I hate to do it: dish vs. cable

[psychlone99]

I've been a reasonably "happy" DirecTV customer for a couple of years. For some reason I lost my signal tonight in perfect weather conditions. This has never happened before, and the conspiracy theorist in me thinks it has something to do with telling the DTV salespersons today to stop calling me with their new offers. I was completely happy with my current service, and I was tired of them calling me 4 times a day.

I get home and I suddenly have no signal. I jump through the hoops and stayed patient well beyond the point where a customer should tolerate bs service (1+ hours). Eventually they say "We'll have to send a technician to your home. Are you available between 8-noon on Wednesday?"

Well, not really!

Technician: "We could always come later."
Me: "Yeah? And I could always consider Mediacom."
Technician: "You could."
Me: "I plan to do so between now and Wednesday. Have a good evening."

So tell me about Mediacom... 'cause I'm furious.

 

[HandSanitizer]

I can tell you that DISH and Direct are pretty much the same. Crap load of HD channels. Direct has the MLB and NFL Package, but you have to pay for it. I am happy with the NFL and Redzone Channel since the VIkes play Locally.

THe main issue with Dish is our next 2 home games are on the most Least watch channel other than Connection 22. Dish doesn't get FCS for some reason. But they are home games.

Dish is cheaper, but you have to make sure to compare apples to apples. I don't think I would go back to mediacom.

 

[fanaticagain]

I've been a reasonably "happy" DirecTV customer for a couple of years. For some reason I lost my signal tonight in perfect weather conditions. This has never happened before, and the conspiracy theorist in me thinks it has something to do with telling the DTV salespersons today to stop calling me with their new offers. I was completely happy with my current service, and I was tired of them calling me 4 times a day.

I get home and I suddenly have no signal. I jump through the hoops and stayed patient well beyond the point where a customer should tolerate bs service (1+ hours). Eventually they say "We'll have to send a technician to your home. Are you available between 8-noon on Wednesday?"

Well, not really!

Technician: "We could always come later."
Me: "Yeah? And I could always consider Mediacom."
Technician: "You could."
Me: "I plan to do so between now and Wednesday. Have a good evening."

So tell me about Mediacom... 'cause I'm furious.

Both have their pros and cons. We had Mediacom when we first moved into our house. We got an HDTV at the same time. The Mediacom installer gave us a standard definition cable box, so I thought you had to pay more for HD channels. I didn't think it was worth it at that time.

It wasn't until almost a year later that I saw one of Mediacom's commercials on TV and learned that an HD box was completely free. I called them to ask why--even when the installer clearly saw that we had an HDTV--he never offered me an HD cable box, and the operator said because they were short on HD boxes at the time. When I asked why the installer wouldn't have just told me that and told me I could get one at a later time, the operator said because if the installer had told me that I might have gotten mad at him. (Mind you, I had been nothing but cordial with the operator up to this point.)

What was when I decided to disconnect Mediacom and switch to DirecTV. They had way more HD channels at the time (and I'm pretty sure they still do), and by switching from Mediacom internet to Qwest DSL, I pay the same amount for TV and internet with DTV and Qwest that I did with Mediacom. I've never looked back.

Plus, Mediacom's commercials are dumb as hell. Anytime I see one I want to punch a baby.

 

[j4state]

Mediacom is the cheaper and better option for what I want, basic HD channels and internet. Their customer service is terrible, no denying that, but the product is not bad for what you pay. Never thought I'd say this two years ago, but I am a completely satisfied Mediacom customer and would not even consider paying more for DTV or Dish.

 

[terryk]

Mediacom is the cheaper and better option for what I want, basic HD channels and internet. Their customer service is terrible, no denying that, but the product is not bad for what you pay. Never thought I'd say this two years ago, but I am a completely satisfied Mediacom customer and would not even consider paying more for DTV or Dish.

I have had to call Mediacom a few times recently and ALWAYS received outstanding customer service. Had Dish prior, got tired of it going out in bad weather and not coming back on without a tech coming to the house. Plus cable modem is awesome.

 

[capitalcityguy]

DirectTV/Quest have people going door-to-door in DM right now trying to sign people up. We actually completed all the paperwork to switch as we could get basically everything we currently had through Mediacom for about $25 less per month...plus they were going to offer multi-room DVR and a few more channels. This was last Friday.

Saturday, went to the ISU game. Saw the big Mediacom advertisement on our scoreboard which reminded me of their financial $upport for ISU athletics and also that the only way the game was televised, was because Mediacom sent a crew in there (which was allowing the rest of my family, that couldn't make it to the game that day, be able to watch it). I felt a pinge of guilt.

Called up Mediacom on Monday (even though the DirectTV saleman mentioned several times NOT to call Mediacom to cancel until after we were hooked up). Told the customer service rep that we were switching due to being able to save $$ with DirectTV. They offered a one year "customer loyality" discount and added the multi-room DVR. This put us about $20 cheaper a month then what DirectTV was going to offer. The guy was out the next day to install our new DVRs.

True, we don't get as many channels with Mediacom, but really don't need anymore than we have and at the end of the day, I feel better about sending my check to a company that I can see first hand is putting some of that towards ISU.

 

[blizzisu]

I switched to Mediacom from DirecTV because they gave me a two year deal that was too good to pass up. That being said. I will be switching back to DirecTV as soon as this agreement is up. Mediacoms receivers are terrible and their small ammount of HD programming is laughable.

 

[Al_4_State]

As others have said, Mediacom's customer service is terrible, but I don't really have any problems with their product.

I'm not sure what it costs to procure say, an extended sports package like many DirecTV and Dish customers have, but I'm sure it's available.

 

[BryceC]

The only thing I miss about mediacom is the cable modem. I've lost service like 2 or 3 times in the year I've had DirecTV and my service was CONSTANTLY out for mediacom. We save about 25 dollars a month off mediacom's rates as well. And now that I actually do have a big TV, watching SD programming is almost painful.

Make your own choices, but that grass isn't always greener.

 

[ruxCYtable]

I've been a reasonably "happy" DirecTV customer for a couple of years. For some reason I lost my signal tonight in perfect weather conditions. This has never happened before, and the conspiracy theorist in me thinks it has something to do with telling the DTV salespersons today to stop calling me with their new offers. I was completely happy with my current service, and I was tired of them calling me 4 times a day.

I get home and I suddenly have no signal. I jump through the hoops and stayed patient well beyond the point where a customer should tolerate bs service (1+ hours). Eventually they say "We'll have to send a technician to your home. Are you available between 8-noon on Wednesday?"

Well, not really!

Technician: "We could always come later."
Me: "Yeah? And I could always consider Mediacom."
Technician: "You could."
Me: "I plan to do so between now and Wednesday. Have a good evening."

So tell me about Mediacom... 'cause I'm furious.

I'd consider Dish Network well before Mediacom.

 

[ruxCYtable]

As others have said, Mediacom's customer service is terrible, but I don't really have any problems with their product.

I'm not sure what it costs to procure say, an extended sports package like many DirecTV and Dish customers have, but I'm sure it's available.

They do have a sports pack but it sucks because you can only get it on TV's that have digital boxes and at the time I had Mediacom they were only allowing one per household.

 

[ruxCYtable]

Mediacom is the cheaper and better option for what I want, basic HD channels and internet. Their customer service is terrible, no denying that, but the product is not bad for what you pay. Never thought I'd say this two years ago, but I am a completely satisfied Mediacom customer and would not even consider paying more for DTV or Dish.

I'm glad your satisfied, but I'm pretty sure DTV and Dish are both CHEAPER than Mediacom. I've never looked into it when it wasn't.

 

[Wesley]

Sounds like you fellows need Cox HD. They have a ton of HD channels. HD is $5 extra. Just get Cox to buy out mediacom.

 

[TruClone]

I''ve had Dish for 12 years now and have never had a bad experience. I have moved at least 6 times since then and they have always moved my service FREE of charge. The programming is great, plenty of HD channels. I would never go back to cable, ever.

 

[ruxCYtable]

Sounds like you fellows need Cox HD. They have a ton of HD channels. HD is $5 extra. Just get Cox to buy out mediacom.

Fat chance of that happening. Cox used to be the main cable provider in Iowa, but they sold out to AT&T, who then sold to Mediacom. The odds of them buying back a territory they sold to get out of is extremely remote.

The one hope for people in the CR area is ImOn Cable, formerly McLeod. They are expanding their network and by all accounts I've heard have outstanding products and customer service.

 

[bos]

I''ve had Dish for 12 years now and have never had a bad experience. I have moved at least 6 times since then and they have always moved my service FREE of charge. The programming is great, plenty of HD channels. I would never go back to cable, ever.

This is about where Im at. I have had Directv before when I lived in Wisconsin. Cant complain about either of them honestly. I favor dish more, but have no beef with direct.

 

[Ames]

Mediacom HD with a Tivo is the best thing out there. Tivo makes all other DVR's look like crap.

Don't buy the Directv is getting Tivo soon stuff either. They just keep saying it's coming in 6 months. I've heard that for the last 3 years.

 

[wheels686]

I have mediacom and pay $80 a month for cable, dvr, and internet. The service isn't the best and the sports isn't comparable to dish. But its a very good deal and the product isn't bad.

To many people just hate mediacom to much so they look past everything else. I would really love to have direct tv but the price just isn't there. Id be paying probably $60 alone for the cable tv and then I would have to get internet and that would put me way over the $80. And quest DSL sucks and im not going there.

 

[2020cy]

I have the package with Mediacom-phone, cable, and internet and I am very satisfied. All for under $100 and Showtime for a year.

 

[isuno1fan]

After the initial installation, why anyone calls DirecTV customer service is beyond me.

Open up your phonebook and you'll see hundreds of local DirecTV retailers. Just call them to get a tech out earlier. Also, if your receiver is bad, just go to Best Buy and get a new one rather than get a refurbished one through DirecTV.

You are the one making it hard on yourself.

Take some responsibility (unless you are paying for the protection plan...then you should go through DirecTV directly).