Called Direct TV...

[RLJSlick]

....and this it the deal they offered:
We wanted 3 HD Box 3 regular boxs that came out to be about $200
We wanted the Choice Xtra + HD package which they have for $54.98
They had a promotion for one year off $10 a month.
We called them because wanted to find out after all the 3 months off deals and promotions what would be our monthly charge.
That total came up to $79.99
plus you add on the $9.99 for the HD
and the $4.99 for the HD Exta (those imfamous 6 channels that will be dropped soon) that came up to $94.97
So the dude came up with a total of $94.97 + 5.1 Tax

Now we pay pay around $95 for just the Cable TV, boxes and HD.

What I really don't like with Dirct TV is that you have to sign a 2 year contract. That's a really bummer

Now it's time to work on the wife, I think we are close though, just need to find out what TWC would do to the price of our promotional cost of Road Runner.

[gparris]

Remember, Directv's "offer" does not include any local HD network stations other than NBCHD, ABCHD and FOXHD, no CBSHD, CWHD or PBSHD or any other digital stations are available over the dish like you had with TWC, so factor in the cost of an antenna installation depending on your location.
WAF might not like the idea of an antenna, unless you have one already (I could write a book on this one).

Make sure you analyze the "fine print" in the Directv contract closely and call more than once to get a better deal, other than that "dude" quoting you.:p

[RLJSlick]

Yeah I know, but I don't really care about local channels other then maybe FoxHD for the Packer games. I've called them a few times to see what deal they would offer. I sure wouldn't get a antenna just to watch CBS and CW. I surely understand the fine print, what I do know is that the Badgers is on Big Ten Network right now and I can't see it because TWC.

Thanks Greg.

Remember, Directv's "offer" does not include any local HD network stations other than NBCHD, ABCHD and FOXHD, no CBSHD, CWHD or PBSHD or any other digital stations are available over the dish like you had with TWC, so factor in the cost of an antenna installation depending on your location.
WAF might not like the idea of an antenna, unless you have one already (I could write a book on this one).

Make sure you analyze the "fine print" in the Directv contract closely and call more than once to get a better deal, other than that "dude" quoting you.:p

[Matt Heebner]

Yep, watching the Badgers right now in HD on the Big Ten Network.....
I would find out whaqt the absolute best deal would be from TWC, knock off even more, and then call Directv back, and see if they can beat it.

With the amount of HD coming out from Directv, I would say if you have the option to change providers, I would definitely do it.

[gparris]

Matt, sounds wonderful.

I just don't understand why TWC is so far behind with their HD channel rollouts when Directv gave them time to work on contracts and hardware to deliver the same.

Remember the DirectvHD delays?

That should have helped them, outside of the whole cable-to-satellite migration that has been the reoccuring "headache" for cablecos since the 1990's:
-Which was about channel selection, pricing and PQ (which has migrated to HDTV).
Looks like TWC wasted it time:
Did it really think HDTV sales would go down and it was "just a fad"?

[RLJSlick]

Yeah it's very frustrating and when I called TWC to find out what would happen if I drop them but want to keep my RR they were all over me about why I want to drop them. I wanted to tell them "because you guys suck" but I just told them that "TWC HD package is a joke and I'm done waiting" She said that TWC is moving very fast to bring in more HD. I asked about the 10 HD channels by the end of the month, and she didn't know anything about that.
I haven't decided Greg, I just want to know the whole story before deciding. I'm getting pretty fed up with TWC though.

Matt, sounds wonderful.

I just don't understand why TWC is so far behind with their HD channel rollouts when Directv gave them time to work on contracts and hardware to deliver the same.

Remember the DirectvHD delays?

That should have helped them, outside of the whole cable-to-satellite migration that has been the reoccuring "headache" for cablecos since the 1990's:
-Which was about channel selection, pricing and PQ (which has migrated to HDTV).
Looks like TWC wasted it time:
Did it really think HDTV sales would go down and it was "just a fad"?

[gparris]

Ricky, thanks for your honestly and thoughtful comments.
The retention folks at TWC from what my friend told me about will say almost anything to get you to keep your business with TWC, true stories or deceptions
-like Gregg's telemarketer call.

I asked if there was a "spinning dial" was anywhere near the offices there where TWC CSRs can select the "stories" they want to tell TWC HD subs for the day or week, but none was found.:rof:

What you CAN get is (possibly) be better-subscriber-pricing, if the CSR is hungry enough for their quotas if you threaten to cancel or drop services.
-But they can always cancel you and then you have nothing except a messed up billing period where you have to add it back because TWC' s "poker deck" was stacked against you during the call.

[RLJSlick]

Thanks, did your buddy say anything about TWC getting 10 additional channels this month? That would be big in my decision making?

Ricky, thanks for your honestly and thoughtful comments.
The retention folks at TWC from what my friend told me about will say almost anything to get you to keep your business with TWC, true stories or deceptions
-like Gregg's telemarketer call.

I asked if there was a "spinning dial" was anywhere near the offices there where TWC CSRs can select the "stories" they want to tell TWC HD subs for the day or week, but none was found.:rof:

What you CAN get is (possibly) be better-subscriber-pricing, if the CSR is hungry enough for their quotas if you threaten to cancel or drop services.
-But they can always cancel you and then you have nothing except a messed up billing period where you have to add it back because TWC' s "poker deck" was stacked against you during the call.

[gparris]

Nothing about HD channel additions, but SDV was discussed.
From what I "heard" from what was said, it seems as though the HD channels those CC subs do not get could be switched off even though SDV is not yet implemented, just so that these folks don't get them (and get used to receiving them) from the start, but this could be inferred, not the actual truth.
But then again, deceptions, like those from the TWC telemarketers about those 10+ HD channels in October, could be possible either way:
What can you believe when you discuss this whole SDV and HD channel addition subject, really? What is the truth?
It would be really great if there was a law requiring cablecos to announce channel additions and subtractions other than what we read in JS or some small website notification.
Directv plays no games, pulls no strings, it just advertises, announces when deliveries are done and so on...why can't cablecos like TWC do the same?

[RLJSlick]

Yeah I agree,  the time for playing games consumers is is over. I'm pretty fed up with the games personally. I just have to decide on how I want to do this. I have TVs everywhere, even one on my computer, and changing over to Direct TV will change a lot of things.

Thanks GParris

Nothing about HD channel additions, but SDV was discussed.
From what I "heard" from what was said, it seems as though the HD channels those CC subs do not get could be switched off even though SDV is not yet implemented, just so that these folks don't get them (and get used to receiving them) from the start, but this could be inferred, not the actual truth.
But then again, deceptions, like those from the TWC telemarketers about those 10+ HD channels in October, could be possible either way:
What can you believe when you discuss this whole SDV and HD channel addition subject, really? What is the truth?
It would be really great if there was a law requiring cablecos to announce channel additions and subtractions other than what we read in JS or some small website notification.
Directv plays no games, pulls no strings, it just advertises, announces when deliveries are done and so on...why can't cablecos like TWC do the same?

[vegasvic]

Matt, sounds wonderful.

I just don't understand why TWC is so far behind with their HD channel rollouts when Directv gave them time to work on contracts and hardware to deliver the same.

Exactly.  It's not like the 70 HD channels just showed up one day on Directv.  They took a long time to get them up.  TWC had the opportunity to beat them to the punch but instead they do nutty things like making a "stand" against the BTN and NFLN to rescue their customers from those big bad networks.  So now their customers don't have those channels and they have a bare minimum of HD channels.

[gparris]

vegasvic:
When any business, including cablecos who have no desire to compete, in this case, for HD subscribers like TWC, they use these kind of tactics, as that is all they have to work with.
-Since they had the time setup the HD channels like Directv and of course, didn't, so they do distractions and deceptions like those 10+ HD channels in October.

A new line TWC is using is to ask if you watch (all of the new) HD channels Directv is now offering, when you ask them when will they be adding more HD channels.
-This is, of course, another "tactic" of theirs, which will fail once again. They think they can "throw you off track" and wonder if more HD channels are necessary, repeating their own "mindset" and wasted time to compete effectively.

TWC spends more time developing tag lines for distracting and deceiving its HD subscribers than getting more contracts signed for HD channels, including allocating space for them vs. even Comcast,  another cablelco, which is deleting analogue channels and has added many HD channels than ever before this year.

[RLJSlick]

I just saw a new TWC HD commercial that of course don't announce new HD channels, it just says "TWC has more "free" HD channels then satellite." Which of course is total BS since you have to pay for digital cable to get any digital or HD channels.  I do understand that they assumed that we all already have digital boxes.
This is way I'm trying my best to come up with enough reasons to switch to satellite. They are about misleading as you can get as far as a cable company can get.
If it wasn't for that 2 year contract thing I would be so out of TWC hair.

2 year contract, if you break it at any time it's $20 a month for every month left. That's total BS.

[vegasvic]

Once you switch you won't miss TWC for a second.  You'll never think about the contract.

[Bluto]

I agree with Vic on this one.  Once you jump from TWC to D*, you won't want to go back for a long, long time.  I made the jump 3 years ago - no way I'd go back.