What's the best way to purchase DirectTV? (1 Viewer)

[Lee Scoggins]

Well, it looks like I will try to do Direct TV.
What are the best ways to purchase the package?
Are there any pitfalls I should be aware off?
Do I have to buy the receiver or can I make monthly payments on it?
Is Best Buy a reasonable store to purchase from?
Does Tweeter carry it?
Any info is greatly appreciated and thanks for the comments on my earlier post last week.

 

[RyanSR]

Go to Circuit City and get the new series II DirecTivo combined unit. You won't be sorry and will never know how you did it before without this unit. Tivocommunity has a lot of resources.

 

[MichaelFusick]

Go to Circuit City and get the new series II DirecTivo combined unit. You won't be sorry and will never know how you did it before without this unit. Tivocommunity has a lot of resources.

Good idea.

Tivo is great, so is CC.

Usually CC or BB is the best place to buy DirecTV from. They are largly subsidized on the prices from DirecTV so the hardware costs next to nothing.

I know CC usually beats Best buy every week, adding the Best Buy offer to thier own to make sure they are lower.

Example:

This week CC advertized a Two Room DirecTV system for $25 after rebate and $99 before Rebate. (99-$75rebate=$25)

Best buy adverstized a $25 gift card, so CC added this to the mix... So now you get the same deal and a $25 gift card, which automatically prints when the sale is tendered. Most sales counselors don't even know about this since it's not advertised, but the 2 Room this week is more than FREE.

Big box retailers offer the best prices on DirecTv and the hardware almost costs next to nothing once the promos are factored in.

Were you thinking HDTV?

Here is an idea... For an Extra $55 Circuit City offers and upgrade on the dish to a TERK TRKS25 Tripple LNB head HDTV and local Channel Dish with built in 4 room mutli switch and SAT C kit for Showtime HDTV. This 55$ includes instalation and everything.

I would recomend going for it now for the Extra $55. That way when or if local channels are available in your area you are already set to get them, all you have to do is make a phone call. Also, you can run 4 rooms that way.. So you won't have to buy a $100 multi switch system to add more than 2 rooms....and Your set to watch HDTV from ShowTime and HBO and HDNET if you ever decide to get the HDTV box.

It much cheaper to do it right the first time...I would go for the upgraded dish for only $55.

 

[Jan Strnad]

Good advice above.

Also, you can order online from DirecTV and get a one-room system for free. You might have to pay shipping. A two-room system is $49. These prices include installation.

Jan

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Great advice friends. Thank you.

 

[RyanSR]

Only CC carries the new series II directivo units. If you aren't familiar with these things, they can record the digital bitstream directly from the sats so they don't have to decode anything until you are ready to "play it back". In other words, the quality is higher than the "high quality" of standalone units. I think the cost is around $200.

 

[Drew Bethel]

What a timely thread! I too am looking into a Directv purchase as soon as this weekend. I just came from Audio King and they also recommended the three-head dish...only their's cost an extra $99. For the basic package, you can get two rooms for free plus a $25 gift card. I plan to go with a reciever with component/optical outs so it will cost an extra $50 for the Samsung box.

Per the salesman, The Samsung boxes are newer, faster and have better remotes than the older RCA boxes. You also get caller-id with Samsung.

One thing the saleman advised though: make sure you have a clear line of sight to the south/southwest. Their installation people will want to charge for the trip even if you the installation won't work for you and you return the equipment.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I just heard some conflicting information:

My local ISF-trained video whiz says that DISH is actually better than the Direct TV he used to have for two reasons:

1. Dish uses more recent algorithm in its compression scheme which lowers artifacts.

2. Dish suffers from fewer drop-outs.

Anybody have any views on these statements?

 

[MichaelFusick]

Their installation people will want to charge for the trip even if you the installation won't work for you and you return the equipment.

Circuit City does not do this. No install, you simply return it and it costs you nothing, full money back with no restocking fee.

Good deal if you ask me...

 

[Gil Velez]

Been using Direct TV since 1998.

No complaints here except not enough HDTV channel, but that is because they don't exist yet.

I use a sony t-60 HDTV/DirectTV combo. A bit slow on the menu, but looks great and takes in other inputs and adds them to the guide. Nice feature.

Gil

 

[NathanS]

Don't forget Dish Network. I just switched from DTV to Dish Net, and I got a great deal. Here's what I got:

Dish 501 PVR receiver (DD5.1, caller ID, 60 hours of record time)
Dish 500 Dual LNB dish that can support 4 TV's, and receive local channels.
Dish 301 basic receiver for the bedroom (caller ID)

I got all of that for $99.00, with free installation, and my monthly bill is lower too.

By the way, the deal is called the Digital home plan, it runs until January, and you can find information about it on Dish Network's web site.

 

[Drew Bethel]

Anyone using their dish for internet access? And if you are, what is the cost?

I keep hearing about the "blazing speed" capability but don't know of anyone using it.

 

[MichaelFusick]

DirecWay is nice for internet access if you don't have cable or DSL in your area.

 

[Ken_Chengr]

Lee,
I am a former Dish customer. They will have to pry my DirectTivo out of my hands when I die!
1) I am not qualified to discuss compression algorithms, but Direct's picture is not inferior to Dish. In fact, I switched because the Locals on Dish were soooo bad, last years New Years day football games were unwatchable. "Must carry" has devestated the Dish picture.
2) I had more dropouts on Dish. This isn't an issue for me, but you get a lot more rain than I do in CO.
As for the DirecTivo vs PVR. PVR cannot compete, period. The Series 1 DirecTivo is slow, but a) Satellite isn't a surfing medium b) The series 2 may be better.
The only thing I miss about Dish is Caller-ID. Why they haven't added it to the Series 2 DirectTivo is a complete mystery.
Don't buy Direct without at least 1 Tivo. There a number of places to get this stuff on the web. I bought from Expert Satellite and had a great experience. Circuit City is taking preorders for Series 2 DirecTivo(expected in any day). There are discussions at TIVO Community Forum. You'll find you watch less TV with a TIVO(mostly because you can't stand having to watch commercial) and you watch what you want when you want it.
Sorry for being so long winded. Good Luck.

 

[Vin]

Great information here guys! I have a related question (I hope Lee doesn't mind me posting it in his thread).
I've been a DirecTV customer for ~4 years. My current system consists of a dual LNB with a multi-switch feeding 4 receivers. I also had an antenna installed at the time (before local programming was available via satellite).
So, as I understand it, all I would need to do in order to receive both DirecTV and OTA HD (in addition to an HDTV capable set and an STB of course) is to replace my round dish with an oval dish which will pick up HD programming as well as standard DirecTV programming....is this correct?
Also, can someone (Michael) elaborate on this.....

For an Extra $55 Circuit City offers and upgrade on the dish to a TERK TRKS25 Tripple LNB head HDTV and local Channel Dish with built in 4 room mutli switch and SAT C kit for Showtime HDTV. This 55$ includes instalation and everything.

....the SAT C kit is just for receiving Showtime HD.....am I understanding this correctly? Also, why do I need a triple LNB dish?
And lastly, would CC be the place to go for this HDTV hardware upgrade & installation?
TIA,
Vin

 

[Drew Bethel]

I called CC today and it was more like an extra $129 for the TRK25.

 

[MichaelFusick]

The sales associate just did not know about the package, or the promo.
You add the TRK TRKS25 to the current three room promo ($99 installed) and the total after the rebates including the TERK TRKS25 is $155.
Good deal, plus a $25 gift card now too...

 

[MichaelFusick]

....the SAT C kit is just for receiving Showtime HD.....am I understanding this correctly? Also, why do I need a triple LNB dish?

To run Showtime HDTV or anything else that might come from that third satalite in the sky.

It does not cost more than a Dual LNB. Infact, it replaces it and now comes with the SAT C kit and mutli switch for the same price.