Direct Tv Or Dish Network

[American Eagle]

WHICH IS BETTER?:argue:

[heliogunner]

Neither is better. I switched back to massillon cable last month

[Spize]

It really depends on what you want out of your tv service.

I sell/install both. However I have Directv in my home for a couple of reasons. #1 Sports, I am a fan of an out of town football team so the NFL Sunday Ticket is a must for me. #2 (no longer relevant for me now, but was when I signed up) Customer Service. Directv's customer service is second to none. #3 responsiveness to channels and customers. Dish has many times gone so far as to pull channels from their line-up for negotiation purposes. These have included: Lifetime, Viacom - MTV, CBS, ect., and even local channels (replaced them with a New York feed. To the point of their CEO being nicknamed "Cheapo Charley". Plus if you are an HD fan, Directv does have locals in HD, and more HD capacity as channels go HD than anyone.

Dish Network does have it's advantages too. The main one is price. Dish is usually about $5-15, even $20 a month cheaper. They also do not charge for any equipment level when you sign up. A standard digital receiver and an HD-DVR are the same price when you sign up... Free. Plus, if you end up not liking the service, Dish has a lower early cancellation fee.

Directv's lowest monthly price for 150 channels (locals included) is $49.99
Dish's lowest monthly price for 100 channels is $29.99 a month + $5.00 for local channels, so $34.99

Sometimes Directv can actually be cheaper for specific channel combinations, so be sure to ask about your favorite channels by name per the package you are looking into.

Both will set you up free of charge at your new home if you ever move.
Both are 100% digital
Both have 18 month contracts (Directv is 24 months if you get a dvr or hd)
Both require a credit card and a credit check (on free equip/install accounts)
Both have the equipment as a lease to you, so if your box ever fails they replace it for you. (It used to be owned boxes and you had to buy a new one)



I personally warranty every system I sell/install for 18 months (contract) then after that any service call would only be $25 for as long as you own the system.

If you want to know more info, pm me...

[TigerCoach]

Great comparison, Spize, thanks! I'm hearing rumors on Wall St. that AT&T may be buying EchoStar Communications (DISH Network) and possibly also DirectTV. How would that shake up the industry?

[Spize]

Great comparison, Spize, thanks! I'm hearing rumors on Wall St. that AT&T may be buying EchoStar Communications (DISH Network) and possibly also DirectTV. How would that shake up the industry?

AT&T rumor may happen. Although I do not know why they are so interested in Dish, because they have "U-Verse" which will include FIOS, phone company TV. However I don't think that will be very widely available in most areas for at least 10 years. Perhaps they want Dish for rural and u-verse for urban targets.

Buying both is right out. The FTC has already killed the idea of the two companies becoming one, and that is when both companies were half the size they are today and there is one less competitor now.

[austinsm11]

I have dishnetwork and really like it. I don't think I would ever go back to cable.

[Spize]

I have dishnetwork and really like it. I don't think I would ever go back to cable.

Dish is VERY dependent on the install. If it is installed right, you will love it forever. If it is not, you will hate it until it is gone. The problem is that Dish is harder to install correctly than Directv or Cable... it just is because there is little room for error. So you have to get a good installer, good installers work for good companies. No matter who you go with, your best bet really is to find a friend that has DN/Directv and likes it... then ask them who installed it for them and what number they called.