Direct TV or Dish Network?

[NYC_SKP]

No cable service here.

Has anyone changed from one to the other?

Any recommendations?

:shrug:

[dbt]

1. Dish Network is adequate until you need customer service.

Then you'll probably switch to DirecTV.

[UTUSN]

2. I've been with Dish for years. True, $ go up each year. True, phone reps are clueless

But on the plus side, I haven't needed any equipment type service in all of that time. Haven't needed to buy a new box in all of that time.

The only problem has been (not that often; every couple of years) CALLING them to inquire about billing dates. They seem to have a problem even figuring out when your year is over with. And even though the yearly rate goes up a few dollars each year, they still claim they're the cheapest option.

Once I dropped the remote and apparently didn't get it seated together well (but I didn't know this was the problem). The "tech" soon was telling me I needed new equipment and since it was my fault, I had to buy it. After the call (I said "no") I fiddled with the remote and got it to click together and everything worked.

I've never used DirecTV so I don't know, but we've all heard that Big Bad Wolf Ruper MURDOCH owns it.

To me, there's always what I think of as a Dem company brand and a Rethug brand, which is totally non-scientific. You know where I'm going with this...

[NYC_SKP]

3. Odd, if true, that Murdoch owns it. Ed Begley Jr is in one of their ads.

I was sort of swayed by that toward DirecTV.

On the other hand, I'm swayed away from them being part of ATT.

[azmouse]

4. We've had DirecTV since our cable company went away in April.

So far, so good. It's easy to use their website to add channels or get questions answered.
Only once did our dish move and need to be adjusted.

[trof]

5. DISH! Murdock owns Direct.

Had no problems with it.
Same channels as Direct.
Same price.
Go DISH!

[RoyGBiv]

6. They're both evil ...

... in their own special ways.

DirecTV is more evil given who owns it.

Dish is sorta just evilly incompetent, kinda like Comcast, which is what I have to endure.

The technology and channel selections are pretty much the same. I think it's DirecTV that has the NFL contract (games not shown on networks if that's important to you), but I can't remember off the top of my head.

[NMDemDist2]

7. Dish, hands down

better channel guide, more HD and as for the customer service, just always ask for 'tech support in the US' and you'll get a good tech

:hi:

[NYC_SKP]

8. Research tells me Dish TV is NOT owned by one of the Big Four...

So that's a big selling point.

Murdoch attempted to buy it but that failed.

They are owned by EchoStar, which seems to be exclusively engaged in Satellite Communications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EchoStar

[GoCubsGo]

9. Dish

They carry Free Speech TV (which carries Thom Hartmann, Democracy Now), Link TV, Current TV, and the Documentary Channel, among others. I don't think DirectTV carries some of those. The main reason I got Dish was that my local cable company doesn't carry WGN, which means no Cubs games. It turns out that I'm paying less for Dish's intermediate plan AND HBO/Cinemax than I would for cable. And, that's not counting all the extra digital channels.

I chose Dish over Direct TV because at the time the latter was owned by Murdoch. I believe he sold his interests since then. I have never had any problems with Dish, BTW...

[NYC_SKP]

10. Kick for more input. These will serve Two DUers, by the way, who are leaving Comcast. Thanks!!!

Another fine member is also about to make the move.

[rurallib]

11. I get DISH just for FreeSpeechTV

Which direct does not have. There are some minor reasons, but that is the big one.
http://www.freespeech.org/

[NYC_SKP]

12. I noticed that! One more in the Dish Network column. Thanks! n/t

[rcrush]

13. Steve Holt!

[Penguin31]

14. DirecTV isn't owned by Murdoch anymore

DirecTV got sold off to another company (Liberty Media) a couple of years ago. Liberty spun off DirecTV and a couple assets into it's own company. There's only a handful of officers left in charge from the NewsCorp days, and even fewer NC representatives on the Board of Directors as a whole, with another one leaving in January.

DirecTV: More of the channels I want, more of the HD channels I want (with more coming), all three sports packages I have any interest in (yes, I can get Center Ice on Dish - but not the MLB or NFL packages), PBS in HD, and several other smaller things all make DirecTV the better option, at least here.

[woofless]

15. We have had Dish for many years

and are quite happy with them. Comcast doesn't even compare and in this area is much less reliable. Cable goes "out" quite often around here, but we rarely have a problem with Dish's signal. We live in the foothills of the Cascades and get a fair amount of snow. Dish recently upgraded our equipment, included their nifty dvr which runs two tv's off one unit, and new remotes. No charge.

[RebelOne]

16. Neither one. Too bad you have no cable service.

I had DishNetwork for years and everytime it raiined clouded up, I lost reception. I finally got fed up and switched to ComCast. Also have ComCast Internet. Switched to that after getting fed up with AOL dial-up.

[rurallib]

19. In the years we have had DISH (probably 15 years)

I can almost count on my fingers the times we have lost the picture. When we had cable, it was horrendous.

[trof]

21. Same here. No cable for 3 weeks after Hurrican Ivan hit us.

I know, not life threatening or high on the list of recovery priorities, but damned frustrating.
I couldn't see how MSM, etc., was covering the devastation in my own home town.
We got DISH shortly after that.
Very happy with it.

[GoCubsGo]

22. Trees can be an issue, however.

I had no problems until my oak trees grew up in between the dish and the satellite. I had a limb removed, problem solved. I rarely have weather issues.

[RebelOne]

32. Trees were my main problem.

But the trees were not on my property, so I could not have limbs cut.

[brendan120678]

17. DirectTV...

has all the channels I need & want, and is usually pretty reliable, except in very heavy rainstorms.

We will never go back to cable. We may look into switching to AT&T U-Verse someday, but that's still not offered on our street (although our friends two blocks away can get it. Weird.).

[NYC_SKP]

18. Same here re: AT&T U-Verse. Not on my street yet.

Or I'd probably have gone with that.

:donut:

[Dulcinea]

23. We have Direct TV...

...because it's the only way we can get NFL Sunday Ticket! Once that changes, we'll probably switch because we miss Versus for hockey.

[NYC_SKP]

26. Ah, Sports!

It's miraculous how many of the channels, maybe 25% - 30%, are dedicated to sports.

These, I think, are the decision maker for many, but not for me.

I'd love to get Smithsonian, Planet Green, and a couple others but they are only in the Platinum Package.

:P

[Rosie1223]

20. I've had both

Currently we have Dish because they offer our local channels so we don't have to have an exterior antenna.

As for service -- I'd say they are about the same. Call the 800 number you will talk to someone in Asia but the local techs that come to your house (at least in our area) are very nice and helpful. The last one we had here showed us how to fine tune the dish. We were losing signal in even mild storms and after he adjusted it we haven't had problems. But if it happens again we will know how to fix it ourselves.

I would recommend you compare packages and prices and get the one that includes the channels you watch the most and go with that company.

[NYC_SKP]

24. So, I'm going with Dish Network.

There seems to be more channels that I care about, and more in HD, than with Direct TV and at a lower price.

The general variety is nice, and I can watch "Democracy Now" now. :P

Now I need to figure out all the functions.

And Make a Channel Guide for myself! (they don't have a single card for which of the hundreds of stations I get vs don't get.

:hi:

[seaker]

25. Hooray for Dish TV

Yipee!!!!:hi: :bounce: :bounce:

[NYC_SKP]

27. Dish tracks three satellites.

THREE, I tell ya!

That's TWO more than one...

:hi:

[seaker]

28. More is always better

Right?
:shrug:

[KT2000]

29. Dish is good

the WA State Attorney Genreal's office is taking some kind of action against Direct TV. It was on local news,he siad they get tons of complaints. Small print stingers, missing info about costs etc.

[GreenPartyVoter]

30. I have the DISH HD and love it.

[csziggy]

31. I know you've made your decision, but here's my opinion

Go with whichever has the channels you want and offers the best deal. Be prepared to change companies in a few years when you want or need to upgrade equipment or services.

I started with DirecTV back when you had to actually buy the equipment for a bunch of money. No real complaints about the customer service or quality of the signals, etc. But after a lot of years, I needed to move the dish and wanted to upgrade my receiver (I still had the second version ever released). DirecTV offered no deals, expected me to pay for everything, would not discuss upgrades for a long term subscriber. So I called DISH, got a nice offer - two receivers, free installation, free movie channels for several months, and more. I called DirecTV and tried to get them to counter the DISH offer - no go the first, second AND third times I called.

I switched to DISH. Fast installation, good service, good signal. Funny thing - when I called DirecTV to cancel my service, suddenly they were full of offers to retain me. Too bad - I had signed a contract with DISH. Why couldn't DirecTV counter the DISH offer on any of my three calls? I was happy with the DISH service for several years, but when we moved, I called both companies and DirecTV had the best deal at that time - more HD receivers, better price for the DVR, lower monthly cost.

When I am ready to upgrade, I will do the same thing. Neither company has pissed me off, but I just want a good deal. Oh yeah - both DirecTV and DISH are stil looking for me to return to their service at my old address with great offers.