Direct TV vs TW cable should I switch?

[neomaxi]

I have a direct TV installer coming out to see if i get the service (i have a few trees im worried about)

I have TW cable now.. but pay over 100 a month with all the HD packages and stuff.

Direct TV is about 35 cheaper a month and i get more channels.

My question is..... If you have direct TV, are you happy with the quality of the service??    

If you have had TW cable before.. which do you think is better?  TW or Direct TV?

Thanks!

[Bluto]

I went from TWC to DirecTV about five years ago.  I have no regrets at all.

[Steve Mann]

I've been a loyal fan of DirecTV since 2000. I was a cable person before that. I even worked in that industry (CATV Construction). I would NEVER go back to cable if I had a choice. DirecTV has be great with pricing, service and programing. And if you want NFL Sunday Ticket (like I do), there's no other place to go.

Make the switch... You'll NEVER look back.

[steve053]

I've been with DirecTv since 2001, with a break between from 8/06 to  4/07 with TWC.  I switched to TWC as I had upgraded to an HDTV and wanted to see what cable had to offer.  At the time TWC had a somewhat comparable HD selection.

TWC cons that I experienced in 06/07:
- Horrible set top box
- Extreeeeeemly loooooooong wait times when calling customer service (over 75 minutes on hold before talking w/ someone was not uncommon)
- Intermittant snowy channels, and channels that were black at times (csr response was to reset stb, then schedule a service call 1-2 weeks latter).  I attribute this to living in an area w/ old cableing/hardware, so you may not have the same experience.
- SD pic quality left much to be desired

TWC pros:
- VOD was a decent experience, good selection, instant on
- CBS 58 in HD

DirecTv cons:
- CBS 58 not in HD, although there are two work arounds (OTA and quicktune)
- Rain fade during severe weather
- For the most part VOD is dependant on internet.  Not a problem if you have a home network, although there may be a delay before you are able to start watching some VOD programming before it buffers enough content.

DirecTv pros:
- Excellent set top box
- Ability to integrate OTA channels into the DirecTv guide and easily record OTA on the dvr
- Great HD selection
- No "snowy channels" compared to TWC (other than the occasional rain fade)
- DVR can be used to stream pic/music/video from computer to your display
- Whole house dvr will be available soon (assuming you have a home network)
- Picture quality is excellent (both SD and HD)
- 1080i and 1080p pay per view available (as well as SD ppv)

I love DirecTv and honestly gave TWC a chance to have my business.  For me, TWC failed miserably and I'll never go back.

[AndrewP]

DirecTV:rock:
TWC:huh?:

[Stanley Kritzik]

I got D* "way back when", and I've stuck with them ever since.

No regrets.

Yes, customer service can be a little challenging from time-to-time.  However, //www.dbstalk.com is an excellent source for getting problems solved.  Getting a dish mounted properly is highly dependent on the quality of the installer.  I'm not an installer, but I'm reasonably tech. "with it", so I did the dish install myself -- spent the extra money for an Accutrac meter, bought my dish from Solid Signal, etc.  I learned a heck of a lot, but I got an absolutely perfect result.

My advice, if you go with D* is to use either an SWM dish, or get an external SWM-8 box with a Slimline dish.  This lets you run a single wire to any set -- even a DVR with two tuners.  Over-the-air (OTA) can be diplexed in and out so the coax wiring is still a single wire, with diplexers at each end.  OTA requires an AM21 receiver, but D* integrates the menus very nicely, and a DVR/AM21 combo. will both menu and record D* and/or OTA programs nicely.

And, of course, except for the occasional rain-out/snow-out, reception is perfect, all digital, lots of HD, etc.

Stan

[Blitzburgh]

DirecTV is #1 for a reason :rock:

[vegasvic]

I made the switch about 10 years ago and love.  I had more outages with TWC than I've had with rainfade.  Lots more HD channels.  Eventually that will even up.  Certainly not everyone has had good experiences with DTV but the difference for me is huge.

[Bigdog]

I was wondering about the problem with rain fade and how much it really was an issue. I know the other day with TWC the HD channels were so bad it almost sounded like the people were stuttering.

[gb4fan92]

I was wondering about the problem with rain fade and how much it really was an issue. I know the other day with TWC the HD channels were so bad it almost sounded like the people were stuttering.

I left TWC to get more HD period! That said I've had more interruptions with D then I ever did with TWC but still wouldn't go back.

[RonH]

Rainfade is the only issue with DirecTV.  I switched about a year ago from TWC.  The HD channels on the satellites other than 101deg are more susceptible to rainfade.

Essentially, if there is a strong thunderstorm coming in (which means thick clouds), I loose signal for a few minutes as it passes through.  Often times i can still watch a non HD channel on the 101 satellite however.  All my signals are in the 90s so I think my dish is aligned properly.  With the DVR I often just watch something that is recorded and wait for it to pass (or just go with OTA).

I also have a small problem in the transitional seasons when we can get very wet snow that sticks to the dish followed by a cold period.  Since my dish is on the roof this can be a challenge.

[Talos4]

I've been a sub since 1997, so my experience with TWC has been limited to VOIP and RR.

I initially signed on to SAT tv after being quite disappointed with Customer Service and the picture quality (pre digital/HD era).

Even then the PQ was poor on many channels, outages were common and Customer support was pathetic .

I started with Primestar, later bought out by D*and haven't looked back. Through the past ten years I've been through many dishes, STB's etc and have been very pleased with the experience.

On average rain/snow fade outages probably add up to an hour or so each year give or take a power failure or long term storms.  Through most blizzards in the winter I've usually had service. If it happens to go out I watch something that was recorded to pass the time.  

Don't believe the TWC ads about Satellite service, you've come to the right place to get an unbiased opinion of each service.

[neomaxi]

Had Directv installed on sunday.. works great.  95signals on all sats..

Good reception and I like the interface better than TWC.  Plus I get more HD, more channels... more boxes.. and its about $20 a month cheaper.....

Thanks everyone who replied!!!

[Blitzburgh]

Had Directv installed on sunday.. works great.  95signals on all sats..

Good reception and I like the interface better than TWC.  Plus I get more HD, more channels... more boxes.. and its about $20 a month cheaper.....

Thanks everyone who replied!!!

Long live the King DirecTV.... enjoy my friend :rock: