Posts Tagged ‘directv’
Getting HD with AT&T U-verse
Monday, January 25th, 2010These days people are looking to maximize their entertainment dollar. Increasing gas prices, a slowing economy, and higher food prices are putting the squeeze on citizens. Fortunately, one of the great buys in entertainment is your cable or satellite television service.
If you stop and think about it, you can get a bundle including over 100 channels including premium movie channels like HBO and Starz for about $100 dollars a month. That is less than you usually will drop for dinner and a movie. The latest and greatest in the pay TV market is HD, or high definition programming. What should you consider when hooking up that new Hi-def TV you just purchased?
Remember that your basic cable television or satellite TV service is not in HD. You must specifically buy a programming package that features this type of programming. So where do you begin?
Call your current provider and find out exactly what they offer as far as HD service. Satellite television companies DISH Network and DirecTV have been leading the pack as far as offering the most high definition when you examine channel counts. Cable television providers like Cox also have some nice offerings, such as HD on-demand. Ask exactly how much upgrading to hi-def will be, and if you need additional equipment.
If what they are offering is not what you need, do a little comparison shopping. The newest offerings include an all hi-def package from DISH Network called TurboHD. Direct TV sells HD service for only $9.99 a month. Charges per month are different with cable television companies across America, so you will have to call your cable operator to see what the cost will be for high definition.
Another factor to consider is that most telecom companies now provide television service. AT&T now provides their U-verse TV service in some areas they cover along with telephone and internet. Verizon is also selling television service, providing their fiber to the home service FiOS in some neighborhoods. It is advisable that you compare services side-by-side, such as Direct TV versus AT&T Uverse. All of this is a great benefit to the consumer, as more competition encourages lower costs in the end.
Direct TV DVR and NFL Sunday Ticket
Thursday, August 13th, 2009Fall is my favorite time of year. No not because of the cooler temperatures and the leaves on the ground, but because it is now time for some football.
The college football season is awesome because after two weeks of almost nothing on television as far as sports, suddenly you are presented with plenty of games every weekend. Sure I can take in a baseball game live, but sitting and watching it on television puts a man to sleep. At least the 2008 Olympics provided some sports activity this year.
I like both the college and the National Football League games for several factors. The passion involved in the college game is like nothing else. Every Saturday, hundreds of thousands of rabid fans fill up college stadiums in an effort to push the home team to victory. With the expansion of network television money, there are often good games on every Thursday and Saturday night as well. While I don’t really like the Bowl Championship Series system that is in place in the college ranks, one benefit to the setup is that every regular season matchup really is big. A college team might get away with one loss during the year, but if they want a shot at the title, then they can’t afford to lose twice.
The National Football League is a different beast, but just as good in my book. Again the passion is amazing, especially in the great NFL cities like Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and Miami. What makes the NFL interesting for many fans is the advent of fantasy football. Sure some people go a little crazy, in that they spend all of their free time evaluating their players and proposing ridiculous trades to the other fantasy players in the league. But if you get in with the right set of people, then fantasy football makes all of the games much more interesting.
This year I had to re-evaluate my television service, as Cox cable continued to disappoint me as far at their service and pricing. Luckily for me, I had a couple of choices, as AT&T’s new uverse service is now in my area, as well as satellite TV. After checking into my options, I found there are great satellite TV deals going on right now. So then it became the old DirecTV vs DISH Network debate Being the huge fan that I am, I just couldn’t pass up the NFL Sunday Ticket package that they offer. On top of that, they offer great college football packages, such as the ESPN Game Plan. Overall, there is just more for your money when comparing DirecTV to Comcast. Plus, you just can’t beat the DIRECTV DVR.
My spouse may not like that choice, but at least she will know where to find me, right in front of the TV this fall!
TurboHD Gold Offers More Hi Definition
Monday, July 13th, 2009Dish Network recently released new programming packages called TurboHD. These new programming packages are 100% hi definition, removing of the standard definition networks. So is this new satellite television the best choice for your family?
It all depends on what you want from your pay TV provider. Some folks want every single channel that is available. They don’t care if 15 of them are 24 hour shopping channels, or that five of the channels are public access. They just want all of the channels.
On the other hand, many have grown tired of trying to wade past all of the junk on the television dial, looking for something worthwhile to watch. For consumers who have recently purchased a new HDTV, TurboHD from DISH Network might be the right choice.
There are three different choices with Turbo HD from DISH Network, the Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. All of these packages are composed of hi def channels only. Pricing starts at about $24.99 per month for the Bronze package. That package does not include your local channels like ABC and Fox, which cost $5 more per month.
DISH also offers the Platinum level, which is an additional service to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze packages. The Platinum level is ten bucks a month, and adds on seven more hi def channels such as NBA TV and Smithsonian HD.
One sticking point with some current DISH Network subscribers is they have not been allowed to switch over to the TurboHD packages. At this time, just new subscribers to DISH Network have been allowed to get the TurboHD packages. Current customers can get Turbo HD, but only as an add-on to the standard definition package.
Another item to consider is in how DISH Network is counting the channels included in the packages. Take for example the TurboHD Bronze setup which includes forty-four channels, of which 24 are network channels, six are pay-per-view, and 14 are VOD, (video on demand) channels. While that may be enough for some folks, many are accustomed to having quite a bit more content to choose from. One final note, the Turbo HD packages do not include movie packages like Starz or Cinemax, so expect to pay more for those commercial free channels. For more detail on these packages, check out the DISH Network Turbo HD review.
DIRECTV Offers More Than Cable
Friday, June 5th, 2009I’ve been wanting to get away from Comcast for quite a while. The problem is they give you a good deal with their bundles that include telepone, hi speed internet, and cable television service. When you try to remove one, you lose the discounts of the package.
But the cable TV service just has to go, as the channel selection and quality is well below par. There is so much talk today about hi def, there isn’t much choice with Charter cable television. So I started doing a little research on who else was providing service in my neck of the woods.
I am fortunate to be one of the individuals who have been given a few choices. Unlike a few folks who can only pick from just the cable company or Direct TV satellite service, I have a third option in my area. The phone company in this neighborhood has been enhancing their network. So there is an additional consideration with AT&T and their U-Verse service.
That doesn’t mean of course I won’t have similar issues. It would place me in the same boat as with the cable TV company, as the telephone guys want customers to bundle their television service with high speed and voice service. If the deal works out well, customers will be pleased. Then again if the service is poor you’re in the same situation that we all hate, being stuck with cable TV that isn’t all that great.
Some reviews I found on the internet are pretty good on telecom TV service. Because it is new, there is sometimes a risk with a new technology like this, and some people write poor reviews. Those reviews are the quite amusing, simply for the reason people make the decision to write a dissertation on their bad experience and post it on the world wide web. They badmouth the company like it is some huge conspiracy to screw the customer, like the corporation does not want to make money!
Another option I am looking into is of course satellite television. Because we have four television viewers in our house, we usually buy a high end TV bundle. The satellite companies seem to be pretty even, as the Directv Premier Package and the America’s Everything Pack from DISH Network are both right around $105 per month. Sure that’s fairly pricey for cable TV, but when you compare that to taking your family to supper and a show, the entertainment value is comparable. Some of my family speak Spanish, so the DIRECTV Mas bundle looks like a winner. The good thing is that there are lots of Direct TV opinions to help me decide which direction to take.
Five Reasons to Switch to Direct TV Satellite
Sunday, May 31st, 2009100% Hi Definition Service.
If you’re a cable TV subscriber, your service provider most likely carries around 20 to 50 channels in HD. But if you have access to satellite television, chances are you’re enjoying up to 100 channels that have nice crisp pictures and flawless reception.
Currently, not even the biggest cable companies such as Comcast, Time Warner, Brighthouse, Cox Cable and Charter Cable can compare to DirecTV’s 130+ channels you can watch on HD. By the end of the year, DirecTV projects satellite TV subscribers will be watching 100 to 150 channels on HD. Put that HDTV to good use and maximize your viewing experience through satellite television!
View More, Pay Less.
The pro-con list could go on and satellite would still emerge superior to its cable counterpart. However, it all boils down to this: You get to see more for a price that won’t burn a hole in your wallet. With satellite, you get more features, more movies, more music, more cartoons, more sports, more HD! You’ll receive more of almost everything each month. Great sports programming like the NBA League Pass package are also available for an extra fee. What more could you ask for?
Free Installation.
Most cable providers charge you up to $100 for sending out a technician to gear up your television sets. Satellite TV providers Dish Network and DirecTV offer free installation and setup in order to make things easy. You no longer have to worry about reading the fine print or fees that cable companies (over)charge one time or monthly.
Multi-media Experience.
Radio on Your TV?! The limits of media are once again broken, but in a good way for the subscriber. Subscription to Dish Network gives you access to Sirius Satellite Radio to listen to the best music all day long once you’re tired of watching television.
Family Friendly Packages.
With your current cable subscription you get basic packages with channels picked for you. However, satellite TV services from Dish Network and DirecTV program packages that will cater to all members of the family. Everyone should be able to enjoy viewing without worrying what they young ones are seeing. These satellite packages ensure that children access age-appropriate as well as educational shows.
Comparing your local cable company, such as Direct TV vs Comcast might save you some money. Switch now to a great Direct TV deal if you don’t want to regret missing out on anything.
Direct TV vs Time Warner Cable
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009Today customers of satellite and cable TV have literally hundreds of games they can pick from every month. Pay per view sports packages like ESPN Gameplan give the subscriber access to nearly 20 college football games every weekend. Even the NCAA Men’s tournament has expanded coverage with the Mega March Madness package on Direct TV.
The motto today is “Content is King” and as the saying goes the sports networks of course want to bring as much content as possible to the end user so they can sell more ads. Quite a few brand new all-sports networks have sprung up over the past couple of years. Some of these include Altitude Sports, which carries Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche games, as well as the Big 10 network and the Mtn, the network of the Mountain West conference.
Certainly these new channels are great for fans in certain areas, disagreements between the providers of content and those who deliver the content have brought trouble at times to the customer. Consider what happened last year, the Big Ten Network began broadcasting in 2007, but they were unable to strike a deal with cable TV provider Time Warner. Customers of Time Warner in the midwest were not able to see some of the local teams play due to this dispute. Finally however, the companies involved came to an agreement before the 2008 season, so subscribers could stay with Time Warner rather than having to switch over to one of the satellite TV companies such as DISH Network or Direct TV. An important thing to do when considering providers is to consider all factors, comparing DIRECTV against Time Warner.
Specialized sports programming are another thing sports fans should consider. Many cable customers have switched to DirecTV because the NFL Sunday ticket is exlusively on satellite TV. This has upset some pay television customers, who do not understand why a package like this isn’t available to every provider, especially a big company like Time Warner. Alternative packages though are more fan friendly, like the National Hockey League Center Ice and the NBA League Pass, which are available on almost every cable TV and satellite provider. Direct TV seems to have all of the premium sports packages.
Benefits of a DirecTV DVR
Monday, April 20th, 2009The digital video recorder has to be the best add-on to my TV. Ever since I got hooked up with the DirectTV Russian package and their top of the line HD DVR, my television viewing habits have changed.
Here is an example.
If you have not watched television with a TiVo or a DVR, you do not know what you are missing. You have complete control over everything you decide to watch. If you are watching a program, and all of the sudden you realize that you are starving, you can just hit the pause button. Go make your food, and come back when you’re ready, even if it takes an hour!
Then when you start viewing the show again, you will have the added advantage of skipping through any commercials that come up. Pass through them each time they pop up! Some days I don’t even see a single commercial.
Now here is how I get the most out of my DVR. No need to channel surf anymore. I simply set up my DVR to save the shows I like. Even with sports programming, I set the DVR to record, then I sit down about an hour after the game actually starts. That way, I can skip through all the commercials, and watch the game in half the time.
Finally, I can always see new episodes of my favorite series. An example, new episodes are coming out soon of Friday Night Lights on Direct TV. On the digital video recorder, all I have to do is select the record series choice, and every time the show airs, my Direct TV DVR finds it night or day, and saves it for me. I can set it to record all of the episodes, or just the first-run editions. All of this in beatiful HD too!
Then, when I have the time to watch television, all of my favorite shows are ready and waiting there for me to watch. No need to rearrange my schedule around the networks, not with my new TiVo and Direct TV.
While other companies like U-Verse and Verizion Fios have also begun to offer DVR service, satellite TV companies like DIRECTV pioneered the product.
Satellite TV Systems Beat Cable TV
Thursday, April 16th, 2009Which is the best choice in today’s market? People in the USA are now more likely to order satellite TV over cable TV for the bottom line reason that you receive more for your money with satellite television. You also get all of the best that TV has to offer the consumer. Not to mention the better price as well. Satellite television costs less than cable by far. These days with satellite TV, you will be getting hundreds of audio and video options with your package. Big cable companies bill you by how many channels you have, and that adds up fast. Better yet, today you can get a new satellite TV setup at no charge.
If you want any extra premium channels such as HBO or Showtime, get ready with your cash, because you have to be prepared to spend a lot of extra money. They rarely provide you with any service at all in the rural areas, thus satellite is the only game in these regions of the county. Cable companies will offer more stations in the urban cities, as there they have the potential for many more subscribers. So at times, a lot may depend on where you live in the country. While they are offering more pay channels in the suburban parts of the country, the number of channels you will receive overall depends on the cable operator, they aren’t always up to date with the most modern technology.
Satellite television on the other hand offers many more channels, and lots of programs that fit your interests. If you haven’t ever considered satellite TV, it may be time to open your mind to all that is now available. As mentioned earlier you will pay less for the cost for satellite TV when comparing it to cable. Usually, cable TV can be very expensive because they have a network to upgrade and maintain.
If you are the type of person that wants more for your money, and who isn’t like that, the certainly check into the two large satellite companies offering service to see what the can offer you today. Another point to consider is quality. Most of us have had the horrible experience of watching poor quality picture from the cable company. Then when you call for resolution, it takes a long time for a technician to come out and fix the problem. While you may experience problems from time to time with satellite TV, overall they have better customer service. Many satellite television companies also have deals with local carriers like Verizon and Qwest Communications, so you can have a combined bill.
Satellite TV offers the best in digital programming, and they back up their product with excellent service. With satellite TV you can also receive foreign language channels, for example the DirecTV Russian programming package and the DISH Latino Spanish bundle are excellent foreign languge options. Lastly, if you have a family, including young children you can find much more for them to watch. There literally hundreds of family and children’s programs for you to pick from. Combine that with a DVR, and you will always be able to entertain the kids. If great content is all you want, some satellite companies like Dish Network now offer 100% HD packages now, called Turbo HD.