# DirecTV adds Total Choice Family tier



## disco (Mar 27, 2000)

http://phoenix.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=805719&highlight=


> *DIRECTV to Offer Family Programming Package; New Tier Offers More Than 40 Channels of Family-Friendly Programming Including Boomerang, Disney, Noggin, PBS Kids Sprout and a Wide Variety of Public Interest Channels*
> 
> _EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 18, 2006--_DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading digital television service provider, will offer a new family-friendly programming package in mid-April.
> 
> ...


No Discovery Channel or TLC??

Ok, show _your_ cards, Dish Network...what do you got for $10 less??


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

If DirecTV wants to increase their subscriber base, they need an even lower priced tier. Something along the line of old Select Choice, which is now Total Choice Limited. But, it isn't advertised. And, yes I do know about the spanish package.


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## Mark W (Dec 6, 2001)

I don't think DirecTV wants to increase their subscriber base if it means having people pay lower than the base price of $41.99 per month. Monthly revenue per customer is a big deal for them. Their aquisition cost per customer is over $600, so signing people up for under $40 per month is not attractive to them. Adding this package is only a response to religious right led groups asking for a la carte channel choices under the guise of family friendly programming.


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## jeff92k7 (Jan 18, 2006)

You may not have to wait until April. I called them to cancel my service today and they offered to go ahead and switch me to that package. I declined and cancelled anyway, but I thought it was interesting that they offered me that package today when I actually cancelled, but the other day when I called them to find out what they could offer me, they told me the best they could do was the total choice for $41.99/mo.
No doubt this is in direct response to the new USDTV that is showing up in certain areas.


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## texas arsenal (Feb 3, 2005)

Ive been seeing commercials for USDTV. I was sorta curious but not really interested then I saw it was going thru Wal- Mart and now Im REALLY not interested.


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## Dmon4u (Jul 15, 2000)

General thoughts and comments:

Nothing promotes Family more that the ultra violence of those older cartoons on Boomerang !

There's a definite need to put all the shopping and religious channels in there. Let the evil folk live without these.

As for the other channels, anything even remotely about sex and that channel should be thrown out of the Family Pack.

Perhaps those that want something like this should wait till there's a PTC seal of approval ?


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## Lee L (Oct 1, 2003)

Dmon4u said:


> Perhaps those that want somehting like this should wait till there's a PTC seal of approval ?


Alternatively, they could just think for themselves.


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## texas arsenal (Feb 3, 2005)

Im waiting for Dtv to come out with "Guys Pack" thats nothing but sports and porn.


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## Dmon4u (Jul 15, 2000)

Shouldn't there be a Poll on who would want this ?


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## steelcurtain (Dec 19, 2001)

Basically, I want a package with all those DC "Family" channels excised from it. I don't watch a single one of those channels. Give me Discovery, Comedy Central, and FX, and I'd be in good shape.


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## Gunnyman (Jul 10, 2003)

does this ADD anything to the total choice package? Or just remove Court TV and the other channels I notice are missing?


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Dmon4u said:


> As for the other channels, anything even remotely about sex and that channel should be thrown out of the Family Pack.


Does that mean that Animal Planet, Discovery, and the Science channels are excluded?

Additional Edit:

Just saw the list, CNN (Headline News) was included, how can that be, they mostly cover political corruption with money, sex, and ethical and moral abuses, violence (like murder, wars, and genocide), and all type of crimes of passion.


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## disco (Mar 27, 2000)

Gunnyman said:


> does this ADD anything to the total choice package? Or just remove Court TV and the other channels I notice are missing?


For $7 a month less then Total Choice you lose:

A&E
ABC Family (So a channel with Family in the name doesn't make it to the family package?)
AMC
Animal Planet
BBC America
BET
Bravo
BYU TV
Cartoon Network
The Church channel
CNBC
CNBC World
CNN
Comedy Central
CMT
Court TV
Current TV
Discovery
Discovery Health
E!
ESPN
ESPN Classic
ESPN2
ESPN News
Fine Living
Fox Movie Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox Reality
Fuse
FX
G4
Galavision
GSN
History Channel
i Independent TV
IFC
The Learning Channel
MSNBC
MTV
MTV2
NFL Network
OLN
Oxygen
Sci-FI
SoapNet
Speed
Spike TV
Superstation WGN
TBS
TNT
Travel Channel
TCM
TV Guide
TV Land
TV One
Univision
USA Networks
VH1
WE
A bunch of XM channels
Your local RSN channel

Kinda a lame package, IMO...I say pay the additional $7, and just use the parental features of your receiver (all D* receivers have them...).

tbeckner: The Science Channel IS provided...but not The Discovery Channel.


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

So it seems that the news channels aren't family friendly.


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

disco said:


> For $7 a month less then Total Choice you lose:
> 
> HUGE LIST
> 
> ...


I agree completely, a VERY LAME package, buy "TOTAL CHOICE" do as Disco recommends and use the parental control feature.


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## john-duncan-yoyo (Oct 13, 2004)

JimSpence said:


> So it seems that the news channels aren't family friendly.


Some of the so called religious channels apparently aren't either. Plus they left off Speed which misses the Church of Nascar.


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

JimSpence said:


> So it seems that the news channels aren't family friendly.


Gee. I would have thought that FOX News would have been essential to the Christian Right. How will they get their Sean Hannity fix? 

Oh, oh! Here comes the controversy.


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## narnia777 (Jan 12, 2003)

and no TV Land? I want my classics... The english channels in the old lowest spanish package was a really good deal for $29.99 before they raised the price $10. And that had TV Land.

Jim


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

It's a lousy package. To quote Nancy Reagan, "Just say No."


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## Steve1212 (Dec 1, 2004)

texas arsenal said:


> Im waiting for Dtv to come out with "Guys Pack" thats nothing but sports and porn.


Isn't that what we all watch anyways  C'mon Directv get the Ten networks


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## DouglasPHill (Feb 10, 2005)

Nice idea, but their selection of channels is not what I would pick.
I'm a tv control freak. I block many channels I deem unworthy 
for my family. Some of the channels they have chosen for this
package are good, but they left out a bunch and included
news and religious? I'm a religious guy, well I try to be, and
I don't want religious channels on tv. (That's why I go to church)

If they had surveyed their customers, I'll bet the list of 
channels would be quite different. As far as news, I guess
there should be news channels there for the parents. Put foxnews
next to cnn headline news and everyone should be happy.


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## sschwart (Apr 4, 2001)

Huh. Interesting that this new cheaper package has channels that the "basic" level package doesn't.


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## disco (Mar 27, 2000)

Dish Network announced their "DishFAMILY tier, for $24.99 w/ locals ($19.99 w/o):


> Animal Planet
> EWTN
> Outdoor Channel
> The Biography Channel
> ...


Here's a comparison chart I made.


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## Dmon4u (Jul 15, 2000)

disco:

Here's some more, if you want to add them to your excellent comparison list (I assume they're subject to change):

Insight

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=9212

Home & Garden Television
Food Network
DIY Network
C-SPAN 2
CNBC
Headline News
The History Channel
The Weather Channel
Discovery Kids
Discovery Science
Nick Games & Sports
The Disney Channel
Toon Disney
PBS Kids Sprout
Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Cox

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6298565.html?display=Breaking+News

Superstation WGN*
Univision
C-SPAN*
Home shopping channel(s)*
TV Guide channel*
Local public, education, and government access channels*
Other local independent stations and channels
Disney Channel
Discovery Kids
National Geographic Channel
Home & Garden TV
DIY (Do It Yourself) Network
Nickelodeon
Fit TV
Sprout
Weather Channel or Weatherscan Local*
Discovery Science
Boomerang
GSN (formerly Game Show Net) 
Religious network*
Spanish language network*

*Some channels will vary by local system; subject to existing local system channel lineups.

Comcast

http://www.cmcsk.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=118591&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=798664&highlight=

Disney Channel
HGTV
Toon Disney
Food Network
PBS KIDS Sprout
DIY
Discovery Kids
CNN Headline News
Science Channel (Discovery)
The Weather Channel
Nickelodeon/Nick Too
National Geographic
Nickelodeon GAS (Games and Sports)
C-SPAN
TBN (Trinity Broadcasting)
C-SPAN 2

Time Warner

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6291783.html?display=Breaking+News

Boomerang
Discovery Kids
Disney Channel
Toon Disney
Nick Games & Sports
Science Channel
DIY Network
Fit TV
Food Network
Home & Garden Television
La Familia
The Weather Channel
C-SPAN-2
C-SPAN 3
Headline News.


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## marrone (Oct 11, 2001)

> - Noggin/The N


I dunno. "South of Nowhere" (On the N) isn't exactly what I'd refer to as Family Friendly. Heck, it offends my wife...and it's supposedly a teen show!

-Mike


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## Phantom Gremlin (Jun 20, 2002)

Interesting that Fox News Channel is on the cheap package from Dish but not from DirecTV. You'd think it would be the other way around, that Rupert would want maximum exposure for FNC.


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## undertow (Feb 2, 2002)

I think this package has a lot less to do with promoting an agenda and more to do with DirecTV making a larger profit. I'm sure the religious and shopping channels cost them next to nothing to carry.


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## Dmon4u (Jul 15, 2000)

I just had my morning laugh over at another forum.

A pro-censorship/family pack advocate wrote that wrote that no one has ever been concerned about cartoon violence and that it's bad language that is the whole point of all this.

After I left that forum the old nursery rhyme came to mind (if I recall it correctly), " Sticks and stones can break my bones, buy words can never hurt me. "

Now, I can image someone's kid poking him in the eye and that person is more upset about the dirty words the kid said while doing it.


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## hoopsrgreat (Jan 2, 2005)

heard a joke on morning radio announcing how happy fox news was to add Robert Novak to their team. Robert was formerly with CNN. Fox was pleased top add a "moderate" voice to their news team.


Thought that was good for a laugh


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## undertow (Feb 2, 2002)

hoopsrgreat said:


> heard a joke on morning radio announcing how happy fox news was to add Robert Novak to their team. Robert was formerly with CNN. Fox was pleased top add a "moderate" voice to their news team.
> 
> Thought that was good for a laugh


Why is everyone always ripping on Fox News so much? Sure their reporting is skewed but name a news source that isn't (trust me, you can't). I get my news from various sources including Fox, CNN, MSNBC and a couple of newspapers and they all have their agendas and put their spin on a story.


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## Phantom Gremlin (Jun 20, 2002)

undertow said:


> Why is everyone always ripping on Fox News so much?


Liberals are hurt, upset, annoyed, shocked, dazed, and in denial over the success of FNC. They no longer have a monopoly on the mainstream media. There's a reason why CNN used to be called the Clinton News Network.


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

Phantom Gremlin said:


> Liberals are hurt, upset, annoyed, shocked, dazed, and in denial over the success of FNC. They no longer have a monopoly on the mainstream media. There's a reason why CNN used to be called the Clinton News Network.


As I recall it's really the newsie talk shows that have the high ratings on FNC. Even Rush Limbaugh has a high liberal listenership.

If you get down to real news coverage, CNN really has a much better product. But when you want the opinion/analysis/talk genre about news, FNC generally has a better product.

When I talk about a news channel, I really never even consider all the shows; I think entirely about the news reporting. The news channels remind me a lot of MTV -- the channel supposed known for music videos that is lucky to show any these days.


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## undertow (Feb 2, 2002)

dswallow said:


> When I talk about a news channel, I really never even consider all the shows; I think entirely about the news reporting. The news channels remind me a lot of MTV -- the channel supposed known for music videos that is lucky to show any these days.


I know what you mean about news channels resembling MTV. They package news stories like they're some ongoing mini-series or something, complete with theme song and graphics! It's pathetic.


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## Phantom Gremlin (Jun 20, 2002)

dswallow said:


> If you get down to real news coverage, CNN really has a much better product. But when you want the opinion/analysis/talk genre about news, FNC generally has a better product.


CNN does have some sharp news people.

I remember watching Republican Convention on both CNN and Fox. More or less the same video feed was being shown. The CNN guys were identifying players and providing background on them while the Fox guys were saying (more or less): There's Sen Joe Schmoe plus some flunkies (but we don't know who they are).

It was obvious that the CNN people were on top of things. You'd think that Fox would know the Republicans, but NO they didn't. Maybe Ailes doesn't care if the reporters are any good. Maybe he thinks it's more important that we see the legs of the Fox "Info-Babes". Guess who has the higher ratings?


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

Phantom Gremlin said:


> CNN does have some sharp news people.
> 
> I remember watching Republican Convention on both CNN and Fox. More or less the same video feed was being shown. The CNN guys were identifying players and providing background on them while the Fox guys were saying (more or less): There's Sen Joe Schmoe plus some flunkies (but we don't know who they are).
> 
> It was obvious that the CNN people were on top of things. You'd think that Fox would know the Republicans, but NO they didn't. Maybe Ailes doesn't care if the reporters are any good. Maybe he thinks it's more important that we see the legs of the Fox "Info-Babes". Guess who has the higher ratings?


IMO with a big event like the conventions being covered by everyone, if you want the best news coverage, watch the OTA networks. CCN reporters (or FOX or MSNBC) are amateurs by comparison. The networks, of course, were covering only a couople of prime time hours, so, most of the time, they weren't an option.


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## blhirsch (Mar 1, 2003)

dswallow said:


> As I recall it's really the newsie talk shows that have the high ratings on FNC. Even Rush Limbaugh has a high liberal listenership.
> 
> If you get down to real news coverage, CNN really has a much better product. But when you want the opinion/analysis/talk genre about news, FNC generally has a better product.
> 
> When I talk about a news channel, I really never even consider all the shows; I think entirely about the news reporting. The news channels remind me a lot of MTV -- the channel supposed known for music videos that is lucky to show any these days.


Agreed. But I might remove the word "analysis" from your broad descriptive fox category of "opnion/analysis/talk." 

As between CNN and FOX, I agree that CNN has the better news coverage product. But that's not saying much. I've really found CNN to be kind of kids' play overall. It seems to be a lot of "look what we caught on camera! Let's watch it for three hours, conjecture, and call it news!" I really turn to more written source for good in-depth news coverage and analysis. For "picture book" type coverage, I turn to CNN. Nothing like watching a hurricane live.

Has anybody else noted that CNN almost always has some sort of "breaking news" banner at the bottom? Whatever happened to saving the 5 alarm "breaking news" coverage for actual, interesting, and unusual news events?

Frankly, I've basically stopped watching all TV news except for when there's something important to watch live. Otherwise I wait for intelligent coverage from a written source.


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## undertow (Feb 2, 2002)

blhirsch said:


> Agreed. But I might remove the word "analysis" from your broad descriptive fox category of "opnion/analysis/talk."


Again, they're really no different than any other news source when it comes to analysis. In fact, I'd say the Fox News Watch program is a pretty good summary of some of the week's top stories with analysis by two liberal and two conservative commentators.


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

Bottom line is that more people get their news from CBS, ABC or NBC than watch CNN, MSNBC or FNC - combined.


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## undertow (Feb 2, 2002)

Dan Collins said:


> Bottom line is that more people get their news from CBS, ABC or NBC than watch CNN, MSNBC or FNC - combined.


Yep, and more people watch their DVDs with a composite cable running to a 27" television than plasma, lcd, or projection sets combined.


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## apollo8fan (Oct 23, 2003)

Is anyone not surprised to find all the shopping channels in this new "Family" package. Just how much is QVC paying D* to carry their channel in every single package?


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## dtremain (Jan 5, 2004)

undertow said:


> Yep, and more people watch their DVDs with a composite cable running to a 27" television than plasma, lcd, or projection sets combined.


But, the "on the air" network news is far better produced than the stuff on the cable channels. More talented and informed journalists with much better production standards. It just isn't on twenty-four hours a day.

I don't see your analogy here.


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## undertow (Feb 2, 2002)

dtremain said:


> But, the "on the air" network news is far better produced than the stuff on the cable channels. More talented and informed journalists with much better production standards. It just isn't on twenty-four hours a day.
> 
> I don't see your analogy here.


Well, that's just it. I don't see network news as having any advantage over cable news when it comes to accuracy in relaying news. Nor do I see them having more talented and informed journalists.


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## Nugent (Jan 20, 2004)

The problem is that many channels have to be removed to protect against accidental exposure to evolution.


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## Dmon4u (Jul 15, 2000)

But, I've heard Sen. Stevens say that he wants the Family Package to slowly 'evolve' from the regular Packages that are currently offered. Seems that the people who want this would find that unacceptable.


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## B Smooth (Jan 7, 2000)

undertow said:


> Again, they're really no different than any other news source when it comes to analysis. In fact, I'd say the Fox News Watch program is a pretty good summary of some of the week's top stories with analysis by two liberal and two conservative commentators.


If James Carvell(SP) started a News Network, claimed it was fair and balanced while having 80-90% "liberals" doing the "analysis" you would probably feel the same way some feel about Fox News.


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## undertow (Feb 2, 2002)

B Smooth said:


> If James Carvell(SP) started a News Network, claimed it was fair and balanced while having 80-90% "liberals" doing the "analysis" you would probably feel the same way some feel about Fox News.


This will be my last response since this is now way off topic. As I said in my first post in this thread, the reporting by Fox News is skewed but no more than any other news source. CNN's catch phrase is "The News America Trusts" which I don't think is an accurate statement either.

The sad truth is that in order to get a more complete picture of what's happening in the world today, you have to rely on multiple news sources. If you are receiving your news from only one source like the New York Times, Fox News, or CNN, then you will have a skewed view of the world around you.


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## djQ (Feb 12, 2006)

i think it is lame that the family package has the more violent offsring of cartoon network, boomerang, but not cartoon network itself. but then again i guess it isn't there because of adult swim.


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## IwantmyTiVo (Sep 20, 2005)

I guess this is Directv's response to that hoopla last week about cable offering a-la-carte services to families to 'lower' their bills and to let parents choose more suitable programming for family viewing. Those who don't want to use/don't know how to use parental controls can take that programming or leave it. They took a bunch of channels away for almost no discount. Whoop de do.


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## bacevedo (Oct 31, 2003)

For all of those that were interested in this package - you can now sign up for it by calling DirecTV. Apparantly, you could sign up for it on 4/26, but I just called today. It's kind of nice to know that I am only paying for the channels that I actually watch. I wish we could really get a la carte.

You can find the info on their site by searching for family choice. Otherwise, the following page has no way of getting to it (that I could find).

Total Choice Family Package

This package is nearly perfect for me. The only thing I would need added is Fox Sports Arizona. I currently have the HD pacakge, so I get ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT HD for some of my local sports. I also get all of my locals in HD OTA. The only station that I need is Fox Sports AZ for the football season when ASU is only on that channel.

I'll be removing all of the shopping and church channels from my channels received list. Channel surfing will be extremely quick now!

Bryan


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## Phantom Gremlin (Jun 20, 2002)

bacevedo said:


> I'll be removing all of the shopping and church channels from my channels received list. Channel surfing will be extremely quick now!


Surfing will remain quick ONLY if you set your favorites and use them for surfing. DirecTV loves to drop and then re-add shopping channels, which puts them back into your received list.


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