DirecTV vs. Comcast: Please help me..

[Nintendosbooger]

Recently, I've been re-evaluating my longstanding relationship with Comcast and, in the process, have been seeking other options. Truthfully speaking, I don't care for TV shows any more, but for the sake of guests and visitors, I'd rather have the option of cable TV viewing available.

DirecTV seems to offer more for less, at least on paper. Great channel lineups, and they're currently having a nice promotion for new customers. Now, I know I'm not going to get A LOT more than what I'm receiving now from Comcast, but I'd like to know, from the EvilBore collective braintrust, if DirecTV is that much better than Comcast in terms of features, customer service, and pricing.

Any happy/unhappy DirecTV subscribers? What's your experience with them been like, friends?

[Rman]

If you love NFL football DirecTV is a must for the Sunday ticket.

[Nintendosbooger]

If you love NFL football DirecTV is a must for the Sunday ticket.

I love football, but I also love saving money, too. I live within short walking distance of a few sports bars, so I usually watch the games there, but I also wouldn't mind seeing my Washington Redskins in action from the confines of my home.

What about the price of service? Is it cheaper or about the same as Comcast?

Thanks for the insight, btw.

[demi]

Comcast is pretty specific, so I can't chime in. But DTV is a good bundle regardless of where you are (even moreso than my local cable company). Satellite is always a good choice, next to not buying and sticking with Hulu/Netflix services.

[Nintendosbooger]

I figure I stick with Comcast for the Internet, and go with DirecTV for their TV service. Installation guy is coming next Friday, we'll see if this works out.

[demi]

That's what I have (sans Comcast).

[Phoenix Dark]

That's what I have (sans Comcast).

what do you use for internet

[demi]

BEX

[bork]

Comcast 

I could have gone with a faster Internet package (I guess), but I went with AT&T U-Verse Internet and TV instead.  Comcast customer service is fucking awful.

[Mupepe]

Comcast's customer service is indeed shit.  I hate that they pretty much own the Houston market.

[Phoenix Dark]

My Comcast internet has been going out 2-3 times a day for the last week. I find their customer support to be quite helpful though. Dunno about their cable service

[TakingBackSunday]

I'm switching from Comcast to ATT U-Verse pretty soon.  My parents have it and adore it, so I figure I'd switch too.  It's TV and internet.

[Nintendosbooger]

Just got off the phone with Comcast, and had to haggle with them for a better deal than the dry bone they initially offered.

DirecTV isn't an option any more. They provided a killer deal, with great shows, free ShoTime for a year and HBO for 6 months, plus the Sunday ticket, all of which negated by the 24-month service agreement. Yeah, I sign a 2 year contract, after which I lose all negotiation leverage and options. Not happening. Comcast, on the other hand, informed me I can drop the services (Internet and TV) whenever I choose. THAT I like.

[Bloodwake]

Yeah, but Comcast also has the power to raise your bill at will. The 2 year contract guarantees it won't go higher than the rate you negotiate with DirecTV. Comcast will probably raise your bill 5-6 times to spite you.

[Mupepe]

I hate Comcast with a passion.

Terrible customer service.  I dealt with incompetent and lazy tech people for years before finally giving up.  I'd tell them that my ondemand doesn't work and that if I reset it I can watch one episode/movie but then it wouldn't work again.  Everytime a tech guy would come out he'd reset it and say "it works now" and wouldn't listen to me.  Then he'd try to charge me for a home visit.  Fuck you.  They throttled the hell out of my internet to where I got one bar on Netflix and my downloads on torrents were around 70 kbps.

When I moved and transferred my service they charged me a 55 dollar fee and gave me a window of 10am to 5pm (so the whole fucking day, thanks for being specific assholes).  Tech guy doesn't show up by 5 so I call them and they say that they'll get in contact with him and make sure he's out.  7pm I call and tell them he never showed up.  They apologize and tell me he got busy blah blah blah.  At 8pm, tech dude calls and tells me he's on the way and he'll be there in about 30 minutes.  Never shows up.  Customer service asks me to stay home the next day and they'll get someone out.  Okay.  I take a second day off work.  Long story short, dude never shows up again.  When I call at 6pm they tell me that the technician said he came out the previous night but no one was home.  He was never even scheduled to come out that day!  What?!!!!!  They ask me to take another day off.  I tell them they need to work around my schedule I get off at 5.  They tell me they can't do that.  So I tell them to at least waive my transfer fee.  She tells me she can get me 15 dollars off my transfer fee.  I missed 16 hours of work and I still have to pay 40 fucking dollars for that privilege?  WHAT?  FUCK YOU!  I'm a customer for years and my continued business isn't worth 55 dollars to you???  After you fucked me out of 2 days of work and were asking me to take a third off?  WHAT???  That 15 bucks doesn't even cover ONE hour of work that I missed.  Suck my fucking balls.

Fuck you Comcast.  I hate you so fucking much and I hope you die.  I hope the company crashes and burns to the ground 9/11 style and a decent company picks up the remains.  Fuck you.

Oh yeah, and I had no contract too.  My bill went from around 90 dollars a month with the triple play HD shit to around 150 over a year and a half.  Fuck you, Comcast.  You fucking piece of shit company.

[demi]

Just got off the phone with Comcast, and had to haggle with them for a better deal than the dry bone they initially offered.

DirecTV isn't an option any more. They provided a killer deal, with great shows, free ShoTime for a year and HBO for 6 months, plus the Sunday ticket, all of which negated by the 24-month service agreement. Yeah, I sign a 2 year contract, after which I lose all negotiation leverage and options. Not happening. Comcast, on the other hand, informed me I can drop the services (Internet and TV) whenever I choose. THAT I like.

What are you gonna do when Comcast starts raping your virgin boyhole within the next 2 years?

[Nintendosbooger]

Just got off the phone with Comcast, and had to haggle with them for a better deal than the dry bone they initially offered.

DirecTV isn't an option any more. They provided a killer deal, with great shows, free ShoTime for a year and HBO for 6 months, plus the Sunday ticket, all of which negated by the 24-month service agreement. Yeah, I sign a 2 year contract, after which I lose all negotiation leverage and options. Not happening. Comcast, on the other hand, informed me I can drop the services (Internet and TV) whenever I choose. THAT I like.

What are you gonna do when Comcast starts raping your virgin boyhole within the next 2 years?

I can drop Comcast internet and TV at any point, and simply switch to a competitor if I so much as hear the sound of lubrication being applied. There's no contract involved. That's the beauty of it, as opposed to being deadlocked to DirecTV's service initially and not having the option at all. $24.99 for 12 months for digital service plus 6 months of free HBO, and $19.99 for Internet for 6 months.

[Smooth Groove]

Satellite TV offers better picture quality and more programs but the prices sneak up on you.  Two years into my DirectTV subscription, I'm paying about $110 per month. 

[Mupepe]

Just got off the phone with Comcast, and had to haggle with them for a better deal than the dry bone they initially offered.

DirecTV isn't an option any more. They provided a killer deal, with great shows, free ShoTime for a year and HBO for 6 months, plus the Sunday ticket, all of which negated by the 24-month service agreement. Yeah, I sign a 2 year contract, after which I lose all negotiation leverage and options. Not happening. Comcast, on the other hand, informed me I can drop the services (Internet and TV) whenever I choose. THAT I like.

What are you gonna do when Comcast starts raping your virgin boyhole within the next 2 years?

I can drop Comcast internet and TV at any point, and simply switch to a competitor if I so much as hear the sound of lubrication being applied. There's no contract involved. That's the beauty of it, as opposed to being deadlocked to DirecTV's service initially and not having the option at all. $24.99 for 12 months for digital service plus 6 months of free HBO, and $19.99 for Internet for 6 months.

Be careful about the "deals" CSR's make with you.  I worked at a telephone marketing place once and people would say all sorts of shit or bend the truth when selling stuff like that.  When I originally signed up for Comcast I was told 6 months of HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz, etc for only 6.99 per month.  When I got my fourth bill it was about 50 extra bucks for all those channels and it was because the CSR liked to me and told me it was 6 months but the promotion was only for 3.  The guy told me they had never run the promotion for 6 months.

[Bloodwake]

Exactly. Just get DirecTV. Even if you have Comcast now, it's not too late. Unless you like a million dollar corporation's ten foot dick right up your asshole.

Last time I talked to cable about installation, it was $200. I told them to fuck off. DirecTV all the way.