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Last reply · posted in DIRECTV General Forum
I've been with DirecTV for over 10 years and had almost no issues. But it seems like the bill has really gone up and I'm now paying over $125 for Just Preferred XTra+HBO. I recently bought a 4K TV and was looking to possibly get an HR54 and 2 Genie 4K Minis to replace my current HR44 and 2xHR24, but was quoted $300 up front ($200 for HR54 $99 for 1 Genie Mini other Free). I asked about bill credits to compete as has been suggested here and $7 off HBO for 6 months and $10/mon for 12 months was the best offer.

This still leaves the total all-in price about $45 higher than the cable package I reviewed, and the up front $300 cost, AND a new 2 year agreement. The cable package I reviewed included about 30 more channels than now (but I lose Viacom, Comedy Central being the only one that hurts), all equipment is included for free, installation fees are being waived, and they are giving a $200 gift card for signing up, in addition to locked pricing for 2 years and no contract.

Provider is Suddenlink if anyone has specific knowledge of them. They include a 6-Tuner Tivo and 2 Tivo Minis so it would be similar to my current setup.

This is in no way a troll or bait question, DirecTV has been great to me over the last decade, but saving $300 up front, gaining a $200 GC, not having to sign a contract, and gaining channels just seemed like too much of a slam dunk. That's along with the $500/yr savings in monthly cost to boot.

Please give me your thoughts, I'd certainly appreciate it.
15 Replies · 2223 views
osu1991
IMO, Bolt or Roamio and Mini's blow the Directv equipment out of the water. Nothing to lose, put Directv on Pause and have Suddenlink setup and try it for a month. No contract, so don't like it cancel and have Directv taken off pause. After 17 years with Dish, I made the switch last year to Cox with Tivo and Mini's. The cost savings that can be had, from bundling internet and tv, are too great to ignore anymore.

The only problem might be whether Tivo has the correct lineup for the cable system in your area. Some have had that problem, since Tivo was bought by Rovi and switched to Rovi guide data. Those problems are being corrected slowly when reported to Tivo.
Marcingak
No reason not to switch. You will save tons of money and after 2 years if you decide to come back to DirecTV you will get all the 4k equipment free along with new customer discounts.
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T
IMO, Bolt or Roamio and Mini's blow the Directv equipment out of the water. Nothing to lose, put Directv on Pause and have Suddenlink setup and try it for a month. No contract, so don't like it cancel and have Directv taken off pause. After 17 years with Dish, I made the switch last year to Cox with Tivo and Mini's. The cost savings that can be had, from bundling internet and tv, are too great to ignore anymore.

The only problem might be whether Tivo has the correct lineup for the cable system in your area. Some have had that problem, since Tivo was bought by Rovi and switched to Rovi guide data. Those problems are being corrected slowly when reported to Tivo.

Although the TiVo hardware is nice I think you are grossly underestimating the scale of the issues since the Rovi acquisition. Go and read the posts at the Tivo community forum. There are people there saying they will never buy a TiVo product again.
osu1991
Although the TiVo hardware is nice I think you are grossly underestimating the scale of the issues since the Rovi acquisition. Go and read the posts at the Tivo community forum. There are people there saying they will never buy a TiVo product again.

Not underestimating anything. I am on TCF with same username and have 4 Roamios and 4 Minis. Well aware of the problems and the problems are now grossly exaggerated. For most users TiVo work fine.

Like with anything there is a vocal minority complaining about any little thing. I've complained about a few things and I've worked with TiVo and they have been fixed.

There are some lineup problems with a few cable systems and there are data issues with some channels. That being said the data is very much improved over what it was when the switch was made from Gracenote to Rovi. Is it as great as it was when Gracenote (Nielsen) provided the data? No, but it has improved to a point I would say it's 90% there.

There are still some shows on local subchannels that just have generic episode info and there are still some movies that have incorrect info because they have the same name as some older movie. The guide still shows To Be Announced on some channels out past 7-8 days. One Pass still takes a while to index search info from Amazon and Netflix. One Passes for sports doesn't work as well as it did with Gracenote data but Wishlists fix a lot of that.
Z
I used to have Suddenlink for cable their service is not great. HD picture is awful btw, in the majority of their areas they use TiVo Premiere Q 500 GB model with 4 tuners. Your area must be lucky to get the 6-tuner box :) My mother was looking into getting Suddenlink again and in her area they still have the 4 Tuner Q Model.

While their new customer price is low their website isn't very clear on what will be charged. Be aware that you will be charged a Broadcast Station Surcharge which in my mother's area is $10.00 on top of your regular price and also if you are getting SL200/Expanded Basic you will have a Sports Programming Surcharge in my mother's area its $5.15. Now if you go with them and get installed if you see a tech trying to install two main TiVo units and 1 TiVo mini stop the tech because the techs are known to try to use older equipment first (at least in my mother's area) and if they install two main TiVo units that's $17.00 per unit where the mini is only $7.

If you have a contract with D* I would advise calling them once the contract ends for better discounts my mother did this as a last ditch effort before switching back to Suddenlink and she told me they gave her a good deal out of contract. With my own personal experiences with Suddenlink and having to call in for my mother I would strongly recommend taking a look at Dish before switching to SL for TV heck I would even recommend Comcast over SL just because of all the bad/lying reps I've dealt with over 9 years of service.
A
Thanks for the feedback. I'm curious about the picture, is it well worse than DirecTV? They did have a 4-Tuner Q Model Tivo, but said if you have a 4K TV you get the 6-tuner 4K ready model as they plan to add 4K channels by Q3. The price they quoted me that I'm using for comparison I was told included all fees taxes and surcharges, of course they could be lying. Broadcast was included free, the sports surcharge was only if you added the Sports Tier or did SL300, not SL200 according to the rep.
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne


Get it?


An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68508 Replies · 2671470 views
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EatMyVolts
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) -- Tex Williams
long_time_Dish
Don't Do Me Like That - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
H
I LIKE It LIKE THAT-The Dave Clark Five
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ClarkGable
Five O'Clock World - The Vogues
FTA4PA
All Around The World - Oasis
dfergie
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!
Last reply · posted in What's Cooking?
Anyone making their own breakfast sausage? I've recently been trying different recipes, found some I like, some I've modified...
36 Replies · 3543 views
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navychop
Bob Evans Sage.
R
Bob Evans Sage.
I will look, but I don't think I have seen it. Owen's breakfast sausage use to be favorite, but I can't find it anymore. Jimmy Dean's country mild is OK also when I can find it.
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dfergie
Swaggerty's isn't too bad, sausage prices are lower per lb than making my own from pork butts right now so I've been buying JC Potter or Owen lately.
(Swaggerty's at Sam's is pre cut, I usually partially freeze the rolls and cut with my slicer and vacuum seal on parchment paper)
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S
I will look, but I don't think I have seen it. Owen's breakfast sausage use to be favorite, but I can't find it anymore. Jimmy Dean's country mild is OK also when I can find it.
amazon maybe :what
S
I will look, but I don't think I have seen it. Owen's breakfast sausage use to be favorite, but I can't find it anymore. Jimmy Dean's country mild is OK also when I can find it.
owens on amazon is 54.99 for a 4 pk 16 oz a sausage. i feel that's kind of steep!!!
S
Swaggerty's isn't too bad, sausage prices are lower per lb than making my own from pork butts right now so I've been buying JC Potter or Owen lately.
(Swaggerty's at Sam's is pre cut, I usually partially freeze the rolls and cut with my slicer and vacuum seal on parchment paper)
id'e rather make my own vs store bought.
meStevo
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Continuing the Kilauea thread in the Pub here. Perhaps the Iceland one too next time there's remarkable activity.

Currently there is precursory lava flowing into the crater, leading to the next episode that'll probably start within the next day.

You can see the pace of inflation / deflation here. It serves as the primary predictor for when the expect the eruptions, which coincide w/ inflation turning into significant deflation and last for several hours on average with significant fountaining.



View: https://youtu.be/Uecu2seh4b4


Wife and I like the AfarTV feeds, for the discussion along w/ them, though they're otherwise just mirrors of the official USGS feeds.


View: https://youtu.be/iws3rh5vLAQ
117 Replies · 3206 views
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meStevo
Some wild inflation and significant uptick in earthquake activity in the caldera. Magma intrusion, could lead to new fissure(s). Or not.

1790868854059.webp


Summary: A shallow intrusion of magma is occurring within the summit region near the existing eruption location in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

Activity Summary: Earthquake activity has increased in the summit region of Kīlauea beneath Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the south caldera region. Ground deformation patterns recorded by summit tiltmeters suggest that magma is intruding beneath the ground in this area, in an east-west orientation, near the western or southern part of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.

Increased earthquake activity began this afternoon, September 30, 2026, at approximately 2 p.m. HST, underneath Halemaʻumaʻu. Since then, about 40 earthquakes have been detected and activity is still on-going. The largest event, so far, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake, occurred at 9:52 p.m. HST, 1.4 km (0.9 miles) beneath the surface in the northeast part of Halemaʻumaʻu. Starting around 8 p.m. HST., summit tiltmeters began to show extremely rapid changes consistent with crack growth in an east-west orientation possible near the current vent area, suggesting that magma is intruding in this region.

Historically, east-west trending fissures have erupted in the southeastern part of Halemaʻumaʻu and extending through the Keanakākoʻi crater area all the way to Chain of Craters Road near Lua Manu. The last east-west fissure in this area erupted in September 2023 and extended from the middle of Halemaʻumaʻu to the eastern wall just beneath the Keanakākoʻi overlook. An event of this type is also possible under current conditions.

Currently, there are no signs of a change at the surface as the existing eruptive vent complex in Halemaʻumaʻu, including the north and south vents, continue to intermittently spatter with strong glow and flames; however, conditions could change quickly. It is possible that this event ends without reaching the surface or it produces a fissure eruption in a new location within the summit caldera region.
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meStevo

View: https://youtu.be/tv37YPVfHME


Gemini summary:

In this video from Shawn Willsey: Geology Explained, geology professor Shawn Willsey details rapid subsurface and surface changes at Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii:
  • Signs of a Magma Intrusion (Dike): Summit tiltmeters recorded an unprecedented, rapid inflation spike of around 45 microradians [04:00 Opens in a new window ], accompanied by a dramatic surge of over 100 shallow earthquakes within 24 hours (peaking at a magnitude 3.4) [01:44 Opens in a new window ]. The deformation indicates that magma is intruding in an east-west orientation beneath the southern caldera/Halemaʻumaʻu region [01:16 Opens in a new window ].

  • No Rift Zone Migration: Tilt and seismic data confirm magma is remaining confined to the summit area rather than traveling down the East Rift Zone [02:40 Opens in a new window ].

  • Structural Pathways: Willsey notes that pre-existing faults and fractures expanded during the 2018 caldera collapse [08:32 Opens in a new window ]. Because these fracture zones remain unsealed, magma can move and mobilize toward the surface much faster than before [10:17 Opens in a new window ].

  • Potential Outcomes: The intrusion could stall underground without erupting, or it could feed a new east-west fissure eruption inside the summit caldera, similar to the September 2023 event [02:47 Opens in a new window ].

  • Shift to Dome Overflows: Webcam footage from overnight reveals repeated pulses of fluid lava overflowing the spatter cone at the North Vent [11:42 Opens in a new window ]. Occurring roughly every 20 to 50 minutes and lasting several minutes each [12:36 Opens in a new window ], these cyclic overflows suggest Kīlauea may be transitioning away from high-fountaining episodes toward regular surface overflows [14:54 Opens in a new window ].

Foxbat
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Foxbat
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TheRatPatrol
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
Anyone else watch this show? Any guesses as to what was in the box Gibbs gave to Abby that was on her desk? It look liked it was glowing.

I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
2134 Replies · 214743 views
Jimbo

Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
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Howard Simmons
Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
Tony as the director.🙄
Jimbo
Tony as the director.🙄
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
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dfergie
I liked this episode and a toned down Tony...
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Howard Simmons
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
Jimbo
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
I don't think Tim and Tony are that far apart in Age ...

Remember what Tony said to Tim when they first got back together ...
Tony said: I am the New Tony, Tim .... (something to that effect)

Tony has changed, he's been running his Security Business ... I'm sure he has grown up.

Give it time ... your judging the New Tony from the old Tony.

It sounds like Tim won't be around the Team much longer either.
KAB
KAB
I wonder it they will show the teased meeting (in Origins) with Tony and Gibbs.
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Jimbo
I wonder it they will show the teased meeting (in Origins) with Tony and Gibbs.
I'm curious how they are going to implement Tony into Origins (If they do) ...
Tony was introduced to Gibbs and the team, on NCIS, which makes it the Mothership side of things, he worked in Baltimore prior to NCIS, NO mention when they met that anyone had known one another ...
Anony55
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
For quite a while now, people with a VIP211k have been losing their recordings on their activated external HDDs... even when there's nothing physically wrong with HDD. I believe this is an intentional and underhanded tactic that Dish is pulling in an attempt to force users away from the VIP211k.

They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.

Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.

On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.

It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.

I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
168 Replies · 7531 views
Nebugeater
Got a 211k that works fine, and I no longer need it if someone wants to throw me a few bucks and pay shipping. Not tied to my account as of last week. Used with a tailgater and got a wally
T
Got a 211k that works fine, and I no longer need it if someone wants to throw me a few bucks and pay shipping. Not tied to my account as of last week. Used with a tailgater and got a wally
Is the 211k still available? If so, I'm interested.
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Nebugeater
Is the 211k still available? If so, I'm interested.


Actually, it is. A couple of people PMed me when I posted this, and when I asked for an address, they never responded. Then I just sort of let it go. Send me a PM to continue the discussion
Anony55
Well, after nine months of being on pause, I finally figured out that I was wasting $5 a month. So I cancelled. For the first time since 2010, I no longer have a Dish account.

I do have to say that I did appreciate the account pause option. That just gives a person some time to see what the fallout of cancelling will be... without having to go all the way over the cliff first.

Since I never once had an "oh shoot, I need Dish Network for..." moment, the decision was a lot easier.

Funny enough, when I called to cancel (for real, not playing the pricing game), all of a sudden, they were offering me deals that I was told before that I couldn't get without changing out my VIP211k. Now, I could have had those specials with them just sending me a new card for the receiver. LOL!

Of course, my mind was already made up because of having not missed the service while on pause. That, and the fact that I bet the 211k still kills recordings.

All in all, I'm glad that I had Dish for all those years. I just outgrew the need, and they pressed the issue by deleting recordings. I would have eventually went this route without the deleted recordings issue. But, for sure, that did hasten the outcome.

I'll still pop in at this site from time to time. Believe it or not, I still have a C/Ku BUD that I intend on playing with again if life ever slows down.
dishstaller
Actually, it is. A couple of people PMed me when I posted this, and when I asked for an address, they never responded. Then I just sort of let it go. Send me a PM to continue the discussion
Unless things have changed at Dish, which is entirely possible, they won't activate the 211, even as a replacement. I gave one to a customer a while back....which when I turned it off I made sure to tell the CSR I wanted it freed up so another customer could use it, I was assured it was.....and when they called to swap out there's they were told it couldn't be done. Now like I said, things MIGHT HAVE CHANGED.
Anony55
Unless things have changed at Dish, which is entirely possible, they won't activate the 211, even as a replacement. I gave one to a customer a while back....which when I turned it off I made sure to tell the CSR I wanted it freed up so another customer could use it, I was assured it was.....and when they called to swap out there's they were told it couldn't be done. Now like I said, things MIGHT HAVE CHANGED.
It hasn't changed. When I cancelled my service the other day, they told me I didn't need to return the receiver (which I already knew because I purchased it).

But in addition to that, the young man told me not to sell it, but to take it to a recycling place. The reason he gave for the advice was because 211Ks can no longer be activated.

So as far as the VIP211k goes... once grandpa dies, he's dead.
T
They tell you to trash it and not to sell simply because they're phasing them out, not particularly because someone might be "confused" into buying it and not be able to activate. They tell people that in every case where they're not acting to get a box back, either from a replacement or service cancel.
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Corrado
Although my VIP211K hasn't been subscribed or connected to a dish in probably 5 years since canceling service, my 1 TB HDD full of programming still works fine.

Upon occasion I power it up to watch something I recorded as far back as 2010. The last time I had it going in September it even let me rescan the local OTA channels which I think it refused at some earlier time. I will use it until the day it fails but this topic makes me think some software download is responsible for current subscribers.
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