STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

I have DirecTV and I have no idea how they get such high ratings for customer service.

I think Dish is a cheaper based on the junk mail I've gotten from them. The reason I don't have them is because they have less sports channels...so check them out. Well, what *really* bothered me about them was that in order to give me a quote over the phone, they asked for my zip code and social security number...and I said "no thanks."

But with DirecTV, we get HBO and a few random pay channels and were paying around $100, until we bitched and they knocked $20 off.

Definitely check with your apartment manager about the possibility of satellite. You need to have a place to mount the dish so it faces south (at least w/ DirecTV) so a lot of people put them on balconies and whatnot.

You may not need all the wiring and shizz. There are Microsoft- and Apple-compatible home media systems now where you can get whatever's online on your TV, so if what you generally watch is available on the network websites, Hulu, Netflix, or one of those, you may not need to subscribe to a monthly service.

Thanks so much! Su, I can't believe they wanted your SSN! What do they even need that for?!

Su - I think I'll have to wait until I move - I live in a west facing first floor apartment, and my balcony is mostly obscured by trees. I think Dish would work better for me - I don't watch sports, and I only want HBO when True Blood/Entourage are o. I do watch mostly network stuff, but there are some shows on cable channels I want. Plus, I don't like watching tv online - it gives me a headache, and I hate the small screen.

TLL - Thanks for the info! I don't know if satellite would work well in Wisconsin - I imagine the signal would get knocked out if the dish got covered by snow? I suppose I'd have to clear it off a lot, but for the savings, it would be worth it. I also have AT&T U-Verse available, but it's still expensive compared to satellite. I think satellite is the way to go - so much cheaper.

I tried calling TW to see if I could get some sort of discount... Actually I called in June and they said they'd give me some sort of "loyalty discount." Well, I noticed my bill hasn't changed, so I called again, and that discount saves me a grand total of ... $1 a month! Woohoo! I called again yesterday and they said they couldn't do anything for me, unless I wanted to cancel some services. Then the rep. tried to get me to add premium channels to my tv package... WTF?! I was really tempted to cancel my services then and there, but I seriously can't live without tv/internet. They have such piss-poor customer service. I don't know how they're still in business - I guess suckers like me!

Thanks GG! I am definitely getting satellite when I move - it just sounds like a much better option than cable. I hate giving my money to TW.

Do you have Dish or Directv?

I've got Dish and I love it.   Customer service has always been good for us.   I think they are pretty close in service though.  Your preference may depend on channels available.  I think Direct has more premium sports packages.