DirecTV Customer Service Nonsense (UPDATE post #28)

[sam_gordon]

FCC calculations. That's people who get zero over the air. So it may be only one channel out of the dozen or so licensed to your area. We have 2 stations here still on VHF including mine. So we lost a lot of range, but this year we added a UHF translator. Sort of like prior to 2015 when satellite companies would get requests from people in our viewing area for waivers to get out of market stations (San Francisco) We had an engineer working full time with an antenna on a pole measuring signal strength. My favorite was the lady who insisted she could not get Sacramento stations, even though you could see the transmission towers from her home. Engineer got an acceptable signal on his test TV with NO antenna attached!

Do you have a link? I'd love to be able to show that statistic to others.

And just to point out, there is such a thing as "too much" signal when it comes to digital.

 

[barkley]

Cellular networks will grow to the point that they provide the last mile internet for areas that are cost prohibitive to lay fiber, copper, or coax.

they are going to have to do some serious growing-all of them, to be able to even provide basic internet for some of us. i'm in an area where it's common if a guest in your home says they need to make a call on their cell phone for the homeowner to inquire which carrier they have in order to direct them to which room of the house/corner of the property/which neighbor's property to stand on in order to utilize their service-if they can get service at all. i get at&t fine-in the front of the house/driveway pad but go down the driveway and lose service. my neighbors can't get it at all. some have verizon but it's spotty until about 3 miles away from the houses, other providers are equally hit and miss.

to ensure ones own safety in an emergency the landline is alive and well used here (but the internet from it doesn't support streaming).

Like I just posted, TV stations are spending millions to make sure you can receive their signal over the air on rabbit ears. Many places that lost signal with the digital conversion in 2015, and now stations are scrambling to add translators, boost transmission power, and replace existing transmitters. My station just put in a translator, took almost 4 years to get corporate approval, FCC approval and get the equipment built, delivered and installed.

unless a tv station has the money, ability and public support to level mountain ranges and vast forested acreage then much of my state will still not be capable to receive from rabbit ears.

 

[MIGrandma]

How do you stream? My parents can’t stream because they can’t get cable. They have a dish for internet but it’s way too slow to stream. Maybe you can help out my parents.

Your parents would have to contact their internet provider for the answer to that question. We have a great local internet provider, but that won’t help them.

 

[tvguy]

unless a tv station has the money, ability and public support to level mountain ranges and vast forested acreage then much of my state will still not be capable to receive from rabbit ears.

That's what translators are for. One station north of here, KRCR has 16 translators to get into the valleys around their coverage area.

 

[tvguy]

Do you have a link? I'd love to be able to show that statistic to others.

And just to point out, there is such a thing as "too much" signal when it comes to digital.

Of course the FCC assumes everyone has an outdoor antenna on a 30 foot mast. https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps

 

[tvguy]

Do you have a link? I'd love to be able to show that statistic to others.

And just to point out, there is such a thing as "too much" signal when it comes to digital.

This group says 10% don't have any OTA reception. https://nocable.org/hd-antenna-coverage-map

 

[yoopermom]

I'm another one who only has cellphone coverage for Verizon at my house (thankful for the tower ten miles down the road), no OTA availability, no cable availability, etc. We make do with DISH for tv and satellite internet service (expensive, fast enough for everything but not streaming).

I tend to roll my eyes at all my family members (who live in more populated areas) preaching at me to cut the cord and just stream everything. I wish I could!

And don't get me started on accessibility for the people in the area who can't afford satellite tv or internet, and still rely on the local small town public library for free internet and DVDs (said library facing huge budget cuts from their already minuscule budget....).

It might be 2019 for some parts of the country, but not for everyone (when it comes to technology availability....)

Terri

 

[sam_gordon]

This group says 10% don't have any OTA reception. https://nocable.org/hd-antenna-coverage-map

Take whatever is on that website with a grain of salt. They have the wrong broadcast channels for every station in my market (they have the analog channels, not the digital).

Like I said, I'll believe 80%, but that's not the 97% you claimed.

 

[tvguy]

Take whatever is on that website with a grain of salt. They have the wrong broadcast channels for every station in my market (they have the analog channels, not the digital).

Like I said, I'll believe 80%, but that's not the 97% you claimed.

Can't argue that TV stations aren't spending big to improve OTA though

 

[heathere3]

Simple solution, a $ 9 antenna. Let's get real, every "provider" has disputes that take channels off for a time. Even the internet based ones. Just the nature of TV today.

That only works if you live in an area that has signal. We moved from NC where we had 9 channels easily (plus sub channels) through the antenna to Indiana. I've scanned and scanned with antennas in multiple places. Not a single station comes in.

 

[tvguy]

That only works if you live in an area that has signal. We moved from NC where we had 9 channels easily (plus sub channels) through the antenna to Indiana. I've scanned and scanned with antennas in multiple places. Not a single station comes in.

Like I posted earlier. TV stations are adding translators and boosting power because of the issue. Some may not be an issue for long as more and more people cut the cord.

 

[sam_gordon]

Can't argue that TV stations aren't spending big to improve OTA though

Sure I can. I know plenty of stations that aren't talking about translators. Some are using the repack to increase power, but how much does that actually improve reception? With digital, as long as you have enough signal, more doesnt help.

 

[tvguy]

Sure I can. I know plenty of stations that aren't talking about translators. Some are using the repack to increase power, but how much does that actually improve reception? With digital, as long as you have enough signal, more doesnt help.

The transmitter guys seem to think a power boost would benefit us on VHF. But not my area of expertise.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Here's the trick with DirecTV; you need to speak to the "LOYALTY" department. Customer care doesn't do anything, but if you talk to someone in LOYALTY then I guess they understand that you are ready to jump ship. Give it a try...

 

[sam_gordon]

The transmitter guys seem to think a power boost would benefit us on VHF. But not my area of expertise.

And it might on VHF. The issue is, depending on the terrain, even a large (like 3x increase) power boost might equate to only a 10% expansion of signal. It's too specific to location to say boosting power will help. Obviously translators will help, but with the repack going on and taking transmitters, tower crews, antennas, etc, I'm not convinced a bunch of stations are actively adding a bunch of translators right now.

 

[Kitty 34]

Ok dumb question for sure for some of you but if I was to "stream" TV shows, channels or whatever can I still watch shows on my TV set while I'm comfortably snuggled up under a blanket on my loveseat or would I have to got sit at my computer desk and watch shows there?

 

[ljcrochet]

Ok dumb question for sure for some of you but if I was to "stream" TV shows, channels or whatever can I still watch shows on my TV set while I'm comfortably snuggled up under a blanket on my loveseat or would I have to got sit at my computer desk and watch shows there?

If you have a smart tv, apple tv, roku or a fire stick, you just use your regular tv to stream. I have a tcl roku tv, and I was streaming NBC live this morning.

 

[wgeo]

Ok dumb question for sure for some of you but if I was to "stream" TV shows, channels or whatever can I still watch shows on my TV set while I'm comfortably snuggled up under a blanket on my loveseat or would I have to got sit at my computer desk and watch shows there?

If you have a smart tv you can stream right on your tv. If you have a slightly older tv you would need to buy something like a Roku box/stick (they're very cheap $30ish) and that would allow you to watch the shows on your tv. You can also watch the shows on your computer of course, but there are lots of ways to watch them on the tv.

 

[ICF]

Why would you have directv if you could get cable? Directv is expensive like you know. My parents have directv because they can’t get cable.

Because cable sucks and under no circumstance would I ever have it.

Comcast is my only local option for cable and they are the worst....based on my experience 20 years ago and the few people I know that still have it.

 

[dclpluto]

Because cable sucks and under no circumstance would I ever have it.

Comcast is my only local option for cable and they are the worst....based on my experience 20 years ago and the few people I know that still have it.

I have been with Comcast for 25 years and never had a problem. Seems Comcast is great in some places and sucks in other places.