I finally made the switch...

[Cobra611]

Well, I'm not here trying to stir up the pot, nor cause any trouble. A few months ago, I came in here and said I was going to switch to DirecTV. My wife and I closed on our home in mid July but because I've been out of work since April, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. Not to mention, still being reluctant to make the switch. We all have our moments of frustration with Cablevision and also moments of great enjoyment. For me, I wanted more. I was VERY unhappy with the quality of service for the HD channels we were receiving. Some channels were simply unwatchable at times, FOR ME. I have no idea what it takes to transmit a cable channel, let alone what the hell a QAM is:-)

Anyway, I decided to pull the trigger and after 3 visits, I was hooked up. It took a while because I live in a townhouse community, and placement of the dish was tricky. So, after having service for just about 24 hours now, I can honestly say I am VERY happy I made the switch. The HD channels on DirecTV are simply brilliant, compared with Cablevision. I did notice a very small increase in HD picture quality when I first moved from my old apartment to here. Those apartments are nearly 20 years old, while the community is barely 2. So, I assume it was mainly the old wiring. So, I was contemplating keeping Cablevision. But, I liked the promotion DirecTV was running with the NFL Sunday Ticket, so I jumped at it.

The HD channels on DirecTV are clearer, sharper, crisper, with better color. They looked almost wet, at times...that's the only way I can explain that. The picture also looked "deeper" than Cablevision. By that I mean it actually LOOKED like High Definition. Every few days, I had to keep adjusting the color settings with Cablevision. The colors on here look, true. The big risk with my decision to switch, is the dispute with Versus. I could care less about the channel and ONLY watch it when the Rangers are on. I suppose for the few games this year that they are on there exclusively, I can watch at a friends house or something. I love having NFL Network, too. Got to watch a replay of the Giant win over Dallas:-) The picture is fantastic on NFL Network, as is with the NHL Network too. MUCH better than Cablevision. The Dark Knight was on yesterday on HBO, and it looked fantastic. So did the other few movies I flicked through. And most importantly, MSG HD looked great. The quality of HGTV HD is leaps and bounds better than Cablevision.

I'm not going to write about every channel. But, I know some people wanted to know how the service was. I'm sorry if I bored many of you with this.

Honestly, I can tell you I am very happy with what I am seeing right now. I know every service has its' problems, and I know DirecTV isn't perfect. But, for what I wanted, I had to take a chance.

So, hopefully this was kind of helpful. If anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Best regards,
Billy

[Chucky Cheese]

Your paying the bill. As long as your happy with it, that's all that really matters. Good Luck.

[citrixguy]

I'd be right there with you if I could get a shot from where I have to put the dish.

[Joseph Dubin]

Hoping you have or will find employment soon - we all know how rough it must be on you and the family.

Wiring varies from community to community and so (I guess) can picture quality. I've always liked the quality of the HD picture we get in the Bronx. Where you on the same feed or one of a different area?

[cforrest]

I would assume PQ was always better in the Bronx & Brooklyn area, since you guys have been mostly all digital. I think only Broadcast Basic is analog and that will go away soon, if the FCC allows Cablevision to go all digital. Out the suburbs, we have so much analog relative to the city areas, bandwidth for PQ is at a premium out here.

[Cobra611]

Thank you Joseph! It has been tough, but life could be worse. I am very fortunate.

It'll be 1 week tomorrow, since I had DirecTV installed. I can honestly say, I'm glad I made the switch. I am more than pleased with the HD picture quality. By comparison, it blows Cablevision away. Of course this is MY opinion, and I understand people who may be reluctant to believe me. I NEVER had anything against Cablevision, and I'm giving my honest thoughts.

I moved approx. 5 miles from my old place. The way these neighboring towns are, I'm not certain about the feed.

Anyway, thanks again. I'll check back from time to time because, well....I have a lot of free time on my hands at the moment

Take care!

[Joseph Dubin]

Thank you Joseph! It has been tough, but life could be worse. I am very fortunate.

It'll be 1 week tomorrow, since I had DirecTV installed. I can honestly say, I'm glad I made the switch. I am more than pleased with the HD picture quality. By comparison, it blows Cablevision away. Of course this is MY opinion, and I understand people who may be reluctant to believe me. I NEVER had anything against Cablevision, and I'm giving my honest thoughts.

I moved approx. 5 miles from my old place. The way these neighboring towns are, I'm not certain about the feed.

Anyway, thanks again. I'll check back from time to time because, well....I have a lot of free time on my hands at the moment

Take care!

Hi Cobra,

Please do drop in from time to time.

We've all been down the same road one way or another so you are right - things can be much worse (as it has been for all of us). When you least expect it, something will come your way I'm sure!

As far as PQ, I guess those of us in the Bronx and Brooklyn are more fortunate than ohters.

[beachrider]

I think that satellite gives a better bang-for-the-buck for TV watching. Where is becomes questionable is when you take the Internet and Phone combo offers. If full-time ethernet or TV-on-ethernet comes into play, then CV and ATT (Uverse) have interesting alternatives. Best wishes to you.