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Old 09-22-2019, 08:02 AM   #1
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DirecTV and my coach have parted ways - Permanently

I have not had reliable sat television since last May when my 4 year old HR4400 DVR Genie gave up the ghost. Direct sent me a refurbished replacement 4400 which was DOA. However, I made the mistake of not fully checking it out before we began our current 3-4 month long trip on August 2nd. When I tried to turn on the DVR that evening.... nothing. Would not turn on. Since August 2nd, I have been able to watch TV a total of ~ 3 hours at $149 a month "service" charge. I have easily spent 40 hours on the cell phone with customer and tech services in the past 7 weeks. I got them to send me another replacement when we were at a campground for a week. It was an HR54. Two out of three tech service reps said that the HR54 would not work in my bus (I didn't know but found out it would work). I sent it back. In one marathon call, the tech service supervisor spent 3 hours on the phone with me getting the unit that appeared not to turn on working (it turned on randomly/spontaneously by the way) and it all worked blissfully for 3 hours. Turned system off that night.... would not come on again in the morning. For approximately the past month, I have spent hours and hours twice trying to get them to send me a working DVR box. Even diverted my current vacation trip to Middlebury where Entegra set me up with a DirecTV service man from Elkhart who charged me $160 to come to my coach in Shipshewana and verify that I was telling the truth when I said the box would not turn on (had power, plugged in etc. etc. moronically testing the obvious).

Then began two long efforts to get them to send me a new box not to an address that we had never lived in or owned any property in (an address in Pacific Beach, CA)(I think that I had to have a new remote sent to that RV park in California about 2-3 years ago). To change the "ship-to" address required (no exaggeration) the approval of 3 levels of supervisors, and then some other corporate entities, and after it was all agreed they would send a replacement box to a campground while we were still there, I would get a message that "we cannot deliver to you the unit that you requested" (I had requested no unit other than one that worked). Of course, we were no longer at the campground but they never tried to send a DVR to the address we specified..... no tracking number, nothing). So, I bought my own DVR box from Amazon (a HR5400 for ~$80) which was delivered to Normandy Farms Friday and I installed it yesterday. Called tech services to get it started, which took an hour and all was right with the world.... first TV reception since August 2 (and I pay ~$149 a month for service since last May and got total of 6 hours TV viewing). About an hour into the DVR working, a message appeared on my screen "Would you like to download software update for your Genie 2?" I thought that the system meant it recognized a new DVR box and wanted to update software. No, a Genie 2 is a completely different unit and the sat started to download the update (to an HR54) and the screen went blank and never showed a picture again. Apparently, the software download for a completely different unit corrupted the box I purchased so completely they could not get it to accept a software override....my purchased box was DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No solution to this!!!! ---- ----------

That was all I could take. More time on phone to say I was done with DirecTV and wanted to cancel. Another half hour on the phone and then a transfer to Retention division, where rep gave his name and said "how can I help you" before the phone connection was broken. No call-back for 20 minutes although they clarified several times before that what my call back number was....). When I was finally ready to bang my head against the wall for the 8th or 10th time, I called back again and this time actually cancelled completely my DirecTV service after 5 years.

The company is a complete mess! Whether bought by ATT or just a compete mess on its own, it is easily the worst customer service experience I have had in all my years.... everyone is very courteous, but it appears that no one had the authority to get anything done. It seemingly took the authority of a vice president level person (or a stupid computer program software) in some other country to get an address change approved. I am debating if I will spend the money to move to Dish sat (I am a customer at my S&B) or if I am going to try to emulate the kids and simply try going fully on-line and stream the few programs the DW and I actually watch) with a service like YouTubeTV. If you have Direct or ATT stock, get rid of it.... that company is a complete mess. Avoid calling customer or technical service while you are on the road at all costs....... just suffer through the problem until you get home. WHAT A HOT MESS THE LAST 5 MONTHS HAVE BEEN.

Unbelievable !!!! simply unbelievable.

Gary
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Old 09-22-2019, 08:23 AM   #2
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Gary, believe it or not my experience with ATT/DTV was actually worse than yours. Customer service is located in Bombay, India and retains reps regardless of their experience or mental capability. I've spent hours and hours trying to get through the fog of complete and total incompetence. I've had DTV for over 20 years but since ATT took over it's a sad joke.
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Old 09-22-2019, 08:52 AM   #3
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Some 2 years ago I was ridiculed somewhat for changing from DirecTV to all streaming. Times are catching up with me, more and more people are ditching satellites and going all streaming. I am getting more shows than DirecTV, at half the price. And more reliable viewing, too. And my internet gear is modest.

Streaming still has a ways to go, especially in remote areas, but I am now having less internet problems than finding a spot with view of the sky for satellite. Even here on the far west coast of Oregon. And it keeps getting better.

If anyone has questions on making the switch to streaming I'll be glad to help.
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Old 09-22-2019, 09:16 AM   #4
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I will consider switching to streaming when there is one provider who can give me everything my current DirecTv does, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS everywhere I go (as DNS does with networks on DirecTV). I don't believe this exists today. I don't want to have to deal with three or 4 providers and have to figure out what is available on which provider and, who if anybody lets me watch NBC in Peoria.
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Old 09-22-2019, 09:30 AM   #5
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The horror stories of DTV are the reason I left them in April and went to Dish. They were rude and refused to work with me after 10 years with them.

No issues at all at Dish, and their customer service is very good as far as I'm concerned. I can understand what they say! Not reading from a script is key to troubleshooting fast. Any idiot can read a script and act like they know what they are doing. Most of the chat folks are not technical peeps.

ATT is talking about selling off DTV and combining it with Dish. Not sure the feds would approve such a non-competitive deal.

We'll see. Not good for us if they do.
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Old 09-22-2019, 09:30 AM   #6
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I think a combination of Dish , with the flex pac basic with added locals and news pac, and combined with streaming also , is the best currently , at least for us at just 64 bucks all in. ( not counting streaming ) I also have multiple unlimited streaming sources using both AT&T and Verizon but YouTube , Hulu and all the other streaming “package”solutions cost as much as dish’s flex pac and in some cases offer less And Dish is very rv friendly.
Streaming , certainly is the future but there are a lot of rough edges for mobile rv use. At least for the programming we generally watch. Many are getting by very well and I’m constantly trying with a Roku and Apple TV onboard but still appreciate the simple Dish solution.
For streaming we use Netflix ,Amazon prime, CBS and soon Disney plus
I feel for my friends with Direct , they really don’t want your business. Att denies they are for sale but insiders know otherwise. The sooner they kill it or sell it the better.
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Old 09-22-2019, 09:31 AM   #7
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Marc:

YouTubeTV provides all you listed and all your local S&B channels also, for $50 a month, unlimited recordings of any of your preferred shows and retention for 9 months for $50 a month and no contract. However, it all depends on having a bunch of cell-based service. That is the limiting factor to usefulness. You have to have full cell coverage which we all know is not currently possible in all areas.

I have truly unlimited ATT cell, and right now, 15 Gig "unlimited" on my MIFI, and two iPhone cell phones with truly unlimited and unthrottled broadband internet. I'm going to try this and see how it works. Moving from place to place is a piece of cake.... youtube's computers already know where you are by monitoring your iPhone GPS location. You get the networks based on where you are on a real time basis.... you get your own home town networks two minutes after the program you want to watch goes off (you can't see it in real time, but can see it as soon as the show terminates and then view it).

With the $150 a month I am going to save for the terrible DirecTV service, I am going to now try to get a truly unlimited/unthrottled MIFI account on Verizon's towers (rather than my 15 Gig "unlimited/then throttled to uselessness" MIFI account now).

So far, I am encouraged if I can get the unlimited/unthrottled Verizon account to match my unlimited/unthrottled ATT account that I may find that going totally streaming is a better solution than either sat company. Your preference may differ, but where my head is at right now... Im looking and experimenting.... Time will tell. --

Gary
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Old 09-22-2019, 10:15 AM   #8
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YouTube and any other "cut the cable" type service are going to put some limiting restrictions on your locals if you are not present near the zip code where those locals operate. That's an FCC (or some gov org) mandate and the reason for spot beams on the sat services.

YouTube will let you change your "home" address, but only twice a year. See https://support.google.com/youtubetv/answer/7129768

That has been the main thing keeping us from ditching the dish in favor of full time streaming.

If you don't care about locals then that makes streaming more feasible. There are other ways to get locals but it won't be seamless with your streaming service and won't be easily DVR-able.

I'm with BillJinOR regarding the DISH flex pack and streaming on the side. Flex pack is relatively inexpensive compared to subscribing to multiple streaming services and gives us everything we want including locals in a seamless package as well as seamless integration with Netflix and some other services.

Also when we're away from the coach and living on the boat we can still stream our DVR'd DISH programming via Dish Anywhere.
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Old 09-22-2019, 10:18 AM   #9
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You tube locals are very limited. In many areas one or more of the networks aren’t included in their agreements . I did the research , ( give it a few zip codes you visit and see if all the networks are present )and it wasn’t acceptable. It will not give you locals out of area.
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Old 09-22-2019, 11:22 AM   #10
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Bill

YouTubeTV ABSOLUTELY will give you local channels anywhere outside of your area.... just not in live stream / real time.!!

This is how YouTubeTV has worked for me so far. I told them I lived in Shreveport because I own a house there and that happens to be where we spend a half a year. That is my billing address and my local channel location. Dee and I also travel 6 months a year (3 months on the road, 3 months in Louisiana, repeat). If I am away from that location, YouTubeTV checks where my iphone is located. Now near Bellingham MA. It automatically notifies me that my locals are now going to originate from Boston area. If I want to watch a network, what I watch are the local network channels. If I drive to Manchester VT tomorrow, YoutubeTV will know I am in Manchester by seeing where my phone is, and will notify me that my networks will now be from the stations local to Manchester. Easy.... simple.... I could care less if I see Saturday Night Live from my NBC channel in Louisiana or the NBC channel in Manchester. No fuss, no mess..... It tells me it has switched my channels to the locals serving that area. Mindlessly easy. I could not care less!! That is for watching networks in REAL TIME. No problem for any channel not a network channel.

Lets say I really enjoy watching Shreveport's 6:00 News on KTAL (which boils down to little more than how many people murdered/shot/stabbed how many other people, or pictures of the guy that shot a bunch of people and they need help identifying, or the results of a high school game (type fill in the blank) that I couldn't care less about, or what house burnt down as long it isnt mine or a friend of mine). I can't do that in real time, but I can record every night of KTALs news and I can play it back two minutes after the live program goes off the air in Shreveport and I can play it back anywhere I happen to have cell broadband. I can record like on a DVR 50 - 70 programs a week, free, no cost, and then view them anytime I want to view them after they go off line in the live stream.

Now, if I can get reliable cell coverage in 95% of the places we inhabit.... that is all I need from a TV service. I will never change my home address (because it wont change) but I will get all my desired channels anywhere there is cell service, and no worse than 2 minutes after the program goes off air on a network. Sounds pretty good, right?

If Timbuktu, ND has no PBS local service in Timbuktu, ND while we are there, then damn-it-all, the wife and I will just have to miss the current episode of "Downton Abbey" while there.... damn-it-all!!!!!!!!!!! .. -- but if I thought far enough ahead to "record" it, I can live stream it up to 9 months later :-)

..... The world will continue to turn..

Gary
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Old 09-22-2019, 11:50 AM   #11
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Gary sounds like you have already used YouTube tv ( subscribed) and tried it out . I haven't so only went by the zip codes I travel thru. And wasn't happy with the description . I will look more closely again.
You are already satisfied with streaming clearly ..... if you don't already You need to follow Technomadia or any of several blogs etc that follow the Internet streaming business and be ready to jump on "deals" that come up like the Mobley deal or the Verizon prepaid unlimited etc they are all are long gone but I'm sure there will be more. There are many solutions . I have 4 ways to stream unlimited data with 3 carriers possibly managed but none throttled. I subscribed to Technomadia and jumped on their exclusive subscriber info when it came out. Even so I still have holes in my service but I obviously am in different areas than you.
You probably know this but I mention it for anyone else that needs internet.
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Old 09-22-2019, 12:00 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Johnontheroad View Post
Some 2 years ago I was ridiculed somewhat for changing from DirecTV to all streaming. Times are catching up with me, more and more people are ditching satellites and going all streaming. I am getting more shows than DirecTV, at half the price. And more reliable viewing, too. And my internet gear is modest.

Streaming still has a ways to go, especially in remote areas, but I am now having less internet problems than finding a spot with view of the sky for satellite. Even here on the far west coast of Oregon. And it keeps getting better.

If anyone has questions on making the switch to streaming I'll be glad to help.
We are full timers presently located in Bullhead City, AZ. Our RV resort has free cable. At this point, I’m using the hotspot on my T-Mobile cell phone for internet; but streaming on my ROKU is impossibly slow. What are you using for internet? Because the RV resort has their own private cable, we are having difficulty finding any company to come out and just install internet. Any help would be very much appreciated!
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Old 09-22-2019, 12:17 PM   #13
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So I’m looking again and it says I must log in from “home” every 3 months .. every month for some sports packages I had forgotten that was another issue I wasn’t happy with. For a full timer “ home” can kinda hard to return to every 3 months.. I keep looking
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Old 09-22-2019, 12:38 PM   #14
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Gary, good to see there has been some progress with the YouTube locals even tho you can't watch them live. The 3 month/1 month rule also sounds as if it could be a monkey wrench. Will wait and see how you're doing with it 6 months down the road.

Second the suggestion to join the technomads, I have picked up lots of good and accurate info from them as well as advance info on assorted deals.
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