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Mine was awesome! In fact my TWC guy was, according to my wife, a huge Moderator cut: language.
Yeah, but our power goes out at least 2-3 times a month so it doesn't matter how reliable the cable buried under the ground is.
When I threatened to cancel TWC, the rep tried to "scare" me into thinking Dish continuously raises rates. Without saying actual numbers they inferred you would be on the hook for rate increase after rate increase.
When I called Dish to ask about price increases, there was in fact a rate increase this past July, it was around $2 IIRC, and it was the first one in 3 years.
Both sides play the game. I found much more satisfied customers via satellite than I have with cable though. More channels, less expensive, higher quality picture...I mean really it's a no brainer.
If your power is going out 2-3 times per month, you have bigger problems than cable vs dish. LOL!!
When I first bought my house I had Direct TV come and hook everything up. I told him exactly what I wanted and exactly what I wouldn't go for. I was upfront with my installer about not having any lines on the outside of my home. He didn't hook up two lines to my DVR so I could watch TV and record another channel but I allowed that to happen b/c I didn't want all the extra lines ran. I feel I got a good installation and he even left me with his number so I could call him and let him fix it, so he didn't look bad if I had to call back to the office.
I am satisfied with Direct. The only thing I don't like is that I can't split my lines to another TV b/c they all need boxes. I had so many lines split when I had TWC. IMHO TWC treated me like I had no other choice, like they were the water or energy company. But if they ever come to an agreement with NFL Network I might look at their rates again. Until them I don't visit their site at all dot com.
If anyone is switching to Direct or getting Direct shoot me a message so we can both save $100 on the referral.
I saw this article today about complaints agains satellite TV providers. It provides some interesting information for those considering the switch. I guess the main message is - know exactly what you are getting, when your promotion period ends and how much it will then cost, and what early termination fees you might be responsible for. Getting clear and specific information (if possible) would probably avoid many of the complaints this article describes.
If the gods are on my side, Ill be leaving TWC behind soon to get DISH. I tried to get Directv twice but they said they could only put a dish in the front yard. Earlier this week, my next door neighbor had DISH installed and the guy said that he thinks he can get us a signal with one of their dishes without putting it in the front yard.
I cannot wait to be done with this crappy DVR and to finally be able to watch my beloved(yet crappy) Orioles play.
P.S.- I love how TWC jacked my bill up 25 bucks this month. I had called previously and was able to get them to reduce my rate. But I guess that was only for a limited time. So glad they told me that. NOT.
I cannot wait to be done with this crappy DVR and to finally be able to watch my beloved(yet crappy) Orioles play.
Ugh...I remember the crappy DVR's. I think it was a Scientific Atlanta...it was painfully slow. My HR-23 (DTV) is alot faster. Ya know...when I push a button on the remote...something actually happens immediately. TWC's box had about a 3 second lag after every push of the button. Drove me insane.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Juanvald
P.S.- I love how TWC jacked my bill up 25 bucks this month. I had called previously and was able to get them to reduce my rate. But I guess that was only for a limited time. So glad they told me that. NOT.
When TWC jacked up my bill a few years ago, I called to see if there was anything they can do to lower my rate. The best they could've done was to lower it $10/mo for one year. Wow...what savings! I then asked if I could leave at any time...and he said, "Oh well, no, it's a 2-year contract." Good thing I asked. They were going to give me the paltry $10/mo discount for the first year, then have me pay their ridiculous prices for the second year. No thank you.
Now, beyond the 1 year introductory deal thru DirecTV, I'm still paying about $30/mo less with DirecTV/Earthlink (TWC) then I was with TWC/RoadRunner. Granted, I shave $10 off for 10 months because my brother got it...so it makes out to like $20 off each month. That's the great thing about DirecTV...I almost wish I knew people that were going to get DirecTV, because I could technically drive my bill way down via their refer a friend program.
I want to switch to Clear internet but it literally stops one street over. TWC is charging me $31 for the 768k internet which Clear charges for their 4 mb internet. GD I hate TWC.
Have you checked the wireless option (iSpot)? It's wireless 4G that's supposed to only be for Apple products but if you search Gizmodo you will find a very easy "hack" that will allow you to use it with any device (not just Apple).
Also, I pay $29.95 for 3Mbps through Verizon DSL (with no home phone) on a dry loop. You can probably look into that, too.
As for DTV, we just switched as well. I was tired of TWC and their signal fading constantly plus their service and DVR is the worst. I'm happy with DTV and I'm saving a lot of money since my service is free for the first 5 months (I just have to pay for the NFL package, which I was going to get anyway).
TWC wanted $50/month for their basic cable. I signed up for Dish network's 120 plus package which over 2 years averages out to $36.00/month including tax.
...
There are a few channels we don't get that we had with TWC. Apparently the big one with my wife is Versus, as she wanted the hockey games. Also spike and f/x I believe. If we went with the 200 channel lineup it would average out to be around $51/month including tax (so $1 more than TWC) over 2 years ($59/month including tax after that) BUT you get a TON more channels, and HD looks awesome. No Versus, but there is the NHL Network.
We have had TWC for 2 years now and one thing we noticed was some channels were very fuzzy, and not very clear. Not sure why. We even had them come out and replace our cable line and that didn't fix it. With Dish everything is CRYSTAL clear and looks great.
In summary if you are interested in switching, look closely at the channel lineup. It may only be worth it if you go for the lower channel lineup of $25/month for 12 months then $40/month after that.
I want to switch to Clear internet but it literally stops one street over. TWC is charging me $31 for the 768k internet which Clear charges for their 4 mb internet. GD I hate TWC.
I was in the same spot as you - TWC was overcharging and the fuzzy/pixelated picture was not worth the money. The hardware was poor quality, the software that ran on it was slow and poor quality, the remote was laggy and poor quality, etc etc etc...
Switched to Dish - sure you save during the introductory year, but even for the second year, the price for what you get is much better. Dish hardware is nice. The software is nice. The remote is nice. Direct is much the same, but I found Dish slightly less expensive and the hardware/software more to my liking, plus, when you want to return something, no waiting in line for 30 min at a local TWC store, Dish sends you the return box and shipping label.
At first I had the 120, but now I have the 200 (with FX) for the fall season. You can change your programming at any time online (no need to call customer service at all) and if you want a channel you don't get, you can upgrade directly from the remote control.
The quality of the HD is better than TWC, and there are many more channels available. My satellite reception has gone out three times this summer with all the severe storms we've had, but with the great DVR, there's still something to watch - I don't mind, but it does happen. Fwiw, it worked fine in the snow last winter and the big summer thunderstorms seem to be the only issue.
Have you checked the wireless option (iSpot)? It's wireless 4G that's supposed to only be for Apple products but if you search Gizmodo you will find a very easy "hack" that will allow you to use it with any device (not just Apple).
Also, I pay $29.95 for 3Mbps through Verizon DSL (with no home phone) on a dry loop. You can probably look into that, too.
As for DTV, we just switched as well. I was tired of TWC and their signal fading constantly plus their service and DVR is the worst. I'm happy with DTV and I'm saving a lot of money since my service is free for the first 5 months (I just have to pay for the NFL package, which I was going to get anyway).
No verizon service and iSpot is a Clear reseller. Only option for internet is Earthlink which is around $9/month cheaper for their higher speed internet but the same price for the 768k service which I have.
I saw this article today about complaints agains satellite TV providers. It provides some interesting information for those considering the switch. I guess the main message is - know exactly what you are getting, when your promotion period ends and how much it will then cost, and what early termination fees you might be responsible for. Getting clear and specific information (if possible) would probably avoid many of the complaints this article describes.
I told the sales folks exactly what I had in my house, and how I wanted to view TV. I told him what TV's were "old school" and how I didn't care about HD on my TV's now, but in the future might.
I talked to 3 different people at Dish, and asked them the same questions. Each gave me the same answer. At that point I was satisfied I was getting the correct info.
I don't think there are any "hidden" fees associated with Dish, the fee schedule is available online. However what they do do is charge for things TWC might not (and vice versa). When comparing the two it's important to give the salesmen your exact setup so they can quote you a price.
In my case I have two tube TV's. I didn't need HD but I got it free so it's on there. The basic packages come with one receiver that powers two TV's and a remote for each TV. One remote is a VHF type unit and one is an IR, so each remote stays with each TV.
HD is included on one TV for free. If you want the other TV to get HD there is a fee. That being said the other TV will have HD but the quality isn't "picture perfect HD" which is why you need another box if you want true HD. I believe it's $6/month for that. But honestly is still looks great on my TVs.
Each DVR is $7/month I believe. If you want HD+DVR they bundle it for $10/month. That is each DVR, where I believe TWC only charges for the entire house (although I can't find out online). BUT TWC charges for HD and DVR, and that total cost is $21/month, so for Dish it would be $10+$7 or $17. And higher quality HD.
Again these fees are straightforward, you know before signing on the dotted line what you are looking at. In fact if you want to talk deceptive, at least on Dish's web site they display the price after the 12 month introductory period. In fact it took me 2 seconds to find it. Front/index page, bottom, "Customer Agreements & Policies". On TWC, you only are able to see the first 12 month price. I couldn't even find a rate schedule, and I have hunted around. And no channel guides that are easily found, just a generic 75, 180, or 300 channel advisement.
Also, if you have an iPhone/Android OS phone, you can control your Dish/Direct DVR from it. I love this feature!
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I then asked if I could leave at any time...and he said, "Oh well, no, it's a 2-year contract." Good thing I asked. They were going to give me the paltry $10/mo discount for the first year, then have me pay their ridiculous prices for the second year. No thank you. 
