DirecTV want $300 "deposit" which I only get back at $5 a month over 5 years!

Anyone got around this fee (presumably due to lack of credit history)? I'm going to call them tomorrow and tell them I'll go to Dish unless they waive it.

....and then there is the good old option of free satellite, via a 'Ku-band' receiver and a 39 inch dish...but that only gets you a few Canadian and Mexican channels, and some European ones through Intelsat

yup, credit history....could try cable, usually don't need a contract for service so wouldn't have a deposit unless you go for certain services.

i had this issue when we first came out cos i didnt have a social - they wouldnt even let me use a deposit though i offered - i couldnt see the big deal as if you dont pay they just stop service - its not like you can rack up a huge bill! Did it in a colleagues name until i got my SSN

Is AT&T an option? Has anyone got that yet?

**** hits the filter, as does **** and ****. But AT&T gets through? Go figure!

Both AT&T and Verizon use IPTV (request for stream) technology to deliver video to your TVs.

Verizon is as good as cable since it has fibre to the doorstep and therefore has a high bandwidth.

AT&T however is not very good since it only has fibre to the main street and twisted pair the rest of the way giving a low bandwidth (approx 22 mb/s) much like DSL. Usually this only allows 1 HD program and 1 SD program at the same time. This means that you cannot watch one HD channel and record another HD channel at the same time or you cannot watch HD in two different rooms at the same time.

However, AT&T is upgrading to double the bandwidth and if your area is upgraded, that should improve HD viewing. Check with AT&T to determine if your area is upgraded.

Quote:

The current (generally tolerable) U-verse "HD" data-stream limitation will diminish "sometime between March and August of 2008" when the U-verse HD-data-stream capacity is doubled to allow two different, concurrent HD data streams per in-home installation. [NOTE: One AT&T entity recently confided to me that August might be the soonest implementation of the doubled HD capacity, and perhaps "the fourth quarter" might be a more realistic estimate for certain locations.]

Note: U-verse is another name for Advanced TV.

well I still went for DirecTV in the end, even with the $300 "deposit".
$18 a month discount for 1 year, $50 giftcard, one of the movie channels free for 6 months, free DVR, regular receiver, installation etc. Comes next Sunday!

When we first moved over we went with Dish and because of no credit history we had to buy the receiver and then we got it hooked up. They actually refunded the cost of the receiver over the year by discounting our bill like $10 a month.

Thanks yes DirecTV are similar - $5 a month credit back. If we leave them after the contract period, we get the remaining deposit back