Making television easy again. By Phillip Swann
Q. I waited anxiously all week to watch the Dodgers/Mets game Friday (May 27) on DIRECTV’s new live 4K channel, channel 106. When it came time for the game to start, I kept getting a message that said “no signal.” I called DIRECTV and finally got a rep on the phone, who told me the
Q. I saw that you wrote a story saying you were going to buy a new Vizio 65-inch 4K TV that has HDR, but I can’t find it anywhere. Where can I buy it? — Tom, Baltimore, Maryland. Tom, you’re right. I wrote last month that I was going to buy the new Vizio P-Series
Q. I live in Washington, D.C. and I recently subscribed to Sony’s Play Station Vue. But I am planning soon to move to Boston. My question is: Will I continue to get local channels from DC when I move to Boston or can I change my account so I will get my local Boston programming?
Q. I know you have been writing about new TV stuff for a long time. Is there anything in particular that excites you now? Something to look forward to? — Daniel, San Diego. Daniel, you are right. I have covered the TV technology scene for more than two decades and it’s easy to get jaded
Q. I’ve read your articles on the Sports TV Bubble and find them very interesting. I live in LA. Do you think that SportsNet LA will eventually go bankrupt because it can’t get DIRECTV to carry it? — Sid, Santa Monica, California. Sid, thank you for the kind words. Yes, I believe we are approaching
Q. All I hear from DIRECTV is 4K, 4K, 4K, but what about HD? I, like most DIRECTV customers, have a High-Definition TV and we want more HD, not 4K! Why isn’t DIRECTV adding more channels in HD? — Neil, Orlando, Florida. Neil, to be fair to DIRECTV, the satcaster now offers around 200 HD
Q. I was interested in getting the streaming service from Comcast that offers my local channels. But Comcast says it’s not available yet. What’s the deal? — Van, Miami. Comcast announced last July that it would introduce a new $15-a-month streaming service that would include all four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) as well as
Q. I’ve been thinking of dropping my cable service and going for it with just online services. I guess it’s called cutting the cord. But before I do it, is there anything I should know about cord-cutting? — David, Baltimore, Maryland. Many publications feature articles detailing how you can ‘cut the cord’ — drop your
Q. I am interested in DIRECTV’s new offer for new customers. It’s $50 a month for two years. Guaranteed! But I read that the deal requires me to sign a two-year contract and if I leave before the two years are up, I have to pay big. Why do TV services require these contracts? Seems
Q. I am totally in love with the woman who’s in those AT&T ‘family plan’ commercials. But she looks familiar. Has she been on a TV show? Movie? Who is she?! — Tony, Las Vegas. Tony, I can’t tell you how many people have e-mailed me to ask this very question. The AT&T commercials, which
Q. I have a three-year-old son and I’ve been thinking about getting him an iPad to help him get used to technology and be more interactive. But a friend told me that some experts say a child can get addicted to an iPad. Is that true or is it safe?– Diane, Los Angeles, California. This
Q. My family plans to spend the month of June at a vacation home about 50 miles away from our house, which means we won’t be there to watch DIRECTV. Is there a way to suspend our account for the month of June so we don’t have to pay? — Kelly, Santa Monica, California. Kelly,