Leaving Directv...

[isucyfan]

I know, I know...another Directv thread...sorry!

I'm thinking of leaving Directv for Comcast. I don't really want to lose DTV, but my internet service is bad and I will save money if I have everything through one company. I've negotiated a deal with Comcast that gives me what I think is comparable to what I have now, but with much faster internet, for the same as what I was paying for TV/Phone/Internet with DTV/Qwest.

My question is, what will I be missing out on if I switch? I'm wondering if Comcast has less HD channels, etc.? I've tried to compare the best I can, but I figured some Fanatics out there would be able to help me out. I'm sure I haven't thought of everything!

[garn91]

Comcast has pretty much everything but the Sunday Ticket Package. As far as determining if Comcast has more or less HD Channels than DirecTV, go to the Comcast website and look for the channel lineup for your area. I know with Mediacom, it varies from market to market when it comes to HD offerings.

[Cystate22]

Also, Direct TV will be adding I believe 50 more HD channels by March, so I don't know if that makes a difference to you or not.

[IowaSTATCyclone]

Typically speaking, when going to cable, you will lose HD channels, a few "standard" channels, customer service, and (in some cases) DVR features (particularly HD), and gain On-Demand programming and an internet bundle.

If you have a home phone from a company such as Qwest, you are often able to bundle their DSL with DirectTV, but if a home phone isn't important, and you are more interested in on-demand programming, go with cable.

As far as internet quality goes, it really is dependent on your preferences, set up, and provider. Sometimes cable internet is better than DSL, sometimes DSL is a much better service, and sometimes you can't tell until you try them both at your house. Where I live, DSL is vastly superior to what I previously had: Mediacom's cable internet, but when I lived in Minnesota, the cable internet was generally much faster than what I had originally up there (DSL). Goofy.

[isucyfan]

I was just looking and trying to compare Comcast's HD offers and Directv's, and it does look like Comcast has less. But, they have most of what I would watch in HD, so maybe it wouldn't matter.

50 more HD channels in March would be nice, but I think a lot of those would be premium channels, which I don't really need anyway. Something to think about, though.

My main problem is that I have inconsistent 1.5Mbps internet, and would have 16Mbps (theoretically) with Comcast.

[aeroclone]

garn91 is correct that the lineup varies from market to market. The Comcast website should give you a good place to get info on what is currently available in your market. If you are interested in what may be coming soon then check out the following link over at AVS forum.

Official AVS National HD Channel Lineups - Cable/DBS/Fiber/IPTV - Updated 01/10/10! - AVS Forum

This chart gives a table with an HD channel lineup for every major carrier in the country. Your local Comcast service will provide every channel that is marked as wide availability and some of the limited availability channels. The limited stuff that you don't have will likely be the next channels to be added as Comcast already has carriage agreements in place with the network, they just need to find capacity to roll it out in your market.

For now, you probably won't have as many HD channels on Comcast as you do with DirecTV, but they are moving markets to all Digital and once that conversion has been made they are increasing to clost to 100 HD channels. I believe the Twin Cities were actually a test market for this, so I would guess they should be on the leading edge on this.

I have Comcast in KC, and I probably get around 40 HD channels. Our digital conversion is going on right now and is expected to complete around March. They have doubled our internet speeds already, but we haven't had the channel additions yet.

You may also want to check out the Minneapolis Comcast thread over at AVS, they would have more specific local info.

Minneapolis, MN - Comcast - Page 46 - AVS Forum

[JHudd]

We have been wanting to leave Comcast for Direct TV for quite a while but end up staying due to the internet/phone bundle. For you the options may be better than ours but every year when our special runs out we call to cancel the home phone (don't really need it) and they make a good offer that basically cuts our bill to cheaper than it would be to just have cable and internet. There seems to be no shortage of HD channels and that is all I watch, my wife will watch Bravo in SD and that is about it. They do have the RedZone channel since you can't get the Sunday Ticket and that fills the void for me pretty well.

We have all the premium channels, sports channel, etc and bundled with the internet/phone is about $190 after all taxes and everything. Still much more than we would like but we feel like it all gets used enough to be valid.

[isucyfan]

Typically speaking, when going to cable, you will lose HD channels, a few "standard" channels, customer service, and (in some cases) DVR features (particularly HD), and gain On-Demand programming and an internet bundle.

If you have a home phone from a company such as Qwest, you are often able to bundle their DSL with DirectTV, but if a home phone isn't important, and you are more interested in on-demand programming, go with cable.

As far as internet quality goes, it really is dependent on your preferences, set up, and provider. Sometimes cable internet is better than DSL, sometimes DSL is a much better service, and sometimes you can't tell until you try them both at your house. Where I live, DSL is vastly superior to what I previously had: Mediacom's cable internet, but when I lived in Minnesota, the cable internet was generally much faster than what I had originally up there (DSL). Goofy.

Good summary.

Right now, I have everything (Phone/TV/Internet) bundled through Qwest.

My DSL sucks right now...it slows to a crawl for some reason in the evening, and I can't even watch YouTube videos without lots of buffering.

[Cystate22]

I was just looking and trying to compare Comcast's HD offers and Directv's, and it does look like Comcast has less. But, they have most of what I would watch in HD, so maybe it wouldn't matter.

50 more HD channels in March would be nice, but I think a lot of those would be premium channels, which I don't really need anyway. Something to think about, though.

My main problem is that I have inconsistent 1.5Mbps internet, and would have 16Mbps (theoretically) with Comcast.

I know at least one of the new HD channels by March will be ESPNU. Thank god caus my eyes can't take watching it in standard def. I can't believe it has taken them so long to put the U in HD or at least Direct TV to offer it in HD as I believe some other companies had it in HD. Sorry I don't have the channels that are going to be added.

[garn91]

Also, Direct TV will be adding I believe 50 more HD channels by March, so I don't know if that makes a difference to you or not.

Other than say not having WGN America-HD, ESPNU-HD and Travel Channel-HD, DirecTV already has most of the major networks in HD. My guess when the new satellite comes online that DirecTV will be increasing the number of premium channels in HD as well as PPV HD offerings.

[isucyfan]

Anyone know how Comcast's On-Demand is? I was not impressed with Directv's.

[aeroclone]

I was just looking and trying to compare Comcast's HD offers and Directv's, and it does look like Comcast has less. But, they have most of what I would watch in HD, so maybe it wouldn't matter.

50 more HD channels in March would be nice, but I think a lot of those would be premium channels, which I don't really need anyway. Something to think about, though.

My main problem is that I have inconsistent 1.5Mbps internet, and would have 16Mbps (theoretically) with Comcast.

If your beef is with internet, I would say that I have had good luck with Comcast internet over the 3 years that I have had it. They recently bumped my service from 6 Mbps to 12M bps with the Docsis 3.0 digital conversion they are rolling out. I have hit it with a speed test several times since the upgrade, usually at heavy times like 7 or 8pm. I have seen download speeds everywhere from 10 Mbps up to 16 Mbps. Uploads have been in the 2 to 3 range.

[brianhos]

I know, I know...another Directv thread...sorry!

I'm thinking of leaving Directv for Comcast. I don't really want to lose DTV, but my internet service is bad and I will save money if I have everything through one company. I've negotiated a deal with Comcast that gives me what I think is comparable to what I have now, but with much faster internet, for the same as what I was paying for TV/Phone/Internet with DTV/Qwest.

My question is, what will I be missing out on if I switch? I'm wondering if Comcast has less HD channels, etc.? I've tried to compare the best I can, but I figured some Fanatics out there would be able to help me out. I'm sure I haven't thought of everything!

Reliability.

[isucyfan]

If your beef is with internet, I would say that I have had good luck with Comcast internet over the 3 years that I have had it. They recently bumped my service from 6 Mbps to 12M bps with the Docsis 3.0 digital conversion they are rolling out. I have hit it with a speed test several times since the upgrade, usually at heavy times like 7 or 8pm. I have seen download speeds everywhere from 10 Mbps up to 16 Mbps. Uploads have been in the 2 to 3 range.

That would be awesome. Especially when I do a speed test and see .4Mbps.

My beef is totally with the internet service I'm getting. I am in an online grad program and have to do presentations and stuff over the internet. I'm getting worried that my connection isn't going to cut it.

[isucyfan]

Reliability.

I wondered about that. Any idea on how much I could be inconvenienced? I have had techs out here numerous times with Qwest, so I know how maddening that is.