DirecTV- install it yourself!
Written: Oct 19 '00
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Pros: LOTS of channels
Cons: expensive
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| bmcnichol's Full Review: Hughes Networks D4532 DIRECTV |
After reading some of the other epinions on DirecTV, I too wanted to give you my take on them. Unlike some of the others, I was not initially pleased with DirecTV.
I too live out in nowhere land (or as my son puts it- in the sticks) so cable was not even an option. When we first purchased our house, we went with Primestar. Unfortunately after three years of service, DirecTV bought them out. This is when our troubles began.
We got a post card from DirecTV that we needed to call and schedule an appointment to have our equipment upgraded. When I called, I was told they do not offer evening or Saturday hours. OK, hubby and I both work and this was a big inconvenience. We bent and hubby said he would take off early one day. So we had our appointment to get our new equipment.
The day came, the tech showed up an hour late (which I can deal with but they could have atleast called). The tech installed the new equipment but could not get a signal. He then proceeded to change out the wiring and then the equipment but still no signal. So he called someone and found he had the coordinates wrong and this is why we had no signal.
So he finally got the signal right and he starts the rest of the install. There are cards and codes that he puts into the system but we still do not have a picture. By seven (this is four hours later) the tech leaves and tells us that DirecTV’s computers are down and that in an hour we will have reception. I get home around eight and we still do not have a picture. (At this point, the children are getting fussy because they are missing cartoon network!)
I get on the phone with DirecTV and am passed around for THREE hours trying to get the issue fixed. Needless to say, it still was not working. They told me they would send someone out, FIVE days from now. For me, I could care less if I have a TV or not but my children- well no way, this was unacceptable.
At this point, I am sure they were just as annoyed with me as I was with them. I was no longer the nice, sweet person I normally am. I informed them, it would be fixed and fixed now over the phone- or I expected someone there tomorrow to have it fixed.
At this point, hubby starts looking over everything. To make a long story alittle shorter, the tech had the connection to the phone line wrong and he had given DirecTV all the wrong codes. So by midnight, we finally got a picture. This was nine hours after this yahoo starting switching things around.
Other complaints I have regarding DirecTV:
The cost- we were told that our DirecTV service would be cheaper then our Primestar service. This is not the case. DirecTV is almost $20.00 more then Primestar, for the same movie package deal. Yes I do get more regular channels but most of those I could do without.
Customer Service- I had called because we had a rental fee on our first bill and I wanted to know what that was all about. We owned our Primestar unit, which they took, so what was this rental fee all about? I was informed that we could not purchase the DirecTV equipment that we had to rent it. Well I knew that was untrue because you can buy the dishes at any store. We were given the run around but finally were told that since we owned our Primestar unit, they “gave” us our DirecTV unit also. I will admit, since the two mentioned problems, I have had no reason to call customer service.
Channels- There were channels on Primestar that we received for free that we now had to pay for with DirecTV like SpeedVision. Also we still are unable to purchase channels such as ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS.
As with any satellite system, we lose reception anytime there is a bad storm.
DirecTV isn’t ALL bad. They do offer more channels then anyone will ever need and their dish and receiver are smaller then our other one was.
They also offer a Sunday ticket. For a fee, you can purchase the Sunday ticket and get ALL the football games that are playing that Sunday. It’s a nice option for a football fan. I like football but if I miss my Eagles playing (don’t NR for being an Eagles fan!!) oh well. Or as others tell me, I don’t miss much anyway.
I also like their channel menu feature. You can mark a program that you want to watch, let’s say two hours from now. The TV will automatically switch to that program at that time. I find this feature very convenient because I am notorious for saying I want to watch such and such and then forget it’s on. With this feature, it turns the program on.
Pay-Per-View is another plus. There is no longer a need to go to the video store. DirecTV has more pay-per-view movies than Primestar and this is a big plus for me. The movies normally cost $2.99 and you do just as the name implies. You pay if you view the movie. The charge is added directly to your next bill.
DirecTV has headers on their shows. This is the informative information that comes up when you are on the menu or clicking through the channels. It gives you information such as when the program started, when it ends, the rating, the title and with some programs, a brief description.
We have not had any problems with the equipment that DirecTV has supplied us. Actually the problems I have experienced are with DirecTV as a company and not with the equipment. I think the equipment they offer is excellent.
So is this customer happy with DirecTV now? Somewhat. (I know that’s a wishy-washy answer) I still feel their prices are too high but I am satisfied with the service. I am the type of person though that never forgets and the problems we had with the switchover, still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
All in all, I think DirecTV is a decent service with great equipment. Do I recommend DirecTV- sure BUT I also recommend you purchase the dish and install it yourself.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bmcnichol
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Member: Bonnette
Location: Dover, PA
Reviews written: 354
Trusted by: 263 members
About Me:
Without God, we are just "one nation under"
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