Direct TV? Dish Network? Anyone have comments on the best satelite service?
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Well, I am tech support rep at Dish Network and I'd be foolish not to say Dish Network is the better option, however, in all truth they are very similar to each other. The only differences I have seen are the costs as far as your initial set-up, equipment, and types of programming.
If you are just looking for the no-frills basic programming then you're really only looking at a price difference of $2-3 dollars a month (Dish Network being cheaper) and 30 to 40 more channels with Dish Network.
The differences begin to show more when you are looking for more things such as DVR, HD, or international programming. Dish currently offers DVR's with 100 hrs recording time versus 70 for DirecTV. We also offer 29 HD channels (not including locals) versus 12 (as of Dec) for DirecTV. Also, we (Dish) offer dual tuner receivers (set top box) which eliminates the need for two seperate receivers and more wiring. If you're looking for some international flavor we offer it in 19 languages compared with DirecTV's 8. I guess our only bad spot is the lack of a season ticket for NFL.
A couple of notes you should be aware of and please ask the sales rep as well. I'm putting this out because I don't want you to regret ever going in either direction plus Id' really hate to answer your call and feel your aggravation (save me the added tylenol i would need). Some of the time the sales rep forget (supposedly) to mention the little fees that will appear on your bill. Like if you choose to add a DVR you're looking at a $5.00 DVR fee. For each receiver beyond the first receiver there is also a $5 fee. If you opt for the dual tuner receivers then it is necessary to have a telephone connected to avoid additional fees for the second tv that does not have a receiver. One major note is that you have the option to go with a contract or not. If you do its only 18 months. One advantage of the contract is the addition of warranty for all equipment (free replacement, service call fee reduction) at no cost for the initial 18 mo term.
Technically, you are required to have a phone connected to each receiver but no problem will arise unless you have a lot of receivers and then maybe subject to an audit. Honestly, both providers require the phone line and its more for asset protection than anything else. You can get away with not have one connected to basic receivers but the HD and DVR it is suggested or your service may be interrupted. All of this info is in the contract.
I have Dish service also and its much more amazing compared to cable. I have a friend who has Directv and honestly I can't see much difference other than programming and cost. He pays more for less but he's under a 12 month agreement where I'm at 18 mos. One cool thing I have that he doesn't is the PocketDish which is just a hand held where u can download anything you saved on your DVR and watch on the device or transfer it to your computer. Seriously, check out both websites and check into their current offerings. I hope this helps some and I hope I haven't swayed you away from Dish. It's a pretty reliable service with a good support staff. Any questions feel free to IM me.
I have direct tv, its pretty cool and its not that expensive. There are several packages of cahnnels you can choose. A friend of mine has dish network and its ok but he doesn't have some channel that I can enjoy. Good luck!!
The only satellite service I kno of is this
http://tv.better.ws
They are pretty much identical in service content, which is also pretty close to digital cable. The big difference is some of the sports packages, and some of the HD Programming.
peruse their websites and check out their packages to see which you like better.
I've got Dishnetwork, and am happy with it.
Hi,
I'd clearly vote for Dish cause:
- cheaper
- more channels and more variety
- awesome picture quality
You might check out http://www.dishnetworkbargains.net... - They currently run some promo with free Dish and DVR you might take advantage of. If you have any questions just call 'em up, they are professional and helpful.
Hope that helps.
Best wishes
Mike
I have had Dish for over 9 years and have been very happy with the product. Customer service is not always the best. I have never had issues with the technical side of Customer Service only the billing/marketing side. Much better quality picture than cable (I have a basic cable feed as well). I really enjoy the Sirius digital music stations also (great commercial free background music).
Directv
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