Currently there are only two major satellite TV providers in the United States, Direct TV (DIRECTV) and Dish Network (DishNetwork). If you are interested in getting satellite TV then you will need to choose between these two providers. The largest of these two is Direct TV with over 18 million subscribers and availability in just about every city in the United States. Direct TV and Dish Network have been in fierce competition for years but recently Direct TV has been able to widen it's market share gap on Dish Network.
If you are interested in getting satellite television you can see our review of Direct TV below and also check out our Dish Network review.
If you can't make a decision between the two check out our Direct TV & Dish Network Comparison Chart.
The review below first goes over a few general questions about the services available through Direct TV and then addresses a few red flag issues.
What Is DirectTV?
Direct TV is a company that provides television viewers with a paid satellite TV service. With over 18 million subscribers and the most HD channels Direct TV is the premier satellite TV provider in the United States.
What Type Of Picture Quality Do Direct TV subscribers get?
Direct TV broadcasts all channels in digital which means that you get the best picture quality available. Direct TV also has the most HD channels which allows you to get an even better picture in case standard digital TV is not good enough for you.
How Much Does Direct TV Cost?
Direct TV is slightly more expensive than Dish Network but is often cheaper than cable TV. Packages from Direct TV range from around $30 per month for 50 channels to as much as $100 per month for over 250 channels. For most of these packages you can get a new subscriber special that cuts the price significantly for the first 6-12 months.
How Many HD Channels Does Direct TV Have?
Currently DirectTV boasts the largest number of HD channels in the television industry at around 130.
How Does Direct TV Programming Options Compare To Other Services?
Direct TV has several exclusive packages that can only be purchased through their company. They also have the largest selection of sports channels to choose from. These channels includes NHL Center Ice, NBA League Pass, and MLB Extra Innings, plus much more. One great thing about Direct TV is that you can choose inexpensive packages that include as little as 50 channels or if you want it all you can pay more and get over 250 channels.
Does Direct TV Have Any Special Exclusive Channels?
Direct TV is the exclusive provider for NFL Sunday Ticket, NCAA Mega March Madness, and Nascar HotPass. All of these are separate from standard packages and are available for an extra fee. NFL Sunday Ticket is great because it gives subscribers access to all NFL games during the season.
What Equipment Is Required For Direct TV And How Much Does It Cost?
In order to get DirecTV satellite television subscribers need a satellite dish and a receiver for each room where they want to watch TV. In most cases new customers can get all of the equipment for free by agreeing to a 12-24 month contract. Usually this also includes free installation. If you do not get a special it could cost you several hundred dollars for equipment and installation. If you want to upgrade to an HD receiver or DVR then you might have to pay a couple hundred dollars. In most cases you can find specials that include one or both of these for free after a mail-in rebate.
Does Direct TV Require Subscribers To Sign A Lengthy Contract?
Direct TV requires all subscribers to agree to a service contract between 12-24 months.
Does Direct TV Run A Credit Check On New Subscribers?
Yes, Direct TV has a fairly strict policy regarding who can be accepted for a service contract. Credit checks are ran on all new subscribers before they are accepted.
Are There Any Red Flag Issues That Current Or Former Subscribers Have Ran Into With Direct TV?
All Direct TV customers should be aware that there will be a early termination fee if you decide to cancel your service before your contract is up. One thing that we have noticed is that some customers seemed to have though that they would be able to easily get out of their contract if they moved. Getting out of any contact with Direct TV is going to be difficult and everyone should be careful before agreeing to a long service contract. If you are concerned that you may be moving to an area where Direct TV isn't available you need to check out the terms of the contract before you sign it. If it doesn't say that you can get out of your contract in the contract then don't count on it. Don't count on it even if an uninformed customer service rep told you that you could get out of your contract if you moved. The only thing you can count on it what is written in your contract.
Another issue to check out is whether you have a clear view of the southern sky. If you do not then you shouldn't even bother getting satellite TV. This is a requirement for getting a good signal with any satellite TV provider. Without a good signal you will get bad reception and at times you may get no reception at all.
If you get Direct TV you need to be ready to deal with customer service agents that aren't not the most intelligent people on the planet. If you have any issues and have to call customer service you should be able to get your problems worked out but it may take a bit longer than it should because you may get an incompetent rep on the phone. In general Direct TV does a good job of dealing with most customer service issues. You however will see a ton of complaints on the Internet, partially because some people are idiots, partially because no company is perfect (Yes, Direct TV does make mistakes and has flaws in their system), and partially because they have over 18 million subscribers and there is no way you can keep everyone happy.
If you would like to purchase directv we think that it would be a pretty good choice. It pretty much boils down to the small things. All satellite and cable providers have similar customer service and reliability but each one of them has small variations in the channels, HD packages, and DVR features that are available. It just a matter of deciding exactly what you want. If
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