OT - Comcast VS DirectTV in Ann Arbor

Submitted by WhatsTheSnapCount on

Hi everyone, just wondering what people's experiences were between Comcast and DirectTV, specifically in Ann Arbor.  I need a service to go along w/ my new HD TV.

I def. want to be able to watch all UM football/bball/hockey, which is one of the major reasons for me getting cable to begin with.

I currently have only Comcast internet...so I already know how much their customer service sucks.  Does anyone have any experience with both services and is willing to swear by one or the other?  Quality, bang for buck, etc. 

thanks.

JeepinBen

July 20th, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^

But I would recommend ATT Uverse to everyone if it's available for you. OP check it out, the service has been great. The ATT website can tell you if its available in your area

MGoAlumnus

July 20th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^

but then moved to NC and discovered Time Warner Cable.

As far as DirecTV - Comcast goes, you're going to end up paying more for DirecTV since you probably are still going to have Comcast for internet. With Comcast TV, you'll be able to bundle the internet, so it'll be a bit cheaper.

You'll have to decide whether that price difference is worth DirecTV or not.

van

July 20th, 2010 at 12:25 PM ^

I can't speak for others, but my hatred for Comcast is for two main reasons:

1. Constant price increases 

2. That awful comcastic ad campaign. I felt like they were intentionally trying to be hated. 

Most of my experience with their sales staff over the phone was quite positive, but I was still thrilled the day I ended all of my service with them.

France719

July 20th, 2010 at 12:30 PM ^

You are definitely in the minority on that one.

I've had terrible experiences with Comcast.  Got our stuff installed, and three of the TVs were not working.  Finally got that fixed, and then On Demand stopped working on a few of the sets.  After that, besides the seemingly monthly service outage, thinks went well.  That is, until a few guys moved out and returned their boxes.  For some reason, Comcast decided to cancel our TV service, and when I called them the first time about it, I was told there must be and unreported outage in the area.  I was 90% certain this wasn't true because only HD channels weren't working and the cable was fine, but I didn't want to argue so I said ok.  I was told they would send someone out and it should be fine by the end of the night.

 I called back the next night after there was no change in my service, and apparently got someone somewhat smarter because they then informed me my service (TV only) had been cancelled.  They didn't know why I was still getting certain channels.  In addition, to maintain the same package I had previously, it was going to double my bill.  Fortunately, they were able to find a similar package on special for about the price I was paying before.  I was told everything would be working fine withing an hour.

 I come home from work the following night, STILL no change in my service.  Finally, after calling back a 3rd time I was able to get my service restored.  

All these experiences are just from my new house, and I have had similar horror stories everytime I've had comcast.

wile_e8

July 20th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^

As far as DirecTV - Comcast goes, you're going to end up paying more for DirecTV since you probably are still going to have Comcast for internet. With Comcast TV, you'll be able to bundle the internet, so it'll be a bit cheaper.

I was going to stay away from this thread since I don't have Ann Arbor-specific anecdotes, but I have DirecTV and got it bundled with DSL from the local phone company (Qwest in my case). With the bundle discount, it was actually cheaper than what I was previously paying for Comcast cable+internet.

jcgary

July 20th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^

I have ATT U-Verse and it is head and shoulders above Comcast.  I have 3 HD tv's in my place and with Comcast I couldn't afford to have an HD box on every TV.  I pay $10 less than I did with Comcast right now but I added the sports package, 2 more HD receivers and my DVR is available on every TV!

If U-Verse is available at your place that is what you should get. 

umjgheitma

July 20th, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^

Pretty easy to work with and service is always going. I've had it for over 2 years and internet has never gone down, nor has the cable. I recently just called them threatening to switch to Brighthouse (which is a total bluff because I hate Brighthouse) and they lowered my bill $20 and doubled my internet speed (now 12 Mbps).

Side note, regardless if you get U-Verse or not, I would recommend to everyone to get the NFL Red Zone channel. Awesome if you play fantasy football and lets face it, most here do. It's no commercials and you get to see the scores every game for like $5 a month compared to Sunday Ticket which is like $300 or something for the season. 

Not a Blue Fan

July 20th, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^

DirecTV franchises their installation and service to regional contractors, which can be either great or shitty. I don't know what it's like in A^2, but every other place I've had DirecTV (VA, OH), the contractors have been a hassle. It's taken me over 6 weeks and 4 on-site visits from installers to have a simple install performed. The quality is highly variable.

Above and beyond that hassle, DirecTV's lineup is pretty awesome. Not sure about the local programming you'll get, but the national stuff is hard to beat.

expatriate

July 20th, 2010 at 11:16 AM ^

Allow me to echo the sentiment in favor of AT&T Uverse.  You can't get it in a lot of places, but you can in Ann Arbor, and it is incredible.  For $100 a month I get a better DVR than comcast or directv, record 4 channels at the same time, get BTN and pretty much any other channel I need, and I got wireless internet on top of that. 

Just to let you know, I have had Comcast and DirectTV in the past, so I know what you would be getting with those two.  Trust me, UVerse is much better.

MAgoBLUE

July 20th, 2010 at 11:41 AM ^

I've never had DirecTV but I had Comcast for 6 months and recently cancelled.  It was one of the most frustrating experiences I've ever had with a business.  The tv didn't work 1 week after the installation and the internet remained spotty at best the entire time.  I had 4 different service visits since the original installation.  When I asked for account credits for the time I missed I was told that I need to call them every day that I have a problem in order to get credit.

My parents have Dish Network which is sweet cause it's got the BTN.  When I lived in the NYC area I had IO which was awesome.  I have RCN now but I'm pretty sure that's regional too.  I'd say go with DirecTV and avoid the notorious Comcast customer service.  Plus they have a feature which lets you view all sports games going on at once and bounce around the games from that one station which is pretty sweet

bringthewood

July 20th, 2010 at 11:55 AM ^

I have 4 TV's but only pay for one HD receiver.  Comcast now forces you to use small digital receiver boxes (non HD) and you lose local HD channels.  They give you 2 of these for free and you pay for the rest.  I hate Comcast with a passion but don't have many alternatives as Satellite internet does not play nice with the VPN I need for work.  I have Dish Network at my cottage and the service is better but all I have is the basic stuff which does not include BTN.  

I pray for the day I can get Uverse

Augger

July 20th, 2010 at 2:50 PM ^

This is something that has been on my mind for some time...and I am constantly checking to look at who offers what.  Based on all factors Uverse absolutely owns Comcast and Directv...I cannot recommend it enough.  Now they just need to bring it to my neighborhood, I have been waiting for years now, while every other part of my town is wired up...Everyone that I know that has Uverse is very happy with it, most directv customers seem neutral, and most people I know who have comcast hate the company with a white hot passion (including myself).

Aug