My AT&T Universe contract was coming to an end, and I called to see if I could get a good deal or if it was time to switch providers. The AT&T person told me that I could get better internet and pretty much the same television service if I went with a Direct TV bundle instead. I hesitated. I asked if they got the channels I needed (as we cannot be without WWE Raw and Smackdown for Joe). Yes. I hesitated. I asked if I was going to lose my signal when there was a storm. No--the signal is as or more reliable than cable. I hesitated. I said I would think about it and call back. I thought about it. I called back. I asked again, "Am I going to lose my signal when the weather is bad?" No. Okay. I scheduled installation.
When the tech came out I asked her about the signal during bad weather. She said that she had had Direct TV for seven years and had never lost her signal. I felt better about it.
A couple of days later it rained. I lost my signal. Joe went nuts. The signal came back. Then it went back out. Then it came back. Then it went back out.
In the next couple of weeks it rained several times. I lost my signal every time for at least a few minutes. I asked a Direct TV salesperson about it. He said that I shouldn't have lost my signal, and that the antenna might have been installed improperly. I called another number and they said they would send a tech out.
The tech came out. He checked everything. Said everything looked good. I told him I was losing my signal every time it rained. He said, "Yeah, that happens. It's a satellite connection, so when there is cloud cover . . . even if you can't see the cloud cover . . . you will lose your signal." I told him that four other Direct TV people had told me that I wouldn't lose my signal during bad weather. He said, "Yeah, we need to work on that."
Fuuuuuuuck.
So to conclude, (1) I hate Direct TV and really wish that I had gone over to Time Warner instead, and (2) I have 21 more months to put up with this bullshit, so I hope that I can save you that frustration.
UPDATE: 1/5/2017
The Bad News: Direct TV . . . which is actually DIRECTV, I've learned . . . just got worse. As of New Year's Eve, they are not carrying WLKY. I'm guessing that they will eventually get it back, but we're talking about the channel that carries Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! And I'm talking about an autistic daughter who loves those shows, and even lets me sit next to her for a whole hour while she watches. So . . . . fuck DIRECTV, man. I went to Best Buy and bought an ANT1275F AMPLIFIED DIGITAL INDOOR ANTEN (and no, I don't have the slightest idea what that means) for 29.99 + Sales Tax of1.80, took it home and unscrewed the antenna cable that was in and screwed in the cable from the antenna, set it up in the window on top of an ironing board, fired it up and . . .
WLKY in all of its glory. That's what I'm talking about. And if I can find a way to get the other channels the kids watch, I am never going to sign up for satellite or cable tv again.
The Good News: Only 16 more months to go on my DIRECTV contract. Time flies when you're getting fucked.
UPDATE: 1/7/2017
WLKY has returned to the DIRECTV fold. But I've still got that fine antenna and its dozen and a half (or maybe more) channels. 16 months and counting.
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