[Scott F.]

Let me preface this with, just a few months ago, my wife and I decided to make a rather large investment into our home theatre. We bought a new 62" Mits DLP. At the same time we upgraded our DVD player to the Sony 3100ES and the affordable OPPO. Also, we bit the bullet and upgraded our DirecTV service to include the HD reciever and subscription.

This morning, I get up and start surfing the channels on DirecTV looking for something to watch as I drink my first few cups of coffee. After I watched the local news, I went to find a movie in HiDef on cable. I saw Mr Mom playing on TNTHD. I haven't seen this in a while and clicked the channel.

Up pops the Service Unavailible message. I followed the More Information button to find a screen that tells me I might need to reset my cable box to recieve the channel. So I reset the box and after it boots up, I get the same message.

So I decide to call DTV Customer Service. I get this little gal on the line and she proceeds to tell me that channel 75's (TNTHD) bandwidth has been hijacked to provide the NFL Sunday Ticket from now until after football season is over. Now I've got nothing against you football fans out there but I'm not overly interested in football. I just want the services I paid for.

What pisses me off is the fact that DTV has just hijacked one of the HiDef channels that watch on a regular basis. I've now lost part of the programming that I not only use on a regular basis, but its a service I paid for. Now, DTV is airing pay per view sports and adding significantly to their coffers at my expense. Granted, the actual value of that channels is relatively miniscule but its the fact that TNT-HD weighed into the decision for me to choose DTV over Dish, and now its gone, at least on Sundays, one of the few days I get enough spare time to enjoy a movie.

I mean, if they are looking to steal bandwidth, why not take it from a channel (or channels) that no one watches like QVC, HSN, WE or WHT, don't take it from one of my HiDef channels.

Hey DTV  .....you dirty rotten rat bastards.






....uummm Mister Moderator, feel free to move this rant to a forum that you feel may be more appropriate, I'm just venting anyway.

[lonewolfny42]

I agree....that sucks Scott !!!
It's all about $$$$$$$$$$ with these cable companies.....
File a complaint !!!
                                 Chris

[zybar]

Scott,

Call DTV and ask to talk to their cutomer retention group.

I am sure they will offer you something to help compensate for the fact that they ahve to feed my HD football habit.

If it makes you feel any better, those bastards have the nerve to charge me an extra $100 (on top of the $250 I already paid for the football package) to watch games in HD!!   

George

[PhilNYC]

I did notice in the DirecTV program guide this afternoon that it says "TNTHD will return at 8pm EST"...didn't really think anything of it until reading this thread (was busy watching football).  In fact, since this is my first year with DirecTV and NFL Sunday Ticket, I was actually really hyped to find all the available NFL games in HD!

I wonder how they chose TNTHD to be the one who got hijacked...

[Bill Baker]

Damn Scott, You are actually handling this quite well. If it were me, I would have dumped them before I hung up the phone.
 It's not the money rather the fact they are taking something away that I am paying for AFTER a contract has been signed. Did you read over your contract agreement? If it's not in there, they are the ones breaching the contract.
 I love football but this would still piss me off.

[Scott F.]

Damn George! They charged you an extra $100 clams to watch it in HD! That blows....BIG time.

Aparently there is quite a stir on the AVS, SatelliteGuys and HighDef forums over this.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=721674&page=1&pp=30
http://www.highdefforum.com/showthread.php?t=28101
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=76308

It seems that DTV just blacked out a bunch of NASCAR races in the midst of the points race at the end of the season in favor of Sunday Ticket. Thats got a few of the guys hopping mad. I also read that some are calling and getting several months (up to a year) free in HD package charges.

Something tells me that next week we'll see TNT-HD back on the air. I'd bet they'll pre'empt CD USA or several of the other low-def channels to broadcast Sunday Ticket.

Not sure what I'm going to do just yet. I may give them a call and bitch up a storm. Then again, I may call and cancel and pick up Dish instead. Trouble is I use Direcway's satellite internet service too (now Hughes.net) and I think I've got a package deal that ties the two together. The part that really sucks is I don't have high speed cable or DSL offered in my area (I life out in the boonies) so I'm stuck with Hughes.net.




Oh, I'm not sure if I said this before but Hey DirecTV  ..... rot in hell you anal licking sons of bitches





oh Chris, you're exactly right, its all about the $$$$$

[Jon L]

Then again, I may call and cancel and pick up Dish instead. Trouble is I use Direcway's satellite internet service too
Oh, I'm not sure if I said this before but Hey DirecTV  ..... rot in hell you anal licking sons of bitches

If you think DISH gives any more sh**$ about customers than DTV, I've got a few DISH stories to tell you.  Basically, both companies are only interested in signing up new customers and will happily leave old customers out to dry. 

[zybar]

Ultimately I am hoping to go FIOS, for a better overall picture for non-HD channels.  DTV looks ok for HD, but for many of the SD channels it is pitiful.

FIOS was supposed to be here by now for video (I have had it since Feb. for data), but is behind schedule.

George

[zybar]

Then again, I may call and cancel and pick up Dish instead. Trouble is I use Direcway's satellite internet service too
Oh, I'm not sure if I said this before but Hey DirecTV  ..... rot in hell you anal licking sons of bitches

If you think DISH gives any more sh**$ about customers than DTV, I've got a few DISH stories to tell you.  Basically, both companies are only interested in signing up new customers and will happily leave old customers out to dry. 

BTW, none of the sat or cable companies give a rat's ass about its subscribers until they threaten to leave.

George

[Daryl]

I just can't understand it.

$250 to watch football?

Or any sporting event for that matter.

If they would pay $3 an hour for me to watch them.

I wouldn't.

I can't understand why it would even be on TV.

Daryl

[Rob Babcock]

I just can't understand it.

$250 to watch football?

Or any sporting event for that matter.

If they would pay $3 an hour for me to watch them.

I wouldn't.

I can't understand why it would even be on TV.

Daryl

Probably has something to do with the half billion fans.

[byteme]

BTW, none of the sat or cable companies give a rat's ass about its subscribers until they threaten to leave.

George

And even then sometimes not.  I've gone around with Dish as well, but at the end of the day I now get almost 40 HD channels (including my locals via OTA antenna) a picture that kills cable and is typically better than my OTA channels and customer service that is 100% better than any cable company I've dealt with.

[Rob Babcock]

I will have to look into Dish Network (if that's what you mean) too eventually.  I have an Optoma H31 right now, but after CEDIA I will probably start shopping for a new HD projector.  There'll be new 1080P models out, new 720P models, and the prices of current PJs will drop like a stone.  Then I'll need something to watch, probably HD sports and hi def from DVD (don't have a player yet, waiting to see how the format war goes and when true universal layers will emerge).

[Rob Babcock]

Okay, by sports I mean FOOTBALL.   I don't really watch any other sports.  Maybe a little college basketball, a bit of pro of one of the teams I like is decent, ditto for hockey.

[lcrim]

I think I should point out that when you become a DTV subscriber you made a  commitment to pay for the service for a period of time, usually a year.  So you can scream about their cavalier attitude towards subscribers but they've got you.  You can complain and talk about changing to Dish but you'll still have to pay for your commitment.  The way the game is played, try to civilly bitch your way into other services as suggested.  Because I've had HD TV for years this is not something new to me. I have had just an awful time dealing w/ DTV types because of their stupidity and indifference.  They are just too big to be competent at any part of what they are supposed to do.  High end audio firms by comparison are tiny and the clietele is so critical that they have to be responsive or they go out of business. 
So yeah, bitch at them and insist they do something to placate you.  Their installer put my 5 LNB dish on my neghbor's roof, I own a townhouse, and I had to threaten legal action to get them to install on my chimney trace, but it took literally hours and hours of phone calls.
These days I am stunned when I encounter lower level service personnel who know or care about what they're doing.