Directv Going To Lease Only On 3/1/06

[gbubar]

Ok, I'm stupid. Currently I have a regular Tivo, a H20 & 3 basic receivers. So instead of saying "mirroring fee" they will now show as "lease fee" for the same exact amounts that I am paying now. (Actually that sucks as I paid for all of them). Also the biggee for me. I pay for the repair Insurance. Since they will be "ostensibly" leased on 1 March 2006, will that go away? (I's about 7 bucks per month).
Now in my personnel opinion. This along with no more freaking HD content (I could care less about the so-called lite issue) this year is just about the last damn straw. Cable, here in Stockbridge, is Charter & even though I know they are about to go under any day now (or should with 20 Billion in debtr) I am so close to pulling that trigger
I was on Dish for 3 years & I 'm fed up with them too.
I can't believe I'm about to say this
Help me Ver-ri-zon-1 You're my only hope! (yes I know that BS will never let that happen, but I can have my Star Wars fantasy any way I want )

I am in the same position as lovswr. I have 2 HD DTivo's and 2 SD DTivo's and pay the $7.99 for the replacement insurance. If one of my receivers goes down after March 1st and DTV sends me a replacement I assume I will STILL be the owner of the new receiver. If not, then there is no reason to pay the $7.99 fee each month. I have been with DTV since April 2001 and have been very happy; but, I will look at all my options once my contract period has expired.

[The Tate]

I think if they want to do a price drop they should have packages without all of the HSN bullS$it. Maybe like something like the al-carte that was mentioned a while back.

[fkostyn]

Thats the way I'm reading it also - a whole load a crock of sh$$. If recievers are only leased, I think D* is going to see its churn rate increase, not decrease.

If you pay $300 for a HDDVR and D* STILL owns it - that sucks. AND your still in a committment.

I would like to see a lease option, not a lease only with D* - even E* have a purchase option.

With the new cablecard HD tuners comming out for the PC, I am really tempted to go to a media center setup. The biggest thing I've hated about my cable CO's HD - is the interface (the !@# scientific atlanta stuff)

The other thing, if an owned reciever is replaced by D* after march 1st, and they only want to lease it from there - they dam well better give me FULL purchase credit for it.

[dragon002]

I am in the same position as lovswr. I have 2 HD DTivo's and 2 SD DTivo's and pay the $7.99 for the replacement insurance. If one of my receivers goes down after March 1st and DTV sends me a replacement I assume I will STILL be the owner of the new receiver. If not, then there is no reason to pay the $7.99 fee each month. I have been with DTV since April 2001 and have been very happy; but, I will look at all my options once my contract period has expired.

you will still own the IRD

[CPanther95]

That would be an invitation for a lawsuit.

Why?

It's a moot point since they will be continuing to sell receivers, but to demand the return of an owned box and replacing it with a receiver that is not owned is not an equitable arrangement.

I don't see this deal as being bad at all. I'll continue to own my receivers and pay the mirror fee - and if the transition to lease is ever attractive enough, I can jump to leasing. As long as the lease fee remains comparable to the mirror fee, that's fine.

[lou_do]

The biggest drop will be for total choice premier customers with local channels. They know they must redo their pricing to compete with cable packages. I've also got hints that HD customers might just get the HD Package at no extra cost.

D* needs to take a good look at their pricing structure. That has been a big problem in this area, they have become so much more expensive than cable.
If you take D* TOTAL CHOICE PREMIER package with HD programing it cost you $104.98 a month.
BHN, our local cable company, charges $86.44 for basically the same thing.
Plus BHN has 47 premium movie channels vs D* having 31.
Plus BHN offers 17 local HD and 10 national HD networks vs D* having 4 HD locals (If you are in an available market) and 8 HD nationals.
With BHN there is no commitment, and the only equipment charge is if you rent or lease a DVR.

[charper1]

they have become so much more expensive than cable.
If you take D* TOTAL CHOICE PREMIER package with HD programing it cost you $104.98 a month. BHN, our local cable company, charges $86.44 for basically the same thing.

I like the descriptive word BASICALLY

[cybertrip]

I'm curious if D* will still be hammering contracts on customers. I'm considering switching to either E* or D*. However I haven't made the switch yet because my cable comes extremely low in price. Mediacom employee benefits

If I can get D* with no contract then I may try both E* and D* out.

[dragon002]

and if BHN means BRIGHTHOUSE, they are a regional cableco, nothing more, and a small one at that.
here in w. pa , we have small ARMSTRONG enclaves, GREAT cx service, really cheap monthly bills, and great internet.
when you go national, that is when the problems start.

[The Tate]

Cybertrip,

There will always be a contract more than likely. They have to pay for the equipment and to have it installed somehow.