No more DirecTV superfan package and price increase

[BirdMan21]

The only other things I wish DirecTV would do are: (1) put up their own dedicated-feed Gulf Oil spill channel and (2) allow viewers to create their own customized group of channels (Example: NFL Network, ESPN, CNN, NG-Wild, C-Span1, C-Span2, MSNBC, Weather Channel).

You can do this. If you go to any channel and hit the up directional key twice it gives you the option to add the current channel (hitting the green button) you are on to the "Quick Tune" You can have 9 channels on your quick tune and that way you dont have to remember numbers or scroll up to them. Hope this helps

 

[AzStevenCal]

You can do this. If you go to any channel and hit the up directional key twice it gives you the option to add the current channel (hitting the green button) you are on to the "Quick Tune" You can have 9 channels on your quick tune and that way you dont have to remember numbers or scroll up to them. Hope this helps

You can build a customized channel list also with your favorites. At least, you could with their DVR receiver.

Steve

 

[BirdMan21]

You can build a customized channel list also with your favorites. At least, you could with their DVR receiver.

Steve

True, I think he was just looking for a few channels. I have both going for me...and its awesome, got the 9 most watched and then everything else custom.

 

[AzStevenCal]

True, I think he was just looking for a few channels. I have both going for me...and its awesome, got the 9 most watched and then everything else custom.

Sure, but there are some advantages to building the custom list. You can scroll through a favorites guide and decide if there's something worth flipping to and if not, you still retain your buffer. Although I like the longer buffer, this is one of the things that the HD Tivo did so much better. It was only a half hour buffer but you could keep it active on both feeds simultaneously.

Steve

 

[ny redbird]

Still getting it, but would prefer if my wife doesnt see the line item on the bill!

 

[Shane]

Seeing as though I'm diabetic and rarely drink any more, that isn't even an issue.

Think about it--it's roughly 300 bucks (probably more with tax). If you figure that 3-4 games will be on anyway without the Ticket every year, then you're paying 300 bucks for 12 games. That's 25 bucks a game. A GAME!!!

I can easily go to the sports bar, get the games and get a good meal for half of that. Will I have sound? Maybe yes, maybe no. I would still save a ton of money. The only saving grace is watching all of the other games.

I'll keep it for this season. If they jack the price up again, I'm out. This is getting absolutely ridiculous. Roughly 25 bucks for each game I wouldn't normally be able to watch? Silly.

You get 4 Cardinals games televised where you are a year? Sounds like a lot to me especially considering we only have one Monday nighter.

Also anyone that doesnt thing that 300 bucks to see every single Cards game in the comfort of your own home in HDTV splendor needs their head examined. That is the epitome of a bargain IMO. Especially considering how much fun and enjoyment we all get out of watching this team. Worth every stinking penny they charge IMO. We all piss away that kind of money on the most superfluous crap it isnt even funny. Most of which doesnt give us near the entertainment value.

 

[Mulli]

You get 4 Cardinals games televised where you are a year? Sounds like a lot to me especially considering we only have one Monday nighter.

Also anyone that doesnt thing that 300 bucks to see every single Cards game in the comfort of your own home in HDTV splendor needs their head examined. That is the epitome of a bargain IMO. Especially considering how much fun and enjoyment we all get out of watching this team. Worth every stinking penny they charge IMO. We all piss away that kind of money on the most superfluous crap it isnt even funny. Most of which doesnt give us near the entertainment value.

I agree.

 

[TheHopToad]

Also anyone that doesnt thing that 300 bucks to see every single Cards game in the comfort of your own home in HDTV splendor needs their head examined. That is the epitome of a bargain IMO. Especially considering how much fun and enjoyment we all get out of watching this team. Worth every stinking penny they charge IMO. We all piss away that kind of money on the most superfluous crap it isnt even funny. Most of which doesnt give us near the entertainment value.

This.

It's a bargain for me and saves me from going insane. Where I live in California, all I get is Raiders/Niners games (until LA gets a team). Nothing better that being able to watch not only every Cardinals game, but every game period.

I also enjoy the Red Zone Channel and shortcuts. In fact, I still have most of the Cards' shortcut games from last year on my DVR.

And I am certainly guilty of pissing away money on superfluous crap. Hell, I probably spend $300/month just on eating out.

 

[Buckybird]

Most of which doesnt give us near the entertainment value.

We all hope thats true this year Shane...cross your fingers & toes.

 

[Stout]

You get 4 Cardinals games televised where you are a year? Sounds like a lot to me especially considering we only have one Monday nighter.

Also anyone that doesnt thing that 300 bucks to see every single Cards game in the comfort of your own home in HDTV splendor needs their head examined. That is the epitome of a bargain IMO. Especially considering how much fun and enjoyment we all get out of watching this team. Worth every stinking penny they charge IMO. We all piss away that kind of money on the most superfluous crap it isnt even funny. Most of which doesnt give us near the entertainment value.

Sure. I usually get around 3 random Cards games on the afternoon Fox game, when they're playing the top teams.

Oh, and since I don't have HDTV, that argument pretty much goes out the window. And I don't drop 300 bucks on random, superfluous things, so I'm not there with you. Yeah, definitely shouldn't be worth it for me. This is likely the last year I'll do it.

 

[Pariah]

You get 4 Cardinals games televised where you are a year? Sounds like a lot to me especially considering we only have one Monday nighter.

3-4 games is about right.

Also anyone that doesnt thing that 300 bucks to see every single Cards game in the comfort of your own home in HDTV splendor needs their head examined. That is the epitome of a bargain IMO. Especially considering how much fun and enjoyment we all get out of watching this team. Worth every stinking penny they charge IMO. We all piss away that kind of money on the most superfluous crap it isnt even funny. Most of which doesnt give us near the entertainment value.

I guess I need my head examined. I don't ever miss a game, but I also don't want to plop down $300 to sit on my couch and watch TV. In an ideal world, I'd be able pick and choose which games I could watch at home on TV, and not pay for the ones I either go to or see at the sports bar.

JMHO

 

[Dr. Jones]

This is awesome news and I and I am happy about this and actually knew a couple days ago when I called in. I actually signed up for the "early bird special" so it was 6 payments of $49 instead of 7 at $45 which is another 20 bucks cheaper.

When you factor in I live in Florida, play Fantasy Football and love the NFL so I get to watch multiple games and teams (Hence why my inseason NFL analysis is so on point ) every sunday, invite friends over to watch their teams if they are displaced like me, get to enjoy mass drinks (and other intoxicants ) and eat steak like a king on football Sundays....... ya well this is a no brainer for me, although I can empathize with those of you who feel its too much cost.


What can I say? I am an NFL junkie

This is exactly why I would pay $500 if I had to. I watch the Cards games completely but every other game in fragments. And the shortcuts option during the week is insane....

I do wish it wasn't exclusive though. Fios is in my area and I would love to go Fiber Optic.....

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Also anyone that doesnt thing that 300 bucks to see every single Cards game in the comfort of your own home in HDTV splendor needs their head examined. That is the epitome of a bargain IMO. Especially considering how much fun and enjoyment we all get out of watching this team. Worth every stinking penny they charge IMO. We all piss away that kind of money on the most superfluous crap it isnt even funny. Most of which doesnt give us near the entertainment value.

Casual fans I get why this wouldn't make sense. But for the junkies that like to rewatch games, and don't live in state....?

Like you said, I piss $45 a month on stupider stuff no doubt.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I do wish it wasn't exclusive though. Fios is in my area and I would love to go Fiber Optic.....

After 14 plus years with Directv, I switched to FIOS this year. I'm content with the overall product but on the TV side of things,it is quite a step down from Directv. For those that complain about Directv's HD DVR let me assure you it's heaven compared to what FIOS makes available.

I was really hoping that FIOS was positioning itself to compete with Directv but unfortunately, they are clearly targeting their cable competitors. Way too many of their channels are standard definition only, including many of the premium movie channels that you take for granted on Directv. I think it's an improvement on cable but it has a ways to go before it's in DTV's class. Add in the loss of the NFL package and it's probably a bad move for most fans. Not me, mind you, as I'd had all I could stand of Directv.

Steve

 

[TigToad]

We canceled this a few years ago. We switched to Direct TV because of the NFL ticket, but after getting season tickets 6 or 7 years ago, we decided not to keep it. My wife would like it so she could watch more of her favorite team's games, but we missed half of them anyway and they kept raising the prices.

 

[moklerman]

For those that live in Arizona I can see the potential dilemma but for me, living in CA, the cost(although I still bitch about it and try to get it reduced every year) is worth the price.

A couple of things to consider: the NFL ticket isn't just for Cardinals games. I know, sacrilege to some but if one watches a morning and afternoon game, the cost per game issue is cut in half.

Also, DirecTV will still cut the price down for you if you call in and tell them you are considering canceling because of the cost. Keep in mind though, they told me that the discount is related to how much you've been spending on your regular service. I have been only getting the base $29.99 package since just before the NFL season ended last year and they told me that I don't qualify for the the $20 off per month that is available.

They still worked with me though and gave me the first month free as well as $5 off per month so it was still a decent discount. Especially compared to none at all.

The bad news for me is that local channels are STILL not available in HD in my area through DirecTV and there is no scheduled date for it to happen any time soon. It seems to me that a city/area with 800,000 people would warrant this service.

And, in my particular case, I have to bump up to the $39.99 plan if I want ESPN so I will have to add that later once the season starts. But, as with the other changes to the NFL Ticket, the NFL Channel is included. That probably doesn't matter much to most of you but if one doesn't order the ticket they have to be on the $59.99 plan to get good ol' channel 212.

I pretty much hate the channel lineups of the various packages that DirecTV offers but overall it's all still worth it for the Sunday Ticket.

 

[gamebird98]

For me, the 300 bucks is well worth it....sure, I could go to a local bar.....but at home, I run the remote, not the guy behind the bar.

 

[JeffGollin]

What about the trend to Converegence?

Geeks, help me out here:

Trying to sift through all the chatter, it was my impression that you could sign up to watch every NFL game (either archived or real-time) at nfl.com.

If this is true, couldn't DirecTV's Sunday Ticket package be replicated over a sufficiently powerful PC?

I recently bought a notebook PC that, with Wifii, I can use anywhere in my house including my back deck. I believe it has an HDMI jack I can use to connect with my large flat-screen TV.

I'm also under the impression that, the nfl.com package (like most computer-driven services) will continue to add additional bells and whistles that would make it more desirable than satellite tv. Aren't we getting pretty close to a time where PC and TV technology will converge and be one in the same?

Am I right? Or am I missing something?

(Note - I love DirecTV, but mainly because of Sunday Ticket and because it has a bias for adding new channels earlier than cable (which tends to have a reverse bias - i.e. it sometimes takes 2 years before they'll add a new channel).

But there are annoying problems with satellite - The signal locks up too often in bad weather. My receiver/DVR units tend to "fry out" after a couple of years, and - while I always can exchange them free for new ones - I invariably lose everything stored on the broken DVR hard drive - like a rare Muddy Water concert, Lenny Bruce footage or the most recent Senior Bowl).

 

[Chris_Sanders]

If you would all just say "Enough is Enough" and not get the service, it would dramatically fall in price or you would see an end to the exclusitivity agreement that the NFL has with Direct TV.

By paying these steady price increases, you only guaranteee more of the same next season.

 

[EndZone]

Geeks, help me out here:

Trying to sift through all the chatter, it was my impression that you could sign up to watch every NFL game (either archived or real-time) at nfl.com.

If this is true, couldn't DirecTV's Sunday Ticket package be replicated over a sufficiently powerful PC?

I recently bought a notebook PC that, with Wifii, I can use anywhere in my house including my back deck. I believe it has an HDMI jack I can use to connect with my large flat-screen TV.

I'm also under the impression that, the nfl.com package (like most computer-driven services) will continue to add additional bells and whistles that would make it more desirable than satellite tv. Aren't we getting pretty close to a time where PC and TV technology will converge and be one in the same?

Am I right? Or am I missing something?

(Note - I love DirecTV, but mainly because of Sunday Ticket and because it has a bias for adding new channels earlier than cable (which tends to have a reverse bias - i.e. it sometimes takes 2 years before they'll add a new channel).

But there are annoying problems with satellite - The signal locks up too often in bad weather. My receiver/DVR units tend to "fry out" after a couple of years, and - while I always can exchange them free for new ones - I invariably lose everything stored on the broken DVR hard drive - like a rare Muddy Water concert, Lenny Bruce footage or the most recent Senior Bowl).

This got me excited...but "NFL Game Pass HD is not available in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, Antigua, the Bahamas, and any U.S. territories, possessions and commonwealths " You can get Field pass, where you listen to the games, or you can get game rewind, where you can watch the games when they are over...but how soon do they show up? An hour? 2 Hours? Next Day?

 

[conraddobler]

Actually, the cost of drinks at the sports bar is the ONLY expense.

So, if the Ticket costs $300 AND you drink at home--it actually skews it the other way.

Plus, the Cards are on TV a few times a year now for us out of towners. IMO, it's not worth having not only the ticket, but the expensive DTV service (I have Dish now, and it's half as expensive).

JMHO

Yeah but you can't get some of the channels I get, like the golf channel where they have an entire hour devoted to watching grass grow....

 

[Duckjake]

If you would all just say "Enough is Enough" and not get the service, it would dramatically fall in price or you would see an end to the exclusitivity agreement that the NFL has with Direct TV.

By paying these steady price increases, you only guarantee more of the same next season.

Well you could say the same thing about season tickets. If we all said enough is enough and no longer bought tickets, TV packages, or gear, as soon as the TV contract ran out the NFL would be dead, as the teams cratered under their salary and stadium obligations. The networks would lose millions as advertisers jumped ship as ratings dropped into the realm of Nationwide Tour broadcasts and wouldn't offer spit for the renewal of broadcast rights.

Then we could go watch the Cards play the 4and9ers for $5.00 out at the Peoria Sports Complex or on tape delay on the Outdoor Channel.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

If you would all just say "Enough is Enough" and not get the service, it would dramatically fall in price or you would see an end to the exclusitivity agreement that the NFL has with Direct TV.

By paying these steady price increases, you only guaranteee more of the same next season.

But I think the overwhelming majority on this thread have said that the value is there.

Affordability is all relative but at the end of the day,the money spent on Superfan brings back a lot of joy depending on how much (and how often) you like to watch football.

Trust me I have ALOT more in my life that costs more and gives not nearly the return.

 

[MrYeahBut]

But I think the overwhelming majority on this thread have said that the value is there.

Now that I think about it...I used to sit in my truck and listen to games on Sirius radio out in the garage. It was only $14 a month but I still paid for the whole year mainly so I could get the games..still $ 168 a year. Directv gives me a whole lot more for double that price.


ps...there were times I wanted to start my truck and leave the garage door closed in the pre Wiz era

 

[Stout]

But I think the overwhelming majority on this thread have said that the value is there.
Affordability is all relative but at the end of the day,the money spent on Superfan brings back a lot of joy depending on how much (and how often) you like to watch football.

Trust me I have ALOT more in my life that costs more and gives not nearly the return.

Not really...maybe a simple majority, but I'm not even sure about that.

What I've seen is that people who don't care about or have enough money to just throw money around like it's nothing think the value is there. The majority of the arguments I've heard say that they throw money away on stupider stuff. Well, I don't spend money frivolously, so I don't think it's good value at all. Fact is that it clearly isn't good value, dollar for dollar, but people like me do like to watch at home and have to pay a premium to do it. Any more price hikes, though, and I will save the money and inconvenience myself to go to a sports bar.