Now you're talking a little expensive... But I can give you some general ideas. If any of the below confuses you, let me know and I will clarify. I get a little wordy sometimes.

 

If you want DIRECTV and you want HD, you likely want to get at least the Choice XTRA plan. This plan is $63.99 normally, but you can get a first year introductory price of $34.99. This comes with three free months of Starz and Showtime.

 

If you want HD access, this is an additional $10 / month (up to $44.99).

 

A standard installation includes 4 standard receivers. On the Choice XTRA plan and above (Choice Ultimate [this is a new package] and Premier are the next two steps up) you are eligible to upgrade one of those four receivers to a HD, DVR, or HD-DVR receiver at no additional upfront cost. For your 2nd and each additional receiver, however, if you wanted to upgrade those to HD it would cost $99 per receiver upfront. HD-DVRs would be $199 per receiver upfront.

 

If you wanted DVR access it would be $7 / month... Again, this access would just be on one TV unless you wanted to pay additional upfront costs to upgrade the other TVs. If you made all of the TVs DVRs, though, you would only be paying the $7 once and it would cover all of the TVs.

 

Now you said you may want 7 TVs. As nees already mentioned, there is a $5 lease fee for each additional receiver that you have... So that would be $30 in monthly lease fees. Also, let's just say for example that you only want the HD access in your living room and you want standard definition in the other 6 rooms. As I mentioned above, you get the first four receivers for free upfront. The other 3 standard receivers would be an upfront $69 a piece.

 

HBO is $14.99 / month and comes with HBO East, HBO West, HBO2 East, HBO2 West, HBO Family East, HBO Family West, HBO Latino, and HBO Signature. The only ones of these that are in HD are HBO East and West.

 

The Sports Pack includes 35 channels (including all of the FSNs) with 27 channels in HD. This is $12.99 / month.

 

I know that's a lot of numbers and prices mentioned above, and because it's in text form it may just seem like a wall of info... But like I said, please ask me to clarify if you don't understand any of the above.

 

 

 

You're full of info, I'm going to get in on this. I currently have a HD/DVR receiver in the living room. I have a standard receiver in the bedroom.

Now, tell me if this is right. If I wanted to switch the standard receiver in the bedroom for a HD receiver without the DVR it would be $99 up front? How much more monthly? Installation fees?

Now you're talking a little expensive... But I can give you some general ideas. If any of the below confuses you, let me know and I will clarify. I get a little wordy sometimes.

 

If you want DIRECTV and you want HD, you likely want to get at least the Choice XTRA plan. This plan is $63.99 normally, but you can get a first year introductory price of $34.99. This comes with three free months of Starz and Showtime.

 

If you want HD access, this is an additional $10 / month (up to $44.99).

 

A standard installation includes 4 standard receivers. On the Choice XTRA plan and above (Choice Ultimate [this is a new package] and Premier are the next two steps up) you are eligible to upgrade one of those four receivers to a HD, DVR, or HD-DVR receiver at no additional upfront cost. For your 2nd and each additional receiver, however, if you wanted to upgrade those to HD it would cost $99 per receiver upfront. HD-DVRs would be $199 per receiver upfront.

 

If you wanted DVR access it would be $7 / month... Again, this access would just be on one TV unless you wanted to pay additional upfront costs to upgrade the other TVs. If you made all of the TVs DVRs, though, you would only be paying the $7 once and it would cover all of the TVs.

 

Now you said you may want 7 TVs. As nees already mentioned, there is a $5 lease fee for each additional receiver that you have... So that would be $30 in monthly lease fees. Also, let's just say for example that you only want the HD access in your living room and you want standard definition in the other 6 rooms. As I mentioned above, you get the first four receivers for free upfront. The other 3 standard receivers would be an upfront $69 a piece.

 

HBO is $14.99 / month and comes with HBO East, HBO West, HBO2 East, HBO2 West, HBO Family East, HBO Family West, HBO Latino, and HBO Signature. The only ones of these that are in HD are HBO East and West.

 

The Sports Pack includes 35 channels (including all of the FSNs) with 27 channels in HD. This is $12.99 / month.

 

I know that's a lot of numbers and prices mentioned above, and because it's in text form it may just seem like a wall of info... But like I said, please ask me to clarify if you don't understand any of the above.

 

:thumb: Very good explanation. I am waiting/hoping that a company will attempt to sell set top boxes direct to consumers. This way we consumers do not have to pay a silly leasing fee to the cable/satellite company for equipment that costs them approximately $50 to $70 wholesale. So in the space of 5 months, the cable/satellite company has covered their cost and the rest of our monthly payments for "leased equipment" is pure gravy to them. Reminds me of when my grandmother passed away in the late 80s. She was leasing her phone from the phone company...:eek: She could have gone to the store and purchased one for about $10... Instead she was paying AT&T $4 a month for hers... Dumb yes, but at least she had the option of buying the equipment. We do not have that option yet.

Edited February 10, 201016 yr by Gunner11

You're full of info, I'm going to get in on this. I currently have a HD/DVR receiver in the living room. I have a standard receiver in the bedroom.

Now, tell me if this is right. If I wanted to switch the standard receiver in the bedroom for a HD receiver without the DVR it would be $99 up front? How much more monthly? Installation fees?

 

You're correct, it would be $99.

 

Your monthly charge should stay the same. If you're already paying the monthly fee for HD in your living room, that covers all TVs in your house... So that flat $5 / month that you're paying for the other receivers stays the same -- Regardless of whether it's a standard, HD, DVR, etc.

 

I have never seen DIRECTV charge anything for upgrades on the installation, but that's not to say that they don't or won't. Just that I haven't seen it.

:thumb: Very good explanation. I am waiting/hoping that a company will attempt to sell set top boxes direct to consumers. This way we consumers do not have to pay a silly leasing fee to the cable/satellite company for equipment that costs them approximately $50 to $70 wholesale. So in the space of 5 months, the cable/satellite company has covered their cost and the rest of our monthly payments for "leased equipment" is pure gravy to them. Reminds me of when my grandmother passed away in the late 80s. She was leasing her phone from the phone company...:eek: She could have gone to the store and purchased one for about $10... Instead she was paying AT&T $4 a month for hers...

 

DIRECTV will sell you equipment, but it's not very attractive. I believe a HD-DVR is $470 if you buy it. At $5 a month in lease fees, it would take you 94 months to break even on that investment.

 

They will also not give you any current national promotional discounts... So instead of paying $39.99 / month for Choice Ultimate, you'd go straight to paying $68.99.

 

There is also another fee that they will put on your account to offset the $5 that you aren't paying in lease fees. It's called a receiver mirroring fee.

 

Also, if there is a problem with the receiver outside of warranty (which I believe is one year, but it may be two years for the HD-DVR) then you'd either have to buy a new receiver or switch over to the lease model anyways.

 

While there are perks to owning the receiver (no contract), DIRECTV definitely pulls out all the stops to make the lease model appear much more attractive. It wasn't always like that.

Now you're talking a little expensive... But I can give you some general ideas. If any of the below confuses you, let me know and I will clarify. I get a little wordy sometimes.

 

If you want DIRECTV and you want HD, you likely want to get at least the Choice XTRA plan. This plan is $63.99 normally, but you can get a first year introductory price of $34.99. This comes with three free months of Starz and Showtime.

 

If you want HD access, this is an additional $10 / month (up to $44.99).

 

A standard installation includes 4 standard receivers. On the Choice XTRA plan and above (Choice Ultimate [this is a new package] and Premier are the next two steps up) you are eligible to upgrade one of those four receivers to a HD, DVR, or HD-DVR receiver at no additional upfront cost. For your 2nd and each additional receiver, however, if you wanted to upgrade those to HD it would cost $99 per receiver upfront. HD-DVRs would be $199 per receiver upfront.

 

If you wanted DVR access it would be $7 / month... Again, this access would just be on one TV unless you wanted to pay additional upfront costs to upgrade the other TVs. If you made all of the TVs DVRs, though, you would only be paying the $7 once and it would cover all of the TVs.

 

Now you said you may want 7 TVs. As nees already mentioned, there is a $5 lease fee for each additional receiver that you have... So that would be $30 in monthly lease fees. Also, let's just say for example that you only want the HD access in your living room and you want standard definition in the other 6 rooms. As I mentioned above, you get the first four receivers for free upfront. The other 3 standard receivers would be an upfront $69 a piece.

 

HBO is $14.99 / month and comes with HBO East, HBO West, HBO2 East, HBO2 West, HBO Family East, HBO Family West, HBO Latino, and HBO Signature. The only ones of these that are in HD are HBO East and West.

 

The Sports Pack includes 35 channels (including all of the FSNs) with 27 channels in HD. This is $12.99 / month.

 

I know that's a lot of numbers and prices mentioned above, and because it's in text form it may just seem like a wall of info... But like I said, please ask me to clarify if you don't understand any of the above.

 

Great info Hangman. Thanks so much. I would only need 2 TV's out of the 7 to have HD/DVR. Standard would be fine with the others. That would put me at about $111 per month after the 1st 12 months. Not counting all the upfront money. It is $80 per month now for local cable with HBO, HD/DVR in the living room. Regular HBO on all other TV's and some HD channels in the Den downstairs because it is a newer TV with internal tuner. Though the local cable keeps taking them away 1 at a time it seems. On cable, FoxSports and ESPNU are not HD and have terrible pics. Hmm.. I'll have to ponder now. Thanks again. Heck you should work for DTV if you don't already.:lol:

You're correct, it would be $99.

 

Your monthly charge should stay the same. If you're already paying the monthly fee for HD in your living room, that covers all TVs in your house... So that flat $5 / month that you're paying for the other receivers stays the same -- Regardless of whether it's a standard, HD, DVR, etc.

 

I have never seen DIRECTV charge anything for upgrades on the installation, but that's not to say that they don't or won't. Just that I haven't seen it.

 

Depending on how long he has been a customer, and if he's in good standings, it might be free. When I upgraded a standard to HD, they didn't charge me anything.

Great info Hangman. Thanks so much. I would only need 2 TV's out of the 7 to have HD/DVR. Standard would be fine with the others. That would put me at about $111 per month after the 1st 12 months. Not counting all the upfront money. It is $80 per month now for local cable with HBO, HD/DVR in the living room. Regular HBO on all other TV's and some HD channels in the Den downstairs because it is a newer TV with internal tuner. Though the local cable keeps taking them away 1 at a time it seems. On cable, FoxSports and ESPNU are not HD and have terrible pics. Hmm.. I'll have to ponder now. Thanks again. Heck you should work for DTV if you don't already.:lol:

 

No problem.

 

I don't work for DTV, but I am the trainer for a company that sells the service... So it's all embedded in my brain now. :lol:

Depending on how long he has been a customer, and if he's in good standings, it might be free. When I upgraded a standard to HD, they didn't charge me anything.

 

I've had Directv for two years, never paid late and always paid the full balance. I'll give them a call and see what I can find out. Thanks for the info Hangman.

DIRECTV will sell you equipment, but it's not very attractive. I believe a HD-DVR is $470 if you buy it. At $5 a month in lease fees, it would take you 94 months to break even on that investment.

 

They will also not give you any current national promotional discounts... So instead of paying $39.99 / month for Choice Ultimate, you'd go straight to paying $68.99.

 

There is also another fee that they will put on your account to offset the $5 that you aren't paying in lease fees. It's called a receiver mirroring fee.

 

Also, if there is a problem with the receiver outside of warranty (which I believe is one year, but it may be two years for the HD-DVR) then you'd either have to buy a new receiver or switch over to the lease model anyways.

 

While there are perks to owning the receiver (no contract), DIRECTV definitely pulls out all the stops to make the lease model appear much more attractive. It wasn't always like that.

 

True, which is why I think/hope there will be a company that will come in and sell that same set top box product that DirecTV is selling at a 900% markup for a more competitve price and fill a need. Supply and demand and the free market usually takes care of the rest.

No issues with the weather with DTV or Dish? I'm debating a switch from the local cable.

 

You too...lol I went to turn in my box to the plantboard and there was like 3 others switching also.

My problem with Dish is the billing. I have my bill taken out of my credit card account every month then I pay the credit card bill. I noticed a drastic increase in my account and when I checked it out Dish had raised my bill by 40 dollars. I called dish and they informed me that they had added some packages to my account. I told them that if it was not removed and reimbursed I was going to add a lawsuit to their company.

I've had DTV for 10 years. Love it. One of my neighbors has cable. During the 2004 hurricane season, they lost cable for days when Frances and Jeanie blew through. DirecTV was down only during the heaviest squalls. My sister had Dish, but also ran into billing issues. She dumped it for FIOS.

DTV

DirecTV, I'll never leave them. Moved Big screen to the Bama Cave, called them to move the line did it the next day, and said they will bill me on the switch. So many other examples but they are boring to you.

You too...lol I went to turn in my box to the plantboard and there was like 3 others switching also.

 

Seriously considering it. Frankfort Plant Board Cable is terrible.:madman: Did they try to talk you out of switching?