DirecTV vs Cable? No question who wins here.
Written: Jan 25 '00 (Updated Jan 25 '00)
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Pros: Great reception, multiple customizable user-accounts
Cons: can't think of any
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| leolion1's Full Review: RCA DS2122RD Single LNB DIRECTV System |
Being in the military, I've had to live in various places and therefor have had the chance to subscribe to many different cable companies. It became quite evident that the channel options and program packages available were NOT standardized in any fashion.
A good example is when I used to live in San Diego. The two prominent cable companies, while I was living there, were Cox and Southwestern. Where you lived, determined who could provide your cable service. Unfortunately, I lived in an area serviced by Southwestern. They offered about 25 less channels than Cox did for roughly the same monthly price. I was curious as to the reasoning behind "zoning" cable areas and was informed by the customer support personnel of each company, that this was in order to prevent a monopoly. I'm thinking, "Gee, ya think if maybe Southwestern offered the same options, program packages and service that Cox did, there would even be much of a chance for a monopoly? Probably not."
In any case, I finally was re-located where I am now. Having recently purchased a home, I decided to forego the usual cable television frustration and really go "whole hog" in the tv viewing department. I purchased an RCA satellite receiver and paid for someone to come install it (I probably could have done it, but this way I don't risk voiding the warranty, and if it's not right THEY have to fix it).
To this day, I'm glad I spent the additional $100 (sale price) to buy a satellite receiver. Subscribing to DirecTV service I get more than 200 channels of regular cable stations, news, sports, weather, comedy and premium services as well as over 30 various music-only stations. All of this for about $15 more per month than what I was paying for cable.
Another benefit is that in the year I have had it, I have NEVER had a service outage. Those seem to be common occurrences no matter where you live or what cable company you subscribe to. The person who installed it did say that on rare occasion, sunspots may cause the signal to get interrupted, but only briefly. Due to the fact that it's receiving the signal directly from a satellite, which is orbiting the planet at the same speed the planet is rotating, a sunspot won't be in the same spot for very long.
For anyone that has young children, another MAJOR plus of DirecTV is that you can set up four user accounts, onscreen, besides the primary "family" one. You can custom tailor each user account, to limit view time (I love this one, as I can set it so the children are only allowed to see no more than 2 hours of tv a day), set ratings limits (another great option, keep your children from trying to watch what they shouldn't be, when you aren't around to judge it appropriate for them), set spending limits (if you wish to be able to purchase any pay-per-view movies or events, you can set the spending limit on each user account). If you don't want someone to be able to purchase ANY pay-per-view movies or events, just set their limit to $0.
The on-screen program guide is like a tv guide you flip through using the remote, as opposed to flipping pages in a magazine. One of the greatest features of this service, I feel, is the Scout feature. Let's say you were flipping through the program guide and noticed a movie you would really like to watch, is just about over. Rather than shaking your hand in frustration at the movie Gods (or whomever you feel is responsible for this travesty), select the Scout. Using the remote, you can enter the title of the movie you wish to see and it will search through all channels and report back the next time it's showing. This feature operates while the system is not in use. You set it to search for something, then when you shut off the system (say, while you are sleeping) it conducts the search. Next time you turn the system on and go to the Scout, it will have your search results, telling you date, time and channel(s) the movie is playing on.
Lastly, the one big argument that cable companies have used against digital satellite systems, is that satellite systems are not LEGALLY allowed to receive local network stations. Well, all I have to say about that is "So sorry Charlie." On 29 November 1999, President Clinton signed into law, a bill that ALLOWS satellite companies to carry local network channels. As this is still relatively new, it is taking a little while for the satellite companies to get everything in order with the affiliations of the networks. This is understandable. Think about it. There are 50 states, in each state there are, at a MINIMUM, 5 local channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Warner), not to mention Public Broadcasting channels and any other local affiliate stations. Then there are those states large enough, that they have 2 and 3 contingents of the same network. California is so large it has at least 2 or 3 different FOX networks, and so on. So, as you can see, it will take a little bit of time, logistically, before this is standard across the country. However, within the next two years (supposedly) you should be able to subscribe to satellite service, practically anywhere in the country, and be able to receive your local broadcast network stations.
On that note, all I have to say is, "Current satellite owners..REJOICE!", and to all of you still using cable, "WHY?!?!?!"
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100 to buy; $50/month for service
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Epinions.com ID:
leolion1
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Member: Matthew Thies
Location: Vancouver, WA
Reviews written: 43
Trusted by: 41 members
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