DirecTV 4k Upgrade Quote

I've been with DIRECTV for 21 years. During all that time their CSRs have never been on the same sheet of music. Always get a CSR's name and ID number. Tends to keep things honest and professional.

 

Very easy, one was placing a regular order while the second one actually knew or took time to look at the offers tab that are available on your account.


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Best thing to do at the moment is to wait. Wait until D* comes up with something that isn't a blatant money grab for content that doesn't even exist.

Rich

 

Or switch to a provider that has a real 4K solution (Dish), not something cobbled together with chicken wire, duct tape and bubble gum like what DirecTV currently has. Granted neither provider has much 4K content yet.

ALSO: beware of DirecTV hidden 4K fees . WHDVR, RSN, Premiere+, double outlet fee, etc. those fees add up to an extra $35/mo for me which is why I haven't upgraded yet.

 

one has the hardware, the other one has the programming, we can argue who has a "cobbled up" solution all day long.....




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Well...

One has a native HDMI 2.0 / HDCP 2.2 *server* that can output 4K directly and has 15 tuners along with a small USB dongle for OTA. The OTA dongle requires no additional cables. The input is just a coax connector on the small box and the output is a short USB pigtail.

The other has a HDMI 1.4 server with 5 tuners that can't output 4K directly and you have to go through a networked client (incurring programming lab and lowered user experience) and a discontinued OTA box the size of a large pizza box. The OTA tuner requires the OTA input obviously (1), along with a power input (2), a USB output to the DVR (3) and a pigbacked power cord (4). And of course, you incur a double outlet fee if you only have one TV.

Not sure how you can argue in DTVs defense on the hardware front. Especially since the rumors have the new DVR headless.

So, on the current hardware:

Directv: 3 boxes, 7 or 8 cables to wire everything together if I count correctly
Dish: 1 box + small dongle (about the same size as a b-band), 4 cables if I count correctly

Sticker price for my humble setup is roughly $135 (before the upcoming price hike) to get 4K... same setup on the other guy with a slightly better package is $65. To compare apples and apples... I'm getting promo pricing so my humble setup is currently $65/mo, but to add 4K functionality, that'll bump it up to $100.

Re: the programming, lets be honest, neither provider has 4K unless you are willing to shell out $20 for Ghostbusters II. DirecTV does have some 4K sporting events if you are into that.

 

When did that happen? Hopper 3 needed a 4K Joey still just like the genies I thought.

And neither is cobblers together really.

And neither has much in the way of content, but there are a bunch of things from DIRECTV (don't know about dish) that are free. But not enough to go crazy over.

 

I'd call again every few days till someone gives it all to you for free. I'd bet it might happen. How many 4K tvs do you actually have? If you only have one you only need one 4K client and the newer genie and can keep using your other dvrs and older client.

You could probably get swapped to a hr44 second gen genie without 4K for free for the mobile DVR and no commitment. Moving to 4K will likely come with a commitment. All things to consider.

 

Folks like to embarrass themselves by not reading the post correctly.

I gave the hardware side to Dish while giving the programming side to DIRECTV and according to your post you seem to agree with me.

So the point was, what good is to have the hardware without programming and what is the point to have the programming without the hardware.



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I read your post correctly. I was responding to the "we can argue who has a "cobbled up" solution all day long" part.

If you are talking hardware only (which I was), then you really can't. If you are talking hardware + programming, then both providers are still half baked.

 

ding, ding ding, we have a winner.

It would be pointless to talk about 4K and only include the hardware, as hardware without programming gets your nada.

You then again agree with me that both providers have "cobbled up" solutions.




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Hopper 3 can output native 4K directly.

Hopper 3 is powered by a Broadcom BCM7445 quad-core ARM application processor at 1.5 GHz, 21K DMIPS. It contains a two TB hard drive for up to 500 hours of high-definition recording (or 2,000 hours of standard definition recording). For 4K viewing, the Hopper 3 can decode and output 60 FPS and 10-bit color. It supports H.264 and H.265 and is compatible with HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2. It is the first DVR to support USB 3.0. Hopper 3 is compatible with HDR10/BDA 2.0 encoded streams.

I just meant that the DTV hardware has lots of boxes and interconnects when the Dish one doesn't. If the headless server turns out to be true / only option...

 

Well... the Hopper 3 also has built in integration with Netflix 4K, something that DirecTV will never do. They don't even want you playing media off a Upnp server since they removed MediaShare lol... so technically the Hopper 3 has way more 4K content then the Genie .

Yeah, most people have a Netflix app on their TV, but this is kinda nicer since its in a unified interface. I wonder if it can output HDR and Dolby Vision? EDIT: looks like it doesn't right now.

 

Well, mentioning Netflix is just throwing stuff at the wall and see what sticks... folks with DIRECTV and Netflix can do the same, without any Dish hardware. So not, it does not count... which once again you seem to agree with me....

See I told you we can debate this all day long......


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Dish has great hardware, but their severe bandwidth limitations mean they'll never have more than a handful of 4K channels for the foreseeable future, and guarantees that they'll be compressing them severely to fit.

It is easier for Directv to fix their hardware shortcomings by introducing new hardware, than it is for Dish to fix their bandwidth shortcomings by launching new satellites and replace dishes at customer homes.

 

Yes, you CAN run the Netflix app on your TV, but then you have to deal with ARC goofyness (works fine for me, but other people have issues) or CEC headaches or you have to manually switch everything. My only comment on that was its nice to have MediaShare, Netflix and TV (sat & OTA) all in one box.

As Slice mentioned, if Dish has limited bandwidth, not sure how they will resolve that... time to launch some new birds . They only need to swap dishes at people who want 4K much like DirecTV is doing right now.

 

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Any idea what they are planning? Dish I mean... why not launch new birds? (obviously $$$ lol, but if they want to steal Direct subs...)

 

If the HS17-100 is the new platform, they are going in the complete opposite direction. The AM2xx has been abandoned and you're probably looking at like $200 for a *used* one... and thats assuming you have room for a pizza box.