Is a dish the right option for me?

[fedupwithcablevision590]

I currently have Cablevisions iO digital cable service here on Long island,NY. They offer a triple play where I get all 3 services (optonline, voice, TV) for $143.(its $99 for teh 1st year but goes up) But it's a lot of money, the TV alone is over $80. I am not at all pleased with it. I get alot of dropouts in signal, plus the channel selection offerred is pathetic (they dont even carry BBC America). For music all I get are 45 channels of music choice.
I'm seriously thinking of getting DISH network for my TV. I like their line-up better than Direct TV (Direct TV also only has XM for music and costs more in general). My viewing habits usually are science, history,music, news.
I've heard muzak's programming in various establishments and I find their playlists to be much deeper than what music choice offers. Though I hear Dish blocks 2 muzak channels for residents, the environmental (elevator music) and foreground music one. I do like FM1 alot, but I think I could live with all those other channels provided. They seem to have a better line-up than what music choice offers. Plus I can get sirius radio on dish too, and I am impressed with that as well. I know muzak is in mono, but I usually listen to music in the background so the stereo aspect is not important. And for stereo there is sirius, how is the audio quality? I haven't been impressed with the siruis radios Ive heard in stores, but most of them use FM transmitters.
The only reservations I have with Dish is installation fees, cable didn't charge me that. Also I have to get the 200 package to get The Science Channel plus all the other channels that I want (basically all from the Discovery network) but they say the DVR is included (I have a DVR from cable, but when there are dropouts it picks them up as well and it costs $10 extra). And local channels cost extra.
Also I rent in the upstairs part of a house, can my LL block me from having a dish? Signal is no problem, my sky is clear to the west and south.
I just want to know about any problems I may have with Dish. I was thinking of getting the phone company's service (Verizon Fios) but it may be years before it is available in my area, I certainly dont want to wait that long.

 

[stevenl]

Well If your in the situation you have to think about money, Then go with the one that is cheaper. But if money isnt a big object in your choice, Find out what features you enjoy most. Is it ondemand? DVR? What. Which can provide you with what you need, at the cost you can afford. For me the reason I stick with cable (besides the obvious) Is im a HUGE fan of On-Demand. I do not watch TV live anymore. If its not on-demand or on my dvr I dont watch it. So even if I didnt work for the cable industry I would still use cable over dish.

 

[fedupwithcablevision590]

I also use the DVR alot, on demand not so much. If a dish costs me more I'd stick with cable. But I figured out it would be slightly less even with the dish for TV. The only extra costs I would have to deal with is the $49.99 activation fee, but DISH says if I stay with them for 18 months that gets refunded on the 1st bill.
The problem with cable is that they dont carry as many channels as satellite.
And Cablevision doesn't carry channels that are carried on most other systems, such as BBC America, Discovery Health, Boomerang,etc. They only just recently got around to offering a higher tier ethnic programming package.
OTOH with a Dish I'd lose some local access channels such as News 12, but I could live without them.
I would think Dish wouldn't cost me more than cable, but I do get annoyed they charge extra for alot of stuff.
If Cablevision just improved their lineup I probably wouldn't be contemplating switching to Dish.
For instance if I was in the city and had Time Warner, I wouldn't even think about switching, because they carry all those channels I mentioned and more.
Fios would have been an option but Verizon seems to be ignoring my community.

 

[bidger`]

Also I rent in the upstairs part of a house, can my LL block me from having a dish?

If I were you, I'd get that cleared up before you think any further about going to Dish.

 

[stevenl]

Depends on your states laws, and rather or not to get a signal requires the dish mounted to the house, or extra cables ran. Be sure though before you think dish is that much cheaper to make sure the lady tells you EXACTLY what your monthly bill will be because you may get a package thats 29.99 a month but in end be paying closer to 40+ a month. Cable still may be a bit more expensive but remmeber with cable you get local call centers, local tech support, usally in most areas free cable repairs, (unless you break it) with dish I think you have to pay extra for any service like that.

Having said that, just be sure the dish has what you want and need at a price you can accept. If it does go for it. But remember your gonna be locked in for 1 or 2 years in a contract, so be sure your right.

 

[fedupwithcablevision590]

I may be fed up but I am stuck with Cablevision. I was reading that the dish free installation they ask you for your social security number and run a credit check on you. The problem is due to a disability I have no credit and will not get approved and they would want a $200 deposit which I would only get back at $5 a month, plus I dont have an extra $200 lying around anyway. bad enough they want $50 for activation but I would get that back.
I think it's kind of ridiculous, actually, perhaps even illegal (discrimination) I know it has been challanged in court but I dont know the outcomes.
Cablevision never ran credit checks or anything like that.
It's too bad because I'd get alot more for my money with Dish network's line-up than Cablevision, but I guess I am stuck. I am wondering if anyone knew away around these credit checks. I dont give my SS number out to anyone anyway, I don't trust these operators.
Fios is my only other option but they (Verizon) are taking forever to get to my town, they said it could be a couple of years at the most (irritating because the next town over has had Fios for over a year already).
Anyway I'd appreciate any advice. This is even more of a roadblock then my LL at this point.

 

[stevenl]

aw yes the fine print..

 

[concord]

They all (DISH, DTV, cable-TW at least) claim that they are getting ripped-off and now require SS number.

I assume you are going to "rent" the receiver, not sure if it's required when you bought your own receiver....you may want to ask...

I'm a long time sub to DISH, they didn't ask for SS back then; if they did, I wouldn't have given it to them. When I got internet via cable, they asked for my SS and I refused...had to go to their local office with some ID (passport, drivers lic. etc) to prove who I am...

 

[fedupwithcablevision590]

Ridiculous, meanwhile I see these dishes on overcrowded illegal rentals all over. All these arcane rules only punish good citizens. Those with bad credit and criminals, as well as those illegally in the country, find a way to get service anyway. Hate to bring politics into it, but it's all part of it.

 

[fedupwithcablevision590]

They all (DISH, DTV, cable-TW at least) claim that they are getting ripped-off and now require SS number.

I assume you are going to "rent" the receiver, not sure if it's required when you bought your own receiver....you may want to ask...

I'm a long time sub to DISH, they didn't ask for SS back then; if they did, I wouldn't have given it to them. When I got internet via cable, they asked for my SS and I refused...had to go to their local office with some ID (passport, drivers lic. etc) to prove who I am...

It's one thing to ask for an SS number, but to make people with bad or no credit have lay out an extra $200 or so, people who often dont have extra money lying around like that, is bad business.
I'm looking into Direct TV now, hopefully I can get set up with them.
Yeah I'd "rent" the reciever like I do with cablevision, I dont own any reciever.

 

[lakebum431]

but to make people with bad or no credit have lay out an extra $200 or so, people who often dont have extra money lying around like that, is bad business.

No, it is actually great business. If someone doesn't have the credit to qualify for satellite TV service then there is a reason for it. Let's face it you don't have to have A+ credit to qualify for E*. These people have already proven that they do not pay their bills on time on a regular basis. The receivers and dishes cost the satellite companies quite a bit of money and they don't want to give them to someone for free that they cannot trust to pay their bills. People that complain about credit checks/credit requirements have no one to blame but themselves.

 

[fedupwithcablevision590]

But I do pay my bills on time, so why do I always do poorly on credit checks?
Cablevision has gotten their bills ontime and paid in full ever since I started with them (like 5 years ago!). Haven't been late or missed one payment. I understand the need to weed out delinquent customers, but I've never been delinquent on any services. I always thought if you had no credit history they rejected you, at least that's been my previous experience trying to get credit.

 

[lakebum431]

What about your credit cards and loans? Been late on those? There is no reason to have "no credit". What have you been rejected for? Have you looked at your credit report? You need to take a look at your credit report and see what is on there. You can look at all 3 credit reports free each year:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
If you don't have any negatives and have had at least some type of account before then you'll qualify for satellite service. But I have a feeling that you aren't telling us the entire story here...

 

[fedupwithcablevision590]

I haven't been late on anything, I've never even taken out a loan or had a credit card. I do have a debit card from my bank that goes through as a credit card but never overdrafted on that.
This whole process just turns my off from getting satellite TV in the 1st place.

 

[lakebum431]

In that case you really need to get a credit card and start making at least 1 charge every month and then pay that off every month on time. By doing this you will show a history of ability to use use credit reponsibly. You need to build some credit history. Otherwise you'll never be able to get a decent rate on a mortgage or a car or any other type of credit. There are very few people that can make it through life without using credit in some form or fashion. And those people have enough money that they don't care about a $200 deposit for satellite service so my guess is that you are not one of them. Just some friendly advice.

 

[JH1949]

Hey fedupwithcablevision590,

Here is the site that the Fed setup to get FREE credit reports each year:

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/

You can request online or you can mail in the paper form.