I have decided to drop my Suddenlink cable- as its just too expensive and pick up either Dish or Direct TV. So.. my questions to everyone are:
1. Should I contact both Direct and Dish online and check their packages or is there a better way around it.

2. How will I get ALL the local B/CS stations, including the local PBS station since its not on Dish/Direct? Can I pick it up with an antenna?

3. Can and should I still keep my Suddenlink internet, or go elsewhere?

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1. Should I contact both Direct and Dish online and check their packages or is there a better way around it.

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Check out their web sites first. That's usually the easiest.

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2. How will I get ALL the local B/CS stations, including the local PBS station since its not on Dish/Direct? Can I pick it up with an antenna?

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You can definitely pick up 3 KAMU channels with rabbit ears. I do, and I'm not in the best location for picking up channels on an antenna.

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3. Can and should I still keep my Suddenlink internet, or go elsewhere?

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I have Verizon DSL, and it's okay. I'm not in a great location for that either because my max download speed is 1.5Mbps. A friend of mine in CS gets 3.0Mbps, though.

Check online for Dish/Direct first, then call them. Sometimes they have better deals via phone, and depending on what you're looking for, they might fit you better. They definitely did for me. Also, sometimes if you're heehawing around trying to make a decision on the phone, they'll throw in something else (Direct did this for me).

As for SL for internet, I'm stuck with them because we don't get DSL here. If we did, I'd switch in a second. I HATE Suddenlink.

edit: DirecTV offers local channels (I know I get KBTX, I'd have to look for the others) and I think Dish is about to.

[This message has been edited by SassyAg03 (edited 1/9/2009 7:23p).]

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1.5Mbps. A friend of mine in CS gets 3.0Mbps, though.

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I didnt know anyone still had dial up. How much do they charge for this?

I hate suddenlink but I do use them for internet. I pay $30 a month (54Mbps)

Good luck. I've not found satellite to be any cheaper. Although you will have more equipment to fail and less roof to worry about.

And where do I find some 1.5Mbps dial up?

1.5Mbps is a DSL-class (not dial-up) speed.

The 54Mbps you're seeing is most likely the speed of the connection between your computer and the wireless router, not the speed of your connection to the Internet. I don't know exactly what kind of bandwidth choices Suddenlink offers, but it is probably 8 or 10 Mbps at the most, and that would be under "ideal" conditions.

edit - was talking to AggieBB, not NdP.

[This message has been edited by NateDog (edited 1/9/2009 8:33p).]

Or 54Mbps cable, for that matter.

Wtf are you talking about?

[Whoops, little slow on the submit...]

[This message has been edited by Nom de Plume (edited 1/9/2009 8:34p).]

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I didnt know anyone still had dial up. How much do they charge for this?

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As has been said, it isn't dial-up. It's DSL.

The charge varies. Mine is part of a package so I can't tell you what just the bare bones DSL costs. You'll have to check with Verizon.

Not trying to threadjack, but can someone who has Suddenlink Internet tell me what's the "normal" speed you get when downloading large files? Or speed test results from a site like this? tia

I have suddenlink and got 1128 kb/s download and 256 upload.

[This message has been edited by AggieBB (edited 1/9/2009 9:15p).]

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The 54Mbps you're seeing is most likely the speed of the connection between your computer and the wireless router

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Ah, OK.

About once a year I get pricing and weigh the options of switching but never do. I have to admit I have not had a single issue with service from Suddenlink cable or internet in the last 3 years. Although they have recently changed the guide and it is more cumbersome to navigate compared to the old one and is slow to respond.

Maybe it is that time of year again??

Speed test results
2107 kbs down / 557 kbs up

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what's the "normal" speed you get when downloading large files? Or speed test results

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Speedtest.net is a fun one.

7500kbps/550kbps

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7500kbps/550kbps

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Holy bandwidth, Batman! We built in an area not served by cable or DSL, so now when I see the ads for 8+Mbps I can only cry.

Can you please download the Internet for me and bring it over?

Back on topic, I've been a happy customer of DirecTV for 4 years or so. There are some things regarding their programming in the B/CS market worth pointing out:

1. They carry KBTX, but not in HD. Not really a big deal since you can get KBTX in HD over the air with a small set-top antenna. They do carry another CBS in HD out of Waco, so the important stuff can be seen in HD even without an antenna, but not things like the local KBTX news.

2. They currently do not offer ABC in HD at all, and ABC in HD is not easy to get over the air without a rooftop antenna. Some people circumvent this by changing their service address to an address in DFW or Houston (since the local channels packages for those markets do have ABC available in HD, or they just want to get the locals from around their home town).

3. They carry an HD FOX channel out of Waco rather than KYLE. This is actually a good thing, since KYLE has a history of problems with their HD signal quality (problems which apparently are still ongoing). I haven't noticed any issues at all with the Waco FOX station's HD quality (and I've watched it quite a bit for things like House & Cowboys football games).

And I have a quibble with their PPV special event prices, as far as HD. They have one price for regular PPV events, and then a $10 higher price for the same event in HD. Since I'm already paying every month for an HD package, why should I have to pay again when I order a special event in HD? Not sure whether Dish Network and/or Suddenlink do the same or not, but it bugs me.

I would say that for reliable FOX in HD, DirecTV has it, and Suddenlink doesn't. But if you think you're going to switch to satellite and save a ton of cash and/or get a whole new level of customer service...better research thoroughly.

I just went through the same decision making process as the OP three days ago.

- If I got rid of my current Suddenlink TV I could buy internet access from them a la carte for $32.95 (1 MB) or $52.95 (8 MB). Their internet access isn't perfect but it's been pretty good for me, plus I don't want to go through the brain damage that comes with changing.

- In the end, I decided to stay Suddenlink for everything. We have 8 televisions in our house (my wife's doing, she even put one in the master bath) and going with Direct TV would cost me a fortune for receivers in every room. If I had just 2 or 3 TVs, I'd probably go Direct TV since I could get Fox News, CNN and a few others in HD that I can't on Suddenlink or Dish. Dish is much cheaper in the receivers dept. than DirectTV since the Dish receivers can be used on two TV's without having to run new cable.

And yes, I suffered through the OU/Fla. football debacle along with some of the rest of you.

When I was a kid, my family was the last one on the block to get a color TV, like by about 5 years. So it doesn't surprise me that as an adult I'm the last one on the block to get HDTV. Wow....what a difference.

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Holy bandwidth, Batman!

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Probably helps to live next to the SL Director of Business Ops.

This explains quite a bit Nom.....

Sure does.....

If you keep Suddenlink for internet, you will also get their basic analog package, and I believe they are required to broadcast all of the locals in HD unencrypted, meaning if your TV has QAM cable tuner than you would still get the locals.

However, if you are wanting the Tivo functionality for locals, you'd need the rabbit ears and a satellite solution to bring an over the air antenna into the satellite box. I know DirecTV supports this with the HR20, and the HR21/22 (with the AM21 extra)

My Suddenlink speed test:

7409kbps down
531kbps up

dfw.speakeasy.net is the test server I used.

Dish has more and better HD channels than Direct TV. Their DVR's are 100 times better in software, and accuracy with rewind, fast forward, and skip ahead. But you won't be saving any money most likely. With an OTA antenna that you can get from your installer, will pick up KBTX HD, the 3 KAMU's, and KYLE. KYLE is spotty for me out in south College Station. Yesterday or the day before on KBTX's news, they were talking about the digital transition and said that they'd be on DISH locals in a month. Currently, DISH has NBC locally in HD. Not sure if or when they will add KYLE FOX 28. I have been a very happy customer of DISH for 5 years now.

5594 Download
525 upload with SL

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Dish has more and better HD channels than Direct TV

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Dish doesn't have CNN or Fox News Channel in HD, or at all for that matter. At least that's what I saw when I looked at their massive channel list several times...could I have missed them?

I did consider Dish due to their 2TV-per 1 receiver setup, but then decided against them when I saw I couldn't get Fox News because the wife would go ballistic. DirectTV does have those channels.

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This explains quite a bit Nom.....

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Like me being generally more informed about SL than the average bear?

No, like you insisting on spending a quarter grand on suddenlink services.

I switched from directv to suddenlink and i'm glad i did.I got phone,internetand cable all in one of thoose bundle packages,And i'm saving like $75.00 then what i was paying for Directv,verizon,and suddenlink internet(we can't get dsl where we live).The other problem i had with Directv was there customer service.they want to charge you for everything even if youy had the insurance plan and it wasn't your fault but the installers fault.

[This message has been edited by phantom commenter (edited 1/11/2009 12:00a).]

Someone else has come to their senses!

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I got phone,internetand cable all in one of thoose bundle packages

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AgDotCom - Dish has CNN in HD, but not Fox News isn't in HD. CNBC is the only other news channel in HD.

Thank you sir. I looked at the channel list three times and didn't see it. Of course, age is finding me and my bean ain't what it used to be.