OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread

[Brando70]

I will be curious if the XBox One can double as a DTV receiver. That might prompt a purchase more than the game lineup.

I don't think it can. I think it just operates as a pass-through for a real receive. Moreover (and I do hope this is just a negotiating point right now)DTV has explicitly said that it will not be supporting it.

Yes, I suppose unless the XBO had a jack for the satellite cable, that wouldn't be possible, unless there was some kind of adapter.

[sportdan30]

I was all set to cancel Directv because of their increasing pricing, and I come to find out they offer pretty nice discounts and offers if you keep their service when you move. I'm able to save between 20-30 dollars a month for a year's contract. Not to mention, they will sometimes throw in free movie channels or the football package.

I'll dig up this thread next year when I cancel Directv when my one year contract expires.

[bdunn13]

I have directv.. had it under my name for a few years then moved to Alabama and was going to get a new install there. I wanted certain receivers and when the installer arrived he had what I wanted but said it was for bigger job so I refused the install. This was 4 days before the start of college football so I was in a panic. I didn't want Dish and cable was not an option.

So I went to a local DTV installer a few miles from my house there and told him what I wanted... A couple of days later, I had everything I wanted and I just used my wife's name for the install and canceled mine.

I moved back to Augusta and took my boxes with me and adjusted my old dish myself. I called directv and changed my service address and everything worked fine.

So, three years later my wife's contract is up and I want new equipment. I want the new Genie HR44 that is just going through a nation wide launch (now or soon). I am going to cancel my wife's account and go back to my name and get the new customer stuff all over again. I need to call a local installer and see if they have the HR44 yet.... If you know what want, that is how to do it.

BD

[snaz16]

Had to replace my HD-DVR due to lightning strike close to home that torched the HDMI port on the receiver. Got the replacement in two days which is a good thing,but I noticed in the directions they want the old receiver back for recycling? I got this 2 yrs. back that I ordered from DTV. I was under the impression I owned this?

[dbdynsty25]

Had to replace my HD-DVR due to lightning strike close to home that torched the HDMI port on the receiver. Got the replacement in two days which is a good thing,but I noticed in the directions they want the old receiver back for recycling? I got this 2 yrs. back that I ordered from DTV. I was under the impression I owned this?

You own NOTHING w/ DirecTV these days, and you haven't for about 4 years. Even though you pay 300 bucks for a device, you still don't own it. It's a HUGE racket and I'm surprised that more people don't take exception to this. It's one of my main pet peeves with them and if not for the NFL Sunday Ticket I'd be LONG LONG gone even though the 5 Tuner Genie is a decent piece of equipment. I just feel bad for the users who pay the 400 dollar list price for the thing. I had to threaten to leave about five times before they gave it to me for free.

[F308GTB]

Had to replace my HD-DVR due to lightning strike close to home that torched the HDMI port on the receiver. Got the replacement in two days which is a good thing,but I noticed in the directions they want the old receiver back for recycling? I got this 2 yrs. back that I ordered from DTV. I was under the impression I owned this?

You own NOTHING w/ DirecTV these days, and you haven't for about 4 years. Even though you pay 300 bucks for a device, you still don't own it. It's a HUGE racket and I'm surprised that more people don't take exception to this. It's one of my main pet peeves with them and if not for the NFL Sunday Ticket I'd be LONG LONG gone even though the 5 Tuner Genie is a decent piece of equipment. I just feel bad for the users who pay the 400 dollar list price for the thing. I had to threaten to leave about five times before they gave it to me for free.

I ditched Directv the day they said I'd have to replace the HD receiver I paid some $600 in the early HD days and that I would have to pay for the local channels I was getting OTA for free with that $600 receiver. Uverse has been so much better than DTV ever was.

[Danimal]

and if not for the NFL Sunday Ticket I'd be LONG LONG gone

Ditto.

Word is the NFL might partner with Google when the deal runs out

[Inuyasha]

Im surprised you guys are saying dtv is not good. i was thinking of switching over to them from Comcast. Comcast service cable and Internet has never been done for me in the 5 years I've had them but I'm tired of them jacking up rates unannounced. Sure it 10 bucks a month increase but its the principle of it all. Don't really care about Sunday ticket but I thought dtv offers a better deal for tv + premium channels like hbo.

[dbdynsty25]

Im surprised you guys are saying dtv is not good. i was thinking of switching over to them from Comcast. Comcast service cable and Internet has never been done for me in the 5 years I've had them but I'm tired of them jacking up rates unannounced. Sure it 10 bucks a month increase but its the principle of it all. Don't really care about Sunday ticket but I thought dtv offers a better deal for tv + premium channels like hbo.

If you compare channels and cost directv is always more expensive. You are subsidizing that nfl ticket deal whether you subscribe to it or not. I can't imagine the mass exodus as soon as they aren't the only provider carrying it.

Even without any of my sports packages I'm paying 120 a month with no premium channels. If I switch and bundle the tv w my Internet and phone through Fios I will drop my current fios bill to 95 bucks (from 120) and get rid of the 120 dollar directv bill. 150 a month savings. I'm actualy quite stupid not to but the nfl ticket keeps me subscribed. Sad but true.

[Inuyasha]

How does FIOS work? same thing as cable tv / internet? Or is it streamed?

[dbdynsty25]

How does FIOS work? same thing as cable tv / internet? Or is it streamed?

Verizon FIOS is just another cable provider. Same as cable TV/Internet but it runs over fiber, so it's WAY faster and more stable. The internet is absolutely fantastic. Getting 50mb down/25mb up for 59 bucks. Cable can't compete...or at least last time I checked they weren't even close.

[fsquid]

my friends like the Uverse, but it is not offered here.

[Jimmydeicide]

Can anyone with u-verse find regular foxsoccer? mine has disappeared all of a sudden, only left with fsc+

Cant follow deadline day damn it, loved the way they showed sky coverage of deadline day.

[dbdynsty25]

Fox Soccer is gone. They are replacing it with FXX on Directv. At least that's what they did in California. I'm not sure if they just moved that channel or replaced it completely. All of the other providers are doing similar so not sure exactly what u-verse specifically doing.

[Jimmydeicide]

Yeh replaced with Fxx.
Does that mean we will get champions league on fs1 and 2 then hopefully? Fs2 isnt even in HD for me.

[Inuyasha]

wrong thread

[Brando70]

The Genie recording size is fantastic and as always, DTV picture and especially sound quality are hard to beat. But it is expensive as s*** and requires the occasional theater of customer cancellation threats and Moroccan market haggling to keep the price at the level of somewhat crazy versus completely insane.

I got hooked up with the Genie for only $50 plus a two-year commitment, and I have never paid full price for a DTV receiver as far as I can remember (maybe for the first HD one I had). I also have to say that, of all the customer service people I ever deal with, DTV's folks are usually pretty good.

The downside this time is that the Genie equipment has more problems than I have experienced with previous DTV receivers. The slave unit in particular seems problematic, as I occasionally have audio handshake issues with it and my receiver (a problem that went away for a while but has since come back). When this two years is up, I will probably consider other options.

[dbdynsty25]

My biggest issue with the Genie at this point is when I record Braves games off of the MLB package. It sets the recorder for six hours of recording, which is fine and dandy. However, no matter when I start the recording, it always skips to the "live" part of the broadcast. I now click on the games, cover my eyes, and immediately press rewind. This would be fine if it got to the beginning and just started playing from there, however, it then goes back to the menu and you have to start it all over again. Now I have to cover up most of the screen with my off hand and watch the bar at the bottom and stop it around ten min. in. What a F'n pain in the ass. They claim they know about the issue, but it has yet to be resolved.

[wco81]

Did you guys get the HR34 Genie or the newer HR44?

I got the same offer of $50 with 2-year commitment for a Genie and Genie Mini.

But unless they reduce my programming, I'd pay about $60 more a month for a double play deal from Comcast, with more premiums and much faster Internet.

Really, they give the best deals to new customers, with minimal incentives to existing customers.

[dbdynsty25]

I have the HR34...I got it about two months after it was initially released. So I've had mine for a while.

[Brando70]

I have the h34. I think I got the deal precisely because they were clearing out for the h44s.

[MizzouRah]

We were with DTV a long time ago.. switched to Dish for about 8 years and have been with Charter now for about 6 months.

I called DTV and we have decided to go with the Genie H44 system and 3 wireless mini-genie's. We got everything for $73 for the first 3 months and then it goes up to $101 or something.. which is still cheaper than Charter.

The H44 can be connected via wireless network, which is nice and the wireless mini-genies are nice so we can move one of them outside when we have friends over.

Looking forward to it.. plus of course you get the NFL ticket.

[wco81]

Are they claiming you can stream HD via wireless?

Or will they install Whole Home DVR wiring?

[MizzouRah]

Are they claiming you can stream HD via wireless?

Or will they install Whole Home DVR wiring?

I don't know the whole technical stuff yet.. they do stream in HD, but I think there is a wireless box that attaches to your H44 and communicates with them?

[wco81]

My sense is that it's for connecting to the Internet, but not for streaming between boxes.

But Direct TV and the installers should confirm.