AT & T Agrees to Buy Direct TV

[pringlelake]

DALLAS — AT&T Inc. on Sunday agreed to buy DirecTV for $48.5 billion, or $95 per share, a move that gives telecommunications company a larger base of video subscribers and increases its ability to compete against Comcast and Time Warner Cable, which agreed to a merger in February.

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/t-buys-directv-49b-stock-cash-deal-n108261

 

[Lukus Alderman]

Already switched to Uverse. It's much better anyways.

 

[Aaron Carrara]

DirecTV, welcome to LHN.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Hooray!

Fewer choices and more price-gouging!  

 

[Chris Flanagan]

Hooray!

Fewer choices and more price-gouging!  

No kidding. Oligarchy here we come!!! I hope the SEC or whoever doesn't approve this deal. It's already getting too high and it's not going down anytime soon. 

I hate saying this but thank god for Google Fiber

 

[killrjoe]

The deal is expected to be completed in the next 12 months; faces tough scrutiny; doesn't necessarily mean that Directv will offer AT&T's programming. I think I'm still switching to Dish.

 

[dcbc]

I signed up for Dish Network last week.  Getting it installed this Friday.  Will be cancelling DirecTV shortly afterward.  I have no patience playing wait 'n' see with DTV any longer.

I'm very much looking forward to the "why are you cancelling" conversation. 

 

[castlebravo1]

I switched from Directv to dish a month ago.  So far, so good.  Reliability is the same.  Picture quality is the same.  The DVR is awesome as is the iPhone sling box remote watching app.  Looking forward the the LHN switching on in about a week!

 

[jrcruz1026]

It's called desperation, many of us have decided to cut the cord......continue the revolution!!!

 

[killrjoe]

It is well known in the cable and satellite tv business that these companies treat new subscribers far better than existing subscribers, so in light of the big merger, I'm going to wait to see if Dish comes up with 'an offer I can't refuse' deal to attract new customers. Since I'm going to switch anyway, I might as well get the best deal I can. I'm just sayin'...

 

[dcbc]

It's called desperation, many of us have decided to cut the cord......continue the revolution!!!

How are you watching the Horns?  I have considered going this route, but getting ESPN, FSSW, etc. apart from a cable or satellite provider don't appear to be easy options. 

 

[dcbc]

It is well known in the cable and satellite tv business that these companies treat new subscribers far better than existing subscribers, so in light of the big merger, I'm going to wait to see if Dish comes up with 'an offer I can't refuse' deal to attract new customers. Since I'm going to switch anyway, I might as well get the best deal I can. I'm just sayin'...

For what it's worth, before the merger was announced, I got free installation, free hopper, free joeys, and free super joey (8 tuners in all), and free HD for two years.  I turned down the free premium channels for 3 months, but that was available, too.  I think I have the free service plan for 4 months as well.  It's basically switch for free through the end of May.  There was, for a time, a $50 credit on top of all of this, but I wasn't able to get that to work when I signed up.

 

[texasdobbs]

More for everyone. ...

 

[BudreauReye]

How are you watching the Horns?  I have considered going this route, but getting ESPN, FSSW, etc. apart from a cable or satellite provider don't appear to be easy options. 

I have never owned cable or satellite TV.  When I get to watch it when I travel, I cannot say that I am missing much - except I must say that the Bollywood channels that some Indian friends have are a real hoot.  Except for The Longhorn Network, I can usually stream games, though that is usually less than ideal, image quality wise.  It is worse for basketball than for football because of the number of games that are carried on the LHN - they seem to work pretty hard at shutting down streams of LHN stuff.  If the game is carried by anybody other than the LHN, you can usually find a stream.  I think that eventually, things will evolve to where you can buy what you want to see piecemeal over the WWW.  In the larger picture, I think things like the LHN, the SEC Network, only being carried in cable like packages is really swimming against the stream of where media is headed eventually, but, since I am an Olden Farte, I may not live long enough to see it, so, I might have to break down and buy cable or satellite for next year - especially for basketball. 

 

[dcbc]

Yeah, I bought a slingbox a couple of years ago and had it sent to my friend who had Uverse so I could stream the LHN during games without having to scramble for a feed.  It worked perfectly, but since I cheaped out a bit on the slingbox, the image quality was pretty lackluster.  On demand services have allowed us to cut back out satellite package pretty substantialy from what it once was.  Especially on Saturdays in the fall, I don't regret paying for the service.  Here's hoping you're right about a la carte services at some point.  Until then, the Dish Network dude can't get to my house soon enough.

 

[BudreauReye]

Yeah, I bought a slingbox a couple of years ago and had it sent to my friend who had Uverse so I could stream the LHN during games without having to scramble for a feed.  It worked perfectly, but since I cheaped out a bit on the slingbox, the image quality was pretty lackluster.  On demand services have allowed us to cut back out satellite package pretty substantialy from what it once was.  Especially on Saturdays in the fall, I don't regret paying for the service.  Here's hoping you're right about a la carte services at some point.  Until then, the Dish Network dude can't get to my house soon enough.

I hear you.  I may be joining you late this summer.

 

[killrjoe]

Thanks dcbc. I don't know whether it can get any better than that. I'd better jump on it.

 

[killrjoe]

Dish will be in the house tomorrow. Yea!!!

 

[jrcruz1026]

How are you watching the Horns? I have considered going this route, but getting ESPN, FSSW, etc. apart from a cable or satellite provider don't appear to be easy options.