.

LoriFLA — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:50:14 -0800

I am trying to program my Bose (Cinemate) remote to control my DirecTV H20 receiver. I've tried all the DirecTV codes that Bose has listed.

Does anybody know what code for the H20 will work for the Bose remote?

Thanks so much.

Gremlins In My TV Broadcast Signal

jonson — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:32:23 -0800

DIRECTV/Fox Broadcasting Error I'm getting tiny weird checkerboard pattern errors flicking up on my screen for one or two frames at a time, all in different seemingly random locations every few seconds during every Fox broadcast (Simpsons, NFL, etc - not Fox News). I have an LCD TV & DIRECTV's new (non-Tivo) DVR. Does anyone have any idea about what's going on? It's not really a problem, since they're so small & they disappear in a heartbeat, but it's just quirky & I'm curious about it.

I need help installing my 5LNB dish for DirecTV service.

nickerbocker — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:19:21 -0800

I need help installing my 5LNB dish for DirecTV service. Hi! I'm temporarily living with the folks and intend on moving soon. I can get my dish installed for $50 only once a year, and the second time in a year costs $199. I'll save the $50 install for my new home and if I can't get this to work at my folks place then I'll just live without (which kinda sucks because I still have to pay for it due to a 2 year commitment).

Anyway, I need help. I can point it in the right direction (azimuth) with the right tilt and elevation as is specified in the manual. All that I get are "0"'s when I check the signal strength of all satellites and transponders. I can check the individual signals of the transponders but am not sure of the best method and approach to do this.

I've been searching online but all I find is people rambling with no specific step-by-step instructions.

Here are my questions:

1. Can I check the signal strength of the 101 deg satellite and transponder 1 and just worry about that one?
2. Will I start hearing some noise coming from the set once I am zero'ing in on the right trajectory?
3. is there a very narrow room for error? If I'm pointing in "about" the right direction shouldn't I receive at least some signal strength from somewhere? Or is it all going to be 0 signal strength and then after a quarter of a degree adjustment all of a sudden BAM perfect signal?
4. Once I'm pointing in the right Azimuth, which should I try adjusting first for better signal quality? Elevation?

Is this even worth while?

I have a pretty basic compass for the azimuth and a very percise digital protractor for the elevation. I'm not sure how to measure my tilt other then just going by the number on the dish for that particular bolt adjustment.

Oh yeah....1 more thing. When I was moving my dish from my old place to my folks house and carrying it up the ladder (dang that thing was heavy) at one moment it I was pushing the thing up against the receivers against the wall. Upon examination, it does not look like anything broke from this... however I'm worried that the receivers are slightly off-center and that is why I'm having so many problems.... :(

Thanks for your help

Best PVR for a DirecTV subscriber?

owen — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:22:52 -0800

PVRFilter: Please save me from my VCR. I'm a DirecTV customer, wondering what my best option is. DirecTV PVR receiver? Tivo? Or something else?

Caught Between an HD Rock and a Hard Place...And a Hard Place

JLobster — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:34:08 -0800

I have just moved from Berkeley, CA to Austin, TX and have to move my TV service with me. We were using DirecTV in Berkeley and I was perfectly happy with my (hacked) HR10-250 HD TiVo unit. Now I am faced with a choice. D*, cable or Dish? What service do I go with if I want to have TiVo and HD? I seem to be screwed in one way or another. More inside... I called D*'s Mover's Connection and they will only install the 5 LNB dish for free, which according to them, does NOT work with the HR10. So if I want HD and a PVR, I have to go with their HR20, which by many accounts has gotten terrible reviews with a few "ehs" thrown in. Then there's the whole "HDlite" controversy.

If I go with Time Warner Cable, I can get their crappy HD DVR or I can get the TiVo series3 with two cable cards. HOWEVER, I will not get all their extended national HD feeds for some technical reason that no one wants to explain, plus I will be paying more per month and that's without the TiVo monthly service added in. Add in the fact that I also have to spend around $500 for the hardware and it is not attractive either. If I can upgrade my cable cards in the future to get those extra national feeds, this would be the way to go, even with the extra price. I don't want to pay extra for a (semi-?)crippled setup.

Option 3 is Dish. I never liked them, their DVR or more recently, the fact that they are owned (or at least pushed) by AT&T. I do hear that their HD is the best quality.

I would like to stick with a TiVo interface because it is easy to use and my wife, while very technical, does not like unintuitive interfaces or massive retraining.

What to do? What to do? If it matters, I live in the Milwood subdivision in the Northwest part of Austin.