Pizza Verses BUD.

[NotTy]

As someone who pays $0.00 for TV since the Jan 5th, I wonder which system I'll go with in the near future.
H2H? Pizza? Cable? OTA?. FTA?
H2H Pros--- Excellent SD picture---No rain fade---Cheaper packages---Ala-carte choices--- No contracts---No termination fees.
Cons---Limited programming---No networks---No local channels---No HD (not really a big deal to me)--- Not family friendly---Difficult & inconvenient to have multiple TV's or multiroom set up---No PVR---No PPV---No On Demand.
Pizza Pros:---More channels than H2H---Local Stations--- Networks---More family friendly than H2H---Easier multiroom set up---HD (Slightly better quality picture than H2H SD)---PVR---On Demand option.
Cons--- Credit checks---Contracts---Sneaky price increases---SS number needed---Rain fade---Expensive---Termination fees---Slightly degraded picture quality.
Cable Pros:---No contracts needed usually.---No termination fees---No special equipment needed---Local channels---Networks---Multiroom set up---Family friendly---PVR---On Demand.
Cons--- Expensive---Poorer picture quality---
OTA Pros--- Free---Excellent picture Quality.---No Contracts---No Termination Fees---No credit checks---Family Friendly---Easy multiroom set up---Low maintainance. .
Cons--- Lack of program choices---Wind Fade---
FTA Pros---Free---No Contracts---No termination fees---No credit checks---Good to Excellent picture quality---Free HD---Hundreds of channels---No rain fade
Cons---Not family friendly---Not multiroom viewing friendly---Hundreds of channels but still limited compared to pizza---Here today, gone tomorrow---inconvenient guide (I use TitanTv)

So in conclusion if I get H2H, I can get AlaCarte, but not very many choices. There's no TBS, TNT, Spike, HBO, USA, Locals or Networks. But there are the Discoveries, but they might disappear. There's NGC,& Biography. H2H is too limited. H2H carries a lot of scrappy channels that are useless to me. It's also difficult to have a functional, multiroom set up. If you share you BUD with FTA, that makes it even more frustrating.
Pizza offers a lot of family friendly stuff & is more expensive but is also family friendly. In the overall modern scheme of things, pizza is a better family friendly way to go.

 

[Mr Tony]

One thing on the Small dish ones. If you go with Dish Network you can buy the equipment and go on a month to month contract. I've done that before
Why does small dish have "sneaky price increases" and cable doesn't? All providers have increases (even H2H does)

Also with cable in alot of markets now they are pretty much digital only so you do need "special equipment" even for what would be considered regular cable

But otherwise you have a good analysis there and would help folks make decisions

 

[NotTy]

I sometimes wonder if it's more of a goad to get people locked in rather than sneaky price increases. Both pizzas offer special prices along with 3 months worth of movies. People see that the first year is a special low price & are excited to get cable at a cheap price with "free" movie channels & aren't too concerned with the second year increase. But when that second year rolls around, you discover that your movie channels are gone and the novelty of the dish is gone. Some people start wishing they hadn't locked themselves into a two year contract. In my case, I might as well buy the system.
I also know about digital cable but is there more that just a cable box? There aren't any dishes or anything are there? My cable co only mentioned the cable box plus a PVR box which if I go with cable, I won't get the PVR box.

 

[Mr Tony]

I also know about digital cable but is there more that just a cable box? There aren't any dishes or anything are there? My cable co only mentioned the cable box plus a PVR box which if I go with cable, I won't get the PVR box.

no dishes but as example here in suburban Minneapolis the cable company forces you to get a cable box if you have anything above lifeline (which is 2-23) which costs money. If all I wanted was "regular" analog cable I wouldnt need a box unless I wanted the 1/2 dozen stations that require a box (which was like C-Span2 and some subchannels offered locally). They went "digital" on those stations late last year and requires you to have a box on all TV's. If you currently had cable they gave you two for free but new subs are charged liek $4 a month for a basic cable box. It lets you get those channels. No guide, no favorites, etc. Or you can pay $9 for a legit box or $15 for a PVR (those last 2 numbers are around there. I dont know the exact price).

 

[tvropro]

I sometimes wonder if it's more of a goad to get people locked in rather than sneaky price increases. Both pizzas offer special prices along with 3 months worth of movies. People see that the first year is a special low price & are excited to get cable at a cheap price with "free" movie channels & aren't too concerned with the second year increase. But when that second year rolls around, you discover that your movie channels are gone and the novelty of the dish is gone. Some people start wishing they hadn't locked themselves into a two year contract. In my case, I might as well buy the system.

Thats why they call it a teaser rate. They suck you in at a low price and force the contract. Then they know they got you for at least 2 years one way or another. If you bail ETF's. The prices the providers pay the program providers for their channels are dirt cheap. They could keep the price at the teaser rate for the full two years and still make good money. But why should they when there is a sucker born every minute.

C band was always hated by the cable/pizza cartel because we supplied our own equipment and got close to wholesale prices on channels. Slow and steady they sucked all the subscribers away and brainwashed people into thinking this is how it has to be. That is why we have nothing left to compete with.

BTW if you buy your own pizza equipment there are activation fee's and you can't get the teaser rate.

 

[Anole]

make the most of everything you have available

Are we choosing just one of the above?
I haven't.
My living room HD TV is 42" LCD, and that's where I go to watch the best quality pictures.
It is fed by:
- an upconverting Philips DVD player capable of handling XviD and other formats,
- an SD DishNetwork PVR receiver (really should kill it off),
- OTA reception of 30 transmitters carrying around 90 subchannels,
- several FTA receivers with the more popular channels,
- Western Digital Live Plus media player box with LAN access to three in-house computers,
- the WD also provided access over the internet to Netflix.
With all the choices, I don't see a need to stick with just one.

No, I can't get everything to every TV set.
But, for the bedroom TV, do I need access to it all? I don't think so.
It's a 22" HD LCD with an attached computer which provides OTA recording for the entire house.
I could play a DVD locally, or run video from the LAN, but I don't.

Of course everyone has different needs, and different preferences.
But, making the most of ALL the choices is the way to go.
And adding Netflix over the internet might fill in the gaps.

 

[Mr Tony]

BTW if you buy your own small dish equipment there are activation fee's and you can't get the teaser rate.

there are no activation fees if you buy the equipment

 

[NotTy]

All I have is a 7.5 foot mesh Winegard with the original LNB, the 922 to move the dish with & the Openbox. I do have OTA but only receive 1 channel. I also have a VCR and a $29.00Colby DVD player and a Heath/Zenith 27 inch color console I built back in 1984. My computer is one I built in 2000. So watching online stuff isn't very efficient. Buying new stuff is out of the question.

 

[Kb Cool]

If you don't care about HD. I wouldn't go the pizza route. Hits would probally be the better choice and since you already have the equipment. Go ahead and try it out.

 

[tvropro]

there are no activation fees if you buy the equipment

NPS's Charlie team told me there was a 49.95 activation fee if I bought Dish Network equipment last year.

 

[Mr Tony]

NPS's Charlie team told me there was a 49.95 activation fee if I bought Dish Network equipment last year.

you were misinformed. There is no activation fee if you buy the equipment outright

 

[tvropro]

If you don't care about HD. I wouldn't go the pizza route. Hits would probally be the better choice and since you already have the equipment. Go ahead and try it out.

Since you have the 922 all you need to do is call SRL and order 1 month to see what you think. If you don't like it it's no biggie get something else. Try doing that with pizza ... LOL.

 

[Mr Tony]

If you own the equipment you can
Dish also has pre-paid that works the same way. Start it and shut it off when you want

 

[tvropro]

Isn't buying a HR-24 receiver and Slimline dish & LNBF quite pricey outright? Like $500.00 +. Then if you don't like it you can watch the guide.

The price you pay at Best Buy for DirecTV receivers are for leases not owned. You must buy them from Direct outright at the full price if I understand correctly.

 

[Mr Tony]

If you buy from any retailer it is a lease fee....correct. You can buy them from Directv if you want but they do cost more. The price you have is for a dual tuner HD PVR. They are less for a HD receiver and even less for a SD unit.

Dish is a little more "owner friendly"..buy a SD receiver for under 100...heck they have them for under $50. HD receiver for $120. Dish500 dishes are a dime a dozen. Thats what I did when I had Dish. I'd turn it on for the hockey games on my "local" station. 5 months later I shut it off.

 

[tvropro]

The whole system is messed up. Both pizza services need to go back to the way they were in the beginning . Go to cell shack get a kit put it up, call and watch what you want when you want. On off no biggie. Following the cell phone stupid contract model is for the birds. If it was the old way I could turn direct on in the winter then off in the summer during rain season or on for a month here and there like with the bud if I want to watch something. Before you say it I know about suspending the service but it also suspends the contract.

 

[harshness]

Isn't buying a HR-24 receiver and Slimline dish & LNBF quite pricey outright?

DIRECTV doesn't offer a no-contract plan (unless you're in an MDU).

 

[harshness]

Both pizza services need to go back to the way they were in the beginning . Go to cell shack get a kit put it up, call and watch what you want when you want. On off no biggie.

That ship sailed over six years ago with the rudder locked amidships. Let it go.

 

[tvropro]

That ship sailed over six years ago with the rudder locked amidships. Let it go.

That's why I support the bud, everyday thing

 

[Mr Tony]

Both pizza services need to go back to the way they were in the beginning . Go to cell shack get a kit put it up, call and watch what you want when you want. On off no biggie.

That ship sailed over six years ago with the rudder locked amidships. Let it go.

really? last I checked I could buy a receiver from Ebay or dishstore, set it up and call Dish and activate it with no contract. So that ship is still here in port