DirecTV prices going up in 2010 too
January 4th, 2010, 8:43 am · 24 Comments · posted by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
Cable TV customers aren’t the only ones who will pay higher prices in 2010. DirecTV subscribers will also pay a few dollars more per month.
Rates are going up by about 5 percent per month — see the chart below for changes. Customers who are part of a promotional 12-month price won’t be affected until the promotion ends.
DirecTV joins Time Warner Cable, AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS with new price increases for 2010. Cox Communications has said it has no plans for increases yet, but the company tends to announce price hikes in the spring.
Many of TV services increase prices at the beginning of the year. The big reason: They have to pay higher prices for the TV networks they offer. Most recently on New Year’s Eve, Time Warner negotiated with Fox TV parent News Corp. on the fee the cable provider would pay to offer Fox to subscribers. Fox threatened to pull its programs from customers but the two ended up resolving their differences several hours past the deadline. New rates weren’t disclosed although Fox was asking for $1 per month per customer, which Time Warner said was too much.
According to a letter mailed to DirecTV customers, the new rates take effect Feb. 9, 2010. Some changes:
DirecTV service 2009 price 2010 price Increase Premier $109.99 $114.99 4.5% Lo Maximo $109.99 $114.99 4.5% Choice Xtra $60.99 $63.99 4.9% Choice $55.99 $58.99 5.4% Preferred Choice $35.99 $38.99 8.3% Jadeworld $36.99 $39.99 8.1% Optimo Mas $44.99 $47.99 6.7% Total Choice Mobile n/a $63.99 n/a Plus HD DVR $75.99 $79.99 5.3% Plus DVR $65.99 $69.99 6.1% Select $48.99 $51.99 6.1% Basico $32.99 $35.99 9.1%
For those who are curious, the 2010 prices are between 9.5 percent to 60 percent higher than 2008′s prices:
DirecTV service 2008 price 2009 price 2010 price 08-10 increase Premier $104.99 $109.99 $114.99 9.5% Lo Maximo $104.99 $109.99 $114.99 9.5% Plus HD DVR $72.99 $75.99 $79.99 9.6% Plus DVR $62.99 $65.99 $69.99 11.1% Choice Xtra $57.99 $60.99 $63.99 10.3% Familiar Ultra $54.99 $57.99 $60.99 10.9% Choice $52.99 $55.99 $58.99 11.3% Preferred Choice $32.99 $35.99 $38.99 18.2% Select n/a $48.99 $51.99 n/a Basico $29.99 $32.99 $35.99 20.0% Basic (international) $9.99 $12.99 $15.99 60.1%
DirecTV does appear to be streamlining its TV packages. The following base packages are no longer offered. Nonetheless, existing subscribers will see a price hike:
More 2010 TV price hikes: |
- BASIC $15.99/mo.
- BÁSICOTM $35.99/mo.
- DIRECTV LIMITED $27.99/mo.
- FAMILIARTM $51.99/mo.
- FAMILIAR ULTRATM $60.99/mo.
- OPCIÓN ESPECIAL® $35.99/mo.
- OPCIÓN EXTRATM $43.99/mo.
- OPCIÓN EXTRA ESPECIAL® $52.99/mo.
- OPCIÓN PREMIER® $108.99/mo.
- OPCIÓN ULTRA ESPECIAL® $54.99/mo.
- OPTIMO MÁS PLUS DVR $53.99/mo.
- PLUS DIRECTV $36.99/mo.
- PLUS DVRTM $69.99/mo.
- PLUS HD DVRTM $79.99/mo.
- SELECT CHOICE® $41.99/mo.
- TOTAL CHOICE® $57.49/mo.
- TOTAL CHOICE® LIMITED $48.99/mo.
- TOTAL CHOICE® PLUS $61.49/mo.
- SELECT will increase $3.00/mo
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When my directv contract expires, I am going to get a permanent price reduction to zero. No more paying to watch TV
What Greedy hungry bastered!
ok now I am really going to change my service, instead of saying I will and then procrastinating endlessly!
it’s pathetic considering all of the no talent garbage reality shows they show these days. the shows i think are worth watching i can count on one hand. i’m going to get a dtv right now..
We are starting our third year of NO DIRECT TV or any cable service.
Hundreds of channels means thousands of ads. They should be paying you to watch the crap.
Perhaps if they weren’t giving BILLIONS to the NFL to keep Sunday Ticket as a monopoly, they wouldn’t have to raise their rates so much.
I had Dish. They were ok for a long time. Then they got shitty. So I went to Time Warner. They are ok. But going down hill. And really not much on TV now. 95% of what is on is Crap! When about three thing I watch go off the air. And it will not be long. Law and Order is in its last year. And 24 may not be on much longer. So I will kiss Cable good bye soon.
Be well all.
How about an option to save $5 a month by getting rid of all the foreign language channels that I cannot even watch?
“500 channels and nothing on.” Ditch your cable and satellite. I did it 2 years ago and haven’t missed anything. Support PBS. PBS is quality programming and real journalism. With high speed internet access, a HDMI cable, and a good monitor/flat screen and some streaming I can watch plenty of good stuff (enough for me). Throw in Netflix and I can be entertained and informed for a lot less than what the ‘cable/satellite robber barons’ are strong arming their ‘hostages’ for.
Ala carte pricing should be available. Why should I have to pay for stuff I don’t want and would never watch? It’s like going to the market and being forced to buy a cart full of stuff that you don’t need or want.
And to add insult– the ‘cable barons’ keep adding more commercials on top of the price increases. What a great business model: more c**p, more commercials, more fees.
All you pay for is the endless annoying commercials, be this buy this, take this pill and hopefully you dont end up like this, and all those show are brainwashing to the youth. If you want to find the cause of all this violence and ignorance look no farther than your T.V.
I agree with ditching the service all together. Between Netflix and the internet I will be fine.
We had Cox and they repeatedly charged us for a land phone line and internet service we didn’t have. After 8 months of incorrect billing we switched to Direct TV and their billing is good. However, they have raised some fee or another every two months or so since we made the switch. I went for years without cable and think I will again. Between local digital signal, the internet, plasma tvs, netflix and my trusty digh def dvd player I will survive just fine.
Switch to just an antenna. That way it is free. Just stick it up in your attic.
After dealing with that pain in the a** Verizon I know have an outdoor antenna (small-Home Depot type) with direct cable to my HD tv. With a good tuner I pick up about 40 or so stations. None of the paid stations but plenty of HD stations and I don’t pay a cent.
Others I know have tried Free to Air satellite but that takes a bit of tweaking.
I don’t get the paid stations but I don’t need them either.
I just hope come election time you folks are just as angry and vociferous towards the very people who reach into your backpockets everyday in the form of TAXES, TAXES, TAXES.
See, at least with cable and satellite services, you have the option of not subscribing. In other words, you can’t be forced to subscribe to it. Unlike the things our own federal government is going to force all of us to pay for (i.e., healthcare), regardless of whether people want it or not. Imagine paying for something but you don’t even sniff the benefits for 4 years. Yep, that’s what we’re all facing.
Hope to see you all at the polls with steam coming out of your ears.
I just went to Best buy on Sun. and bought an SVGA cable for 39.00!!! Hooked it to my laptop and the other end to my plasma!!! I watched everything from the History channel to sports to National geographic to Seinfeld and so on. Most Network stream video, also went on HULU. I can pause and fast forward and rewind WITH NO DVR!!! NOT PAYING EXTRA $$$$ FOR THEM CROOKS!!!
Hmmm well if they raise the prices cancel your cable. Plain and simple. Start reading books, start doing something and get away from your tv or better yet, just watch all your tv on the internet! Its Free!
I dont understand people who still pay money for cable. Cancel your cable!! Dont let people rule over you and tell you, that you need to pay more for your addiction!
[...] also impacted with price increases. Most will see an increase averaging $3 a month. Thanks to The Gadgetress at The Orange County Register who put it all in chart [...]
Remember, Satellite and Cable TV are luxuries, not a necessity.
Irvine, good point
I like the service and don’t mind paying more. We are gettong morwe channels soon, and DIrect TV just launched a satellite for more HD and 3D channels. You get what you pay for.
I just kicked Dish network to the curb. Versus was my favorite channel but you had to get the larges package to get it. I coildn’y justify the $85 per month. I spent @ $110 for an antenna and digital converter box and I’m now enjoying my 23 channels of free TV.
Remember when the purpose of Pay TV was so you wouldn’t have to watch commercials? Now we pay them to watch 30 minutes of commercials for every hour we watch programing. Let’s send them a message, Where mad and where not going to take it anymore!
DUMP them.
Some of you can’t spell for SHlT!
Free TV programming
Just get a digital converter box or a HDTV with a built in ATSC tuner (all LCD and plasma TVs sold these days have them). Then you can pick up dozens of stations and substations for free. Of course some of the stations are religious, Spanish, or infomercial channels.
And if you want movies, just head over to Walgreens, Walmart, or any other place that has the RedBox kiosque. You can rent a new release for a dollar. That beats the hefty pay-per-view price that cable/dish networks charge.
Why pay cable/satellite when you don’t have to.