HDTV TELEVISIONS

Posts Tagged ‘direct tv’

Two of the large companies in the cable television market today are Charter cable and Direct TV satellite television.  If these two companies are on options for you when it comes to selecting a satellite or cable provider, you may be confused about what they offer, and how much it is going to cost. The smart thing to do is sit down and make a list of what each company offers, and of course price out everything they offer.  Lets consider a few things to factor in when shopping for Charter vs DIRECTV.

HD – While both companies now offer hi def content, one beats the other hands down as far as the actual number of channels. DirecTV claims over 130 hi definition networks, but on close examination that number is inflated.  They actually have about 90 when you take out the PPV channels. Charter cable TV maxes out at 60 in the best case, and many areas have far fewer HD channels depending on the network.

Sports channels – You will be able to find plenty of sports with either company, as both carry all of the local networks and the regional sports channels. But if you want out of market sports content, DirecTV satellite is the way to go. They have exclusive rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket bundle, but it doesn’t end there. Other packages found on satellite TV but missing from Charter cable include the NBA League Pass and the NASCAR Hotpass serires.

Bundled service – One drawback of satellite television service is that they don’t have the ability to compete with Charter service when it comes to the triple play bundle. Charter communications can offer packaged services which also add fast internet access and local calling through your home phone. Consolidating these services with your cable TV company is convenient as far as customer service and billing issues can be resolved quickly.

So which service is right for you? Of course only you can make the final choice on what is best.  While HD content and premium sports content may be top priorities for some of us, they aren’t important to others. Reviewing both options and the overall costs will insure that you make the right choice for your family.

The digital video recorder has to be the greatest add-on to my television. Ever since I got hooked up with the DirectTV Russian package and their new digital video recorder, my TV viewing habits have changed.

Here is how I do it.

If you have not watched television with a TiVo or a DVR, you do not know what you are missing. You have total control over everything you decide to watch. If you are watching a program, and all of the sudden you realize that you are hungry, you can just hit the pause button. Go make your food, and then come back when you are ready, even if it takes an hour!

Then when you begin viewing your program again, you will have the added advantage of fast forwarding through any advertisements that come up. Zip through them every time they pop up! Sometimes I don’t see a commercial for days.

Now here is how to get the most out of a DVR. I don’t surf through channels anymore. I simply set up my DVR to record the shows I like. Even with watching football, I set the DVR to record, then I sit down about an hour after the game actually starts. This way, I can fast forward through all the commercials, and watch a football game in about half the time.

Lastly, I can always see new episodes of my favorite series. One example: New episodes are coming out soon of Friday Night Lights on Direct TV. On my DVR, all I need to do is pick the record series option, and each time the show airs, my Direct TV DVR finds it day or night, and saves it for me. I can set it to save all of the episodes, or just the first-run episodes. All of this in high definition too!

Then, when I have time to watch TV, all of my shows are waiting there for me to watch, minus the commercials of course. No need to rearrange my schedule around the networks, not with my new Direct TV digital video recorder.

While other companies like AT&T U-verse and Verizion Fios have also begun to offer DVR service, satellite TV companies like DIRECTV pioneered the product.