A few directv questions (hidden fees, programming, etc) (1 Viewer)

[Tim_Stonesifer]

I'm looking into getting a directv system, but I was just curious if there are any hidden fees. Any startup/cancellation fees? Also, do you actually pay $32/month or are there additional charges such as taxes and what not?
Finally, I'm just curious about NFL programming. The NFL sunday ticket is a little too pricey for me, so I'm curious how directv does normal programming for football games. Thanks.

 

[Todd Henry]

There is sales tax included, I believe. You will also want to pay for local channels which increases the cost a bit. With local channels you can watch NFL games, just as if you had cable only get local teams and national broadcasts. Blackout rules still apply.

Todd

 

[Lew Crippen]

DirectTV does market their packages fairly heavily. This can’t really be construed as ‘hidden’, but $5 here for local channels and $12 there for HBO and pretty soon you are talking about real money.

There are a lot of people who hit $75/mth (I’m not one).

 

[Tim_Stonesifer]

With local channels you can watch NFL games, just as if you had cable only get local teams and national broadcasts. Blackout rules still apply.

I looked into this, but the problem is that I'm in the Boston area and want to watch Philadelphia football. The big networks always seem to have a featured game at 1 and 4. Would directv broadcast this featured game or what?

 

[Howard Williams]

....and don't forget the extra charge ($4.99) for each additional reciever if you want to be able to watch different channels on different televisions.

 

[Brian Lawrence]

I looked into this, but the problem is that I'm in the Boston area and want to watch Philadelphia football. The big networks always seem to have a featured game at 1 and 4. Would directv broadcast this featured game or what?

Only if that game would be available on your local or basic cable channels already. If your local network affiliate is showing the Patriots game then that is what you will able to see. If your local channel or ESPN Sunday Night, is nationaly showing an Eagles game as their "Game of the Week" then you should be able to see that game on the same channel through DirecTv. (Providing that you are getting the locals)

But in short. If you want to see all or even more than a quarter of the Eagles games, you will have to get Sunday Ticket.

 

[Pete M]

I looked into this, but the problem is that I'm in the Boston area and want to watch Philadelphia football. The big networks always seem to have a featured game at 1 and 4. Would directv broadcast this featured game or what?

Directv is simply passing the same feed to you that your local affiliate would be showing. So if the Eagles are on Fox in the Boston area (OTA) it will be the same on Directv. You will not get anymore football than you will with an antenna (with the exception of Sunday night football on ESPN).

Another hidden fee is when you cancel a service. I cancelled HBO for a few months a while ago and they charged me $10 (or maybe $15, I can't remember for sure) just to cancel.

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

Also, several channels one would consider as "basic" type channels, such as BOOMERANG, BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL, and spin-offs of the DISCOVERY CHANNEL (DISCOVERY-SCIENCE, etc), are in an exclusive "Family Pack" that you have to pay a bit extra for.

 

[ollie_k]

Im happy with my directv service, I just have the basic package and 2 recievers. I get great antenna reception so no need to pay for locals. Comes out to $36 a month, which is less than basic cable where I live

 

[Vickie_M]

If you decide to get a Tivo (and they are truly wonderful things), the DirecTivo service is $9.95.

 

[Eric Typpo]

The only gotcha for me was that all the national channels come on at the east coast time, which means everything is on 3 hours early if you're on the west coast. If you're on the east coast, everything comes on at the "normal" time.

 

[Tim Markley]

Another hidden fee is when you cancel a service. I cancelled HBO for a few months a while ago and they charged me $10 (or maybe $15, I can't remember for sure) just to cancel.

??? I've had DirecTV for about 5 years and have cancelled many different services and have never been charged a cancellation fee.

 

[Howard Williams]

Tivo: I'm sorry, but I refuse to buy a Tivo as long as there's a $10 monthly fee. That is 45% of my DTV bill.

 

[Mike Monti]

Love Directtv, Have subscribed and Unsubscribed to HBO and Showtime numerous times in the past and have never been charged a fee. I especially love the fact that I can change my subscription over the internet and I have access to the channel within thirty seconds (or so it seems, I have the channel in less time than it takes to walk from the computer room to the tv room.
Directtivo's price will drop between now and Oct 1st to five dollars a month. See www.tivocommunity.com for more info.
I get local channels (free trial for 3 months) plus Distant Network feeds (ABC,NBC,CBS,and FOX both East and West coast feeds so if I miss anything I can pick it up three hours later ie. West Wing is on at both 9pm and 12am) for 5 dollars a month.
My only issues
Rain Fade - not a problem now but when I first got my unit I would lose half my channels whenever really thick clouds would roll in, it turns out I had a faulty LNB (doohicky that sits infront of the dish and receives the signal) I called Directtv and complained and they sent me a new one free of charge (no shipping either). Haven't had a problem since.
No WB - not carried in my area. UPN is a local channel but WB isn't. Luckily, a team of horses couldn't force me to watch either one of those channels (tho Enterprise almost convinced me to get UPN). Don't want the channels so not a problem there.
No second line in- Right now my house is set up for only one line in which is fine for now. But I'm going to get the Directtivo series 2 when that comes out (supposed msrp $199) and I want to be able to use both of the outputs from my dish so I may watch one channel and record another. This means I have to run another wire through my house since I don't want it run outside. It's not a big hassle but I'm not fond of fiberglass insulation and I'll have to wade through it, not to mention that I know very little about how to run a wire through a wall, through an insulation filled crawlspace, and down another wall. Literally this one is my only issue of import and probably won't even effect me much as I will probably just hire a guy to do it.
All in all, my system has proved to be a worthwhile investment - I've never had a customer service issue, billing has never thrown an item at me that wasn't understandable, and the picture and sound are great.
I realize I went over the topic a little but It all kinda fits in.
Mike

 

[Vickie_M]

Tivo: I'm sorry, but I refuse to buy a Tivo as long as there's a $10 monthly fee.

It's more than worth it for me. I can get the things I really want without having to pour through the TV Guide, so I was able to drop my subscription, and that's a bill I don't have to pay anymore.

For me personally, it's worth it to have my Tivo automatically get appearances by my favorite musical artists (for instance, I never watch Larry King, but Tivo caught that Peter Gabriel is going to be a guest and set an automatic record for it), or automatically get obscure movies that I otherwise wouldn't have known were going to be shown (another for instance, Miranda Otto was an unknown-to-me actress until I heard she was going to be in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. I set my Tivo to get anything Miranda Otto was in, and I've been treated to a spate of wonderful, quirky Australian films). Except for a few minor things, it's been nothing but a delight to me.

 

[Vlad D]

I get local channels (free trial for 3 months) plus Distant Network feeds (ABC,NBC,CBS,and FOX both East and West coast feeds so if I miss anything I can pick it up three hours later ie. West Wing is on at both 9pm and 12am) for 5 dollars a month.

Mike,

What package deal gives you the distant network feeds? I asked about it and was told that I would have to get a waiver from each local affiliate in order to get them.

 

[Mike Monti]

It was my tremendous good luck to get an operator on the phone with a bleh attitude. I just asked for them and he said ok, no forms or waivers needed. Of course I;ve had Distant feeds for two years, well before Local channels were carried. Listen for apathetic employees they're your ticket to free stuff. I know I worked in billing for Cablevision of New York, all you have to do is ask for a free month and they'll give it to you.

 

[Jeremiah]

Tim, I would HIGHLY recomend getting the NFL Sunday Ticket if you are a first time Direct TV subscriber, it's about $160 or about $40 a month for 4 months but the great thing is you get the premium package for FREE during the duration of NFLST; that means you get HBO/Cinemax/Showtime/Encore/Starz/TMC, you get basically everything, and that is definantly worth $40 a month and probably free instalation. It's a must IMO.

Also I would HIGHLY recomend getting the DirectTV TiVo combo reciever from Sony, for first time Direct TV buyers you can get it for like $200 bucks; my dad has it a loves it. I am going to buy TiVo like yesterday until I found out I have to shell out about $300-$400 b/c I am already a DTV subscriber(talk about being pissed.). I will still get it this week anyway though.

Mike is right about TiVo going down to only 5 bucks a month, that is great value, add another 5 for local channels, 35 for basic cable channels, another 15 for HBO and Cinemax and it comes to $60 bucks a month(if you do not get the NFLST deal), I was paying $55 a month for basic cable.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

We live in eastern Kentucky, a relatively secluded area (until I-66 comes by that is) and things like DirectTV are a blessing.

 

[Dave E H]

If you decide to get a Tivo (and they are truly wonderful things), the DirecTivo service is $9.95.

I think this is free if you get the 'mega package' (I think it's 'premier' at Like $80 a month.) Oh well - that's kind of a deal. I'd get it as I'm paying like 75 a month now at least.