My dad is getting Direct TV, how is it?

Joe08867 · March 2011

DIRECTV is great. Dumped overly expensive cable 8 years ago and have not looked back since.

To all you guys thinking DTV is expensive ask your local cable provider for a price. You will not switch back I would bet.

And they do offer 1080P but you need a 1080P reciever and it has to be connected via HDMI. 1080i has been around for a while with them.

You also have to select 1080P in the menu it won't switch automatically. I have seen it personally and it is just like a bluray.

Demiurge · March 2011

Joe08867 wrote: »

DIRECTV is great. Dumped overly expensive cable 8 years ago and have not looked back since.

To all you guys thinking DTV is expensive ask your local cable provider for a price. You will not switch back I would bet.

And they do offer 1080P but you need a 1080P reciever and it has to be connected via HDMI. 1080i has been around for a while with them.

You also have to select 1080P in the menu it won't switch automatically. I have seen it personally and it is just like a bluray.

Good lord, no they don't!

The only things they offer in 1080p are the things they control, such as pay per view movies, and as we learned yesterday, some on-demand content.

Broadcasters DO NOT broadcast in 1080p, and this is completely out of the control of DirecTV or any other satellite or cable provider.

You will likely never see full 1080p HD broadcast content, even from the major satellite/cable channels, such as ESPN.

tonyb · March 2011

I've looked into this also in my area, apparently Dave is right. Some content like pay per view, is 1080p, but regular broadcast is still 1080i. Shouldn't be a deal breaker by any means though.
You don't need a 1080p receiver to get 1080p from a cable or Sat. service btw. You could just hook up straight to the tv and a digital cable to receiver for sound.

bsoko2 · March 2011

There has been a reported HDMI handshake issue with Direct TV 3D and the Pioneer SC-37 recievers. Pioneer is not gooing to fix this until the release of a later model. This has been reported on the AVS Pioneer SC-37 forum.

JimAckley · March 2011

I've had DirecTV for at least 10 years now and love it. I've also got DISH at work (hate it) and had Comcast and Cox cable at various apartments. DirecTV is the way to go!

tonyb · March 2011

Yeah, in sunny Dallas maybe, but here in Chicago, snow on a dish can be a real pain in the arse. Lots of folks here have a dish, don't know how they deal with snow, can't imagine climbing up on your roof, ice and all, to brush off a dish. Some do have them lower to the ground on a pole so that helps if you don't have tree's around anyway. I have far too many tree's close to the house so I'm pretty much stuck with comcast.

steveinaz · March 2011

I'm very happy with both DirecTV's service and the quality of the picture.

audiobliss · March 2011

Oh, interesting thread. Would be cool to get more channels, cheaper. My only concern, though...does DirecTV broadcast in 1080p? If they don't, definitely not interested.

:eek:

:biggrin:

steveinaz · March 2011

Only for Pay-per-view channel movies can you get 1080p. I doubt regular broadcasting will ever go hgher than 1080i--with anyone. I have my DTV HD receiver output everything at 1080i, then my 1080p plasma does the de-interlacing; the picture is very, very good.

If you've ever seen the Mecum auto auctions on HD Theater (1080i) you'd be convinced that waiting for 1080p is a waste of time. It's incredible. It rivals any of the 67 BluRay movies I have in terms of picture quality. I have a 58" Panasonic plasma.

steveinaz · March 2011

Demiurge wrote: »

Good lord, no they don't!

The only things they offer in 1080p are the things they control, such as pay per view movies, and as we learned yesterday, some on-demand content.

Broadcasters DO NOT broadcast in 1080p, and this is completely out of the control of DirecTV or any other satellite or cable provider.

You will likely never see full 1080p HD broadcast content, even from the major satellite/cable channels, such as ESPN.

EXACTLY. 1080p TV's can deinterlace with no problem, and 1080p uses too much bandwidth for any (nearly undetectable, if at all) increase in picture quality.

If I MUST see something in 1080p, I'll rent it (or buy it).

Demiurge · March 2011

steveinaz wrote: »

Only for Pay-per-view channel movies can you get 1080p. I doubt regular broadcasting will ever go hgher than 1080i--with anyone. I have my DTV HD receiver output everything at 1080i, then my 1080p plasma does the de-interlacing; the picture is very, very good.

If you've ever seen the Mecum auto auctions on HD Theater (1080i) you'd be convinced that waiting for 1080p is a waste of time. It's incredible. It rivals any of the 67 BluRay movies I have in terms of picture quality. I have a 58" Panasonic plasma.

I'd agree with Steve. The picture looks great even in 1080i. Very happy with DirecTV so far.

Joe08867 · March 2011

Demiurge wrote: »

Good lord, no they don't!

The only things they offer in 1080p are the things they control, such as pay per view movies, and as we learned yesterday, some on-demand content.

Broadcasters DO NOT broadcast in 1080p, and this is completely out of the control of DirecTV or any other satellite or cable provider.

You will likely never see full 1080p HD broadcast content, even from the major satellite/cable channels, such as ESPN.

I never heard an argument were broadcast and content were different. The do have 1080p. Does everything that is HD come in at 1080p? no, but they do offer content in 1080p. So yes they do offer 1080p. Am I missing something. in any case, HD still comes in at 1080i which for all intents and purposes is nearly identical. If you guys need to see CSI in 1080p than you have greater issues.

Demiurge · March 2011

Joe08867 wrote: »

I never heard an argument were broadcast and content were different. The do have 1080p. Does everything that is HD come in at 1080p? no, but they do offer content in 1080p. So yes they do offer 1080p. Am I missing something. in any case, HD still comes in at 1080i which for all intents and purposes is nearly identical. If you guys need to see CSI in 1080p than you have greater issues.

As I said in the first post to this thread:

Demiurge wrote: »

Switched to DirecTV last summer and its fantastic. The deals they have been offering in this down economy made it an easy decision for me. I have their 2nd to top tier package and love it. Choosing a package depends on what you want, so only he has the answer.

The picture looks great (I have several 1080p TVs and a 1080p Projector on a 120" screen), but I believe the only 1080p content is the PPV movies, which I don't buy. I live in an area with lots of snow and rain storms and have not had a single outage problem with the dish, which was something I was concerned about.

As we learned, the only other content they have in 1080p is their on-demand stuff.

On-demand is not the same as regular broadcasts from network channels. When you tune in to a network, such as EPSN, Food Network, Discovery, or any other, it is not in 1080p.

It doesn't matter one wit to me that it's not, and it doesn't seem to bother anyone else.

All we are doing is clearing up the misconception that some here had that DirecTV or any other satellite/cable provider was providing 1080p BROADCASTS, because they're not (and can't).

DMara · March 2011

tonyb wrote: »

Yeah, in sunny Dallas maybe, but here in Chicago, snow on a dish can be a real pain in the arse. Lots of folks here have a dish, don't know how they deal with snow, can't imagine climbing up on your roof, ice and all, to brush off a dish. Some do have them lower to the ground on a pole so that helps if you don't have tree's around anyway. I have far too many tree's close to the house so I'm pretty much stuck with comcast.

Whenever there's a big rain storm, I also lose DirecTV signal. That's the major negative.

Joe08867 · March 2011

OK Demiurge, calm down, put the gun down and relax.

I got hung up on semantics. No big deal. They offer 1080i network broadcast and 1080p on demand content.

Actually if the networks provided 1080p content they could offer 1080p broadcast but it isn't available yet?

Demiurge · March 2011

Joe08867 wrote: »

OK Demiurge, calm down, put the gun down and relax.

I got hung up on semantics. No big deal. They offer 1080i network broadcast and 1080p on demand content.

Actually if the networks provided 1080p content they could offer 1080p broadcast but it isn't available yet?

The arsenal is safe under lock and fortified by concrete.

Here's a post from AVS on the explaining the matter:

None of the linear HD channels broadcast in 1080p; they are all either 720p or 1080i. See this topic for more info on HD channels and resolutions: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=164671

At this time 1080p is limited to Blu-ray, select PPV movies from DirecTV and Dish Network, select gaming titles on PS3 & Xbox 360, and most recently online streaming video sources.

Due to technical limitations, don't expect to see 1080p broadcasts for quite some time, if ever. It's entirely possible some version of the next generation of video, Ultra HDTV aka Super Hi-Vision, will be available before 1080p. UHDTV has ~16 times the pixels of existing HDTV

I agree with you that it's not a big deal, however what is a big deal is the intentional confusion caused by the marketers of the technology that embraces HD 720p/1080i/1080p. They all mean something different, and people assume that because they hear that 1080p is the best and bought a 1080p TV, that they're getting that from their cable/internet company. In reality, they're mostly only getting it from Blu-Ray, PPV Movies/On-Demand Content, and some games.

The truth is that what you get from them via the broadcasters is below the capabilities of your equipment.

bsoko2 · March 2011

And they all advertise HD content and the consumer thinks that the word HD means the best. Nothing is said about the resolution.

steveinaz · March 2011

Technically speaking, 720p is high definiton.

bobman1235 · March 2011

bsoko2 wrote: »

And they all advertise HD content and the consumer thinks that the word HD means the best. Nothing is said about the resolution.

I'd say most consumers don't know or care that there are at least 3 different "HD" resolutions. The vast majority certainly wouldn't notice.

tonyb · March 2011

Joe08867 wrote: »

OK Demiurge, calm down, put the gun down and relax.

Don't sweat it, Dave never shot anyone with less than 1500 posts.

OOPS...1542, guess your sh$t out of luck. :biggrin:

Mikey081057 · May 2017

Directv customer since 1997. Only something better would get me to change. Customer Service is excellent and US based. Their network of installers and repair technicians are compensated on customer sat. Always let you know when they are on their way and have always been on time. If this is what you want it is worth a few bucks more.

Picture quality is very good and their technology is always advancing.

EndersShadow · May 2017

Holy dead thread bump. 2011.....

Mikey081057 · May 2017

How did that show up in Recents?

ken brydson · May 2017

Mikey081057 wrote: »

How did that show up in Recents?

A spam post (deleted) revived it.

concealer404 · May 2017

I'll dissent. I switched to DTV from U-Verse due to pressure from ATT and a promise of "same service but almost $60/mo cheaper locked in for 2 years."

Ok sign me up.

That was a year ago. My bill has been outright wrong 5 times, i've been lied to with no recourse and it appears my bill will be within $20 of what i was paying for U Verse for the remainder. Customer service is atrocious. I gave up calling because it was costing more in time than the money amount they screw me out of.

Service is mediocre at best. My box appears to only be capable of 1080i, i am assured that this is normal. Storms (or a healthy sneeze) cause a loss of sat signal. "Rewind any channel" flat out doesnt work. I'm told this is my internet, despite having the fastest ATT offers here, and having no problem streaming 4k on my phone in my backyard. DirecTV box is 3" from the gateway.

The menus are slow to respond and positively baffling. The DVR is terrible. (Treats sporting events as individual series. Each event.)

So yeah. In my experience, DirecTV is easily the worst provider. I'm only in it for another 11 months on contract then i'm running as fast as i can. Truly horrible.

tonyb · May 2017

As far as customer service goes, none of them can make the claim to great CS. My neighbor had DTV, he switched because the signal drop outs, while only a few seconds, became annoying....and too frequent. Winter time with ice and snow on the dish....yeah right.

I've had ATT Uverse, sucked....went back to Comcast. Yeah, you pay a bit more but the service is dependable, picture very good, wifi fast, library extensive. Better always costs more, right Tidal users ?

concealer404 · May 2017

I liked U-Verse a lot, just didn't like the bill. Turns out now i know that that's just how much good service costs around here. Shopped Comcast and it would cost about the same.

DTV just isn't worth the $15/mo i'm saving. I should know better than contribute to the race to the bottom at this point in my life.

pitdogg2 · May 2017

20+ years of Dish Wouldn't change for nothing. It's either is a blizzard or a tornado before I have problems with signal. When it gets that bad I switch to my OTA antenna just for the weather updates get all local ABC,CBS, NBC and FOX channels from 100mi any direction 360 degrees. To be honest none of the cable or sat providers can touch the HD signal of over the air it is pure unmolested signal no compression artifacts with all the DD surround you need

My dad is getting Direct TV, how is it?

Comments