DirecTv raises their rates again!

[Ginevra]

I was still disgusted from the last hike! I am clearly abnormal among all my folks, because I think $81 a month for a stinkin' boob tube is absurd! Do you know how many things I could enjoy a million times more for that price? Dinner at Ms. K's Tollhouse with dh. Massage and pedicure every month. Bookstore. Rock climbing gym. Steaks.

 

I am on point of going with Dish Network, because we can get a big reduction for a year, although after that, it would be almost the same. But we also had DN before and their customer service was abysmal!

 

I have already tried to persuade my family to just ditch the TV all the way, but that's not flying. :glare: Any other ideas? Is this really just a fine, okay, acceptable fact of life to everybody else?

[A.Balaban]

We do not have cable. :) We bought a Blu-Ray player and it plays Hulu+ and Netflix from our internet connection. Even with the Netflix hike from last year, we pay less than $16 a month for access to a bunch of movies and TV shows. Good deal, IMO. We did pay $70 for our Blu Ray player though. Still, that is about the same as 1 month of cable!

[Jennifer in MI]

We've been trying to figure out a way to drop Comcast for the same reason. The prices are absurd. If anyone can figure out a way we can still get the Disney channel without cable, I'd be very grateful!!!!

[QueenCat]

Dh won't ditch the cable.... he's got to have his NFL football. And he likes to watch the local news before going to bed. If it weren't for that, I could probably talk him into giving it up by adding Hulu plus to the Netflix we already have....

[Guest]

We do not have cable. :) We bought a Blu-Ray player and it plays Hulu+ and Netflix from our internet connection. Even with the Netflix hike from last year, we pay less than $16 a month for access to a bunch of movies and TV shows. Good deal, IMO. We did pay $70 for our Blu Ray player though. Still, that is about the same as 1 month of cable!

 

That sounds great. I wish we could do that. We can't stream anything over our internet because we're limited with that, too. (We have a hotspot; that is our only option besides HughesNet, which we hated.) :cursing: I would be all over the option if we could.

 

Dh won't ditch the cable.... he's got to have his NFL football. And he likes to watch the local news before going to bed. If it weren't for that, I could probably talk him into giving it up by adding Hulu plus to the Netflix we already have....

 

Same here, but he also wants Speed channel because of motocross races. We both watch news and weather together, but I was trying to convince him that we could listen to the radio :o and that there might be more teA available without the distraction of tv. :D

[Momof3littles]

We just use Hulu to stream, and in a few weeks my Amazon mom free trial will run out after maxing it out. We'll probably do paid prime and get free amazon streaming. I realize many prefer netflix but I think Hulu and Amazon Prime's streaming will provide us with plenty of viewing.

 

We also rent DVDs from the library, and we watch a lot of TV series that way (Mad Men, Big Love, etc.).

[Pegasus]

I think $81 a month for a stinkin' boob tube is absurd!

 

:iagree: That's more than we pay for telephone, internet, and Netflix COMBINED. We pay nothing for TV.

 

I suggest you drop DirecTV and when DH or kids say anything, tell them you are researching your options. As your days of "research" stretch into weeks and months, they'll find something else to do.

 

Pegasus

[Guest]

:iagree: That's more than we pay for telephone, internet, and Netflix COMBINED. We pay nothing for TV.

 

I suggest you drop DirecTV and when DH or kids say anything, tell them you are researching your options. As your days of "research" stretch into weeks and months, they'll find something else to do.

 

Pegasus

 

This idea could seriously have merit. Hmmm. I may have to provide distraction teA to help dh get over no Speed channel. :auto:

[cathmom]

We personally get a ton of enjoyment out of our DirecTV and consider it well worth it. But then, we are people who only got 5 fuzzy channels (2 of them the same channel from different cities) for 10 years until the digital switchover forced us to either not have TV or get a satellite. I tell people that I am never living without satellite TV again!

[RoughCollie]

I ditched DirecTv the day our contract expired because after the first year, our rates jumped to over $100.

 

My problem was we had scads of channels we didn't want or need. Whenever I watched a show, there were so many ads that I ditched that idea.

 

I clearly recall when cable first came out. The whole point of paying for a tv service was that there would be no ads.

 

Now we're forced to pay for channels we don't want. We're paying a lot of money to see shows that are ad-filled. Those ads are another source of revenue for the various companies. We paid a lot of money to lease equipment and to buy a warranty to service that equipment, except that we had to buy the satellite dish outright.

 

I am convinced that we (the public) are being scammed by the cable and satellite tv companies and the government that regulates them. This is 2012. We can put thousands of songs, and tv shows and movies, on a device that is smaller than my palm. But we can't have a la carte cable or satellite television at a reasonable price. Nonsense!

 

This is as big a scam as the one being forced on the public for cell phones. Texting -- we pay to receive and to send them, all of us do. That sounds like double-dipping to me, for something that costs next to nothing for the phone companies to provide.

 

So I dumped DirecTv with great glee, already had Netflix, signed up for Hulu Plus, bought a Roku, and told my family that we were no longer going to be scammed by the cable/DirecTv/Dish companies. We also get Amazon's service as part of our Prime membership.

 

I used to pay $3000 for DirecTv and cell phones. By doing as I said above, plus getting Net10 phones, we now pay less than $1000 a year.

 

Of course, we do not have a lot of tv watchers here. The last time the box was turned on was a few months ago when we together watched all four seasons of Breaking Bad, and I watched the first season of Downton Abbey. DH and DS3 watch the Red Sox (which I can get through Roku). Mostly the kids and I watch tv shows and movies on our computers. Everyone likes what I call the nonfiction channels, and if they can't find it their show on the Roku or on the internet (legally), they can jolly well read about it in a book.

 

DirecTv stopped calling me to re-up after I gave them an earful. They must have put me on their do not call list!

Edited February 25, 2012 by RoughCollie

[KRG]

We dropped satellite awhile back. We have Netflix streaming($8/month), Huluplus($8/month) and Amazon Prime($79/year). We don't feel deprived of regular TV.

[Guest]

I ditched DirecTv the day our contract expired because after the first year, our rates jumped to over $100.

 

My problem was we had scads of channels we didn't want or need. Whenever I watched a show, there were so many ads that I ditched that idea.

 

I clearly recall when cable first came out. The whole point of paying for a tv service was that there would be no ads.

 

Now we're forced to pay for channels we don't want. We're paying a lot of money to see shows that are ad-filled. Those ads are another source of revenue for the various companies. We paid a lot of money to lease equipment and to buy a warranty to service that equipment, except that we had to buy the satellite dish outright.

 

I am convinced that we (the public) are being scammed by the cable and satellite tv companies and the government that regulates them. This is 2012. We can put thousands of songs, and tv shows and movies, on a device that is smaller than my palm. But we can't have a la carte cable or satellite television at a reasonable price. Nonsense!

 

This is as big a scam as the one being forced on the public for cell phones. Texting -- we pay to receive and to send them, all of us do. That sounds like double-dipping to me, for something that costs next to nothing for the phone companies to provide.

 

So I dumped DirecTv with great glee, already had Netflix, signed up for Hulu Plus, bought a Roku, and told my family that we were no longer going to be scammed by the cable/DirecTv/Dish companies.

 

DirecTv stopped calling me after I gave them an earful. They must have put me on their do not call list!

 

You are my hero. This is exactly what I was thinking about today - that original, wasn't cable TV supposed to be ad-free? And I was thinking the same thing - why can't we just choose 7 channels we'd like to have? Because it's a big racket, that's why. You are completely right, Rough Collie!

 

One of our receivers has been on the blink for a month. Dh has put in three calls to try and resolve it. It's really a bad time for them to raise rates (at least for our personal home) because I am already so bugged that the receiver in the bedroom doesn't work. I said to dh today that, since we have to call them back again about this receiver, he needs to tell them his dw is going nuts about the cost and raising the rates was seriously bad business strategy right now. He thinks they will reduce the rates to keep us as a customer, but honestly, I'm really loving your line of thought on this. Really loving it. You are SO right!

[Guest]

We dropped satellite awhile back. We have Netflix streaming($8/month), Huluplus($8/month) and Amazon Prime($79/year). We don't feel deprived of regular TV.

 

What is Amazon Prime streaming?

[KRG]

Amazon streaming is a lot like Netflix. It is not nearly as large but they still have a good variety of tv, documentary, movies, etc. You can search their video library on the amazon website. Amazon Prime also includes free 2 day shipping. You don't have to spend a certain amount to get the free shipping. It has definitely paid for itself. I forgot to say earlier that we have a roku that we use to stream netflix, hulu and amazon.

[FairProspects]

Dh won't ditch the cable.... he's got to have his NFL football. And he likes to watch the local news before going to bed. If it weren't for that, I could probably talk him into giving it up by adding Hulu plus to the Netflix we already have....

 

Us too. Someone has got to figure out a way to fix this sports streaming thing. Why can't they make it pay-per-view on a streaming channel like boxing or something?

 

ETA: In thinking about dropping cable, does anyone know if the new Mad Men season will be available streaming on Hulu Plus or the internet?

Edited February 26, 2012 by FairProspects

[Guest]

Amazon streaming is a lot like Netflix. It is not nearly as large but they still have a good variety of tv, documentary, movies, etc. You can search their video library on the amazon website. Amazon Prime also includes free 2 day shipping. You don't have to spend a certain amount to get the free shipping. It has definitely paid for itself. I forgot to say earlier that we have a roku that we use to stream netflix, hulu and amazon.

 

I see. This still sounds like something I can't have because of the wi-fi hot spot limitations. :nopity:

[KRG]

I understand. We just recently were able to get dsl in our area. That definitely played a big part in our decision to drop satellite tv.

[Murmer]

We've been trying to figure out a way to drop Comcast for the same reason. The prices are absurd. If anyone can figure out a way we can still get the Disney channel without cable, I'd be very grateful!!!!

 

Comcast has a digital economy package that includes Disney for like 30 a month.

[fraidycat]

I ditched DirecTV a year ago and we had only Netflix - I did not consult my family, I just did it because it was in my name. I did not miss it one little bit...ok, well maybe a little because we couldn't watch football on Sundays, but we survived. When we moved here, I got cable again, but I will probably ditch it again in six months when the promo price ends. I am considering dumping Netflix, too and just watching the DVD's we have and can get from the library.

[Guest]

I ditched DirecTV a year ago and we had only Netflix - I did not consult my family, I just did it because it was in my name. I did not miss it one little bit...ok, well maybe a little because we couldn't watch football on Sundays, but we survived. When we moved here, I got cable again, but I will probably ditch it again in six months when the promo price ends. I am considering dumping Netflix, too and just watching the DVD's we have and can get from the library.

 

So, you're not actually a fraidycat? :D If it weren't for the fact that, as I type this, dh is in the garage with his dear friends, watching something (supercross I think), I might just call right this minute. :D

[fraidycat]

So, you're not actually a fraidycat? :D If it weren't for the fact that, as I type this, dh is in the garage with his dear friends, watching something (supercross I think), I might just call right this minute. :D

 

Nope. Not about stuff like that around the house here. I can deal with the fallout and whining, if I decide for some reason that something is better for us than what we currently have/do/etc. In this case, it made better financial sense, because I do not watch the t.v., DH worked all the time, and the kids were either in school or didn't need to be watching that much t.v. (especially the ads!!). I certainly did not miss the ads. It still makes better financial sense to be without cable, but I got caught in a moment of weakness in the stress of the move halfway across the country. I may or may not stick it out for the full six months, and I won't feel one bit sorry when I get rid of it again, even if the kids (or more likely DH) do whine about it.

 

Fraidycat was all about homeschooling when I first came here, but I'm getting better about it, now that I'm actually doing it. :D

[DawnM]

We also ditched Directv but we aren't sports watchers. We thought we would really miss the extended channels and our DVR. We do some, but not enough to bring back paying $1,200/year for the service.

 

However, we do have high speed internet. We got Roku boxes to replace our DVRs and we have HuluPlus, Netflix, and we sometimes purchase Amazon movies and shows to stream as well.

 

We also have a rooftop antenna that gets local channels very clearly, which I was worried about because we live a ways out of town.

 

Dawn

[amo_mea_filiis.]

We're tossing netflix next month and DirecTv goes in August (contract ending).

[creekland]

Dish Network works fine for us. We have what's probably their cheapest or 2nd cheapest plan and it's more TV than we need. We're paying $42/month I think - it's an auto payment.

 

I've never had any problems with customer service. I wonder if it was the individual you were dealing with (and if that person is even still there).

 

We watch less than 2 hours of TV per day, but I love taping what we want to watch and watching it on our own time. A couple of those are new shows (White Collar , Falling Skies, and Burn Notice come to mind) and we don't want to wait until Netflix gets them.

 

I also like the news and weather from CNN/FOX and the Weather Channel.

 

We rarely watch sports - except the World Cup when it's on.

[DawnM]

Just another thought. I don't know what Directv package you have, but when I called the cancel they offered me all sorts of things to get me to stay. One of those things was a package called a "FAMILY package" for $29. It is something they don't advertise but the channels are listed online. http://cdn.directv.com/cms2/support/20110613_family_channel_lineup.pdf

It does not include the Speed Channel

 

 

The problem (for us) was that it was $29 plus $7 for a DVR plus $12 for two more receivers (we had DVRs), making it $50 or so.

 

The other offer was $64 which included the Total Choice Plus package with 3 DVRs. So, for $14 more it was a much better deal. We had been paying $90 plus tax for this.

 

But I will tell you that when you call and speak to the retentions department there is a strong likelihood they will offer you a bigger discount.

[Pippen]

We do not have cable. :) We bought a Blu-Ray player and it plays Hulu+ and Netflix from our internet connection. Even with the Netflix hike from last year, we pay less than $16 a month for access to a bunch of movies and TV shows. Good deal, IMO. We did pay $70 for our Blu Ray player though. Still, that is about the same as 1 month of cable!

 

:iagree:We've never had cable. We use Netflix and purchase occasional Amazon instant viewing for series we want to be current on.

 

We have a blue ray player on one TV and Roku on the other.

[Michelle O. in MO]

However, we do have high speed internet. We got Roku boxes to replace our DVRs and we have HuluPlus, Netflix, and we sometimes purchase Amazon movies and shows to stream as well.

Dawn

 

Can you tell me more about this? I was just looking into Roku this past week, but didn't have enough time to figure out what exactly it does. Dh and I are Fringe geeks....so could we watch the most current episode of Fringe doing things this way? I too am thoroughly disgusted the cable prices. I just paid an $84 DirecTv bill that we really can't afford. Enough is enough.

 

Michelle

[DawnM]

Roku is, for the most part, a streaming device you hook up to your TV.

 

Then you need to subscribe to services to stream, like HuluPlus, Netflix, Amazon streaming, and I don't know of any others at this time.

 

HuluPlus streams TV shows the day after they air. Fringe is one of them. They typically keep the last few episodes available and then the older episodes "expire" after a few weeks.

 

Roku does say they have "channels" but they aren't really like you and I would consider TV channels, they are channels that give you free episodes of shows like Who's the Boss or Different Stokes......not high on my list of watchable shows.

 

The subscriptions to Netflix and HuluPlus are not free, but each is $8/month to stream. I pay for both as Hulu+ has recent TV shows and Netflix is more older shows and movies.

 

The upper end Roku boxes have 1080p and allow for rewinding and FF. I am not sure if the lower end ones have rewind and FF.

 

Dawn

 

Can you tell me more about this? I was just looking into Roku this past week, but didn't have enough time to figure out what exactly it does. Dh and I are Fringe geeks....so could we watch the most current episode of Fringe doing things this way? I too am thoroughly disgusted the cable prices. I just paid an $84 DirecTv bill that we really can't afford. Enough is enough.

 

Michelle

[Stayseeliz]

We have Dish and pay $30 a month. It goes up to $45 for the next year next month. Still way cheaper than the $60+ for cable. We didn't have cable until I was on bedrest last year and then it was a sanity saver. We enjoy it because we don't to the movies often with four kids. We tried netflix and it was okay. We bought a roku and took it back because it didn't really do anything we couldn't do with our wii. Almost all the channels on the roku are subscription based with a fee. Not worth it to us!

[FairProspects]

I think you all are convincing me to cut cable and just go with our Rokus. Our cable bill goes up March 1 too.

[Desert Rat]

Dh called and got our bill lowered, too. Just tell them you're going to be moving to a competing business because of cost and if there is a deal to lower your monthly bill. We do this every couple years. I know lots of people here don't like cable/satelite. For us, it's enjoyable. We consider it entertainment and I don't mind paying for it. It works out, for us, to be about $2.30 a day. It's a cost I don't mind paying.

[Michelle O. in MO]

Thanks Dawn! That gives me a good, quick idea of what Roku does.

 

Roku is, for the most part, a streaming device you hook up to your TV.

 

Then you need to subscribe to services to stream, like HuluPlus, Netflix, Amazon streaming, and I don't know of any others at this time.

 

HuluPlus streams TV shows the day after they air. Fringe is one of them. They typically keep the last few episodes available and then the older episodes "expire" after a few weeks.

 

Roku does say they have "channels" but they aren't really like you and I would consider TV channels, they are channels that give you free episodes of shows like Who's the Boss or Different Stokes......not high on my list of watchable shows.

 

The subscriptions to Netflix and HuluPlus are not free, but each is $8/month to stream. I pay for both as Hulu+ has recent TV shows and Netflix is more older shows and movies.

 

The upper end Roku boxes have 1080p and allow for rewinding and FF. I am not sure if the lower end ones have rewind and FF.

 

Dawn

[cathmom]

The thing is though, about the ads, is that we hardly ever watch anything live. We record the shows we want to see on our DVR and then FF through the commercials. Or, if we're watching sports or something, we pause it whenever we want to and then FF through commercials till we catch back up to real time. We are not sitting and watching ads.