PoSmedley PoSmedley

Cable or Satellite? To switch or not to switch?

▼

Cable or Satellite? To switch or not to switch?

from WinCustomize Forums

I need some advice on something and this is the best place I know to get it. I trust my friends/nerds here more than anyone else when it come to  tech stuff and honest opinions.

Due to my being disabled and unable to work, I have to make some serious changes in my lifestyle. This includes how I get my TV, internet, and phone service.

Here is what I am looking at.

Time Warner - TV, Internet (15 mbps on a 'network'), and phone...aprx 150.00

Dish - TV (with 3 more boxes), internet (6mbps 'dedicated line' DSL through AT&T for live online gaming), phone ...aprx 130.00 (plus free ipad2}

Direct TV - Same as Dish but for aprx 105.00

These are THE ONLY options available in my area. THE ONLY options.

I did try and talk the wife into just internet and then hulu and netflix for 80.00 a month, saving us close to 1000 a year...but no deal.

So, my questions are simple...

  1. Does anyone have DISH or DIRECT TV and are you happy with it?
  2. Did you give up any channels and regret it?
  3. Does anyone have dedicated dsl at 6 mbps and use it for online gaming and are you satisfied? (I play Star Trek Online, nothing else)
  4. We have a Wii and sometimes use it for Netflix....does it work okay with dsl at 6mbps?
  5. Has anyone been burnt by DISH or DirectTV cause we are hearing a lot of negative stuff from each of them about the other (hidden fee's etc, etc)

 If anyone has an option I missed, I am open to hearing it. I just need details. We are currently with Time Warner and at the end of a locked in 2 year deal that is set to jump dramatically if we don't renew with some kind of bundle. We have less than a week to decide. 

What we aren't sure about is ::

  • How we will feel if we lose a few channels (like BBC America, Bravo, etc., etc)
  • If we will notice or be bothered by the change in internet which is currently "UP TO 15 Mbps" on a 'NETWORK' to 6MBPS on a 'Dedicated' line.

I have to go out for a bit, right now, but will be back on in a couple hours, so don't be discouraged if you don't see me responding to anything right away.

Thanks in advance! :)

14,128 views 36 replies
Reply #26 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Magic jack or that other internet phone doesn't work with satalite internet as they have a send and recieve line.  I have satalite internet.

Reply #27 from WinCustomize Forums Top

According to a magic jack ad I recently saw on TV, they now have a version that doesn't require a computer. Maybe an option?

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #28 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Right, doesn't require a computer, just internet.

Reply #29 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ah. Hmm...

 

Reply #30 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 27
According to a magic jack ad I recently saw on TV, they now have a version that doesn't require a computer.
End of RedneckDude's quote

My understanding was that the new version/option plugs directly into your phone line. I'll have to research it further.

Reply #31 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Po....you need to find the one that has the channels you watch the most to start with. Before that you have to find out who is in your area that will provide for you. I chose directv because they had a deal running at the time.

Don't pay for the premium channels like HBO, Max, Starz, etc etc...it's not at all worth it. They will give them or some of them to you for free in the beginning...hoping you will want to keep them...again...don't. They will give you free previews off and on and you will eventually see that the same programs on the "premium" channels are on the regular channels your already paying for...with the exception of may 2 or 3 newer movies...which will eventually end up on the regular channels anyway. And most of regular TV is crap anyway.

Pay per view channels are ok since you pay once and watch all day long...or 24 to 48 hours.

Satellite does go out due to approaching weather...mine goes out for about 5 minutes when it's about to rain....no big deal...gives your brain time to heal from the onslaught of commercial propaganda. But wait! There's more!

They are all pretty much the same...eventually the channels you like may or may not get pulled over some money dispute. So just find one that has your channels...is the cheapest...and go from there.

Reply #32 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hi, this one hits close to home.I too am severely disabled,had to change everything in my life . To make along story short i went with time Warner for the simple reason,Dish TV and Direct TV both suck. Where i live we have Dish already installed, i removed it because here in central Florida we have lots of storms during summer months and Dish TV keeps going down, its off more than it is on!I have HDTV,Internet at 90mbps,WiFi included, home telephone, all for 143.97 a month, It is through Bright House a division of Time Warner,it is a dedicated line. I love my service, plus free home service calls for tech or any repairs necessary can't beat that. stick with cable. Just talk with them they may be able to work a out a good service for you nothing to lose right!!!!

Reply #33 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting WebGizmos, reply 31
Po....you need to find the one that has the channels you watch the most to start with.
End of WebGizmos's quote

We would lose a few channels...just a few...if we went with any satellite service..but we would also pick up some. We aren't looking at any premium channels like HBO and stuff. Never have had them. 

All of this is kind of mute right now as when we got home from church yesterday we discovered our TV had died. It's an Elemental LCD and it seems the power board may have gone south on us. My wife is kind of a mess as this is just another in a million setbacks we have had to deal with. September is not turning out to be the month we had hoped and planned for it to be, where we might finally get a break and see a light at the end of the tunnel. If it weren't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all.

Quoting nwolf16, reply 32
removed it because here in central Florida we have lots of storms during summer months and Dish TV keeps going down, its off more than it is on!I
End of nwolf16's quote

Thanks, nwolf16! VERY helpful, as we are in South Carolina and the weather, along with the summer storms is similar. Yeah...I may have to go and make a personal appearance at TimeWarner and try to beg from that angle. I am having no luck over the phone. I keep getting pushed off on their retention department and I don't get the impression they are trying to retain me at all.

The TV going down may change things drastically though. I don't know how we're gonna get around that with the bills that have piled up since I became disabled. It's probably gonna come down to one or the other.

Reply #34 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Considering all the crap that's on TV anymore I've seriously considered just dropping it completely. I figured I have around 400 dvd and a 5 disc changer...and most of the time my TV is just on for background noise...I'd be saving around 60-70 a month and if I saw a movie I really wanted to see I could just buy the dvd or rent it. Plus they have a bunch of deals around where you can buy dvd's really cheap. The only thing I would miss is all those commercials!! lol

Oh...and check craigslist for a TV...got a decent one for $40.

Reply #35 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I can only mention what we have.

Wii for netflix. we have streaming and up to three discs checked out at once. Our current DVD series are gray's anatomy, NCIS and Southland. We watch about 2hrs in the evening $28/mo

HD antenna in the attic but watch very little TV, but it's there if... $0/mo

Roadrunner standard at 15Mps, they have specials all the time for new customers. $60/mo

Bell South for land line $45/mo

T-Mobile for cell phones $60/mo

our land line is used for my wife's work or we would have dropped this a long time ago.

TV's, get a Sony

You can probably get better rates with bundling your services but is harder to change if dissatisfied with any portion of the package.

read the fine print and good luck.

Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting WebGizmos, reply 34
Oh...and check craigslist for a TV...got a decent one for $40.
End of WebGizmos's quote

Found a couple forums that say the power board can easily be replaced...even one that says you can get a refurbished board for under 89. I'm looking into it.