Thread: For Sat on a budget, the choice is...

I don't spend a lot of time watching tv. For a while I was just watching digital OTA. I'm in the Chicago metro area, with about 30 digital channels - 22 or so in English, maybe 10 in HD. But OTA tv is pretty bland after awhile. I live in an area that does not have cable tv access, an unincorporated island in suburbia.

I recently decided to subscribe to sat, mostly to get a few channels I like: History, Discovery, FoxNews, EWTN, ESPN. While surfing, I might pause on TLC, Food, Weather, Spike, HNN, SciFi. Most of the others I can live without. Some of them are complete rubbish. So I went looking for the cheapest possible plan that would give me the channels I wanted.

DN has a "family" plan for $20/mo, but it lacked Discovery, History and some others. DTV wanted $30/mo for their "family" plan, likewise missing some channels I wanted. So I took one step up, and here the differences were big. DN's Bronze 100 is $35/m, while DTV's comparable pack is $56/mo. DTV's pack does have a few more decent channels, but nothing important to me.

Both plans had new customer promos, DN offered $10/mo for six months, DTV $35 for one year. The deal killer for me was going up to $56 after one year - out of my price range. So I went with DN, and so far I'm pleased with it. Besides the promo price here's the good:

- Good equipment for a budget plan; vip211k receiver, 1000.4 dish with 3 LNBF, aimed at Eastern Arc sats. Everyone else in town points SW, I'm the first one with a dish facing SSE! Everything is in MPEG4.
- installer did a good job, everything works. No hassles.
- I have an HD tv, so everything is HD capable, even tho my only HD programming is OTA channels and my 3 free months of HBO/Starz. (I dunno if DTV would even offer that at this price) No HD access fees.
- So far only signal loss was very brief during a big rainstorm. About what I expected.

The only bad so far:
- They tried tacking on some fees for unneeded stuff. I didn't need a second receiver, but the online ordering process tricked me into ordering one. I got that fixed before the installer arrived. They also wanted to charge an extra $5/mo for locals. But the 211k gets the locals from my old aerial, and integrates them with the sat channels. I had to pay $5 one-time to get that changed.

I think I got a good deal for a low-price plan.

The 211 will integrate your local off air stations..... but you won't get info on them in the program guide unless you pay the $5 locals fee.

You can also get an 2.0 External Hardrive for your 211k and record tv shows and movies , and then play them back almost like a DVR right from your receiver.
This cost a one time Fee $40. But no other monthly fees.

As far as getting some bang for your buck with some solid channels. I would think dish would be a good choice looking at the base package comapared to Direct, I think Dish gives you a few more good channel choices

Originally Posted by satjay

As far as getting some bang for your buck with some solid channels. I would think dish would be a good choice looking at the base package comapared to Direct, I think Dish gives you a few more good channel choices

MLB?

Originally Posted by Curtis0620

MLB?

He's looking to save money , Not spend $60 per month.
Unless MLB is in D* crappy Family Pack. Doubt it.!
E* top 200 with DVR atvantage is only $57.99
Or $47.99 without DVR. D* Doesn't have anything that compairs down that low in price.
Lets be realistic now.

Originally Posted by Hemi 6.1

He's looking to save money , Not spend $60 per month.
Unless MLB is in D* crappy Family Pack. Doubt it.!
E* top 200 with DVR atvantage is only $57.99
Or $47.99 without DVR. D* Doesn't have anything that compairs down that low in price.
Lets be realistic now.

Don't waste your breath on him, Hemi...to a carpenter with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. To a sports-addict with D*, everything looks like a sportspack.

Short-sightedness based on obsessiveness, nothing more...

Anyway...if you are looking for more HD for your buck, E* is the only way to go...even if you sub to premium channels, you would STILL be getting more HD for your premium dollar.

At the end of the day, Charlie's primary business model is to compete based on price-points. Now, while I consider myself a high-end sub and that may not always work for me when he goes flip-flopping channels around in the middle night, but it might be ok for you if you are really just looking for more bang for your buck...just don't complain because at times, you do get what you pay for...

Originally Posted by vampz26

Don't waste your breath on him, Hemi...to a carpenter with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. To a sports-addict with D*, everything looks like a sportspack.

Short-sightedness based on obsessiveness, nothing more...

Anyway...if you are looking for more HD for your buck, E* is the only way to go...even if you sub to premium channels, you would STILL be getting more HD for your premium dollar.

At the end of the day, Charlie's primary business model is to compete based on price-points. Now, while I consider myself a high-end sub and that may not always work for me when he goes flip-flopping channels around in the middle night, but it might be ok for you if you are really just looking for more bang for your buck...just don't complain because at times, you do get what you pay for...

Welcome Back!

Originally Posted by Hemi 6.1

He's looking to save money , Not spend $60 per month.
Unless MLB is in D* crappy Family Pack. Doubt it.!
E* top 200 with DVR atvantage is only $57.99
Or $47.99 without DVR. D* Doesn't have anything that compairs down that low in price.
Lets be realistic now.

He said "base" package, I take that to be Choice & Choice Extra, not Family.

After all the E* extra hidden fees, there is not much of a difference in price.

And this so called HD Turbo that doesn't even include all the HD channels is a joke.