Comcast changed the guide on our dvr and it is horrible. I am thinking about switching to Directv, does anyone have it and how is the onscreen guide?

I hate the look of the new Comcast guide, it's clunky and old fashioned and the huge ad at the bottom of the screen takes up most of the room!

DirectTV guide is OK but I haven't figured out how to limit it to just the channels that we are interested in. Therefore, it takes a while to scroll through. I think you can page through six channels at a time and it shows you one and half hours at a time.

We do ocassionally have reception problems in heavy rain or snow. Nice thing about HD DVR is that we can tape on one TV and watch the taped show on another. Unfortunately, you are allowed only two shows at a time (taping and/or viewing) on the one TV so it is limiting.

Marc, I don't think you can limit the channels so I am used to that with Comcast.
So if you are watching tv on two other tvs besides the one that has the whole house DVR, you can't tape a show on the dvr at the same time?

On your tv with dvr, you can watch one show and tape another. On the other tvs, you can watch another live show but not something that is already taped. If you are going to have three HD tvs, I would really recommend two dvrs so you can actually tape more shows. It gets hard when two shows are on at same time and you don't want to watch either live but watch a third show. I guess we could go upstairs to other tv but not a perferred choice.

We have had dish tv for many years. Like it a lot. I would go on the Internet sites of both and compare. One thing I like about dish is with the movie channels you get both the east and west coast feeds so it is easy to time switch what you watch. The dvr is very flexible. I am thinking of dropping time Warner in the desert to dish. The guide of time Warner is bad.

Marc, I am confused. So if two shows are taping on the main HD dvr, I can't watch a taped show in another room?

We have DirecTv and like it. We can watch one previously recorded show and record two others at the same time. We just can't record two shows and watch a live show (unless it's one of the one's being recorded) at the same time. You can limit the shows that appear on your guide by creating a favorites list using the menu button/Parental,Fav's &Setup function

Karen, I haven't been successful with Peggy's set up; I need to try it.

I have a favs list like Peggy suggests but I can only surf through the stations on my favs. I would like a way to get them off of the guide so I don't have to scroll through all the channels when looking to see what's on.
If you can customize the guide like Peggy says, then I really think it's time to dump Comcast!

Mark, after you set up your favorites as Custom 1 or Custom 2 (if you want more than one abbreviated guide), highlight it in the menu window, then press the guide button--your "favorites guide" should come up.

ok, slightly diff topic.

We have Comcast at our place in Tucson.
Now, we are not there a lot. BUT, when we are, we would like basic tv & internet.
I have an on going fight with Comcast over their charges. I really have a problem paying for cable when I am not there to watch it..same for internet.We have a fight every time I want to shut it down for a few months.

Any suggestions or advice from you world travelers?

Thanks in advance, Doug

When we go away for more than a month, we ask for the "vacation rate" for the period we're gone--in the past it's been around $12/month. Not sure all the cable/satellite tv companies do this. Haven't tried to turn our internet off and on since Jerry has to access one of our computers at home every day.

We have had DirecTV for years and really like it as well, (even though it sure has creaped up in price over the years!). Like Peggy said, if you have the HD receiver, you can record 2 shows while watching another that has been prerecorded. We virtually NEVER watch anything that we haven't recorded - except the news (so we can fast forward through commercials when necessary!).

We've set up both our Custom Favorite lists with different themes, so we can see only those channels which interest us.

My Dad has Dish Network, and I guess maybe it's what one gets used to, but I don't like it at all! I have tried to get used to his program guide, and just can't get my arms around it!

Here are a couple of snapshots of what our guide looks like:

Thanks Cindy, that is a BIG help! How easy is recording a show? The new comcast guide makes it very difficult. The new method is very confusing and records EVERY airing of a show on a given night. Very annoying for shows that repeat later on in the evening.

Recording is real simple. You see a show on the guide you want and press record button. If you want to record every episode, just press the record button a second time.

Yesterday, Arlene was interested in finding shows about royal wedding. I did a search on "royal" and a whole list of shows over the next couple weeks showed up. I just went down the list pressing the record buttom for each we wanted to record.

To record a show, just do what Marc said.
Or, if you look at the second picture I posted, it shows a description of the show, and you can choose to record just one program or the whole series. Also lets you choose between recording "all" shows or just "first run" shows. Also lets you specify how many to save - "one" "five" or save them all until "Disk is full". And it will only record shows on a given channel, so if there are a zillion reruns running on another channel, you won't get those clogging up your recorder.
You can do a "search" for Star Trek, and tell the recorder to record every single show it finds! (As if you didn't already have them all on DVD!)

OHHH GEEZZZ I am so TV, cell phone, photobucket etc stupid - maybe we need a "Cindy/Karen/Peggy Tutorial" lets pick nice spot with good weather and wine :D :D :lct: :lct:

Thanks guys, I may bite the bullet and unbundle my cable and go with directv. I would just switch everything to uverse but I don't want to have to change my comcast email!

I think I have everything in my cart for 5 tvs? One hd dvr and 2 hd receivers for the and my bedroom, then 2 regular receivers for the other tvs. This price seems ok now but what happens in two years, does it double? Do I need a receiver for the kitchen tv that always has CNN on it? I remember in the old days with Dishtv, I didn't have a receiver for the kitchen tv. The tv is on the wall and there is no place to put the receiver.

My directv shopping cart

Karen, we have a tv in kitchen that has a little infrared transceiver from box that we keep in wiring closet. There is a coax through the crawl space all the way to the kitchen. Tell the installer that you want "infrared over coax."
You could probably put the receiver in your pantry or a cabinet and get to your tv.

As for price rises; I wonder too. I will be looking for specials in about a year.

You forgot to add the special " Steelers " package for Mark to your Direct TV list.

LOL Ralph, I am thinking about it!
Marc, that is good info to know.

Can I come too???? I probably still wouldn't be able to understand it all if we were drinking wine during the tutorial (as we would surely be doing) but the get together sounds like a lot of fun!

I woke up this morning to no cable. Comcast must of read this thread and heard me dissing them :)

The nice thing about DirecTV is the NFL Sunday Ticket package, which you cannot get with any cable company. Greg, who works in the cable TV industry, has been "cheating" on his cable companies ever since we left Wisconsin so we could get our Packers wherever we live. ;) We don't subscribe to the regular channels, though, so I am no help there.

We are "in the dark ages" compared to you all, but have had DirectTV for several yrs, with discount thru bundle with ATT. Don't even have DVR, but a couple yrs ago, they offered an additional discount for signing up for 12 months, then last yr got discount for HD, so I called this yr, asking for an offer when the price rose again a few $. Got one, so it pays to call and ask!

Kathy, I think I remember when you switched over a few years ago! I can't imagine no dvr, especially when 2 shows I watch are on at the same time.

Karen
- I haven't had directv for five years. TV service was very good, but customer service was terrible.I was on the phone with them just about every month for a hour each time.
They would change my contract, take away discounts, add additional charges.
They record every call, so take detailed notes with exact pricing details, who and when you spoke to the person, and then make a spreadsheet showing what deposit, charges, what months discounts will apply, when contract starts and exact date it will endwould have. If I didn't have this all in writing I would have been ******. Supposedly customer service is much better now, but I will never go back.

A better option would be Verison FIOS or ATT Universe if available in your area.

Don't forget AAA discount if still available and search fatwallet for current Satillite Specials.
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/satellite-tv/

Dave

Thanks for the tips David, I will check out the fat wallet site!

Deal copied from FatWallet.com - Originally posted Oct. '10, but supposedly still works.

This is on top of the current Directv package savings.
This is the best deal I have found for new Directv customers. Will only work if you are a new customer, and requires a 2 year commitment.
Follow the instructions below to save $280 on top of the current Directv package savings.

Go to the Costco website here:
http://shop.costco.com/Feature/DIRECTV

Costco Directv offer
Click the button that says "residential customers click here"
Then after that page comes up, click on any of the orange buttons that says "Learn more"
That brings up the cart page where you select the package and equipment that you want. This will also allow you to see what you payments will be for the next 2 years.
Now that you are on the cart page, paste this link in your address bar: http://www.directv.com/refer
Type in an account number from a friend or another source and click "get directv now".
That will bring you back to the cart page, and should show your first 10 months are $10 lower.
Make sure that a Costco banner is displayed at the top of the page, if it isnt, you will not get the $180 Costco cash card.
Continue checkout as normal.
Print copies of everything as proof.
Done

Note: I did not get a confirmation about the $180 Costco cash card, it was Fedex'd to me 3 weeks after the install date

Another note: Avoid signing up by phone, do everything online. I tried to do this by phone initially and they messed up everything from not giving me the $100 referral discount, spelling my name wrong, and entering the wrong email address. It was so bad that I had to cancel and re-order online.

That looks great, David. Do I have to be a Costco member?