Another poster mentioned BYU. I thought all the special interest/religious type channels are in every programming package now, as long as you have the right dish for channels such as JLTV (which broadcasts in SD), and HD equipment for those SD channels such as Baby First TV, Free Speech TV, NASA TV, Golden Eagle Broadcasting and GOD TV?
My Mother has Select, and she receives all the religious and special interest channels, including all of those mentioned above plus BYU, and the Catholic channel EWTN, plus many others.
I do remember that when I signed my Mother up for Choice Ultimate in February 2010, when the installer came out and before I signed off the work order, I tried to view JLTV, and it would not come in. The installer argued with me that JLTV is not included, yet I gave him a printout of all the channels included in the package, including JLTV. Then he says I ordered the wrong dish. So, I asked him to show me where I have the option to order a specific dish from the Costco/DirecTV web site. He couldn't show me, and he started to become nervous that I wouldn't sign off his work order.
Needless to say,while the installer was inside my Mother's home, I made a few phone calls here locally in Los Angeles, and a manager from a location in the San Fernando Valley came out to my Mother's home in Encino within 90 minutes, and he brought the correct dish. (The installer was also busy making phone calls as well). The problem was solved. The manager over apologized about the dish problem and said that someone from DirecTV should have called and inquired if we (my Mother) watches any of the channels that require a special dish (such as JLTV), and the correct dish would have been added to the order. The manager did say it was not up to me to ask for the correct dish. The installer did a great job in providing a "clean" install throught my Mother's home, and was able to use the current cable jacks, so no messy cables strewn about. Even the manager who came out to my Mother's home commented to the installer (and in front of us) that installation looked outstanding.
Actually, I wish DirecTV would be clearer in the communication about the procedure required by the customer to order the dish required in order to view special interest programming such as JLTV. Maybe this is not an issue when ordering through a dealer. At that time, I ordered through the Costco website (cw.directv.com) for the $180.00 Costco Cash Card. The good news is that my Mother has enjoyed her programming, and she has not had any service calls, and all equipment up to this point has been working without any problem. I did downgrade my Mother's programming to Select in February 2011.
Myself, at my home in Valencia, I have AT&T U-Verse, and at our weekend home out in Riverside County (Canyon Lake), we have Verizon Fios (just the locals only for $10.00 a month) and no boxes as the local channels with Fios come in QAM and HD without the need for their box. What stinks with Fios, is even if you have QAM, you have to rent their boxes in order to view any other HD programming beyond locals. Since were only out there maybe twice a month, locals for $10.00 a month is a good deal, much less expensive than Time Warner, and Fios ofers many of the sub digital channels, and no contract.
Anyway, it's fun to stack up three of the companies (DirecTV, AT&T U-verse, and Verizon Fios) that we subscribe to, and compare each of their programming packages. They all have plusses and minuses, but with DirecTV now offering the Entertainment package as a truly advertised pacage, I think this will drive more sales for DirecTV, and offer another option for those subscribers who are budget minded, or don't watch much in the way of sports (especially local/regional sports), and allows DirecTV and it's dealers to offer a package that's publicly available instead of the hidden Family, Select and Select Classic packages. Plus, the Enterainment package for new subscribers (as long as they credit qualify) allows them to take advantage of free HD/DVR and HD equipment offer, and free HD programming and the advance HD and/or HD/DVR receiver service for $10.00 a month (instead of $20.00) with auto bill pay.
I also think that the Entertainment package also helps DirecTV fill a "hole" in it's programming line-up among the various cable companies throughout the United States, and to a lesser extent, Dish, AT&T Uverse and Verizon Fios. As I said earlier, no one line-up is perfect from any company, but at least DirecTV is getting the message that some customers do not want to pay $100.00 or more per month for televison programming (after you include the receiver, HD and DVR fees).
It will be interesting to watch how the marketplace responds, their competitors, and the industry in general.
My local RSN come next month would be only for the Twins games....and after last year maybe not seeing them would be a good thing.
