Tailgaters, Be Aware

[UNTflyer]

Got this email today - some of these package prices are being raised by 60%. For me I did some quick math and found my bill will go up about 18%. I've been thinking about canceling DirecTV, but I've hesitated because I love tailgating with ESPN Game Plan and I have to watch my Dolphins on Sunday Ticket.

=====================

New Rates for DIRECTV® Service: New prices take effect February 9, 2010, and will appear on billing statements issued after that date. See the detailed information below as it relates to your service. If your current DIRECTV base package price is part of a national promotional 12-month or “Lock in Your Price for 12 Months” offer, you will continue to receive this price for the remainder of your offer period. As of next month’s bill, your promotional price will be shown on your statement as the new price along with a credit. Note: if you

change your current base package, you may no longer be eligible for the credit.

Base Packages: Base packages and their new prices:

CHOICE™ $58.99/mo.;

CHOICE XTRA™ $63.99/mo.;

Jadeworld $39.99/mo.;

LO MÁXIMO™ $114.99/mo.;

OPTIMO MÁS™ $47.99/mo.;

PREFERRED CHOICE™ $38.99/mo.;

PREMIER™ $114.99/mo.;

TOTAL CHOICE®

MOBILE™ $63.99/mo.

PLUS DIRECTV $36.99/mo.;

PLUS DVR™ $69.99/mo.;

PLUS HD DVR™ $79.99/mo.;

SELECT CHOICE® $41.99/mo.;

TOTAL CHOICE® $57.49/mo.;

TOTAL CHOICE® LIMITED $48.99/mo.; and

TOTAL CHOICE® PLUS $61.49/mo.

SELECT will increase $3.00/mo.

Other services and their new prices: DIRECTV® DVR Service fee $7.00/mo.;

[drex]

It's always a good idea to raise prices in a major recession. 10 to 15 percent unemployment....real smart move.

[drex]

It's always a good idea to raise prices in a major recession. 10 to 15 percent unemployment....real smart move.

[ColoradoEagle]

DirecTV has steadily been moving towards crazy. When I first had service from them in late 2000, I had all their channels + Starz, HBO, Cinemax, and Encore for $59.99. That same package now, plus Showtime, is $109.99. Even if you added Showtime back then, it was still only $69.99. They've gone up $40 per month over the course of ten years. If you add HD (who wouldn't?) it's $119.99.

There's crazy, and then there's DirecTV.

[KRAM1]

Name a cable or satellite provider that HAS NOT gone off the deep end with a continuing program, of price increases? Even if you buy into one of the "specials" for a fixed amount for a year or so, you get hooked with all sorts of additional fees for cable/satellite boxes, additional TV hook-ups, special packages, fees for whatever, taxes, etc. It is simply a continuation of the same. But, I find it interesting that people seem to be OK with paying outrageous fees for all their fancy I-Phones with the internet hook-ups, video, texting, etc., etc. and then seem to scream about cable/satellite TV costs. Amazing stuff these days when it comes to "must have" items. And, amazing that most of them come with some pretty hefty fees, taxes, etc.

Good grief...but, seems the public is pretty OK with paying the freight as I don't hear of many folks cutting off service.

But, could it be that there is a bit of a backlash? Some phone plan charges are going down...or so they say. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that this is a good sign of more things to come in the way of "plan fights" between providers. Remember the "gas wars" that used to take place from time to time?

[ColoradoEagle]

Name a cable or satellite provider that HAS NOT gone off the deep end with a continuing program, of price increases? Even if you buy into one of the "specials" for a fixed amount for a year or so, you get hooked with all sorts of additional fees for cable/satellite boxes, additional TV hook-ups, special packages, fees for whatever, taxes, etc.

Those same charges apply for DirecTV, though. iPhone I have no problems paying for, and I have no problems paying for FiOS (especially since my company pays the internet portion ).

Edited January 18, 2010 by ColoradoEagle

[KRAM1]

Yep, I like Verizon FIOS as well...but, to my surprise, after signing up for a $99/mo. deal for phone, cable and Internet, by the time all was said and done, the bill is actually over $170/mo. Those extra boxes and extra fees can add up mighty quickly. This fee includes NO premium channels by the way...4 TV boxes, however. Oh, well......

[ColoradoEagle]

Yep, I like Verizon FIOS as well...but, to my surprise, after signing up for a $99/mo. deal for phone, cable and Internet, by the time all was said and done, the bill is actually over $170/mo. Those extra boxes and extra fees can add up mighty quickly. This fee includes NO premium channels by the way...4 TV boxes, however. Oh, well......

How is the bill that much? Do you have 12 boxes? Taxes seem the same as Charter.

Edit: maybe there's a lot of phone line taxes. Seems to me that phone lines are $25 or so, but by the time all the taxes and fees are added, they're $45-50.

Edited January 18, 2010 by ColoradoEagle

[KRAM1]

I mentioned there were 4 boxes....1 phone line...no premium channels...I do pay about $4.95/mo. for Verizon's security suite for the Internet....but by the time all the taxes and fees and extra box charges (2 HD boxes and 2 non-HD boxes), and extra line charges get added, it's the amount indicated. Nothing special in this set up. I changed to Verizon FIOS to get rid of Charter who kept raising fees every month or so it seemed and to get the phone, TV and Internet all on one bill...the total now is about what it was before with Charter doing the Internet and cable and Verizon handling the land line phone. But, service and quality is much better, so, all in all, I am OK with it...but seems like a bit of a rip to me. Can't wait to see what they do after my two-year $99/mo. "deal" wears off!

[stebo]

I have DISH and they seem to be competitive. I get America's top 200 channels with a Dual Tuner DVR (one box works on two tv's - can record and watch both tuners on both tv's). The whole thing with tax and local channels is $58/month. I don't have the HD hooked up yet and I am an idiot with flat screens that should but I can't see myself paying an extra $20 bucks a month for HD television. I can watch my HD with the BluRay and upconvert stuff just fine and not get charged extra for it. Eventually it will all be HD and standard digital won't exist.

Why does it keep going up? Because Broadcast Networks aren't making any money and can't get sponsors. With DVR's in most homes, smart people don't really watch commercials anymore. Every show in my house is watched about a half hour after it starts specifically to skip the commercials. The best programming is on cable now so stations like Bravo, VH1, and TNT are able to get more per subscriber than in the past. Not sure how DISH has kept their prices so low - but they seem to be the best deal out there.

Plus - if you agree to autopay they give you all the Cinemax Movie Channels (5 of them) for free. About every 6 months I get a subriber loyalty coupon from them in the mail that offers me two choices - I can upgrade to a new HD DVR (Dual Tuner) Box - thus re-upping my 2 year contract... OR I can take advantage of a "Programming reward" which requires zero commitment whatsoever yet I get 3 free months of all the HBO's and Showtimes. I have had Showtime and HBO for 6 months out of the last 12 for free. I don't know why they do it - maybe so that I will rave about them on a message board like this.

So if you are cheap, like me - and could care less about the NFL Ticket - go with DISH. It beats the crap out of cable, is less than FIOS and Direct TV, and I think that you will find the majority of the programs on the channels that they do offer... and you will save 50%... about. Anyone else happy with DISH?