Directv vs. Dish Network

[restored2x]

OK - a little advice, please. I have Directv and have been with them for about 7 years. I have been thinking about saving a few bucks by switching to Dish - but know very little about Dish. We are big TV watchers, and DTV has been good.

Any noticable difference between these providers? I've been on google all morning, but am only getting sales pitches - no real comparisons. Which has more and better HD channels? Is signal strength equal? Local channels available?

Please do not suggest Cox. I am an elitist when it comes to TV and look down my nose on cable.

Any help would be appreciated. I will be out this afternoon - but will reply as soon as I get back to the PC, if necessary.

[FOTD]

Well, DISH just had a major disaster with the recent satelite debacle.

But even with that, I like DISH best because you can get most Sirius stations for free.

Unfortunately, the local HD feeds through the Dish receiver suck. The new satelite was suppose to fix that issue. Also, no on demand features. But the Dish receivers are good for recording. If you desire split screen, cable is the way to go.

There's Sirius disorder.....

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by restored2x


Please do not suggest Cox. I am an elitist when it comes to TV and look down my nose on cable.

you are an elitist and you are choosing between which craptastic sat company compresses their image more?  [}:)]

[restored2x]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by restored2x


Please do not suggest Cox. I am an elitist when it comes to TV and look down my nose on cable.

you are an elitist and you are choosing between which craptastic sat company compresses their image more?  [}:)]

Yup.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by restored2x

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by restored2x


Please do not suggest Cox. I am an elitist when it comes to TV and look down my nose on cable.

you are an elitist and you are choosing between which craptastic sat company compresses their image more?  [}:)]

Yup.

i don't think "elitist" is the right moniker then.  maybe "sat zealot".

[TUalum0982]

quote:Originally posted by restored2x

OK - a little advice, please. I have Directv and have been with them for about 7 years. I have been thinking about saving a few bucks by switching to Dish - but know very little about Dish. We are big TV watchers, and DTV has been good.

Any noticable difference between these providers? I've been on google all morning, but am only getting sales pitches - no real comparisons. Which has more and better HD channels? Is signal strength equal? Local channels available?

Please do not suggest Cox. I am an elitist when it comes to TV and look down my nose on cable.

Any help would be appreciated. I will be out this afternoon - but will reply as soon as I get back to the PC, if necessary.

DTV definitely has more HD channels, they just added ESPN news HD this past wednesday.  Also, I like the local channels better on DTV then Dish.  My buddy has dish and his hd channels don't look as crisp as mine do.  We both have the same 60" Sony XBR on similar settings, so I know that is not the issue.  You get more sports subscriptions with DTV like NFL sunday ticket that are exclusive to Dish.  IMO I would never switch from a company you are happy with and have been with them for 7 years.  I would suggest if you are paying for premium movie channels that you don't necessarily watch, try cutting back on one or two of them.

[FOTD]

quote:Originally posted by TUalum0982

quote:Originally posted by restored2x

OK - a little advice, please. I have Directv and have been with them for about 7 years. I have been thinking about saving a few bucks by switching to Dish - but know very little about Dish. We are big TV watchers, and DTV has been good.

Any noticable difference between these providers? I've been on google all morning, but am only getting sales pitches - no real comparisons. Which has more and better HD channels? Is signal strength equal? Local channels available?

Please do not suggest Cox. I am an elitist when it comes to TV and look down my nose on cable.

Any help would be appreciated. I will be out this afternoon - but will reply as soon as I get back to the PC, if necessary.

DTV definitely has more HD channels, they just added ESPN news HD this past wednesday.  Also, I like the local channels better on DTV then Dish.  My buddy has dish and his hd channels don't look as crisp as mine do.  We both have the same 60" Sony XBR on similar settings, so I know that is not the issue.  You get more sports subscriptions with DTV like NFL sunday ticket that are exclusive to Dish.  IMO I would never switch from a company you are happy with and have been with them for 7 years.  I would suggest if you are paying for premium movie channels that you don't necessarily watch, try cutting back on one or two of them.

Good point about HDTV....the satelite Dish debacle results in less and less HD availability....what happened to AT$T service? Will the phone line provde still another choice?

[Renaissance]

I have DirecTV and the high definition channels look phenomenal.  From what I gather, it is definitely the best HD option.  They've got a ton of channels--check out the Smithsonian Channel HD--and good sports options, with college, NFL and MLB (the ones I care about).

[patric]

I would say either Dish or DirecTv would be better than Cox cable, but if you are looking into getting your local channels on High Definition, Dish is out of the running for a few years because their new satellite just turned into a billion dollar paperweight.

[TUalum0982]

quote:Originally posted by patric

I would say either Dish or DirecTv would be better than Cox cable, but if you are looking into getting your local channels on High Definition, Dish is out of the running for a few years because their new satellite just turned into a billion dollar paperweight.

that would make my decision easy then.  What exactly are your issues with directv OP?? Price? It surely couldn't be channel selection, as they have the best channel lineup out there.

[restored2x]

Thanks for all the replies. I was out of town yesterday and not near a computer, so I couldn't reply.

I guess my deal was just that if Dish and DTV were exactly the same quality, and I could sign up as a new Dish subscriber and get the super-discounts, I could save a couple hundred dollars. Apparently, the concensus is about what I thought - Directv is better.

Inteller, you're right (did I just type that?!) - a better moniker would be "sat zealot" - although I do feel that cable is inferior to satellite. (Wouldn't that make me an elitist?)

Sat Zealot restored2x.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by FOTD

quote:Originally posted by TUalum0982

quote:Originally posted by restored2x

OK - a little advice, please. I have Directv and have been with them for about 7 years. I have been thinking about saving a few bucks by switching to Dish - but know very little about Dish. We are big TV watchers, and DTV has been good.

Any noticable difference between these providers? I've been on google all morning, but am only getting sales pitches - no real comparisons. Which has more and better HD channels? Is signal strength equal? Local channels available?

Please do not suggest Cox. I am an elitist when it comes to TV and look down my nose on cable.

Any help would be appreciated. I will be out this afternoon - but will reply as soon as I get back to the PC, if necessary.

DTV definitely has more HD channels, they just added ESPN news HD this past wednesday.  Also, I like the local channels better on DTV then Dish.  My buddy has dish and his hd channels don't look as crisp as mine do.  We both have the same 60" Sony XBR on similar settings, so I know that is not the issue.  You get more sports subscriptions with DTV like NFL sunday ticket that are exclusive to Dish.  IMO I would never switch from a company you are happy with and have been with them for 7 years.  I would suggest if you are paying for premium movie channels that you don't necessarily watch, try cutting back on one or two of them.

Good point about HDTV....the satelite Dish debacle results in less and less HD availability....what happened to AT$T service? Will the phone line provde still another choice?

AT&T is still doing buildout but from what I've read in other markets, their service is craptastic. The HD channels don't look as good as basic cable.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by restored2x

although I do feel that cable is inferior to satellite. (Wouldn't that make me an elitist?)

Sat Zealot restored2x.

your feelings don't reflect reality, although that would put you in the majority of denizens on this board.  You probably base your opinions on factors that can't be quantified.

[izmophonik]

I work in the sat industry and I can definitely tell you that I've seen so called digital cable right next to satellite on identical tv's.  It doesn't compare guys.  Satellite wins by a mile.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by izmophonik

I work in the sat industry and I can definitely tell you that I've seen so called digital cable right next to satellite on identical tv's.  It doesn't compare guys.  Satellite wins by a mile.

oh yeah you're not impartial and unbiased[]