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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: DirecTV or Dish Network?
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
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Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-24-2009 05:50 PM
There is no simple answer as to which service is better.
The best choice for you will come down to which channels each carrier offers and their prices. You basically have to dig into their channel packages and compare specifics. DirecTV had a big lead over Dish Network in terms of HD channels, but Dish has closed the gap in recent months. Dish has a few things over DirecTV. For example, I have 8 channels of HBO in HD. DirecTV currently carries only 2 or 3 HBO channels in HD.
Local channels is another big deciding factor. Most satellite TV customers in my area have Dish Network because of the availability of local channels. DirecTV has never carried any of the local channels in the Wichita Falls, TX - Lawton, OK viewing market and seems to have no plans of offering them in the future. Dish Network has been carrying our local channels for several years now. A few months ago Dish Network added the HD versions of our market's local channels. On top of that Dish is carrying those HD locals on 2 satellites (E*12 at 61.5° and Ciel-2 at 129°).
Some people make their choice based on the quality of receivers. I think the Dish Network ViP series receivers are better than the ones from DirecTV.
Dish offers Slingbox service which allows you to watch your programming anywhere your computer is connected to the Internet. AT&T recently pulled a fast one by disabling the Slingbox application for the iPhone. I haven't paid the extra money for Slingbox, but I can at least connect to my receiver via the Internet and remotely program the DVR. That's pretty convenient.
My Dish Network programming subscription is a package they no longer offer: Dish HD Absolute (my service is grandfathered). It's an HD-only package that originally cost $29.99. It included the Voom channels, but not all that much more. It went up in price a few dollars later after quite a few HD channels were added (and Voom was dropped). I have HD Absolute, the HBO package, my HD locals and the ViP722 receiver. My monthly bill is $58. I think that's a pretty serious bargain compared to what many others are paying for similar service. Dish' "TurboHD" packages would have me paying around $80 for nearly the same channels. The TurboHD packages have a few gotchas in there. They're missing a few HD channels that subscribers will only get if they have a "classic" SD-only package plus HD add on package(s).
Anyway, make your choice carefully.
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
![](/ubbmembers/840f.jpg)
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-25-2009 10:59 AM
Dish dropped the Voom channels, and I think they rightfully did so, because Voom was not creating anywhere near enough new content. Every Voom channel was almost nothing but constant repeats. I don't miss it.
A couple months after dumping Voom (Spring of last year), Dish added a couple dozen national HD channels to make up for the difference. Since then Dish has slowly caught up to DirecTV in terms of national HD channel coverage. The Viacom and News Corp HD channels were added earlier this year. Dish has been adding some other channels not carried in HD by DirecTV. MSNBC HD recently made its debut on Dish Network.
The downside to all these HD channel additions is that a viewer won't see all of them unless they pay a bit more for a "classic" standard definition channel package with a HD channel package add on. For whatever retarded reason Dish is screwing its HD-only package customers. If you subscribe to a "TurboHD" package you will not see channels like Fox News HD, Nick HD and the previously mentioned MSNBC HD. Overall you miss out on over a dozen HD national channels by going the HD only route. And that really doesn't make a damned bit of sense. Honestly, the folks who subscribe to SD-only packages should be feeling pressure to upgrade instead of the reverse.
Still, there's a few significant HD channels missing from the Dish lineup. The fallout with Rainbow Media over dumping Voom has left Dish Network customers without HD versions of AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and We.
DirecTV is indeed the better choice in terms of sports packages. Well, it is if NFL Football and Major League Baseball is your thing. Dish Network has better coverage of NBA Basketball and NHL Hockey. Both services offer regional sports networks like Fox Sports.
quote: Jake Spell The one thing I liked most about Dish was they used the off air digital signal for local chanels(which looks better in HD than Direct's satellite picture) and Dish's DVR could work 2 TV sets.
The ViP Series HD DVR/receivers have an antenna input to receive over the air DTV broadcasts. When you change to an off air HD channel the receiver will show the signal's strength level on screen. OTA channels are colored yellow in the guide. The OTA HD channel capability is pretty handy especially if Dish Network isn't carrying your market's local HD channels on satellite yet. The video quality with OTA HD channels is indeed better than what you see via satellite. The downside is recording shows off air in HD consumes more hard disc space. The OTA HD channels are in MPEG-2 and operating at constant bit rates around 19 megabits per second. The HD satellite channels are all MPEG-4 with variable bit rates not nearly as high. The satellite signals are more reliable. They rarely ever cut out unless there is a really big thunderstorm blocking the satellite.
Another somewhat nice thing about the ViP series DVRs: using external hard discs. It sucks that you have to pay $40 to turn on the capability, but once it is on you can move DVR recordings to external hard drives to free up space on the DVR's internal drive. I think the soon-to-be-released ViP 922 will have Slingbox capability built in and have full HD capability for both tuners (currently the 2 tuner DVRs have HD for one output and SD-only for the other TV output).
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Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
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Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 07-27-2009 11:22 AM
I've been with DirecTV for many years (10+) and I've been very happy with them. I have had both the TiVo and DirecTV DVR's, and upgraded to HD about four years ago.
Dish Network is involved in a very lengthy lawsuit with TiVo, which they have lost over and over again, and it threatens their ability to offer their customers DVR service, as far as I know. That's about as much as I know about Dish Network.
I've been happy with DirecTV, and I rarely get snow or rain fade. They are pretty generous with upgrades if you ask nicely/firmly. I don't receive any movie channels, as I consider them a waste of money compared to just getting a Netflix membership.
The Video on Demand features of the DirecTV HD-DVR are pretty cool. You can download movies, TV episodes, and other videos via the Ethernet port, but the selection is somewhat limited, so don't expect to be able to download the latest episode of a show you might have missed the night before. I expect that will continue to improve. The DLNA features are very clunky, to the point of being pre-beta-ish.
I have heard that remote watching (watching a show that has been recorded on another box in the same house) is coming Real Soon Now, and I'm really looking forward to that. I wouldn't mind seeing what the upcoming DirecTiVo DVR (2010-ish) will offer, but the DirecTV HD-DVR is pretty good.
Being able to schedule a recording from the DirecTV web site is quite cool, and I think they have an iPhone app for doing this as well. I've used that feature quite a few times, which is very handy.
If you decide to go with DirecTV, find a friend that already has DirecTV and do a referral with them. You will each get $100 in service credit on top of any other promotions they are running in terms of pricing and packages.
If/when you call, don't be afraid to ask for things that they aren't offering to you. If you want an HD DVR, don't pay extra for it over the cost of the regular DVR. If you need two, you shouldn't have to pay anything beyond the normal $4.99 extra receiver fee. They're quite negotiable, and I've had very good luck getting equipment upgrades for little to no costs.
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