Direct TV vs Cable

It's probably no better.

We have it. When it rains and blows, so does Direct TV. Blow, that is. The high def channel dies and you are stuck with analog, till it dies too.

Have you searched the internet for some help?

I prefer cable. Have had it for over 30 years. Sucked at the beginning but with mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, and tech improvements it has gotten much better. Also now use cable for internet.

Direct TV once came in and offered me 3 months free if I would do a side-by-side comparison of them vs. cable. Direct TV was prone to problems and their consistency was poor. Snow, heavy rain, lightning, high winds as the such interrupted it which was aggravating. Cable only went down for poles down from vehicle accidents, tech problems and wires down from really bad storms. Overall cable was better especially when you consider the Direct TV dish antenna wasn't mounted correctly to the roof and blew off. Unfortunately it took a few shingles too. After 2-1/2 months I told them to come over, take it out and have my roof fixed by a roofer and not a Direct TV tech. They did but had to wait too long for them to do it.

One problem I do have with cable is most of their "tech" telephone people are offshore and are extremely hard to understand. Also they give you those "Thank you, I assure you I will fix it for you", etc. all through the conversation. I solved that by telling them I don't want to hear that anymore, just fix it or I want to speak with their supervisor. They are wasting my time. It works!

Grades: Direct TV, D- Cable: B to B+ I'll stay with cable

Good Luck, Old Salt

"Amen" to THAT...! (("G.A." for Great Answer)). Been doing that for almost 2 years, now. The only sounds that stream between these walls come from an occasional DVD, or the iPhone (on a Bose sound dock).

No longer will I permit the deafening cacophony of propaganda, claptrap, and twaddle, that perpetually screams at society from *every* media angle, work to desensitize THIS spirit.

As for self, the time has come to (in the immortal words of H.W. Longfellow):

"In the world's broad field of battle,

in the bivouac of Life,

be NOT like dumb, driven cattle,

be a Hero in the strife."...

...there's a LOT to be done, "out there"...

"Blessings" & "Cheers" to one and all...(heros).

<wink>

My TV consumption consists of the first 20 minutes of the evening news until after the weather forecast, then it goes dark again for the next 23 hours and 40 minutes. Too many other much more important things to be doing to sit in front of the 'tube'.

Try radio. The pictures are better.

Only if you have enough years of experience to recall the good memories of the past.

I find all those topless women a distraction

Both Direct TV and Dish Network play the same game where they promise you the world to sign up to a 2-year deal, then progressively raise their rates. Direct TV got so bad that we switched to Dish, and have had constant equipment problems ever since. Direct TV also got a lot worse once joined with ATT. Can't get cable where I live, so once this contract is up, we're going back to free over-the-air TV and possibly Netflix.

You may want to wait on switching to satellite, as we have learned that within 5-6 years, they may be obsoleted in favor of transmitting from cell towers.

If you must choose between the two, cable is the better performing option - many testaments here attest to this - enough said. I also assume you have access to the internet.

I ditched cable AND satellite TV, and installed a digital antenna with a 150 mile radius. Now I can pick up the broadcasts from Detroit, Flint and Lansing (yes I know - why would I live in Michigan - different story).

Similarly to Usbport, I now stream through cable internet using Hulu and Netflix as my personal preferences. Many free streaming services are available too (Crackle, Vudu etc). I tried Amazon prime, but for me, I didn't need 2 movie services (understanding that there are other benefits to Amazon Prime too). The best part is that you get to watch what you want, when you want, just like a DVR, so consider the streaming services as one massive offsite DVR. Also, HBO and SHOtime now have streaming services if you must have those.

It really is very simple to set up, but if you are unsure, you can still subscribe to both cable and streaming at the same time, then decide what works for you. I have different streaming devices, in order to assess each system. I have used Apple TV, a cheap tablet for internet access, Google Chrome and a smart TV. I find Google chrome useful, because the services can be controlled from your smartphone (just like a cable remote), the tablet is nice because you will also access the internet onto your TV, and with a wireless mouse and keyboard, is very handy for the couch driver, (me, as I am somewhat physically handicapped). The other systems have their own remote, which is OK, but being nice and slim, they often get lost in the furniture (along with the coins).

This site will provide more info:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-tv-streaming-devices/

Whatever service you choose (even if you choose cable TV), I still recommend the digital antenna, mine was less than $100.00 which was paid back the first month I ditched cable TV.

Thanks to Usbport for the tip on Sling, I will be adding that to my 'to do' list.

I have Direct TV also, as others have said there are issues during storms but a big plus in my book is the customer service is so much better then when I had cable. Not sure which cable company you have in your area but ours sucked (rhymes with bomb blast). They are so big they just don't seem like they care for they average customer.

Firstly I live in Europe as many already know. I am sure that this DOES make a difference in many ways.....

I have never had cable TV. Partly because I have never lived where cable TV was a possible option, at least when I lived there!!!

For some years we had terrestrial TV - analog.

I added SAT TV about 25 years ago (I don't remember exactly when!). Never regretted it.

We now have terrestrial Digital TV (DABT) here as well, though I have not needed it, maybe one day......as an addition for when its really bad weather, heavy rain still reduces the SAT signal....

I developed the "Blanket method" of setting up the dish correctly as proper instruments would have cost at the time, more than the whole setup!! I bought proper instruments some years ago, which of course make the setting up much easier....

I learned the hard way the possible pitfalls of heavy rain, snow and strong winds.

I basically fixed all for 99% of the time by:-

1) placing the dish in a slightly more sheltered area, there is no need to have it on a roof,

2) using a modern (for then) offset dish,

3) tightening all the bolts/screws really well and

4) installing the LARGEST dish I could find to get the best signal/noise.

Now that may not be a 100% fix, but its pretty damn close.

Some 15 years ago I installed a large "Wave Frontier" dish, which allows simultaneous reception of several (I receive 3) different Satellites in different positions (I believe with a max separation of about 45° from memory), all with good reception....no "offset" of the "Offset".

Other than the original equipment costs and the electricity to keep them running, no other costs as here there are literally hundreds of good stations to receive and no need to waste money on PayTV at all.....they have nothing I need. New films are available on DVD for rent or purchase at a far lower cost per year than PayTV would be.

But that is Europe (middle of!). Mostly not too much extreme weather.....ever.....

I mention all this for the non Americans here.

I have, while camping, had good SAT TV all over Europe with a relatively simple setup as well.

My compliments on taking matters into your own hands (as you seem apt to do).

What do you mean by "offset dish"?

The offset dish has the receiving element "off center" from the reflector. These dishes will typically have a more vertical reflecting surface than a standard parabolic reflector antenna. The strut with the receiving element will be mounted at the bottom edge of the dish instead of the center. That vertical surface of course, sheds snow and water more effectively. You could also install a radone to help alleviate the snow, ice, and rain issues.

DirecTV much better than cable. Storms are not an issue. I've started my generator & watched the weather channel on DirecTV during the last two hurricanes here in NC, after the power, cable & phones went out! Yes I have both cable & DirecTV. Dish does NOT have NFL Sunday ticket, if that is of interest, as some of the Dish reps try to tell you, my son tried that & Dish had to refund his $.

We get Comcast's "Limited Basic" for $20 a month. It gives us the local educational channels which we can't get any other way. Some of the modern dance on Classic Arts Showcase makes pornography seem very boring.

Just bout any good movie soon becomes available at the library. Sometimes I "try" to watch stuff on YouTube but it usually works better to go strait to the original website. I watched a Tavis Smiley episode in high def uninterrupted.

Yes, the pictures are better on radio. We get Radio Remix broadcast on KPBZ in Spokane. It was on online feed and we were the first in the nation to broadcast it live. Spokane Public Radio had just acquired another frequency and were trying to figure out what to do with it when Radio Remix came along. You can listen to it online at kpbz.org.

I've got Direct, as others have stated, its horrible. Don't get too much snow and ice down here, but clouds are a problem. The Basic service is in Spanish, the next group that adds CNN, NA TV stations (all from NYC) AMC, Spike, Velocity and a movie channel is OK to get TMC you will spend close to 120/month.

Newton Minow former FCC Chairman stated in the late '50s, "Television is a vast wasteland". It is gotten worse during the ensuing years. Netflix is good but after a year you've burned through most of it. HULU is the next option, I have to upgrade my DSL to make it work. As Claro is the only provider in my area, I don't think that will happen. Want something worse than Direct/Dish/Cable try Claro, it even makes AT&T look good.

You can receive Classic Arts Showcase directly with a large satellite dish.

I have cable.

I looked at direct TV, the choice was purely economic.

Our viewing choices on cable are cheaper with cable than with a dish.

I recently purchased a HD high gain element antenna, there are several over the air foreign language news broadcasts transmitted within range, that are not available on cable or direct TV.

Although these channels are in an underserved market, I like to have as many choices as possible, especially when I don't have to pay a monthly fee to enjoy the experience.