They Get You Coming And Going...

Ksyrup · 03-10-2005, 01:50 PM

So I finally decided to make the jump to DirecTV for local channels. We pay around $11-12 for basic cable with Comcast, and the new DirecTV package with locals costs an extra $3. I hadn't switched over because I was concerned about losing local channels in a bad storm/hurricane, and I know that we'd lose DirecTV much quicker than cable. But I figured we still have a radio to listen to, and if things got really bad, we'd likely lose cable as well. So, I decided to try to save $10 a month. Plua, the DirecTV picture really is noticeably better.

Now, I also have internet through Comcast. I think it's around $40 a month. So I call up and tell them I want to keep internet but drop cable. The guy tells me I should keep cable, because without it, the cost of the internet would go up to $58, meaning it would cost me about $5 more to just have internet than to have internet and cable.

Sons of bitches.

gstelmack · 03-10-2005, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I hadn't switched over because I was concerned about losing local channels in a bad storm/hurricane, and I know that we'd lose DirecTV much quicker than cable.

That's as compared to the cable service, which in my neighborhood used to go out when the neighbor sneezed. DirecTV has NEVER gone out on me when the sun's shining, but Time Warner would be out at least once a week just during the morning hours when I was trying to catch the news before going into work...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Now, I also have internet through Comcast. I think it's around $40 a month. So I call up and tell them I want to keep internet but drop cable. The guy tells me I should keep cable, because without it, the cost of the internet would go up to $58, meaning it would cost me about $5 more to just have internet than to have internet and cable.

Yet another reason to make sure as little money as possible is going to your cable company. Which unfortunately probably means keeping both internet and TV. But on the plus side, now you've got local channel backup.

bbor · 03-10-2005, 01:56 PM

That does'nt sound right,how could they give away internet access for 5 bux less?

mhass · 03-10-2005, 01:58 PM

It's the same where I live (different company). I can't part with high-speed though.

Ksyrup · 03-10-2005, 01:59 PM

I've never had a problem with cable TV going out. Ever. The only time I lose DirecTV is during a downpour, and it only lasts as long as the heaviest rain. But our cable is admittedly very stable.

Raiders Army · 03-10-2005, 01:59 PM

That was almost the same thing with me. Roadrunner in El Paso cost $40 a month if you had cable...$48 a month if you didn't. Basic cable cost $10 a month, so I decided to pay the extra $2 a month for basic cable.

Desnudo · 03-10-2005, 02:00 PM

Can't you get internet access through DirectTV?

Ksyrup · 03-10-2005, 02:02 PM

It's similar to what insurance companies do with multiple line discounts, but it seems to work the opposite way - as a disloyalty penalty. When I got internet through them, I don't ever remember them telling me that internet costs $58, but only $40 since you're a loyal cable subscriber (which is the way insurance works). Here, it was $40 for internet, but since you're trying to get out of paying us for cable, we're going to make it financially irresponsible for you to drop us.

Desnudo · 03-10-2005, 02:09 PM

Isn't that just a matter of wording with the same result?

Ksyrup · 03-10-2005, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Can't you get internet access through DirectTV?

Had it. For the money, it was awful. I did it only because when we moved into our neighborhood, we could only get 33.6 dialup. Man was that miserable. So I paid about $800 to have a special satellite installed (the installers had to come from Jacksonville) and paid $60 a month for the service. It was very fast, but it went out much quicker during bad weather, and worst of all, there was a download limit - I think it was something like 160MB within an hour or something. When you hit your limit, it shut you down to dialup speed. Next day, you'd be back up and running...until you hit it again. When we got cable internet in our area and I finally decided to switch over, DirecTV offered me an enhanced internet service which would have given me like 500MB of downloads - for the low, low price of $90, plus an upgrade in equipment that cost $400!

I'm sure it's gotten more affordable (I hope, anyway - I've been off of it for over a couple of years), but from my perspective, it should only be considered as a last resort.

Ksyrup · 03-10-2005, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Isn't that just a matter of wording with the same result?

Yes. I'm just saying, as a customer, one makes me feel like I'm getting a benefit, the other makes me feel like I'm getting the shaft.

albionmoonlight · 03-10-2005, 02:16 PM

Can you get DSL through your phone company and drop the cable company altogether?

BrianD · 03-10-2005, 02:21 PM

Cable companies really do suck. My parents, using Charter, just got a notice that their premium Starz package was going up $10/month. They decided that the package wasn't worth an extra $10/month, so they canceled the package....and saw their bill go up $8/month.

sachmo71 · 03-10-2005, 02:22 PM

The reason for the increased rate I have been told is that with cable internet, they have to send basic cable to your house. Since so many people were just taking the cable for free, they decided to charge those that did not pay for digital an extra $10 per month to "cover the costs".

Ksyrup · 03-10-2005, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Can you get DSL through your phone company and drop the cable company altogether?

I could, but I don't know how good or bad DSL service is in this area. And I just checked, and I would be capped at 1.5Mbs, while I have 4Mbs right now with Comcast. And the Comcast service has generally been pretty stable.

Including the cable TV package I'm forced to buy, the difference would be around $15-20 between DSL and Comcast, but with the uncertainty in performance, the increased speed I'm getting now, and the general hassle of making a switch (email addresses and such), I think I'm just going to have to bend over and take it.

Ksyrup · 03-10-2005, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachmo71

The reason for the increased rate I have been told is that with cable internet, they have to send basic cable to your house. Since so many people were just taking the cable for free, they decided to charge those that did not pay for digital an extra $10 per month to "cover the costs".

Wel, if that's the case, then the least they could do is make it a wash. It shouldn't cost any more for internet alone then it would for internet and cable. That way, if I decided to steal the cable, they'd still be getting the money they would have if I subscribed for it.

Desnudo · 03-10-2005, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Yes. I'm just saying, as a customer, one makes me feel like I'm getting a benefit, the other makes me feel like I'm getting the shaft.

I know what you mean, it makes it more irritating. I would give threatening to cancel the whole shebang a shot. Like if they say they'll have to increase your internet price as a result, then say, okay, I'll go ahead and cancel that too then. I'm sure their sales reps have some flexibility with what they can do. If they don't, then get DSL or satellite.

gstelmack · 03-10-2005, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachmo71

The reason for the increased rate I have been told is that with cable internet, they have to send basic cable to your house. Since so many people were just taking the cable for free, they decided to charge those that did not pay for digital an extra $10 per month to "cover the costs".

Not in this area. There's a "shunt" (or whatever they call it) out at the street to prevent a TV signal from reaching my house. I know this because it broke last year (after being installed for about a year...) and my Internet started going flaky. That was lots of fun dealing with tech support (flaky connection worked sometimes, not others, so diagnosing was a trip) and they finally sent a technician out who diagnosed the issue in about 2 seconds. Apparently these things are the bane of the Road Runner techs in this area...

tategter · 03-10-2005, 02:42 PM

I had cable and a cable modem up until a couple months ago and decided to go to DirecTV. When I found-out I would be paying $10 more per month to keep the cable modem without cable I went with my local phone company's offer of a DirecTV package + 1.5Mbps DSL. Now I get everything I had before plus Tivo for about $15 less.

Does your phone company offer anything like this?

Radii · 03-10-2005, 02:44 PM

We struggled with this as well when we moved over the new year. We wanted DirectTV and internet service. No phone service thanks, we'll use our cell phones instead and save some money. Well, we're still saving quite a bit of money, but we did get stuck w/ cable modem at a higher rate. DSL w/o the phone vs Cable modem w/o the TV were about the same screwjobs, and I hate Bellsouth a lot more than i hate Charter, so we have cable modem/DirectTV/No land line.

Wolfpack · 03-10-2005, 02:49 PM

Since this seems to have turned into a general rant-on-cable thread, I'll chip in a freshly minted experience. The first two games of the ACC tournament were not going to be carried by ESPN, which included the game I wanted to see, FSU-NCSU. I see that the ACC has a channel on the PPV listing, so I call up Comcast to order. Person on the other end was unhelpful and didn't know what I was trying to do, practically. Says the only way I can see the game is to pony up $69 for the half-season package of Full Court. Uh, no.

I go to ESPN's website and of course they say you can get a single day package for $15. Try again with Comcast. This time I ask for single-day package of Full Court. They tell me they don't have that option. Grrr.... So, I decide to purchase the internet version of the package, but something isn't right. I call up ESPN member services and ask whether the "one day" is midnight-midnight or 24 hours from ordering. They say midnight-midnight (not mentioned on the site), so I would have paid $15 for about three hours of programming last night. I also ask the guy on the phone whether he knew why my cable provider wasn't giving me the single day option. He said that he heard that was happening, but didn't know why and that they should be giving that option.

I come home at lunch and decide I can make one last attempt to reason with Comcast, perhaps negotiate something since they seem to be in the wrong on Full Court. Instead end up hanging up on them after they obstinately refuse to acknowledge they are in contradiction with ESPN's options. Ultimately purchase the internet choice and am now sitting at my computer watching the game.

It's enough to drive a man to cut cable and go to something else if it weren't such a pain in the ass to switch all the services.

KWhit · 03-10-2005, 03:13 PM

I have had no issues with Comcast. Their service has been dependable and I love their new DVR. It's way better than TIVO and cheaper.

Bea-Arthurs Hip · 03-10-2005, 03:13 PM

Quote:

I had cable and a cable modem up until a couple months ago and decided to go to DirecTV. When I found-out I would be paying $10 more per month to keep the cable modem without cable I went with my local phone company's offer of a DirecTV package + 1.5Mbps DSL. Now I get everything I had before plus Tivo for about $15 less.

I hope we see this in more areas, espcially in Michigan...I really want Direct TV but have same issues as everone else.

JasonC23 · 03-10-2005, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KWhit

I have had no issues with Comcast. Their service has been dependable and I love their new DVR. It's way better than TIVO and cheaper.

This is the exact opposite of what I've heard, oddly enough. I'm curious as to why you think it's way better than TiVo. (FYI, I'm a DirecTV with TiVo subscriber, but my cable modem is through Comcast.)

sachmo71 · 03-10-2005, 03:18 PM

At least here in Texas, I'm saving about $20 a month with Direct TV and Tivo.

EDIT: errr...over Comcast Digital.

Draft Dodger · 03-10-2005, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachmo71

At least here in Texas, I'm saving about $20 a month with Direct TV and Tivo.

EDIT: errr...over Comcast Digital.

I don't know what I'm saving now, but it definitely was a drop in price for me when I switched from cable to DirecTV. At the time, it was also a huge boost in quality and reliability as the cable totally sucked ass.

I've had Verizon DSL for years, and the prices have actually dropped pretty steadily - it was $39.95 a month when I first started, dropped down to $34.95 a few years back. Just yesterday, I signed up for an annual commitment to bring that down to $29.95. Reliability has been pretty good overall - it's been a LONG time since I can remember any sort of service outtage. And the tech support, in my experience, is solid - no rocket scientists working there, but they are as polite and patient as any phone support I've experienced (they also speak English)

HomerJSimpson · 03-10-2005, 10:17 PM

It is really on based on areas. Comcast has been great for me. Love the cable modem, and have had no problems with the cable tv. I get the DVR box (with HDTV) for $10 a month, without having to buy any equipment, and if I decide tommorow that I want something else, it is gone without any breaking of contracts. I had Diretv and Dish Network and found them wanting.

03-10-2005, 01:56 PM	#3
bbor Pro Starter Join Date: May 2001 Location: toronto	That does'nt sound right,how could they give away internet access for 5 bux less? __________________ Pumpy Tudors Now that I've cracked and made that admission, I wonder if I'm only a couple of steps away from wanting to tongue-kiss Jaromir Jagr and give Bobby Clarke a blowjob.

03-10-2005, 01:58 PM	#4
mhass High School Varsity Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Here	It's the same where I live (different company). I can't part with high-speed though. __________________ Now while I wasn't able to cut everyone I wanted to, I have cut a lot of you. - H.J.S.

03-10-2005, 01:59 PM	#5
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	I've never had a problem with cable TV going out. Ever. The only time I lose DirecTV is during a downpour, and it only lasts as long as the heaviest rain. But our cable is admittedly very stable. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

03-10-2005, 02:02 PM	#8
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	It's similar to what insurance companies do with multiple line discounts, but it seems to work the opposite way - as a disloyalty penalty. When I got internet through them, I don't ever remember them telling me that internet costs $58, but only $40 since you're a loyal cable subscriber (which is the way insurance works). Here, it was $40 for internet, but since you're trying to get out of paying us for cable, we're going to make it financially irresponsible for you to drop us. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

03-10-2005, 03:18 PM	#25
sachmo71 The boy who cried Trout Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: TX	At least here in Texas, I'm saving about $20 a month with Direct TV and Tivo. EDIT: errr...over Comcast Digital. Last edited by sachmo71 : 03-10-2005 at 03:18 PM.

03-10-2005, 01:59 PM	#6
Raiders Army Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Black Hole	That was almost the same thing with me. Roadrunner in El Paso cost $40 a month if you had cable...$48 a month if you didn't. Basic cable cost $10 a month, so I decided to pay the extra $2 a month for basic cable.

03-10-2005, 02:00 PM	#7
Desnudo Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Here and There	Can't you get internet access through DirectTV?

03-10-2005, 02:09 PM	#9
Desnudo Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Here and There	Isn't that just a matter of wording with the same result?

03-10-2005, 02:16 PM	#12
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Can you get DSL through your phone company and drop the cable company altogether?

03-10-2005, 02:21 PM	#13
BrianD Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	Cable companies really do suck. My parents, using Charter, just got a notice that their premium Starz package was going up $10/month. They decided that the package wasn't worth an extra $10/month, so they canceled the package....and saw their bill go up $8/month.

03-10-2005, 02:22 PM	#14
sachmo71 The boy who cried Trout Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: TX	The reason for the increased rate I have been told is that with cable internet, they have to send basic cable to your house. Since so many people were just taking the cable for free, they decided to charge those that did not pay for digital an extra $10 per month to "cover the costs".

03-10-2005, 02:42 PM	#19
tategter High School JV Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Florida Swampland	I had cable and a cable modem up until a couple months ago and decided to go to DirecTV. When I found-out I would be paying $10 more per month to keep the cable modem without cable I went with my local phone company's offer of a DirecTV package + 1.5Mbps DSL. Now I get everything I had before plus Tivo for about $15 less. Does your phone company offer anything like this?

03-10-2005, 02:44 PM	#20
Radii Head Coach Join Date: Jul 2001	We struggled with this as well when we moved over the new year. We wanted DirectTV and internet service. No phone service thanks, we'll use our cell phones instead and save some money. Well, we're still saving quite a bit of money, but we did get stuck w/ cable modem at a higher rate. DSL w/o the phone vs Cable modem w/o the TV were about the same screwjobs, and I hate Bellsouth a lot more than i hate Charter, so we have cable modem/DirectTV/No land line.

03-10-2005, 02:49 PM	#21
Wolfpack Pro Rookie Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Raleigh, NC	Since this seems to have turned into a general rant-on-cable thread, I'll chip in a freshly minted experience. The first two games of the ACC tournament were not going to be carried by ESPN, which included the game I wanted to see, FSU-NCSU. I see that the ACC has a channel on the PPV listing, so I call up Comcast to order. Person on the other end was unhelpful and didn't know what I was trying to do, practically. Says the only way I can see the game is to pony up $69 for the half-season package of Full Court. Uh, no. I go to ESPN's website and of course they say you can get a single day package for $15. Try again with Comcast. This time I ask for single-day package of Full Court. They tell me they don't have that option. Grrr.... So, I decide to purchase the internet version of the package, but something isn't right. I call up ESPN member services and ask whether the "one day" is midnight-midnight or 24 hours from ordering. They say midnight-midnight (not mentioned on the site), so I would have paid $15 for about three hours of programming last night. I also ask the guy on the phone whether he knew why my cable provider wasn't giving me the single day option. He said that he heard that was happening, but didn't know why and that they should be giving that option. I come home at lunch and decide I can make one last attempt to reason with Comcast, perhaps negotiate something since they seem to be in the wrong on Full Court. Instead end up hanging up on them after they obstinately refuse to acknowledge they are in contradiction with ESPN's options. Ultimately purchase the internet choice and am now sitting at my computer watching the game. It's enough to drive a man to cut cable and go to something else if it weren't such a pain in the ass to switch all the services.

03-10-2005, 03:13 PM	#22
KWhit Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Conyers GA	I have had no issues with Comcast. Their service has been dependable and I love their new DVR. It's way better than TIVO and cheaper.

03-10-2005, 10:17 PM	#27
HomerJSimpson College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Springfield, USA	It is really on based on areas. Comcast has been great for me. Love the cable modem, and have had no problems with the cable tv. I get the DVR box (with HDTV) for $10 a month, without having to buy any equipment, and if I decide tommorow that I want something else, it is gone without any breaking of contracts. I had Diretv and Dish Network and found them wanting.

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