Orby does it make sense

tritron

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Jun 14, 2009
49
7
Denver, co
Does orby tv pricing make sense? I need to watch tv on 3 tvs I can get direct tv for $49 a month + fees + extra recivers. Ialso get free watch tv from att 35 channels. Does getting orby save money ?
 
Does orby tv pricing make sense? I need to watch tv on 3 tvs I can get direct tv for $49 a month + fees + extra recivers. Ialso get free watch tv from att 35 channels. Does getting orby save money ?
Is 49.00 a month the real price after your promotion ends?
Orby has some top tier channels in theory deluxe pack that requires a 90.00 month plus regular price package from the other providers. They are also missing some certain channels.
It made sense for me because the deluxe 50.00 pkg had all the channels I wanted.
I subbed to epix also. Bill is 56.00 flat without a contract, no receiver fees. Does not require me to have a super high speed internet plan. I have the basic slowest internet plan for 45.00 from xfinity.
It all works for me. When the internet goes out my tv works fine.

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Hello tritron,

It depends. OrbyTV offers two plans, $40/m and $50/m and allows you to have up to 4 receivers on the same account with no additional monthly access fee. If you want DVR service, it is a flat $4/m additional to any plan. You can also view OTA ATSC channels too on both receivers and even record them on the DVR model.

You can purchase either receiver models (Regular or DVR) directly from OrbyTV online, Best Buy and other re-sellers, for either $100 for the Receiver or $200 for the DVR model. Claude is selling brand new OrbyTV DVR's for $180 shipped (Error | SatelliteGuys.US), which is $20 off list, to help support the Forum.

On the OrbyTV site, you can purchase their self-install dish install package (Dish, LNBF, mount and OTA antenna) for $70 but it does not include coax or a signal meter. For $150, you can get professional install, which also includes the dish, LNBF, mount, OTA antenna, coax and provides a 1-year warranty.

If you want to try to install it yourself, I would recommenced purchasing a larger FTA dish, such as a 39-inch (36 Inch 90 cm Free To Air FTA Satellite Dish & HD LNBF | eBay) which also includes a compatible standard linear LNBF. You are going to also need a signal meter capable of DVB-S2 to aim the dish.

OrbyTV also offers a lease/rental option which has an associated 24-month contract. Rental Landing if that floats your boat.



~EmCommSat
 
You have to compare their offerings with your needs. If you don't have OTA access but want local channels, it will be a hard sell. If they don't check all the boxes for your needed channels, it will be a compromise at some level.

If you have OTA and Orby TV's programming covers your needs, then it probably comes down to whether or not you have a large (>60") TV understanding that many of the channels Orby offers aren't HD.

Given the pricing on the self-install kit ($70), I can't recommend a $119 FTA dish*. The professional installation will set you back $250, but it will be done up to each TV and Orby TV will stand behind it.

* since Orby TV is fairly new, there may not be a lot of good data about how well their dish performs in poor weather.

DIRECTV is awash with fees so you must be exceedingly watchful of the fine print. The rate for the Select package jumps to $81/month after 12 months and the promotions require a 24 month programming agreement. The promotions may have even more fees (you may have to pay fees for HD, DVR and the first receiver). There may also be a $19.95 activation fee. DIRECTV is perhaps the worst choice if saving money is the goal.

I just ran the numbers on a three-room DIRECTV setup (Genie 2, two wired Genie Minis) with the Select programming package and the bill came to $73.99/month for the first year ($59.99 for programming and $14 for two Genie Minis). Year two and beyond would be $95/month for the Select package. There is a Family package but I don't think you can sign up with it.
 
You have to compare their offerings with your needs. If you don't have OTA access but want local channels, it will be a hard sell. If they don't check all the boxes for your needed channels, it will be a compromise at some level.

If you have OTA and Orby TV's programming covers your needs, then it probably comes down to whether or not you have a large (>60") TV understanding that many of the channels Orby offers aren't HD.

Given the pricing on the self-install kit ($70), I can't recommend a $119 FTA dish*. The professional installation will set you back $250, but it will be done up to each TV and Orby TV will stand behind it.

* since Orby TV is fairly new, there may not be a lot of good data about how well their dish performs in poor weather.

DIRECTV is awash with fees so you must be exceedingly watchful of the fine print. The rate for the Select package jumps to $81/month after 12 months and the promotions require a 24 month programming agreement. The promotions may have even more fees (you may have to pay fees for HD, DVR and the first receiver). There may also be a $19.95 activation fee. DIRECTV is perhaps the worst choice if saving money is the goal.

I just ran the numbers on a three-room DIRECTV setup (Genie 2, two wired Genie Minis) with the Select programming package and the bill came to $73.99/month for the first year ($59.99 for programming and $14 for two Genie Minis). Year two and beyond would be $95/month for the Select package. There is a Family package but I don't think you can sign up with it.
We have had some hard rain storms with orby . The provided orby dish did really well keeping the signal. A minute or so typical ku band drop out and that was it.
No worse than dish when I had it.

Sent from my SM-G955U using the SatelliteGuys app!
 
The best part of Orby for me is no promotional crap offerings that raise the price later. The price is the price. You have full control of your account with the app.
The other players do not offer this flexibility.
Another good point is orby tech support and CSRs were American and spoke easy to understand English. The most courteous and helpful.

Sent from my SM-G955U using the SatelliteGuys app!
 
The best part of Orby for me is no promotional crap offerings that raise the price later. The price is the price. You have full control of your account with the app.
The other players do not offer this flexibility.
Another good point is orby tech support and CSRs were American and spoke easy to understand English. The most courteous and helpful.

Sent from my SM-G955U using the SatelliteGuys app!
Sounds good. I am considering switching TV providers.

Question: Are there billing issues? Like can you cancel online or do you have to call a number where they prod you to remain a customer?
 
The best part of Orby for me is no promotional crap offerings that raise the price later. The price is the price. You have full control of your account with the app.
The other players do not offer this flexibility.
Another good point is orby tech support and CSRs were American and spoke easy to understand English. The most courteous and helpful.

Sent from my SM-G955U using the SatelliteGuys app!

Those 'promotional crap offerings' from Dish are price locked for two years and include all the equipment and installation. Figure out how much the Orby equipment and installation costs and you'll probably find Dish is cheaper in the long run.

After the two years price lock Dish will give a discount on the regular price.

Dish has local channels from satellite, real DVR's, more HD channels, FOX News, etc., etc.

I'm still looking for a real advantage that Orby might have and can't find any.
 
Those 'promotional crap offerings' from Dish are price locked for two years and include all the equipment and installation. Figure out how much the Orby equipment and installation costs and you'll probably find Dish is cheaper in the long run.

After the two years price lock Dish will give a discount on the regular price.

Dish has local channels from satellite, real DVR's, more HD channels, FOX News, etc., etc.

I'm still looking for a real advantage that Orby might have and can't find any.

My reply in another thread on ORBY.
tampa8;131128786 said:
I do think the shortcomings of the service make it closer to a reluctant choice particularly if you have no internet. With HD, the #1 cable channel, RFD, Rural all missing it isn't going to be a happy choice. It's a new service so things do change and they may be working on some of these things. It's a hard sell for someone to tell me this is for those who can not afford anything more when you have to buy the equipment and pray and hope the service survives for you to use it.
 
The lesson here is that options can be good for some and not really an option for others.

I used to think I need to have a number of channels and I find that I'm not really interested in most of them anymore as they've strayed from the kind of programming that I valued (or they seldom add any new programming).

Then there are the programming groups where only one of a large number is worth watching but you have to suffer the whole block plugging up your guide. You know who you are Viacom.

As it seems to be going with the music industry and the movie industry, TV is substantially re-hashing the same-old same-old and it is wearing very thin. There are a very small percentage of new ideas that strike a chord but there's just so much of the same stuff played with different actors and maybe locations.

There's room for a tidy collection at an affordable price but the curation of that collection is a monumental task and it may have to be fluid to maintain relevance as the tides of programming shift.
 
Sounds good. I am considering switching TV providers.

Question: Are there billing issues? Like can you cancel online or do you have to call a number where they prod you to remain a customer?
I dont think so. You can stop your account with your login. No billing issues here. Its accurate every time.

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using the SatelliteGuys app!
 
Those 'promotional crap offerings' from Dish are price locked for two years and include all the equipment and installation. Figure out how much the Orby equipment and installation costs and you'll probably find Dish is cheaper in the long run.

After the two years price lock Dish will give a discount on the regular price.

Dish has local channels from satellite, real DVR's, more HD channels, FOX News, etc., etc.

I'm still looking for a real advantage that Orby might have and can't find any.
We always used an outdoor antenna when I had dish. I didn't want to pay 12.00 for locals and not even receive all of them on dish. We have 26. Dish carried 4.

I like my locals when it rains hard and ku band fails.
We are old school and do not record anything. Never did. I watch live broadcast tv only.
I work 18 hrs a day so my tv time is limited. One reason I dont care about sharp hd, tons of channels etc or extra services like hoppers.
I like the selection orby offers. It's a good mix. I do like fox news. I can listen to it on sirius xm . I do miss feasting my eyes on jedediah billa lol.

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We always used an outdoor antenna when I had dish. I didn't want to pay 12.00 for locals and not even receive all of them on dish. We have 26. Dish carried 4.

I like my locals when it rains hard and ku band fails.
We are old school and do not record anything. Never did. I watch live broadcast tv only.
I work 18 hrs a day so my tv time is limited. One reason I dont care about sharp hd, tons of channels etc or extra services like hoppers.
I like the selection orby offers. It's a good mix. I do like fox news. I can listen to it on sirius xm . I do miss feasting my eyes on jedediah billa lol.

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using the SatelliteGuys app!

So you are one of the few customers who will be happy with Orby. I hope they last long enough for you to get back your equipment investment.

And Jedediah is pregnant now but she still looks good. :)
 
I didn't want to pay 12.00 for locals and not even receive all of them on dish. We have 26. Dish carried 4.
It is good to have options. If you don't have OTA access, Orby offers you no options.

It appears that DISH offers seven LIL channels in the Huntington market now and I'm betting that DISH is the only provider that gives you the option to choose.
 
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