Rose L

Once you have Internet you can get Netflix. Then you can run it through various devices to get it onto your TV screen. I run it off my laptop with two cords so we can watch movies on the big TV screen.

BKrenning

Is your decimal point maybe a little off or are you missing a number?

We have DirecTV for television service and WildBlue for internet service. They both cost a lot more than $5.99.

We had to pay $400 to get WildBlue installed but we've had it for years and there was only one other company like WildBlue back then. HughesNet was still DirecPC and it was half dial up/half satellite.

I've never heard of someone's dish getting blown around by the wind. We had straight line winds tear up part of our roof but both dishes look just like the day they were installed.

Wildblue has a maximum usage policy and will alert you when you reach 80% of maximum. You don't get throttled until you go over the maximum which depends on which plan you have. We have the largest plan and have never gone over with 2 kids and 2 very geeky adults. We have come close a couple times when the kids were watching every u-tube video they could find. My neighbor has the middle package and was throttled all last summer because her daughter left Frostwire running on her laptop 24/7. Uploads is what there problem was.

We have looked at HughesNet and the prices are similar. They also have a maximum which I believe is 500mb per day with free (doesn't count towards the 500mb) between 3 and 6am so you would want to schedule all your updates for those hours. They will throttle you for longer than 1 day if you repeatedly go over the daily limit.

A normal user doesn't really need to worry too much about the usage caps unless you're stuck in bed for a week and do nothing but watch on-line videos all day. We had to put some limits on the kids for a while when we first got the service but there are 4 of us all using the same connection. I have to download service manuals & software updates for my job, our son is a gamer and some of his "add-on" packs are more than HughesNet's daily maximum; daughter is a alternative music groupie and streams music often, hubby just wants what he wants when he wants it--LOL.

We originally had Starband internet service when they first started. It had lots of bugs to work out in the early days which we grumpily endured. Eventually we had a falling out with them over the cost to upgrade our equipment to a new, faster modem. New customers were getting a better deal than existing ones who'd been with them through all their growing pains. AT&T tries that on us every once in a while, too but they at least will bargain with us. Starband just wanted our money and since we had faithfully been paying them for 3+ years--they figured we could pay more than a new customer. That's when we found Wildblue.

You will lose service in a storm just like with satellite tv. You'll lose internet first because it needs a more stable signal & you'll lose service if the main station (Syracuse, NY I believe for Wildblue; Atlanta, GA for Starband) is having a storm or if they are doing network upgrades which they try to do on Sundays but things do occasionally go sideways--just like the cable goes out in the middle of your show. It is much better now than it was 10 years ago. And, satellite internet is still the only choice for many rural and/or rugged terrain areas. We're less than 30 miles from St. Louis County but the terrain here is too hilly & thickly forested for wi-max. Clear does work here but just barely and their maximum allowance isn't enough for one person--much less 4.

Depending on what kind of cell service is in your area, you might want to check that out. It's cheaper than satellite but watch the maximum usage clause. That's where they get you. Some companies don't throttle you--they just charge more.

ptquilts

thanks everyone for your help. We are looking at HughesNet, because of our location we qualify for free installation and reduced monthly rate for 12 months, courtesy of the federal stimulus package. Hughes is the only one offering this, brings it down to $39 a month. And no long-term commitment with the stimulus plan.
We are not interested AT ALL in satellite TV, DH says, When it comes down to $2 a year he MIGHT consider it.

CarrieAnne

I just got Hughes net because of the recovery act too. Love it! Took a LONG time to install, but we are very happy with it!

CarrieAnne

Oh, and its SUPER windy here, I am out in the country with no other houses around, and no problems yet!

martha jo

Sorry, guess that was misleading. The 5.99 is a service policy and then there is the regular charge.