ShadowMaster
Footballguy
I can't believe I did it, but I actually canceled it.Money is all they understand, and with more volume, this should be getting lower - not higher each year.
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.
DirecTV to charge extra for HD games this year (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mik789fl
- Start date
ShadowMaster
Footballguy
Signed the petition too.For the record. It is $200 to auto-renew if you were a subscriber last year.$220 if your a new subscriber$99 more for HD
Snotbubbles
Footballguy
$299 / 17 weeks = $17.58/week That's still a bargain.
GregR_2
Footballguy
Just because you have enough money you COULD pay for it for something doesn't mean you should. I'm sure many people here could afford to go out for a $50 or $70 or $100 meal. But being able to afford that doesn't mean you should go pay McDonald's that much for a burger and fries.They priced themselves to the point where going to the sports bar is a viably cheaper alternative even with the drawbacks some may have in not being able to watch at home. Especially for people who won't be at home all 17 weeks on Sunday, whether because of travelling for work, family responsibilities, or in my case having season tickets that mean I'm gone half the season off the bat. Remove ST from my lineup and now the need of that HD Tivo goes downhill since I can get a better deal from digital cable for a HD DVR at $6 a month.And not only that, but I won't be stuck with that $1000 HD Tivo being outdated a half year down the road when DTV switches over to MPEG-4 HD signals which that HD Tivo can't handle, putting me at their mercy as to how good of a switch-out offer they are going to come up with. Given their pricing policies so far, I have a hard time imagining that they won't gouge every cent they can out of making me have to switch.Actually, in my mind the only valid part of the Sunday Ticket price increase from my personal perspective is the rebroadcast of games in the edited format. I could easily see myself Tivo'ing them and downloading them to cpu harddrive and then loading them up into an Oracle database and having the entire season available on computer. I expect to get the HD games for the price I'm already paying, especially since I already pay additional for DTV's HD content. To me, those edited games are the only perk... otherwise they are just trying to price rake me. And that's not something I'm going to stand for when there are then cheaper alternatives, including the sports bar.
Shooter McGavin
Down the middle
I called DirecTV's customer retention line ((800)-600-8977), and told them that I thought the price increase for HD games was ridiculous, and that the extra channels that come as part of the Superfan package weren't anything I was interested in. I didn't even have a chance to threaten to cancel or anything, and the girl I talked to offered to take $5/month off my HD package and regular programming package for 6 months. So, with the renewal price and what amounts to $39 extra, it'll be $239, which is only $20 more than the $219 I was paying last year. So, I'm pretty satisfied with that. She was also telling me about a channel that's part of the package that'll show replays of games with no commercials or breaks between plays, so they'll only be about 30 minutes long, which sounds kinda cool if you miss parts of some games. 
It's not as good as it could be, but I'm hooked.
It's not as good as it could be, but I'm hooked.dougthonus
Footballguy
It's not about affording it. It's about the fact that you're willing to pay vastly more money for lesser services. It's like saying, I'd rent a $150 limo to go out to dinner, and then complain that the meal cost you $40 bucks.
I agree, but my point was that to me, watching the NFL with Tivo is far more important then the HD feed. You have to choose one or the other or pay out the nose. If you were choosing HD then the drop from HD to Tivo shouldn't be considered all bad. If you were paying out the nose then the extra 99 bucks is less than 10% of your total cost and probably wouldn't be that bad.
I certainly wouldn't be willing to pay for an HD Tivo either.
I wouldn't disagree with anything you said. As I said, vote with your dollar. It's not the fact that anyone would choose not to buy sunday ticket. It's the outrage that people feel it's not fair. I merely think railing against a company for raising their prices is silly. Petitions don't mean anything, lost orders do. I for one doubt that they will lose anywhere near enough orders to make the price raise not work out well for them, and thus they are doing what is only reasonable for any company in their position to do, and that's maximize profits.
On with DTV now. Trying to just get the ticket. Having rep read website I'm on holdThanks Big Jim. I will use your advice and see what happens.Contrary to popular belief, this is wrong. According to DirecTV terms and conditions:No. You can't just get NFL ST. There may still be some people that were "grandfathered" in and are allowed to only subscribe to the ST. But everyone else has to subscribe to at least their basic package (Total choice?).This might be a stupid question but here goes ..... I have Comcast Cable and want to keep it for my regular TV programming. Can I order Direct TV and get their box and only use it for the NFL Ticket? Will I only have to pay for the NFL Ticket? I have had Direct TV before but I switched to comcast. I do miss the NFL Ticket,
One guy in the AVS forum said he was told he needed a base package, but DirecTV caved once he pointed out that their terms and conditions explicitly say otherwise. If MoveTheChains wants ST and ST only, he should request this and point to the same language if he's given the expected runaround from some minimum wage CSR. They really should follow their terms and conditions or otherwise change them if they want to require a base sub.
not looking good. I just asked for a manager.On with DTV now. Trying to just get the ticket. Having rep read website I'm on holdThanks Big Jim. I will use your advice and see what happens.Contrary to popular belief, this is wrong. According to DirecTV terms and conditions:No. You can't just get NFL ST. There may still be some people that were "grandfathered" in and are allowed to only subscribe to the ST. But everyone else has to subscribe to at least their basic package (Total choice?).This might be a stupid question but here goes ..... I have Comcast Cable and want to keep it for my regular TV programming. Can I order Direct TV and get their box and only use it for the NFL Ticket? Will I only have to pay for the NFL Ticket? I have had Direct TV before but I switched to comcast. I do miss the NFL Ticket,One guy in the AVS forum said he was told he needed a base package, but DirecTV caved once he pointed out that their terms and conditions explicitly say otherwise. If MoveTheChains wants ST and ST only, he should request this and point to the same language if he's given the expected runaround from some minimum wage CSR. They really should follow their terms and conditions or otherwise change them if they want to require a base sub.
Canceling sunday ticket nownot looking good. I just asked for a manager.On with DTV now. Trying to just get the ticket. Having rep read website I'm on holdThanks Big Jim. I will use your advice and see what happens.Contrary to popular belief, this is wrong. According to DirecTV terms and conditions:No. You can't just get NFL ST. There may still be some people that were "grandfathered" in and are allowed to only subscribe to the ST. But everyone else has to subscribe to at least their basic package (Total choice?).This might be a stupid question but here goes ..... I have Comcast Cable and want to keep it for my regular TV programming. Can I order Direct TV and get their box and only use it for the NFL Ticket? Will I only have to pay for the NFL Ticket? I have had Direct TV before but I switched to comcast. I do miss the NFL Ticket,One guy in the AVS forum said he was told he needed a base package, but DirecTV caved once he pointed out that their terms and conditions explicitly say otherwise. If MoveTheChains wants ST and ST only, he should request this and point to the same language if he's given the expected runaround from some minimum wage CSR. They really should follow their terms and conditions or otherwise change them if they want to require a base sub.
Snotbubbles
Footballguy
I have Comcast Digital Cable, and DirectTV but I only subscribe to Sunday Ticket and I don't have my receiver hooked up to a phone jack. I have had Sunday Ticket for 3 or 4 years though.
I cancelled. It is amusing that DirecTV breaks up their HD offerings in such a scatterbrained approach. They charge an extra fee for HD content, then charge another extra fee if it is NFL HD content. I prefer lubricant when I get raped up- the-###. And by the way, please don't tell me how good it feels, I'm not your sister, I know better.I will watch the nationally broadcast games in HDTV with my over-the-air antenna.I will follow other games online.I will at least be forced to break my habit of channel surfing from one game to the next.
patsfangr
Footballguy
I just saw this thread today, and read through all of it. It appears that DTV is, if nothing else, incredibly inconsistent in its treatment of customers. Some are clearly offered better "deals" than others by CSRs and/or managers, and inquiries are met with a variety of answers from different DTV reps. In my case, I'm not affected by the HD situation. I'm totally satisfied with the picture quality of my old flat screen. It was good enough for me to watch my Patriots go through their 3 Super Bowl seasons, so it's good enough to go through this one. I guess it's a "you don't miss what you've never had" thing.Thanks Big Jim. I will use your advice and see what happens.Contrary to popular belief, this is wrong. According to DirecTV terms and conditions:No. You can't just get NFL ST. There may still be some people that were "grandfathered" in and are allowed to only subscribe to the ST. But everyone else has to subscribe to at least their basic package (Total choice?).This might be a stupid question but here goes ..... I have Comcast Cable and want to keep it for my regular TV programming. Can I order Direct TV and get their box and only use it for the NFL Ticket? Will I only have to pay for the NFL Ticket? I have had Direct TV before but I switched to comcast. I do miss the NFL Ticket,One guy in the AVS forum said he was told he needed a base package, but DirecTV caved once he pointed out that their terms and conditions explicitly say otherwise. If MoveTheChains wants ST and ST only, he should request this and point to the same language if he's given the expected runaround from some minimum wage CSR. They really should follow their terms and conditions or otherwise change them if they want to require a base sub.
But I am one of those who subscribed to DTV years ago specifically for ST. All of my local and premium movie channels are provided by TWC. I initially had to sign up for some sort of basic connection fee of $5 per month in order to get access to ST. That increased to a package called "DirecTV Limited", which I still have, at a cost of about $12/month. I was also able to get the "Sports Package" for the New England Sports Network, and New England Fox Sports channels (among others) for ... I forget ... another small charge per month.
Now, when NFL Network was launched, I got that free. No additional fees. About a month ago, I tuned in one night, and NFLN was gone. I saw a message stating "You have not paid for this channel ... etc." I called, and was told that I had to subscribe to the 'Total Choice' package in order to get NFLN. I protested both on the phone and via email at this pull back of access to NFLN. Neither protest produced any results.
I am, I was told, allowed to keep my 'DirecTV Limited' package, which is no longer offered, they said, as a continuing customer. But that will not include NFLN.
Bottom line seems to be that they will get from you every stinkin' dollar they can. They will make every effort to stick you with one add on package after another. But, if you yell loud enough, and often enough, you can at least minimize the damage. However, you won't necessarily get everything you want, as is the case with me in failing to get access to NFLN.
Even though 8 of my Patriots games will be on national TV this year, I'll be continuing ST, because I am a total Pats addict - been one since the team was created in 1960, and not about to stop now that they are truly the best team in the NFL! 8 games is not enough to sate my appetite for Patriots football. Gotta see 'em all, and don't have the stamina or patience for sports bars anymore. But I am really pissed at DTV, and will continue to let them know it. NFLN is good programming for us NFL nuts. I really regret losing it. But I'm not paying for services from DTV's 'Total Choice' that I'm also paying for from TWC!
It amazing how many different stories you get with the CSRs. I called one at the Customer Retention line today to ask about all the credits they are giving out. She became very pious and said no one is doing that around here. After that we had a nice conversation about the whole Superfan package. Later she asked me where I was getting all of my info and gave her the AVS forum link. She had me hold and came back a few minutes later and said she had talked to with her supervisor and was going to give me a credit for the Superfan package based upon how good of customer I was! She also said she didn't consider many of the people on the AVS site reputable and that some of them were being sued by DTV. 
I didn't bother to point out that she gave me the credit she said she had never been given out and wasn't being given out to anyone else. Afterwards I showered and had a good cry. 
But I got my Superfan credit! 
I didn't bother to point out that she gave me the credit she said she had never been given out and wasn't being given out to anyone else. Afterwards I showered and had a good cry. But I got my Superfan credit! Well it looks like there is semi-good news on the extra charge for HD & the superfan thing. Directv must have been paying attention to the complaints, they have dropped the $99 HD charge to $49. Not the $0 charge I would have liked to see, but at least they split the difference. For what its worth..
Satguys NoHDtax thread
From: Bob Marsocci
Vice President, Communications
DIRECTV, Inc.
"We have heard from several customers and we have listened to their concerns. As a result, we are reducing the price of the SuperFan option from $99 to $49 for existing DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers who renew their Sunday Ticket subscription for this season on or before August 31."
Satguys NoHDtax thread
From: Bob Marsocci
Vice President, Communications
DIRECTV, Inc.
"We have heard from several customers and we have listened to their concerns. As a result, we are reducing the price of the SuperFan option from $99 to $49 for existing DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers who renew their Sunday Ticket subscription for this season on or before August 31."
Last edited by a moderator:
Shooter McGavin
Down the middle
Well, looks like I have another call to make. They'd better either honor the deal they gave me ($60 off my HD package & regular programming over 6 months) at the $49 price, or just give me the Superfan thing free.
Mik789fl
Footballguy
O.K.,maybe DTV listened to customer complaints,maybe they didn't,maybe they ran the $99 HD extra fee up a flagpole and no one saluted so they got the $49 extra they wanted all along. Either way they got me,I got The Ticket for the first time last year(with 100 HD games) for $249. I re-uped this year for $199 WITHOUT the HD package,they dropped the HD price to $49.50,I signed up for it today,so I'm getting everything I got last year plus the 30 minute "shortcut" games and The Red Zone Channel for the same price as last year. I can live with that. I just hope it's not a fight every year as HD broadcasting becomes the "norm" instead of the exception.
kupcho1
Footballguy
It's working.The half off SuperFan is what they offered me when I complained a few weeks back. Still not good enough, so I will call again and try and get it to zero when my bill with the autorenewal (at $199) shows up.I've researched what I can expect to get for my Samsung HD receiver. Answer: not great, but not too bad. Anywhere from 33% to 67% of what I paid for it.I've also talked to Time Warner Cable (TWC) about what they are offering and its quite attractive. In the year I've been with DirecTV, TWC finally added ESPN HD. Normally it is included in their HD tier which is about identical to DirecTV's HD tier, but at half the price (i.e., $4.95 vs. $10.95). However, TWC is offering special incentives to folks switching back from satellite. They will provide everything the carry (basic + premiums + HD Tier) plus an HD Video Recorder and the necessary boxes for $64.90/month. I'm paying about $55/month to DirecTV and receive no premium channels (I've got to pay about $7/month for the E/W feeds of CBS, FOX and ABC - I cannot get NBC; plus there are some remote and box fees). On an apples-to-apples basis, I'd pay TWC about $43 (save $12/month) to get basic cable channels.It's getting to be a tough call for me even if DirecTV completely waives the HD charge. I may make the switch and completely cancel all of their programming anyway.
Incorrect, FOX came in and told Tags "Name a price for everything." The NFL isnt stupid, they spread the games around so that someone gets SNF, someone else gets MNF, and then the sunday games gets split up. They structure it in such a way that someone is always left out which makes them hungry.Who was left out this last season? I think it was NBC and now NBC is in it again and I think CBS is out.
NO, ITS NOT.I can walk down to the Q and get a ticket off a scalper and watch the game in the stadium for $40.
Everyone arguing this bar vs. dtv or game vs dtv you have it wrong. What does it cost to watch the actual game. That is that cost you compare. Not the cost of food or beer. So what, you dont drink beer at home while watching the game? You dont eat pizza while watching?
So add your $17.58 + $15 pizza + $15 in beer and compare that to going to the sports bar.
blenderfrog
All your base are belong to us
Are you nuts? The difference in the amount of $15 of beer at home and $15 of beer at a bar is pretty significant. And who has pizza every week?
ok, so make it 15+17.58 and thats how much beer you can have at the bar.We can also get really nit-picky here and ask how much you spent on your TV and how much you use it to watch football then factor the value into what you spent to watch football at home. Then add the cost of your couch, your fridge, your house, your..... you see where this is going.The point being, I can go down to the local bar (or old chicago since its non-smoking) and watch the games on a bigscreen plasma HD tv for about $25 and that includes a variety of beer and munchies.
Mik789fl
Footballguy
...and I can sit in my recliner at home and watch any and all games I want to on my big-screen HD TV with surround sound plus get the extra bells and whistles and food and drink cost nothing extra because it would be in the house anyway whether I was watching football or not.
Irish
Footballguy
You forgot the cost of gas that it would take to get you to the bar, figure in the pro-rated insurance costs, factor in pro-rated vehicle repair and preventitive maintenance costs, and the depreciation expense on your car. Sitting at home watching as many football games as I want on my big screen tv with surround sound =priceless.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Comparing the cost of Sunday Ticket vs. the amount spent on food and drink in a bar is flawed. The idea that food and drink in your house is free is absurd. It is certainly cheaper than buying it in a bar, but by no means free.And in any case, its irrelevant. If you want to rationalize your decision on a cost comparison basis, fine. But no one is saying that you have to do that. Its a free country. Buy whatever you want.What I'm suggesting, though, is that you register your complaint (assuming you have one) with DirecTV on the cost increase, particularly with regard to the huge charge for something that was previously included in the base price (i.e., HD).I don't know how many of you are in a business environment, but in my experience it is damned hard to pass along a cost increase from my suppliers (in DirecTV's case the new NFL agreement's cost) to my customers (i.e., you and me). If I tried to unbundle a service and charge 50% more for it I'd face some stiff resistance. (Of course this analogy breaks down a bit since I'm not a monopoly. ST is a non-essential service, however, so customers can balk and go elsewhere.)Of course if I had customers that made the decision based on whether or not it was still a cheaper deal than their next best alternative, I'd be more than happy to pass the 50% increase along to them.But I'd also be taking calls from angry customers and cutting deals to keep them, and keep as much revenue and margin as possible. That's what DirecTV seems to be doing already.I'm just suggesting you take advantage of it.
Personally, I don't see how anyone can compare a bar setting to being at home. The irony is that I could do a bar pretty cheaply since I don't drink alcohol but nothing beats hangin' at the homestead with my 4 TVs and tracking my FF on the computer. I have had some incredible weeks over the years tracking my players and I wouldn't trade that for bar setting.
while I can appreciate watching the stats change on a minute by minute basis, sometimes I have found it just nice to open the browser monday and see how it all panned out.I like to watch the highlights anyways wihtout knowing that x ran for 200 yds and 3 TD from a computer.
I'm Rick James
Footballguy
If you get a digital cable package or dish network could you get NFL games from other local games in cities besides the one you live in?
kupcho1
Footballguy
Followed up with DirecTV today. Instead of waiving the $49.50 for Superfan, they offered to give me a credit of $50. I guess that will allow them to show Superfan revenue, but hide the fact that I didn't actually pay for it in rebates.
They also offered to reduce my TotalChoice package by $5/month for 12 months.
Problem is, I still don't know if I'm going to stick with them.
Anyway, if you haven't already committed to a particular package with DirecTV / Sunday Ticket / SuperFan, I encourage you to call the Customer Retention line: 800-600-8977 and indicate that you are disatisfied with the pricing and that you are considering switching (back) to cable. I'm not a long time subscriber (< 1 year) but managed to get Sunday Ticket + SuperFan for $199, plus reduce my regular bill.
They also offered to reduce my TotalChoice package by $5/month for 12 months.
Problem is, I still don't know if I'm going to stick with them.
Anyway, if you haven't already committed to a particular package with DirecTV / Sunday Ticket / SuperFan, I encourage you to call the Customer Retention line: 800-600-8977 and indicate that you are disatisfied with the pricing and that you are considering switching (back) to cable. I'm not a long time subscriber (< 1 year) but managed to get Sunday Ticket + SuperFan for $199, plus reduce my regular bill.
Last edited by a moderator:
I tried to BS a discount out of them, and got $5 off for the next six months and 3 months free on some pay movie channel. It is truly a degrading experience having to beg for a bone, when I have been a loyal customer for 8 years. They did offer to kick in an extra $250 toward the purchase of a third box, if I replaced all three of my boxes.NO discount off for the extra HD cost for Sunday Ticket. Guess I'm getting the antenna installed instead. If they won't budge, neither will I. They don't get my $199 for next season, and I don't get to channel surf.I spoke to the rep about what appeared to be a degraded signal recently, which the rep blamed on the source broadcast. I don't buy it, but I'm just the little guy.Thanks for the customer retention phone number, since the last time I called, it was 20 minutes of aggravation before I got a human being.
GregR_2
Footballguy
I called the customer retention line, and managed to get $50 off the Sunday Ticket/HD price, and an additional $5 off the cost of regular HD programming for the next 6 months. So basically, $80 savings in all. Just FYI for those calling in and wondering what they might be able to swing.
The Ref
Footballguy
I was going to try and get ST without the regular subscription, but it looks like they have updated the website to close a loose end....Sports, A La Carte and Pay Per View ProgrammingCanceling sunday ticket nownot looking good. I just asked for a manager.On with DTV now. Trying to just get the ticket. Having rep read website I'm on holdThanks Big Jim. I will use your advice and see what happens.Contrary to popular belief, this is wrong. According to DirecTV terms and conditions:No. You can't just get NFL ST. There may still be some people that were "grandfathered" in and are allowed to only subscribe to the ST. But everyone else has to subscribe to at least their basic package (Total choice?).This might be a stupid question but here goes ..... I have Comcast Cable and want to keep it for my regular TV programming. Can I order Direct TV and get their box and only use it for the NFL Ticket? Will I only have to pay for the NFL Ticket? I have had Direct TV before but I switched to comcast. I do miss the NFL Ticket,One guy in the AVS forum said he was told he needed a base package, but DirecTV caved once he pointed out that their terms and conditions explicitly say otherwise. If MoveTheChains wants ST and ST only, he should request this and point to the same language if he's given the expected runaround from some minimum wage CSR. They really should follow their terms and conditions or otherwise change them if they want to require a base sub.
Blackout restrictions apply to sports programming. To receive sports programming and to order pay per view by remote, a DIRECTV subscription is required (except stand alone NFL SUNDAY TICKET renewals) and all DIRECTV Receivers must be continuously connected to the same land-based phone line.
"NFL SUNDAY TICKET renewals" is new
Last edited by a moderator:
AIKENS BACON
Footballguy
Called direct tv customer rentention line (800-600-8977)Superfan package is $49.00 for old subscribers for new subscribers $99.00 (hd games & other channels)I said $49.00 was not good enough. CSR said he would take off $5.00 per month for 6 months on the HD package Fee.I said not good enough! He said he will also take $5.00 per month for 6 months on my regular subscription package. I said that was fair!$49.00 + (-60.00) = (-11)...not bad for the upgrade & only a $9.00 increase over last year...If you dont ask you dont get!
I;ve just read through 4 pages of complaints about Directv. I despise Rupert Murdoch, but don't you think the NFL deserves some of the blame:"DirecTV will continue to have exclusive rights to "NFL Sunday Ticket" through 2010; it will pay $3.5 billion, compared with the $2 billion it pays in the current deal" (From the Hollywood Reporter)Lets see 2 billion for 4 years = 500 million/yr. 3.5 billion for 5 years = 700 million year (which is what Fox is paying for the OTA broadcasts btw). Someone has to pay that 200 million dollars/year difference. This is not to say that I won't try to get the discounts everyone else has, but the NFL has to take some of the blame from us too.
Mik789fl
Footballguy
There are many authorized dealers with DTV. Check your Sunday paper for ads,google DirecTv installers,check out at least 3 and see who's giving the best feebies away with installation,things like dvd players,free HBO for 6 months,things like that. Go to DirecTV .com and you can get some info there. I live in Florida but found my best deal with a company out of Boston,they all have local installers no matter who you call.
Here are the names of 2 people on the BOD at D*.
Chase Carey - President and CEO
Michael Benson - Executive VP & CIO
Here is the link where I found their names.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/aboutus/head...?id=04_15_2005A
If anyone knows the format of D* emails, please let us know.
Chase Carey - President and CEO
Michael Benson - Executive VP & CIO
Here is the link where I found their names.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/aboutus/head...?id=04_15_2005A
If anyone knows the format of D* emails, please let us know.
