When DirecTV was the new kid on the block, you owned the equipment you purchased, as they were manufactured by third parties. You could purchase a TiVo or Sony receiver and could make your money back by selling the equipment. Hughes Electronics (which owned DirecTV) started making their own equipment and now the only DirecTV receivers you can get are owned by them. Since I was used to previously owning my equipment, I was flabbergasted when I purchased a new HD-DVR at Costco only to discover that the receiver was “leased” by DirecTV. If I ever leave, then I have to return the DVR to the company.
The quality of their receivers is another issue. The third-party TiVo lasted for over 10 years, but the “new” DirecTV DVR has been replaced twice in one year, which is a worse track record than my first-generation Xbox 360. I have to wait a week to get a new receiver shipped while I am without service.
Multiple dishes
Satellites can only carry so much bandwidth, so DirecTV has launched more satellites in order to grow their lineup. The last time I checked, there were at least 12 satellites in orbit used to get their entire lineup. Because the satellites are far apart, some installations require two satellite dishes on your roof facing different directions. In our situation, we have a tree blocking one of the satellites, and the signal is spotty during heavy rain or snow.
Your service can also be affected by weather. It happened on more than one occasion that technicians had to re-adjust the satellites due to heavy winds or poor installation.
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