Posts Tagged ‘direct tv’

FAQ’s on New AT&T U-Verse Service

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

A third choice is now available in many parts of the USA when it comes to cable television. While in the past you either had to go with whatever local cable company was in the area, or one of the satellite companies, now you may be able to get U-verse services in your neighborhood. Let’s look at a few of the frequently asked questions about U-verse.

Does AT&T U-verse require a satellite dish?

No. AT&T is deploying fiber to the node, or FTTN technology to most of the major areas it serves. This fiber is deployed to a large serving terminal in each area, then the existing copper lines deliver the signal the rest of the way to your home. No satellite dish is needed, only the necessary receiving equipment is needed inside. So U-verse is actually more like cable than satellite TV.

What kind of discounts is AT&T giving with Uverse service?

These of course are changed from time to time.Current offers generally match what cable TV companies offer for triple play packages of voice, video and high speed internet. Usually, you can get all of these services for about 0 a month for the first six months. Sometimes the promotional price can go for as long as a year, but check with AT&T for the current offer.

How quick is the AT&T U-verse internet speed?

There are several different levels of service. The slowest level from AT&T is the U-verse Express, which is 1.5 Mbps, and the highest is the Max18 service, which tops out at 18 Mbps, great for downloading movies or even video conferencing.

What are some of the features of the home phone service?

The AT&T Voice unlimited plans include all of the local and long distance calling. Other features include voice mail, call forwarding and call waiting ID so you won’t ever miss an important call. So if AT&T is your local phone company, a quick internet search or phone call can alert you to the availability of U-verse. If it is not yet available, you can still bundle your video service with AT&T with one of their Direct TV deals.

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Direct TV or Dish Network Satellite

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

 

In the early 1990s, satellite television was first introduced to the market. It was understandable that only a number of people actually went out of their way to get their hands on a satellite dish. After all, the dish was a lot more expensive just as its size was considered inconvenient and intrusive.

At the time, satellite dish owners also used it to have access to networks from around the world or channels that were not meant for mass audiences. However, people did not automatically get these channels. They had to look for those signals that is usually by chance alone.

This is no longer the case nowadays. If you want a particular channel, all you have to do is sign up with a direct broadcast satellite provider or DBS provider. A DBS provider, such as Directv and Dish Network, is the one who chooses the channels from the programming sources and brings it to your television sets. Simply sign up, an installer comes out and puts up a satellite dish for you and connects it to all of your television sets inside the home. Usually, you can have as many as four different rooms set up to receive satellite TV signals. This is definitely an advantage when comparing Dish Network vs Direct TV.

Satellite TV is not only limited to the number of channels you can have. There is also a satellite HD that feeds apt programs for your hi definition television set. HDTV has a bigger resolution that gives way to maximum viewing pleasure. These shows also comes with surround sound that pretty much takes the cake for television and home theatre enthusiasts alike. Best of all, there are so many DIRECTV deals out there today. Spanish speaking customers can take advantage of the DIRECTV Mas packages.

The pleasures it brings takes it to another level with the arrival of the technology of a DVR. A DVR is a recording tool meant for television shows. This technological marvel gives full control over live television that fanatics no longer have to worry about missing their most wanted shows. Truly a great way catch up on what you might miss on DirecTV satellite.

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Satellite vs Cable

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

Finding a good deal on cable TV isn’t difficult, that is as long as your not already a customer of the cable company.

The reason for this is due to the fact the cable TV company wants to build their customer base, so of course they are ready to offer you a good deal, usually for the first year of service. The cable company figures if you sign up with them, you probably will set up a with one of their bundled packages that puts all of your services together like voice, video and hi speed internet.

You can usually get a triple play bundle for just $99 per month for the first year. Consider what the typical cable TV company charges: Basic TV costs $55 per month, high speed internet is $40 per month, and phone service is $35 per month. With prices like this, your overall bill would be $140 per month plus all of the taxes and charges that find their way onto your cable bill.  An alternative is to subscribe to a service like Charter internet service and then add on Direct TV.

But it is good to consider how this could turn out down the road Well consider what the bill will look like once the promo is over. Then you will have all of your TV’s connected to cable TV, your internet connection including your e-mail account through the cable company, and of course your home line with the cable company as well. But suddenly your price goes up almost 50%, from about $100 every month to $140+ per month. Its not alway easy to switch out of your provider?

Maybe, maybe not. The best thing to do ahead of time is compare providers before making your final decision. Lining up cable TV vs satellite television ahead of time is the way to go.

While you might logically say it is not a problem to switch to some kind of Direct TV deal or something else from your local phone company like FiOS by Verizon. Some things though are easier said than done. Usually the time and inconvenience of switching from cable to satellite TV makes the customer yield to whatever service they have. Even though the monthly bill is high, the subscriber stays with the company because they have all the services on the same bill from the same provider. That is what the cable television company counts on when giving the subscriber a good short term deal.

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