dishnetwork vs directv

[simonmeridew]

dishnetwork just sent me a notice that they're raising prices again. I get the 200 channel version with locals,
Looking up on line, Directv has the 210 channel version about the same price normally with locals. But the promotion says about half price for a year, and free HD for life.

Can anyone give experience with Directv vs Dishnetwork?

simonmeridew

[Bibbyman]

My folks have Direct and we HAD Dish.  We were not happy about the cost and the programming and didn't see any advantage to go to Direct.  It looked like the same thing only bundled different.

So we tried out Netflix and loved it.  Bought a Roku HD wireless interface to the TV and been very happy with it.  We dropped Dish.  They were not happy. Kept insisting all we need to do was to pay more for more channels with the same junk that's on the channels we already had.

With Netflix WE can choose what WE want to watch when WE want to watch it.  Watch part of something and come back and watch the rest later.  Unlimited movie on line streaming and one DVD mailed out at a time for $9/mo.  Requires DSL high speed internet.  We were at 2.5 mbps service and it worked ok.  Upped to 4mbps service and it works much better.  Can be wireless or wired.  We can even watch movies on our other two TVs. (I think you could have up to 6 things going at one time.)  I took the laptop with me when I went to a Wood-Mizer open house and watched movies in the evening while in the motel room.  Love it, love it, love it.  Never Dish again!

[Burlkraft]

I've had DirecTV since they started, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Where I'm at it was 3 fuzzy stations and then DTV came along and I have never looked back  ;D  ;D  ;D

[simonmeridew]

So Burl,  it looks like we'll get a clear picture in the northern climes, vermont is about the same as wisconsin.

We don't watch movies much, red sox and local news, don't have HD yet but my daughter has it on cable and like the way hockey and baseball look on her set in HD. Does that work OK, like they claim?

Thanks for any advice
simonmeridew

[Onthesauk]

We move back and forth between the two, honestly can't tell you which one we're with now.  Both about the same as far as I'm concerned.  One of them wouldn't resolve an equipment issue to our satisfaction so we moved to the other.  Losing our price break on July 1st so maybe time to move again.  Not that much on TV that's important to me.

[WDH]

At least here, the directtv satellite is higher in the sky, and that is important to me because I live surrounded by trees.  People around here tell me that with Dish, there are sometimes losses of reception when it storms.  With directtv, we almost never ever lose reception except in the most violent of thunderstorms. 

[PineNut]

I have not had any dealing with Dish but have had DirecTv since day one. For the past several years, they have had a 5.5 to 6% price increase every February. They are all out to get all they can.

[DouginUtah]

I have only had experience with DirecTV.

Expect to be lied to and be cheated.

My contract is up in December and I will be dropping them.

To be clear I love their choice of channels, the quality of the transmissions, etc. It is the company that sucks.

My monthly bill is $78.96 for one HD box and one standard box, with a bundled discount from Qwest.

I am on the fringe of OTA so I don't yet know what I will be able to receive with an outside antenna. I will miss Fox News, but I intend to become a traveling man so I would be missing it anyhow.

[DouginUtah]

Bibbyman,

I am not familiar with Roku. I went to their web page and what I got out of it is that the box is a combination of a DVD player (not recorder) and Netflix-like movie downloads.

Is that correct?

[easymoney]

dont believe the ads about tv for as low as $29.00 per month they will tell you anything to get you hooked up then they add on so many charges that you are lucky to be able to watch anything for less than $70.00  per month.
my last bad experience was with direct tv. now i have an antenna 50 ft. in the air with a booster at the antenna and a booster at the tv with  splitter. i have a tv in 2 rooms  some of them even off the back and side of the antrenna. some off the back coming as much as 60 or miles away. i never take time to watch movies anyway. i miss some of the sattalite channels but not enough to pay the price.

[mrcaptainbob]

We used to had Dish. We moved to Direct when Dish didn't provide the same channels, did not provide the channels Wife was interested in, was upping the rate. We are not into watching sports and it seemed that Dish was oriented that way. After moving to Direct we found the picture quality was far superior and so was the service. And we get far more of the channels we like, and far less of the channels we don't.

[Bibbyman]

Bibbyman,

I am not familiar with Roku. I went to their web page and what I got out of it is that the box is a combination of a DVD player (not recorder) and Netflix-like movie downloads.

Is that correct?

Netflix is movies and TV over the internet.  

You can watch them on your PC with no other device.  You can connect to Netflix on your TV in a number of ways.  We started out by using our laptop connected to the TV.  

Many new DVD and Blu-ray player now have wireless internet built in so it can connect to Netflix (and other such as Amazon.) Many new high-end TVs come internet ready. You can connect with Xbox 360, Wii, or PS3. The basic package costs $9/mo and that includes unlimited access to movies over the internet and one DVD shipped to you in the mail at a time.

Go to Netflix.com and click on "Instantly to your TV".

The Roku box is just a small black box that you connect to your TV that will pick up a wireless signal (or you can hard wire it) from your internet router so you don't have to tie up your PC.  It does not play DVDs or record them.  It's just a box and a small, simple remote control.  You just buy it – a one-time cost of $80 something to $120 something depending on model.

Once you have a Roku box connecting your TV to the internet,  you can get much more than just Netflix.  There are hundreds of other "channels" you can get.  Some are free and some you have to pay a subscription for.  There are sports channels like MLB.com and all kinds of special interest channels – even music and radio.  NO commercials!  NO paid advertisement!

You need high speed iternet.  The faster the better.

[Magicman]

U-verse will be available to us in October.  Telephone, television, and internet bundle.

The competition is heating up and I think our options will improve.

[thecfarm]

We had Dish,now we have Direct. I don't watch much TV. Wife does the watching. We switched because of money. We have both TV and phone "bundled", getting both for $60. Dish was $75 and phone was $65. Suppose to be this way for 2 years ,than it will go up $10 a year until they get it up to some amount. Still will be cheaper. Had Direct for 3 months now. One good thing they both use the same bracket for the outside dish. The first bill came in a few dollars higher than what it should of been. Wife got on on the phone and heard the same old speech," Oh we should not of charged you that,we will credit your next bill and change that". They did on the next bill. Just like most companies we deal with,they try to sneak something in there. I have not heard the wife complain about it,so she must be happy with Direct.  ;D If we did not live so far out  we would have TV,DSL, and phone for about $100 a month.

[Qweaver]

I've had Direct TV for 3 years.  I have the $60.99 option but by the time they add $10 for HD, $5 for an extra TV, $4.99 HD extra pack and $4.86 tax for a total of $85.84.  We have none of the premium movie channels.  The picture quality is excellent and we rarely lose the picture in a rain storm, but it does happen.
I can get the same package from Dish Network for $49.95 for the first year and $64.99 plus 6% tax after that.  HD is free and that includes the second TV for free also.  So Dish is cheaper for sure...at least in my case.  I can only hope that the picture quality is as good.
Quinton

[Toolman]

If the FCC wants to do anything worthwhile, they should allow customers to buy al la carte. That would leave me down to about 10 channels that I give a hoot about instead of the 210 I have to purchase through DirectTv just to get the channels I really want. If people purchased the channels they really want to view, you'd be suprised how many of these channels would go belly up.

[Black_Bear]

simonmeridew,

I live in northern VT and have DirectTV. We let DirectTV know we were interested and negotiated with them. We got the basic package..which doesn't include NESN, but told them if they included NESN in our basic package we would sign a two year contract. My girlfriend handles the bills so I'm not sure about prices, but the first 6 months were half price.

One thing I was bummed about was that DirectTV and Versus are feuding..so that meant no NHL hockey. Hope this helps.

Ed

[mainiac]

We just dropped direct after about 10 years. Started in with Netflix and now HULU.com too. Laptop connects to TV as a monitor. $10/month vs $50/month. Best move we have made in a long time.

Mainiac

[Black_Bear]

Hmmm...never heard of Hulu until today, but I checked it out and it's an interesting concept - and cheaper!

[mainiac]

Hmmm...never heard of Hulu until today, but I checked it out and it's an interesting concept - and cheaper!

If it is free, then it is for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!