DirecTV vs Dish Network

[RockaFowler]

We are getting sick and damn tired of the lousy reception on DirecTV and are looking into Dish Network. Should we switch?? Or are they just the same??

[AwakeAtLast]

1. My Mom had DirecTV

When she saw my Dish Network she immediately switched and has been very happy since!

[RockaFowler]

4. I am looking on their website

and I like what I see. I am making the switch tomorrow!

[Orsino]

5. I've had both. No difference in reception.

I switched to Dish for a slightly better channel selection, including Free Speech TV.

The services share many (most?) of the same satellite transponders, the dishes are the same size, and the receivers are even made by the same companies (IIRC), so reception will be comparable. You should only lose signal in inclement weather, or when trees and buildings interfere.

[Hapameli]

2. Dish Network is cheaper, didn't lose reception like we did with DirectTV

[evlbstrd]

3. DirecTV is Murdoch owned.

However, my Dish Network rig lost reception during recent heavy thunderstorms.

[RockaFowler]

6. It was cloudy

And we lost DirecTV reception. I hate it

[evlbstrd]

16. That's gonna piss me off during football season.

Better keep the antenna, huh?

[RockaFowler]

17. WE Tried that

But I got so used to the great reception when it would come in that the antenna looked like shite

[evlbstrd]

19. I hear that.

I've only had my dish a few weeks, and I'm already spoiled.

[kikiek]

7. Dish has some extra programming like Free Speech TV which

carries Democracy Now! and other great documentaries. Other channels in that grouping like university channels and such.

[Maddy McCall]

10. Yes, and Directv has Link TV, which also has Democracy Now...

and other progressive shows.

[RockaFowler]

11. What channel is Link TV

:shrug:

[Maddy McCall]

13. 375, I think.

[RockaFowler]

14. Thanks

:)

[Maddy McCall]

8. Directv. It has Gore's Current TV on it.

Never lose reception, even during tremendous southern thunderstorms.

Customer service is GREAT.

[Clintmax]

9. Hmmm...I'll be interested to see the consus on THIS one!

:popcorn:

[CelticWinter]

12. Dish

had DirecTV but like Dish better. Dish also has local programming where direct didnt...although I can't get it here, too many trees for the local....guess that is what happens when u live in the woods.

[Maddy McCall]

15. I have local programming on mine.

And I also have east and west coast NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox.

[CelticWinter]

22. Yeah I have east coast

but NYC weather doesn't cut it when I live where there is alot of lake effect snows. LOL thank heavens for the internet---thats how i get my local weather :)

[RoyGBiv]

18. Receptions problems ...

Technically, there is no difference in how these companies transmit signals, and the equipment you use to decode them is essentially the same. The first thing to do is determine the cause of the reception problem. The dish might need to be adjusted, or you might have a bad receiver, the wiring could be bad, etc. Many, many things can cause this. Switching companies might help, but probably only because you're getting a fresh install that ends up fixing whatever it was that was causing the issue in the first place. When it comes down to it, you may simply be located in a bad spot for reception.

DirecTV is Murdoch owned, which for many is a consideration. Unfortunately, if you have any kind of cable or sattelite service at all, you're probably putting money in his pocket in some way. He also owns or has an interest in many of the channels these other companies offer.

My personal view is that DirecTV has a less oppressive contract and customer service agreement than Dish, which is to say they are more customer friendly. In part how friendly your contract is depends on how you sign up with the company, whether directly or through a re-seller like a phone company offering the service as part of a package that ties you to the television service. I've seen people with Dish forced to move for whatever reason end up paying hundreds of dollars *per room* for cancelling. DirecTV doesn't advertise it obviously, but in all cases I've seen so far, they offer an escape clause. Some Dish contract so; like I said, it depends in part on how you acquire their service.

I mention the latter two points because of the first. If you're thinking of switching, make sure you've gone through the process of figuring out what the problem really is before doing so. When you do switch, if you do, make sure you're not getting yourself stuck in a bad deal.

[sendero]

20. Good summary..

... I agree - the technology they use is identical. I doubt if a side-by-side comparison (properly installed) of the two would yield a winner of any kind.

I've had DirecTV for a long time. It works well, I have no complaints. No satellite is going to receive during a heavy downpour to the south.

I stay with DirecTv because Tivo is a much better service than the "personal video recorders" offered with Dish. Now, it is possible to get Dish and use Tivo with it, but you will be tossing the free incentives Dish offers if you do.

Tivo has the concept of a "season pass" which says "record this show every time it comes on (except maybe if it is a repeat). The Dish PVRs still don't have this (IMHO) essential feature.

[RoyGBiv]

25. Dish PVRs ...

I agree completely and will take it up a step. Dish's PVR's are just horrible. Other than not incorporating essential features, the boxes themselves are shoddy pieces of equipment and leave the impression of having been slopped together at the last minute on an assembly line staffed by people who yesterday had been assembling tinker toy packages.

As a part of what I do for a living, I've played with the PVR/DVR service offered by various companies and the equipment that goes along with it. Both Dish's equipment and feature package is by far the worst. They use cheap, small hard drives, apparently bad circuitry, and even low-standard casings. The software is remedial. When I was testing, I had two, out-of-the-box PVRs used by Dish fail to boot before I found one that worked at all. Maybe they've improved their equipment since then, but if not, be wary if its something you end up owning. Service calls from Dish are incredibly high.

[I Have A Dream]

21. DirecTV stopped advertising on right-wing radio host Glenn Beck's...

show after he discussed killing Michael Moore on the air. (Why they were even advertising there in the first place is another story.) Even though Rupert Murdoch owns part if not all of this company, I have to give them credit for discontinuing the advertising.

This says nothing about the quality of DirecTV's product, but I thought that it was a good place to mention this since DirecTV was being discussed.

[liberaltrucker]

23. Directv

I know Murdoch owns it, but I'm a HUGE Denver Broncos fan and they have the NFL Sunday Ticket. on edit, I have it in my truck.

[Mojambo]

24. We have Dish

I have no complaints whatsoever.

Although today our DVR recorded like 18 hours of some religious conference for no reason. Very strange.

[evlbstrd]

26. My dish just lost the signal.

Thunderstorms.

[LeftyMom]

27. Dish didn't want my business

They declined me based on credit (my credit isn't bad, I just don't make a habit of taking out loans so my record is minimal) and wouldn't take a deposit or let me prepay for a year or anything. Directv signed me up with no hassle. I love my tivo so I'm happy they did. I don't know without the season pass feature. :)

[caty]

28. What about cable?

We have WideOpenWest and we never have had an outage or any other problem.