I have had standard DirecTV for about 15 years, and my LNB just crapped out this past weekend. So I started looking at making the switch to HD and maybe a DVR. I went on-line to DirecTV to see what was involved, and was SHOCKED to find out that I would have to lease the new equipment. Can't you just go buy an HD DVR receiver (maybe off brand) and a "replacement" dish and own your own equip? I also don't want to pay $5.99 extra for the "privilege" of owning a DVR that's gonna cost me around $200 bucks in the first place! Who's got the hot (cheap) setup?

You can buy your own receiver but will still have to pay $5.99 per month for each receiver other than the first main unit. Also, "leased" receivers has a built in warranty if you have a problem. You will need to get the new Slimline dish on your roof to take advantage of all the new HD programming. Directv should do this at no charge. If they won't, ask to be transferred to customer retention and threaten to switch to cable. All the new HD programming makes it worth it if you have a HD TV.

I have had installers tell me to ask for "customer retention." It does the job.
Tell them you are a customer who deserves the same thing given to newbies and if not, you will change to something else. Won't get it all free, but they do give breaks on the service which comes to the same thing.
I think Direst TV is the best service going but they don't have to know that.
Does anyone on hear have the computer service thru them and if so, how do you like it.
THanks in advance.

Thanks Mods. I appreciate you letting this thread stay on the main board an entire 7 or 8 hours in the middle of summer, 45 days from the start of football season.

geosnooker2000 Wrote:Thanks Mods. I appreciate you letting this thread stay on the main board an entire 7 or 8 hours in the middle of summer, 45 days from the start of football season.

More people read the new NTR board anyway. For the record, I have DirecTV/DVR but not HD. In my opinion, the convenience of the DVR alone is worth the price of admission. I also concur with those here who have suggested calling their customer service line.

I have the HD/DVR box from DTV...cost $100. I have to standard boxes in the other rooms...they were free and I pay $4.99/month lease on them. The lease for the main box is waived. DTV will give you some great deals if you call. If you aren't under contract they usually will give you close to what new customers will receive. If you have an HD TV - UPGRADE TO HD NOW!!!!

I had an old tivo box hooked up to my HD tv in my bedroom and they called last week to schedule an appointment to come change it out to the newest dvr box for free......picture quality much much better !! Once you change out the satellite dish to the 3 prong HD dish it makes a BIG difference !!! They do that for free.

tigerloyal Wrote:Does anyone on hear have the computer service thru them and if so, how do you like it.
THanks in advance.

the computer service is EXTREMELY expensive to get set up...something like $600, i think? the only way it would make sense to do it is if you live wayyyyyyyy out in the sticks, where DSL & cable will not work.

my in-laws in trenton would be about the only people who come to mind that it would make sense for, because they're not even in the city limits, to where it may come their way in the near future.

tigerloyal Wrote:I have had installers tell me to ask for "customer retention." It does the job.
Tell them you are a customer who deserves the same thing given to newbies and if not, you will change to something else. Won't get it all free, but they do give breaks on the service which comes to the same thing.

this is exactly what i did when we made the change to HD. i threatened to leave for dish network's free HD receiver/dvr, and got sent up the line to what i'm guessing was this "customer retention" department.

i wound up getting the receiver knocked down to $100, i think, with free shipping, AND free HD service for a year, which is $9.99 a month. i still pay the extra $5.00 a month for the extra HD channel package, however, (universal HD, etc.) because that was my choice to add on.

it irritated me that you only lease the receivers now as well, but the price of the HD receivers don't make it worth it to me to purchase.

I pay around $130/mo. for EVERYTHING DirecTV has (except the sports things like NFL ticket, etc.). I know people with Comcast that pay that much or more and don't have near the movie channels/premium channels you get with DirecTV. I have one HD/DVR, one regular box, and one HD box/non DVR. I've been a DirecTV customer for years and I've not had one problem with them. Customer service is much easier to deal with than Comcast. My first HD/DVR box crapped out and they sent me a new one FAST (almost overnight)! I know people with Comcast who have had to wait a month to replace equipment, especially when it comes to HD/DVR's.

I pay $145 a month for everything ...including my 4 boxes and dvr's (one of which is in the RV) and the other 3 are HD. My bathroom tv slaves off of my kitchen tv. No tv's upstairs now since all the juvenile delinquents are gone.

Direct TV has been very very good to me also! lol
I just use the excuse of going with someone else to get what I want.
No other system can touch them, imho based on my 13 years spent with them
Go Tigers!

Dang! Y'all pay alot for TV. My bill is $54.99. BY THE WAY, I DON'T HAVE AN HD TV YET. But I was thinking that later on this fall, when I do buy an HD, I want to have the correct dish on the roof. So I was thinking about instead of replacing my LNB for $30+tax, I would just go ahead and pay an extra $60 and get the HD dish.

Let's see. If I take my current package and add $4.99 per mo. for lease of the DVR HD, $9.99 per mo. for HD service, and $5.99 for the extra box somewhere else in my home of 5 people, I'm looking at over $80 for the same list of channels I'm getting now. I Know, You get ESPN-HD, etc., but not any new movie channels or anything. Times 24 mos. (the length of contract they want me to sign)= an extra $504.

I know it seems like a good deal that the lease only adds up to $120 for the length of the contract, but if I had been paying $4.99 per mo. since I got my current box, I would have paid over $898.00 for it. I just can't stomach that. I've gotta find a box to buy.

geosnooker2000 Wrote:Dang! Y'all pay alot for TV. My bill is $54.99. BY THE WAY, I DON'T HAVE AN HD TV YET. But I was thinking that later on this fall, when I do buy an HD, I want to have the correct dish on the roof. So I was thinking about instead of replacing my LNB for $30+tax, I would just go ahead and pay an extra $60 and get the HD dish.

Let's see. If I take my current package and add $4.99 per mo. for lease of the DVR HD, $9.99 per mo. for HD service, and $5.99 for the extra box somewhere else in my home of 5 people, I'm looking at over $80 for the same list of channels I'm getting now. I Know, You get ESPN-HD, etc., but not any new movie channels or anything. Times 24 mos. (the length of contract they want me to sign)= an extra $504.

I know it seems like a good deal that the lease only adds up to $120 for the length of the contract, but if I had been paying $4.99 per mo. since I got my current box, I would have paid over $898.00 for it. I just can't stomach that. I've gotta find a box to buy.

My bill with DTV is about $80 per month....and dude, I have to tell ya'.....I have not paid $55 for TV in close to 5 yrs....and my Wife watches the bills like a hawk and is constantly trying to figure out a way to squeeze that bill down.

If I looked at every "extravagance" (and face it, TV is exactly that) that we allow ourselves and looked out 5 yrs, I would probably drive myself crazy.

Chi-Town Wrote:

geosnooker2000 Wrote:Dang! Y'all pay alot for TV. My bill is $54.99. BY THE WAY, I DON'T HAVE AN HD TV YET. But I was thinking that later on this fall, when I do buy an HD, I want to have the correct dish on the roof. So I was thinking about instead of replacing my LNB for $30+tax, I would just go ahead and pay an extra $60 and get the HD dish.

Let's see. If I take my current package and add $4.99 per mo. for lease of the DVR HD, $9.99 per mo. for HD service, and $5.99 for the extra box somewhere else in my home of 5 people, I'm looking at over $80 for the same list of channels I'm getting now. I Know, You get ESPN-HD, etc., but not any new movie channels or anything. Times 24 mos. (the length of contract they want me to sign)= an extra $504.

I know it seems like a good deal that the lease only adds up to $120 for the length of the contract, but if I had been paying $4.99 per mo. since I got my current box, I would have paid over $898.00 for it. I just can't stomach that. I've gotta find a box to buy.

My bill with DTV is about $80 per month....and dude, I have to tell ya'.....I have not paid $55 for TV in close to 5 yrs....and my Wife watches the bills like a hawk and is constantly trying to figure out a way to squeeze that bill down.

If I looked at every "extravagance" (and face it, TV is exactly that) that we allow ourselves and looked out 5 yrs, I would probably drive myself crazy.

Next time I see her (if I'm so blessed) I'm going to tell her how much she can save by switching you to cheap beer. She probably hasn't even thought about it.

georgiatiger Wrote:

Chi-Town Wrote:

geosnooker2000 Wrote:Dang! Y'all pay alot for TV. My bill is $54.99. BY THE WAY, I DON'T HAVE AN HD TV YET. But I was thinking that later on this fall, when I do buy an HD, I want to have the correct dish on the roof. So I was thinking about instead of replacing my LNB for $30+tax, I would just go ahead and pay an extra $60 and get the HD dish.

Let's see. If I take my current package and add $4.99 per mo. for lease of the DVR HD, $9.99 per mo. for HD service, and $5.99 for the extra box somewhere else in my home of 5 people, I'm looking at over $80 for the same list of channels I'm getting now. I Know, You get ESPN-HD, etc., but not any new movie channels or anything. Times 24 mos. (the length of contract they want me to sign)= an extra $504.

I know it seems like a good deal that the lease only adds up to $120 for the length of the contract, but if I had been paying $4.99 per mo. since I got my current box, I would have paid over $898.00 for it. I just can't stomach that. I've gotta find a box to buy.

My bill with DTV is about $80 per month....and dude, I have to tell ya'.....I have not paid $55 for TV in close to 5 yrs....and my Wife watches the bills like a hawk and is constantly trying to figure out a way to squeeze that bill down.

If I looked at every "extravagance" (and face it, TV is exactly that) that we allow ourselves and looked out 5 yrs, I would probably drive myself crazy.

Next time I see her (if I'm so blessed) I'm going to tell her how much she can save by switching you to cheap beer. She probably hasn't even thought about it.

You're right, she has not thought about it....because she likes it! I have never met a female that did not enjoy a good BM.