As my DirecTV monthly contribution approaches $100 and with heating bills up 20% and auto gas prices up 30% and the economy under increasing stress, I decided to do an audit on the $100 bill. I would guess that many other families are doing the same thing, particularly as Cable and Satellite bills seem to have no ceiling.

The result of my audit was not at all surprising: 90% or our viewing is among ten channels, six of them are available over-the-air ....

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I'm about ready to drop DTV. I'm on my second HD receiver (for which I had to pay close to $1,000) and see very little reason to "upgrade" to get the newer MPEG-4 channels. Worse, the newer DTV pvr's won't let me record OTA, and my local NYC WB channel is not carried on DTV digital local channels.

The only thing I get from DTV that isn't available on local cable HD is HDnet and HDmovies. I suspect I can live without them. I'd need a newer receiver to get Sci-Fi HD, but that's all I'd watch from the new HD channel additions.

Since I aready get VOIP and cable modem access the delta to add HBO / Showtime wouldn't be much more than paying rent on a new DTV pvr. Hmmm - I guess in replying, I've talked myself into making the change. Thanks.

I have DISH. I am resonably happy with my cost structure and their support overall.

I am not excited to see the (arguably) best of TV - HBO and ShowTime - converted to commercial TV. While I don't expect anyone to pay for what they can not afford, or do not like (I support the concept of Alla Carte), I really would not want to lose the option of paying for my TV to get it commercial free.

Not only is there the aspect of commercials intruding into the show (if no DVR present) or violating the flow of the experience, there is the obscene destruction of content that selling out to the lowest common "moral" denominator entails. (I am friends with a network TV writer and have heard the horrors stories of good material turned into cartoons.)

So, please let's not get our panties in a bunch and throw the babies out with the wash just to save a few dollars - that virtually everyone would simply spend on some other enteraining way.

About 10 years back, I became ticked off at our local cable company because of all the endless rate increases, so I pulled the plug and never went back. While all the extra channels were nice, we really don't need the extra channels. Over the air TV is good enough and the price is right, FREE.

Now with DTV, the extra channels are a mixed blessing, it's bad when they take up the bandwidth and lower the quality of HD, but it's also nice to have a second news channel or weather channel.

Bob Diaz

Picture quality and channel quantity will never make up for poor and tasteless programming.

Al a carte is here! Get the fastest internet service you can and check out the menu of hundreds of channels in mainly SDTV but some HDTV. There are an increasing number of sites such as channelchooser.com that stream or link a couple of hundred sites from the U.S. and many more from many nations around the world! Many popular stations in the U.S. have their own websites that stream some of their programs. It's a candy store out there!

Dish Network will offer an HD-Only package starting 2/1/08. I recall the price to be $39. You can add locals if needed for $5. This is a good alternative...

DISH Network is offering an HD only programming package. It is $29.99 a month or $34.99 with locals. They are also adding a $10.00 a month add-on HD package (it includes HISTORY and DISCOVERY!). If you add the HD to their America's Top 100 package - you still get all that programming for under $50.00 - why climb on the roof and install an OTA for substandard HD? Why pay $100.00? I am keeping my HD - and I am paying a reasonable price!