Direct TV - A real life terrible experience
Written: Nov 27 '00
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Pros: 150 channels, clear picture, good sound
Cons: only 150 so channels, picture freezes sometimes, slooooow
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| rootwarrior's Full Review: RCA DS2122RD Single LNB DIRECTV System |
I had a slight encounter with Direct TV while I was visiting some relatives who live so far out in the back end of nowhere that they can't get a regular cable set up, they are forced to get Direct TV. So while the rest of the family was eating Thanksgiving dinner and sharing stories, I was playing with the oversized remote, and experimenting with Direct TV. I have seen the commercials by the cable company who says it sucks, and I have also seen the Direct TV commercials who claim that it's the best thing since the wheel - so I figured that it was about time to form an opinion of my own.
The remote looked similar to the remote that we were given with our new RCA 32" TV that that we just purchased, so I wasn't scared - yet. OK, so instead of hitting just "TV" on the remote to turn on the TV, I figured you would have to hit the button on the remote that says "DSS" to turn on the actual Direct TV box, which functions basically the same way that a normal cable box functions, except instead of running the line to your cable, you run the line to the dish which receives the Direct TV signal (most of the time).
At first glance, it looked OK. Not only was I there watching TV right away, but I also had a little display on the top of the screen that not only told me what channel I was on (which was something like 474,238), but it also told me what show was playing on that channel at that time. That was a nifty little feature, I thought to myself. So far I hadn't found any real bad parts, but then again, I haven't really tried to do anything.
I must say the second that I actually tried to accomplish something, I was very displeased. It took a lot longer than usual just to change the channels - there is a pause of about 2 seconds in between changing channels, I didn't like that, but I guess it was something that I could get used to.
The next real down point was that there was around 900 channels. I thought to myself, "If there really is 900 channels, how am I to tell what is on what channels?" They certainly don't publish a TV guide for Direct TV, so I was lost. I glanced back down at the remote, and saw a little button that said "Guide". I hit the button, and up popped a TV Guide-like television grid, with all of the possible channels, what show was playing on each channel, and a short description of the show. I browsed the guide for a little while until I found a show that I thought would do for the afternoon. It was something like "Maury" or "Sally" - one of those talk shows that I enjoy. Using the arrows, I moved the highlight over the box for the show that I wanted and I instantly jumped to that channel. I sat back, and awaited "Send My Teen to Bootcamp Update".
Unfortunately, I wasn't greeted by Sally and her 38 inch red glasses, nor was I greeted with Maury and another one of his gray sweaters. I was, however, greeted with a little box at the bottom of the screen that displayed in pale blue an 800 number that I should call if I wanted to watch this show. In other words, I had to order this channel, NBC or CBS or something, that wasn't included in Direct TV. OK - bummer.
Reluctantly, I went back to my only friend for the evening, which was the Guide. After browsing another 3 or 4 stations that I thought would be of interest to be, I was greeted by another 3 or 4 screens that tell me to call that 800 number - frustrating. It seems that of the 900 or so channels advertised, that there are really only 150 or so that you can watch, which makes this now on a par with digital cable - just more expensive. I learned that just because it goes up to 900, that there isn't really that many channels. There is NO channels 0-100 for some reason, there's about 50 adult channels which are a waste, another 100 movie channels that you still need to pay extra for, and another 200 or so sports channels, which are great - especially if you feel like paying $50 to watch soccer live from Kenya.
Unfortuantly, since this isn't a direct cable hookup - the box will occasionally lose it's signal sometimes, making your TV freeze for seconds at a time, which can be quite nerve racking when you are watching important events such as the Super Bowl. (or Maury!).
From what I have seen, Direct TV was a huge dissapointment. With only 200 or so channels that work, a slow remote to box response time, and a box that takes 2 seconds just to switch channels, this isn't worth your money. Go with digital cable if you have the choice.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): about $250
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Epinions.com ID:
rootwarrior
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Member: Chris Irons
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 66
Trusted by: 48 members
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