OT xfinity/ U-verse/direct Tv

johnkitchens

In my area we have Comcast cable, but it isn't HD!  So if we want HD, and we do, we have no choice but to go with Direct or Dish. 

AT&T U-Verse is the main internet. No cable internet. We do have two companies offering wireless internet where they put an antenna on your house for the signal, but it is more expensive than U-Verse so I am sticking with it. 

I just don't like having to deal with AT&T for service. Every time there is a problem it will end up being their problem, but they tell me it is mine. They suck. 

Davec433

StillSmoken said:

@HofstraJet I have a question.  My house has a detached in-law suite!  I guess I  need 2 dishes?  How does that work and would it cost more? Thx

It would probably be a cleaner set up with 2 dishes but I'm sure they could run a splitter with RG-58 (coax) and it'd work.

johnkitchens

Davec433 said:

StillSmoken said:

@HofstraJet I have a question.  My house has a detached in-law suite!  I guess I  need 2 dishes?  How does that work and would it cost more? Thx

It would probably be a cleaner set up with 2 dishes but I'm sure they could run a splitter with RG-58 (coax) and it'd work.

If it isn't far away from the dish you could certainly run RG-6 cable and have a receiver out there. 

StillSmoken

Thanks for all the responses.  I broke down today and went with Comcast.  I got locked in for 2 years on a good rate.  After that I'll just have to call every 6 months and threaten to cancel! Can't wait to get back to egging. 

HofstraJet

StillSmoken said:

@HofstraJet I have a question.  My house has a detached in-law suite!  I guess I  need 2 dishes?  How does that work and would it cost more? Thx

Sorry for the delay - just saw this question. Even though moot, here's your answer: it depends on how far the houses are and whether it is feasible to run coax from the main house to the second house. Ordinarily, additional rooms are run from a multiswitch (a special splitter that works with the satellite signal) connected to the dish.  If too far to run a cable safely, a second dish will be needed. That said, neither installation scenario would be included in the DirecTV "standard installation" and you would have to negotiate the price of the install with the installer who comes over.  You would also have to buy the second dish if that's the route you ended up taking. 

In my experience, it is best to have DirecTV come and do the basic install and then get them out of the house as soon as possible. Then you can clean things up and complete the installation properly. Installers, for the most part (there are exceptions), try to do as little work as possible and are not interested in making your installation look good - they just want it to work and successfully activate so they can leave ASAP. Check out this forum for all of your DirecTV related needs: http://www.dbstalk.com/forum/53-directv-hd-dvrreceiver-discussion/

Tupac

DirecTV and Comcast for me. I have Comcast out of lack of alternatives. We'll soon be getting fiber direct to the home in our area though. Ready for that 1gb! 

I have 75 mb with Comcast but rarely see those speeds. If you go that route, you'd be better off buying your own modem than leasing one from them. Cheaper in the long run and much more reliable. 

Love DirecTV but after two years the price sky rockets, obviously. You just have to call every so often after that and threaten to cancel and they'll lower your bill. Also, be careful what equipment they give you. They love to give refurbished receivers. Generally good customer service. Best picture quality, imo.

johnkitchens

Tupac said:

Love DirecTV but after two years the price sky rockets, obviously. You just have to call every so often after that and threaten to cancel and they'll lower your bill. Also, be careful what equipment they give you. They love to give refurbished receivers. Generally good customer service. Best picture quality, imo.

I know what you mean. I have 6 DVR's, and some of them are refurbished. Three of them started making noise and overheating. I looked it up and discovered that the fan motor would seize. 

I called them and they said I could send them in for replacements. When I asked them about all of my recordings they said they would be lost! 

I popped the covers and put a drop of oil in the fan motor and that solved my problem. That has been over a year ago! 

HofstraJet

DirecTV sends refurbs since you don't own them and are just leasing them, despite paying for the advanced receivers (a pet peeve of mine, but what can I do?).

buzd504

HofstraJet said:

DirecTV sends refurbs since you don't own them and are just leasing them, despite paying for the advanced receivers (a pet peeve of mine, but what can I do?).

If you want to buy your receivers, you can get them from www.solidsignal.com for the same payment that directv charges you to lease them.  They just don't come with installation.

johnkitchens

HofstraJet said:

DirecTV sends refurbs since you don't own them and are just leasing them, despite paying for the advanced receivers (a pet peeve of mine, but what can I do?).

I agree. They make you pay for them to get them, but you still don't own them. I know I wasn't supposed to break the seal, but I did it anyway. I wasn't going to lose my recordings over a fan that I could easily fix. 

HofstraJet

buzd504 said:

HofstraJet said:

DirecTV sends refurbs since you don't own them and are just leasing them, despite paying for the advanced receivers (a pet peeve of mine, but what can I do?).

If you want to buy your receivers, you can get them from www.solidsignal.com for the same payment that directv charges you to lease them.  They just don't come with installation.

Yes - and that's the preferred method if you want to ensure you receive a specific model of receiver. But as a practical matter, owning your receiver is a bit pointless if you are not modding it since you can't use it without DirecTV service so why bother? Monthly fees are the same regardless.

Ladeback69

Davec433 said:

StillSmoken said:

@HofstraJet I have a question.  My house has a detached in-law suite!  I guess I  need 2 dishes?  How does that work and would it cost more? Thx

It would probably be a cleaner set up with 2 dishes but I'm sure they could run a splitter with RG-58 (coax) and it'd work.

HofstraJet said:

StillSmoken said:

@HofstraJet I have a question.  My house has a detached in-law suite!  I guess I  need 2 dishes?  How does that work and would it cost more? Thx

Sorry for the delay - just saw this question. Even though moot, here's your answer: it depends on how far the houses are and whether it is feasible to run coax from the main house to the second house. Ordinarily, additional rooms are run from a multiswitch (a special splitter that works with the satellite signal) connected to the dish.  If too far to run a cable safely, a second dish will be needed. That said, neither installation scenario would be included in the DirecTV "standard installation" and you would have to negotiate the price of the install with the installer who comes over.  You would also have to buy the second dish if that's the route you ended up taking. 

In my experience, it is best to have DirecTV come and do the basic install and then get them out of the house as soon as possible. Then you can clean things up and complete the installation properly. Installers, for the most part (there are exceptions), try to do as little work as possible and are not interested in making your installation look good - they just want it to work and successfully activate so they can leave ASAP. Check out this forum for all of your DirecTV related needs: http://www.dbstalk.com/forum/53-directv-hd-dvrreceiver-discussion/

@StillSmoken,

Looking at the Direct TV website I would think you would be able to put a Genie receiver in the in-laws so they can access it.  My neighbors have Google Fiber link I do and want to have a party for the last big fight in May, but Google didn't have a contract with Showtime to do pay for view.  So the they ran a 250' RG6 cable from the neighbors house across the street to his garage with no real loss in picture quality.

I think it should be do able.  Talk to the people about your install, they should hopefully be able to do it.  Do you have a coax run going to the detached suite now?  If not go with what @HofstraJet, said and just ask for another Genie box to install after you run the coax to the suite.

buzd504

HofstraJet said:

Yes - and that's the preferred method if you want to ensure you receive a specific model of receiver. But as a practical matter, owning your receiver is a bit pointless if you are not modding it since you can't use it without DirecTV service so why bother? Monthly fees are the same regardless.

Well, yeah, I agree with that.  My motivation to shop solidsignal was that directv requires a technician to come install a new box, and I didn't want that.

cazzy

buzd504 said:

HofstraJet said:

Yes - and that's the preferred method if you want to ensure you receive a specific model of receiver. But as a practical matter, owning your receiver is a bit pointless if you are not modding it since you can't use it without DirecTV service so why bother? Monthly fees are the same regardless.

Well, yeah, I agree with that.  My motivation to shop solidsignal was that directv requires a technician to come install a new box, and I didn't want that.

You didn't want him to see all the bud you're growing?   

buzd504

@cazzy No comment

HofstraJet

buzd504 said:

HofstraJet said:

Yes - and that's the preferred method if you want to ensure you receive a specific model of receiver. But as a practical matter, owning your receiver is a bit pointless if you are not modding it since you can't use it without DirecTV service so why bother? Monthly fees are the same regardless.

Well, yeah, I agree with that.  My motivation to shop solidsignal was that directv requires a technician to come install a new box, and I didn't want that.

Same here. I have 14 DVRs (slowly cutting back to 10) and whenever a tech shows up, their head spins. I only let them in to the house to repair issues from the dish up to the splitters and first switch 50 feet away. After that, I handle everything - they have no idea how to deal with multiple switches.

johnkitchens

HofstraJet said:

Same here. I have 14 DVRs (slowly cutting back to 10) and whenever a tech shows up, their head spins. I only let them in to the house to repair issues from the dish up to the splitters and first switch 50 feet away. After that, I handle everything - they have no idea how to deal with multiple switches.

14!!!!!!! I have 6, and I thought I had a lot. 

StillSmoken

Well that didn't take long.... Comcast has already pissed me off.  I scheduled install online for Sept. 8th.  Now their telling me it's going to be the 12th for install.  

dstearn

I have had them all. I currently have DTV for television and Infinity for Internet and voice.
If image quality is important and you have a clean SW view DTV will provide you with the sharpest image quality. Xfinity would be a close 2nd and Uverse 3rd.

NPHuskerFL

We have DIRECTV no issues. No cable avail at our location (& wouldn't get it if it were).  At one time had a monster  10' mesh dish Skyvision but, it was crushed by a tree.  Also had Dish and wasn't too happy with service &/or missing my Bronco & Husker games. I get most of them now w/out paying for football extra pkgs. I'm very satisfied with DirecTV 6 DVRs. 

johnkitchens

NPHuskerFL said:

We have DIRECTV no issues. No cable avail at our location (& wouldn't get it if it were).  At one time had a monster  10' mesh dish Skyvision but, it was crushed by a tree.  Also had Dish and wasn't too happy with service &/or missing my Bronco & Husker games. I get most of them now w/out paying for football extra pkgs. I'm very satisfied with DirecTV 6 DVRs. 

When I was a kid my parents owned a TV and appliance business. We also sold satellite dishes. When we started it was the big fiberglass ones then the wire mesh ones. The wire mesh ones were just as big, but they were so much easier to handle because they were light.

I spent many long hot summer days on the business end of a shovel and grubbing hoe digging trenches for the cable. 

Home entertainment has come a long way. I also have Direct with 6 DVR's, and 30 years ago if someone described to me the current setup I have now it would have sounded like something from 100 years in the future. It costs a lot, but I love it. 

KennyLee

We've had DirecTV, Dish and now AT&T U-Verse for both internet and TV.  Out of all of them, I'd definitely pick U-Verse.  AT&T's CS has been better....not great, but better than the others, who were absolutely horrible. 

I've got four boxes, one which is wireless I move back and forth between the backyard and the garage.  And we have up to 8 devices connected to the wireless internet at any given time and always have decent speed.  They've always replaced any equipment and sent it overnight whenever there is a problem, including several TV boxes and a couple of routers. 

Their prices have gone up so I need to call and threaten to cancel so I can get a better rate.  Usually works.