Before Directv, I had regular TV.  I had Comcast come to my house five times.  FIVE TIMES.  They still couldn't/wouldn't install the ^%$#%&(* cabie.

I called Directv, and had a working system within five hours.

Sometimes, in really bad weather, the signal will go out, but no one has died from not having TV briefly.

The price DOES keep going up and up and up.  I can't compare that to cable, though, because I don't know what their rates are.