Direct tv vs. dish network

[DPMOmaha]

So, I'm going to be moving in the next couple of weeks and basically have free reign to set things up as I please.  I've been intrigued by the satelite options for a while but have never been in a position where it's been my call on that.  It's more affordable than I thought it was going to be but I'm still finding that I'll probably only still watch about 10-15 channels.  I'm looking to get things set up by the time football season rolls around.  I've done some research on things on line but wanted to get some feed back from people who have actually used the products before and what their experiences have been.  I will say this, the fact that Dish Network does not carry the MLB Network or Extra Innings is not working in their favor.  Is there any expectation of them carrying those in future seasons? 

I thought I remembered there being a similar thread to this a while back but I couldn't find it, so if this is redundant, I apologize.

Thanks for your input.

[DCFan]

So, I'm going to be moving here in the next couple of weeks

Where is "here"?

[HalfSmokes]

I had direct tv at my last place and loved it. I didn't have HD, just regular, but the picture was great. I moved and can no longer get direct tv and now have comcast, picture quality sucks, they nickle and dime you on installation (the wanted 99 dollars to professionally install their 'power boost' software, then were confused when I wouldn't show them how to use a mac). Not to mention that direct tv is cheaper than cable.

With respect to extra innings on direct tv its great. You can pull up box scores in games and a bunch of other cool things.

[tomterp]

Dish Network is a slow adopter of new stuff.  They were last to get MASN in our area, for example.  I bet financially they are the weakest, and perhaps this is why they lag Direct TV. 

Lately, they have adopted a new Google based selective advertising method that allows Joe's Bar and Grill or other small businesses to run selective ads targeting niche audiences, which strikes me as a real leap forward in their ability to generate ad revenue.  I don't have Direct TV, can't comment on where they are with that.

Overall, I've been okay with Dish Network's overall value.  We pay about $60 per mo, get a decent suite of programming.  The only sports ones I miss are ESPNU and, only recently noticed, Versus, which had some of the Caps playoff games.

[DCFan]

I bet financially they are the weakest, and perhaps this is why they lag Direct TV.

They did try to buy out DTV a few years ago but were stopped by I believe it was the Justice Dept because of monopoly concerns.  But as far as customer base, DTV is much bigger than Dish.

[DPMOmaha]

Where is "here"?

I'll still be in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

[DCFan]

I'll still be in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Ok, so I assume your choices are Comcast, DTV and Dish?  My 2 centavos, when I made the switch from Cox Cable to Dish a number of years ago the difference was night and day (and this was before HD). Satellite rocked! 

Fast forward to '05 and as TomTerp said, Dish would not pick up MASN so I switched to Fios as soon as it was available in my 'hood.  And I thought satellite rocked, OMG, Fios is amazing.  The HD offerings and picture quality are breathtaking.

But as far as the choice between DTV and Dish, DTV offers a lot more sports packages (such as the NFL Sunday Ticket) which are not available with any other carrier.  And it's my understanding that they offer more HD channels than you'll find on Dish, if you have an HDTV.  I *suspect* that they're both around the same price but DTV offers more.  If so, the choice seems pretty simple. 

[Minty Fresh]

My in-laws have Dish Network and they say their customer service department is unresponsive on it's better days and hostile on their not-so-better days.  They stick with the Dish because the Dish is cheaper and they don't care about the NFL Package (which is essentially the difference between the two - programming-wise).

I've been having a problem with my reception on my DirecTV lately (about a week and a half) finally got fed up with crappy reception during Wednesday night's Mets - Nats game and called DirecTV.  They are sending out a technician (free of charge since we have their "insurance" package which covers technical calls and all of the equipment for an extra $5-/month) today - less than 48 hours later - and actually apologized for not being more expeditious.

What I have really liked about DirecTV over my experience with cable and from what I've heard and read about Dish Network is that DirecTV certainly seems to give you better customer service for the extra money you're likely to pay.

[DPMOmaha]

Ok, so I assume your choices are Comcast, DTV and Dish?  My 2 centavos, when I made the switch from Cox Cable to Dish a number of years ago the difference was night and day (and this was before HD). Satellite rocked! 

Actually, it's Time Warner here in Lincoln, and I'm not a fan of them, but it's probably my cheapest option. 

From the research I've done, DTV will be about $15-20 extra a month after comparing similar packages.  I'm not at a place in life where that's an inconsequential amount of money yet.  I'm leaning towards the cable option before upgrading to DTV for football and the stretch run in baseball, sometime towards the end of August. 

It does not appear as if FIOS is available in this area.

I just wanted to check and see if there were any crazy stories about one or the other before I took the plunge.

[DCFan]

From the research I've done, DTV will be about $15-20 extra a month after comparing similar packages.  I'm not at a place in life where that's an inconsequential amount of money yet.  I'm leaning towards the cable option before upgrading to DTV for football and the stretch run in baseball, sometime towards the end of August.

I hear ya.  Cable might be able to offer a pretty sweet bundle package of tv/internet/phone as well.

Another factor in choosing which satellite carrier to go with and is completely out of your control is the tree situation at your new place. One requires a clear line of sight to the SE and the other to the SW. The trees could rule out 1 carrier or the other.   Good luck!

[Minty Fresh]

I hear ya.  Cable might be able to offer a pretty sweet bundle package of tv/internet/phone as well.

DPM  -  Be careful with the Cable company's phone service if you have cordless phones.  My wife and I had digital phone through Time Warner Cable here in Upstate, NY and it was a nightmare.  With alarming frequency out phone would cut out.  We could hear the person on the other end of the phone crystal clear but they could not hear us.  We would literally have to scramble around and start roving around the house looking for a spot where the signal would pick back up and it was never the same spot twice.  It was inexplicable.  The conditions (weather, battery life, other appliances running, etc.) did not seem to matter.  It was random and extremely frequent - more than once PER DAY.

I will say it led to one benefit - it convinced my wife to switch to DirecTV which I have loved ever since getting it.  I bought into DirecTV strictly because they were the only carrier for the NFL package.  Since then, I have seen that the channel lineup is more suited to my television viewing wants (although they do NOT have ESPNU yet which is currently carrying some of the CWS games) - MLB Network, NHL Netowrk.... o.k. really that's all I need except the major local networks - but the point remains that the lineup is very extensive.

[HalfSmokes]

I'm leaning towards the cable option before upgrading to DTV for football and the stretch run in baseball, sometime towards the end of August. 

make sure you don't have to sign up for a year - comcast made me sign for a year to get their introductory prices

[DCFan]

DPM  -  Be careful with the Cable company's phone service if you have cordless phones.  My wife and I had digital phone through Time Warner Cable here in Upstate, NY and it was a nightmare.  With alarming frequency out phone would cut out.

We had the phone service thru Cox and it was as flawless as Verizon's and cheaper.

[DPMOmaha]

make sure you don't have to sign up for a year - comcast made me sign for a year to get their introductory prices

I'm not too worried about that.  It's a fairly unique situation.  I'll be living in a guest house on the property of the owners of the main house.  They'll have the cable and I will be able to either split the cable bill with them (which is what's making the decision difficult because it's going to make a significantly inferior product signigicanly cheaper).  I can go with that until I want to go with the DTV or Dish.

[blue911]

I'm not too worried about that.  It's a fairly unique situation.  I'll be living in a guest house on the property of the owners of the main house.  They'll have the cable and I will be able to either split the cable bill with them (which is what's making the decision difficult because it's going to make a significantly inferior product signigicanly cheaper).  I can go with that until I want to go with the DTV or Dish.

How much TV do you watch should come into the equation.

[DPMOmaha]

How much TV do you watch should come into the equation.

More than I should...

[PANatsFan]

whoever you sign with, get them to bargain - you can get a sweet signup deal, and an even sweeter retention deal. Tell them you are considering their competitors, and name them. I ended up with a year of free digital cable with DVR and HBO.

[DPMOmaha]

whoever you sign with, get them to bargain - you can get a sweet signup deal, and an even sweeter retention deal. Tell them you are considering their competitors, and name them. I ended up with a year of free digital cable with DVR and HBO.

How did you do that?  Did you just call the customer service line?

[PANatsFan]

How did you do that?  Did you just call the customer service line?

Yup. It took several calls, complaints about their failure to carry channels that satellite customers get for free, telling them they had unfulfilled promises. I'm very good with bargaining with customer service. I should probably write a book. Can PM you details if you like.

[DPMOmaha]

Hmmm...couldn't hurt.  That sort of negotiating is not something I'm good at.

[SouthernFriedNat]

I am not a Redskins fan so Sunday Ticket on DirecTV is an absolute must

That really is the bottom line for me

I had Comcast last year and wanted to slit my wrists with their service

[Mathguy]

I hear ya.  Cable might be able to offer a pretty sweet bundle package of tv/internet/phone as well.

Do either Dish Network or Direct TV offer an internet connection ability ?

[DCFan]

Do either Dish Network or Direct TV offer an internet connection ability ?

I believe they both offer satellite internet service and a DSL package (if DSL is available in your hood).

[NatsAddict]

Directv has partnerships with most phone companies for a combined package of phone/DSL/TV.  It's satellite Internet is about $39/month, but requires a special dish that can be pricey.

Directv has great service.  We've been with them since 1995. When one of our receivers stopped picking up certain channels, they replaced all five of them - including another DVR - for free.  After the hurricanes, they come down in force and had all the damaged dishes replaced (ours looked like a taco shell after Frances in 2004) long before the power came on.  They just went around house to house, setup the dish, and with a powered TV tested the signal (the dish gets is power fed back from the TV).  I don't know how long it took Dish, but Comcast customers were down for a few months. 


[ot]
Of course now, the emergency TVs everyone uses as the hurricances approach until well after the storm passes will no longer work as they are all analog.  I have a small one that I can connect to Directv, and which will power the dish, but it's no good for about the most critical 24 hours due to rain fade, and after that not until I get the dish re-aligned and the generator turned on once the battery dies.  Cable customers, even with generators, are completely screwed.[/ot]