It's about time. The SatTV creeps are more annoying than the Cable creeps. The development I live in only recently (Past 3 yrs) was wired for cable TV, and prior to that DirecTV had some sort of agreement with the developer to put a dish on all of the houses built between certain years. Well, after moving in the DirecTV van started making weekly visits, and the phone calls started. They couldn't believe that anyone wouldn't want to get slow speed satellite internet, snowy TV reception and wouldn't want to pay extra for each TV with service. I'll keep my Road Runner internet and Time Warner/Brighthouse cable. Oh, and the DirecTV dish ended up in the neighbors yard after the hurricane. :D
We had the Dish Networks guys come out and they discovered they could not get the angle they needed. After that, they called us every week offering to come out again and tell us the same thing. Getting a refund on our deposit was next to impossible.
Sounds like a poor installation likely from bad connectors or a broken coax shield. I live in a rural area. Although I was 20 miles from all tv stations reception due to terrain was impossible. So I bought the 12 footer and all was well. I could pick up distant cities networks most services were free.
Along comes the local stations which even though it was impossible for me to receive their broadcast had laws passed to where distant cities were also prohibited as well. The ratings company Nielsen was supposed to determine what was a local viewing area. This was done simply by getting a map and drawing a 50 mile circle.
To get distant city stations I had to obtain written permission from each local station manager. In the mean time the newer receivers designed by the founder of DISHNET came on the market. If you ever owned a 12 foot system and dealt with the problems you would appreciate the newer ones. Still though all local networks were blocked. That is something you can thank the Cable TV companies and local stations for getting passed.
The two small dish companies finally had enough customers to raise a voice in congress to stop the unfair laws prohibiting distant city viewing. I have used both Dish Net and Direct TV and I have to say I was not dis satisfied with either ones service. If installed correctly it is far more reliable and clear than cable can ever be unless the cable is fiber optic. I have not been bombarded by callers from either one and I am in the phone book and on the Do Not Call list. I have however been hounded by COMCAST who uses subcontractor telemarketers to make fraudulent sales pitches and yes the calls originate off shore.
I would not use Direct TV's Internet because of speed and cost issues. COMCAST in my area missed out on many customers because it refused to run cable in our area. When almost all houses had made the dish purchases up rolls the cable installation trucks and tighter control over local viewing.
I would only buy cable for Internet service and nothing more. I get 150 plus channels and some fantastic music choices. In the mean time the cable industry has stagnated in providing meaningfully upgrades to their systems. Satellite will be the future and within a decade the major cable tv companies will be providing it as well. For that matter MA Bell will likely have to do the same as her systems are not being maintained for long term usage any more.
Well the satellite internet I can do without, but I actually think that DirecTV and DISH are superior to cable, at least the cable we get here.
Between the two, DirecTV has the better product IMHO.