Always a great thread!
I moved to Omaha from San Diego three years ago.....I immediately got Direct TV.....only drawback is during heavy rain or snow, the signal will go out......but not too often.
My recommendation is to get the Genie, I believe for new customers it's free. Now here is the kicker with Direct TV - make sure you pay attention when your specials or promotions run out, a few days prior, call them and ask them to lower your bill. I've actually do this every six months and my bill actually keeps going down...Recently called and told them I didn't want to pay what I was paying anymore, so we worked out a deal to where I received $30 off a month for 12 months; I have to remain a customer for at least 12 months.
Regarding cable, we went with Cox...I know several people who tried century link and they weren't happy with it at all and switched back to Cox. For internet, my recommendation is to do your homework regarding what hardware Cox gives you, it's very cheap and not reliable. If you can afford it, I would buy a great cable modem and wireless router....might cost you upfront, but you'll be much more happy with the performance.
