New install

[newinstall]

Well,

After all these years of Cable I think I am finally ready to switch to sattellite (my firedn got it and I like the picture quality). I recived my system about two years ago for x-mas(it is an RCA set-up). Me and my friend put up the dish and tuned it and all that good stuff, but my question is, can I just call up DTV now and have my account activated without a contract? When my friend signed up about three months ago they made him agree to buy it for a year (but he needed an access card, which my system came with, although his is light blue and mine has a football player on it). I am really scared of a contract becasue even after being at his house I have witnessed his on occasion lose signal and he is at 95%, mine is at 92%, but my neighbor (who i do not get along with), has a questionable tree. I do not want to sign a contract for a year then find out two weeks form now that tree is casuing me issues. Also when I call them how long is it before I will recieve a picture (minutes, hours, days?)
Thanks

[golfman68]

Yes there is a 1 year contract required.

They will not activate your fooyball player card, they will fed ex you one like your friends overnight usaully.

If you are getting 92 for signal strength you will be fine with the tree.Usaully you will only lose signal in rainy weather.

[LemonHead]

Lucky for you that you have a choice over satelite, cable and perhaps OTA reception. Many people who live in rural areas like myself do not have that option. We are too far away from cities for OTA reception and the cable companies will not invest in a cable run for only a handful of subscribers.

If I were you, I might do some homework and research the companies I was considering paying for my subscription via legal binding contract. I do not know, but it could be possible to discover a company who's determination to trample on and destroy inherent individual rights in order protect their elementary encryption scheme is extreme, twisted and perverse. Maybe, it is even possible that you could find a company who is foolishly willing to spend a dollar for every last dime of revenue they can harvest, instead of wisely spending money on R&D in order to build a better mouse trap that would better protect their vested interest.

I'm confident you work hard for your money and would not mind if your money was spent with a company who posses principle along with pride, a company that was not gloat with greed and corruption, as well as a company who would not abuse and clog our precious court system with frivolous lawsuits against common individual citizenry in order to compensate for their own short comings. Even if a company of such high standards and morals does not exist in our world, at the very least I'm sure you would not mind spending your hard earned money with the lesser evil of the corporate world.

I'm not telling, or suggesting to you where you should spend your money, I'm merely suggesting to you that it might be worth the time and effort to extensively research the companies you are indeed considering.

Good luck in your quest!

[XMyth]

Scrap the DTV system and go with Dish or another satellite provider. DirecTV is a horrible company who not only knowingly extorts money out of completly innocent people but also has lots of other shady practices.

http://www.dsschat.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155143



Also, (no offense to you newinstall), that post really sounds like a setup. Like DTV sent someone here to ask that question hoping that someone would respond (probably in PM) explaining that they can hack their cards to get free tv; if only because he seems kinda naive about his equipment and this site used to be primarily about hacking DTV.


Again, newinstall, don't take offense if I'm wrong. I'm not accusing you or anything....it's just what it "looks like" it "might be" to me.

[newinstall]

Hey guys, thanks for replying, sorry I didn't reply for a while, I was outa town and did not get to check my replies right away. I wish I would have read a little more about Direct TV before even making that post, I feel sorta stupid now. I had no idea that this whole suing thing was going on. You are right, that is not a good way to do business, I can't believe that it is allowed to happen. In fact it may make some of you happy to hear that becasue of the couple responses I received, I decided to go with Dish Network instead. It was installed yesterday, and I LOVE IT!!!! I kinda hated to waste the equiptment I had, but screw that, even after all the work I went through of putting up that stupid dish (I did take it down though, I would have felt kinda funny with two). I offered it to my friend since he is stuck for another 9 months regardless (and believe me he wishes he wasn't now), but Direct TV said to add an additional reciever he would have to sign up for a year from the date the second one was activated. He said screw it, I would have too. I told a few people about this site, and the whole story, and beleive it or not one person actaully cancelled their service and switched to Dish as well (it is actaully a little better deal with the incentives and offfers they have), and she was a Direct TV Subscriber for a few years! Dish not only was curtious to me on the phone, they were out within days of calling them. I did have to sign the year deal, but free equiptment, and they assured me that if that tree became a problem, they would address it. Only time will tell. O yeah XMyth, I can see where you may think what you said, but I ASSURE you I want no part of Direct TV (---- you might think I work for Dish now, with all my free advertising I am giving them LOL). Last thing is there any way to get out of that year contract, I keep braging to my buddy about the deal I got and he is so pissed he wants rid of Direct TV.

[golfman68]

Pay the $300 extortion I mean early dermination fee.

Or cancel the credit card that he used, in which case DAVE might sue you or screw up your credit rating.