Berkeley Parents Network: TV & Cable

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TV & Cable

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Dish Network or Direct TV

Tivo

TV Repair

VCR Repair

Dish Network or Direct TV

July 2002

Does anyone have Direct TV or Dish Network and could recommend or site some pros or cons to either? We currently have AT & T digital cable and we have problems with the picture all the time which they can't seem to resolve. Any input on alternatives would be great. thanks!

Hi, We've had DirecTV for a year and think it's a good system. We pay $40/month for all of the non-premium channels plus all of the local channels (which used to be the downfall for satellite providers). We've never had cable--we went straight from broadcast to DirecTV. You can also usually find a good deal on the initial receiver/dish combo by shopping around. I think that satellite does get more expensive if you're connecting to more than one TV. We only have one, so it's not an issue for us. Good luck! Michael

We put in DISH networks a little over a year ago, mostly because I was sick of dealing with the folks at AT&T and the lousy picture quality. I chose DISH because it was the one offering the free installation and equipment at the time, and we've actually liked it quite a bit. You can watch Law & Order pretty much continously, if you like, the picture quality is excellent, and the customer service has been quite surprisingly good. I like the PPV that you can order on demand, though I don't use it very frequently. Myriam

We were dissatisfied AT&T customers for a long time too. We have had Dish Network for almost a year and LOVE it! The picture quality is so amazing that it made it seem as if we had a new improved tv set. We chose Dish over Direct based on the progamming offered (we wanted 2 specific stations that Direct didn't offer) and Dish had a great promo at the time. We have had two issues while having the system but got through to a real live person immediately when calling and they were resolved easily and immediately. We don't watch much tv but still feel it is worth the $ since we have clear reception (vs. an antenna & no cable) and pay slightly less than we did for far less programming and poor service with AT&T. I highly recommend the Dish service. Nicole

I've had DirecTV for about three years now and have been quite pleased with it. No problems to speak of, great picture quality. And since all the local channels became available in December, you won't be missing anything, and it probably will be cheaper than digital cable too. Get one of the deals with free professional installation and it will all get set up for you too. Just be sure you have a place on your house where the dish can point to the south-east (the satellites are over Texas).

As an extra plug, I can't imagine having all those channels and kids without TiVo! TiVo finds all kinds of shows I want to see, even from obscure channels. And with having to get kids in bed, I can just wait until it's convenient for me to watch my favorite shows, instead of trying to make it when they're on. There is a nice TiVo/DirecTV combination box that you can get for pretty cheap as a new subscriber if you can find it. They're fairly rare, but try: http://www.orbitsat.com/tivo/Promo_Sony.asp?Referer=AVS_TiVo -Mike

When we moved into our house, a Dish Network antenna was already in place so we initially subscribed to their service. After about a year, we switched to AT&T digital cable. The main reason for our switch was that they had been unable to resolve their dispute with KRON 4, who at the time was the local NBC affiliate (and even though we had 50 channels, NBC was one of the few I actually watched), so they were not providing NBC. But I also found their menus difficult to use. I find the picture quality to be about the same for satellite and digital cable (both are better than non-digital cable). Also, it was a little easier to hook up more than one set with digital cable (I don't know if this is an issue for you). Stephanie

We recently switched from AT&T Digital to Direct TV and we are thrilled with Direct TV. With AT&T we always had reception problems, customer service was a nightmare and it was expensive. With Direct TV the picture is significantly better, they are very nice and helpful, we get more channels (especially kids programs) and it's actually a few dollars cheaper. You will need to buy the receivers and Satellite Dish, but we got a special with Best Buy for two receivers and a Dish and by the time we got all of our rebates, gift cards etc it only cost us about $49 and installation was free. Kristi

When we moved in to our last house, there was no cable option. So we signed up with direct tv. We loved the guide, (my husband's favorite channel), we got great reception, though once or twice in severe storms we lost picture, and we were generally happy. However, we found the customer service to spotty, so in a fit of defiance we switched to DISH Network, which we love even more. We pay $50/month for all the locals, 100 channels, and the ''store brand'' TIVO on 2 receivers (so we can watch different channels on different tv's). The customer service is fabulous, We just moved, and I called them days before we moved into the new house and they were there by the time I moved in. Also, apparently there is a new law which says that if they offer any local channels, they must offer them all, so they came and installed a second dish last week and now we get 20 extra locals (including KRON, KSTS, KTSF????). The TIVO (PVR) is amazing with a child and we can't imagine life without it with a 9 month old. However it is not smart like TIVO so we have to choose what to record. The picture is clear, we find the menus easy to use. ALl that being said, I believe the two (DIsh and DirectTV) are planning a merger -- assuming the SEC deems them not-a-monopoly, and that may affect lots of things. As others have said, do it when you get the best deal -- I think if a current dish customer refers you, you can get up to 4 receivers, free installation etc for free...If you have more questions, I would be happy to natter on some more. Good Luck! Shahana

Just to add that I too was completely dissatisfied with AT&T & switched to DirectTV and love it. We have the $39.99/mo which includes local channels, and we also opted to pay for HBO for $12/mo. And I also subscribe to the monthly magazine $39.99/mo which lists all the shows/times. I highly recommend DirectTV, and you can generally find great prices on the dish itself. We went to www.expertsatellite.com -- and only paid $19.95 s&h. Tasha

Repair

Tim (4/00)
Dale Sanford's on Shattuck near Vine is reliable and reasonably priced, and will pick up and deliver (TV's *are* heavy nowadays). There are recommendations for them on the website re VCR repairs; we've used them for our TV with equal satisfaction.

Albany Video on San Pablo just South of the Ford place. They do great work for surprisingly low prices. -- Jon (7/99)

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