Negotiate Your Cable Bill

I received a pretty good offer from Direct TV in the mail today. The Direct TV offer advertises 150 channels for $29.99 a month for 12 months, 28 premium channels free for 3 months, Free HD DVR, Free installation up to 4 rooms. That sounds pretty good to me. I currently have cable, but am considering switching. I called up my cable provider to see if they could offer anything comparable to keep me as a customer. My cable provider agreed to discount my cable/Internet bill $40.00 each month for the next 6 months. They were not able to give me any free months of premium channels, or other perks. I have heard about people negotiating with their cable company, but I have never really tried it. I was surprised to see how easy it was. I still think the Direct TV offer is a better deal, but not sure if I should switch or not.

Please comment if you like Direct TV or Cable Better. I am interested in your opinion, and it may assist with my decision.