Satellite
- Thread starter Tymon
- Start date
gregjsmith
Member
Had DTV before, have Dish now. Dish currently has more HD channels, I think they a little cheaper. I like their DVR software better.
DirecTV here, been with it since 1996. The satellite providers both have their strengths and weaknesses, and IMO, they're starting to look like "wireless CATV" these days anyway. USED to be they were cheaper, but the basic package for D*, including your local channels is $50/mo give/take. If you have any bells or whistles (DVR, additional receivers, etc) they'll nickel and dime you to death. The premium paackages are probably a nice deal though, you get HBO and wind up with HBO East/West, and a few other HBO related stations. Ditto fro the rest of the premiums--and they have a nice price plan for adding those.
installation is pretty easy, well within the capabilities of DIY. The only caveat would be if you are in a market where you need the new MP4 receivers and dish--I hear pointing those can be interesting.... wiring is pretty easy, etc. It's just RG6 coax.
There's a ton of forums out there, www.dbstalk.com, tivocommunity.com are just 2 off the top of my head you can check out for more info.
Good Luck!
installation is pretty easy, well within the capabilities of DIY. The only caveat would be if you are in a market where you need the new MP4 receivers and dish--I hear pointing those can be interesting.... wiring is pretty easy, etc. It's just RG6 coax.
There's a ton of forums out there, www.dbstalk.com, tivocommunity.com are just 2 off the top of my head you can check out for more info.
Good Luck!
I often read the satellite forums, so the first thing I thought when I saw your post was "oh no!! here we go again" because the satellite forums have beat this question to death a million times. Take Aquatics advice and check them out yourself. I think you will find that you love some things about each of them and hate some things about each of them as well.
I have had DirecTV since 1995 and have tried both cable and Dish for a couple of months each in the last few years. No matter how you slice it - cable costs more, and most cable providers are still offering analog channels on stations 1-100. I picked up cable for a few months when Comcast fist started doing HD because they weren't charging extra for it while they were testing it out. At the time DirecTV wanted $900 for the box, and only had a couple of stations. They also offered me a monthly discount for having satellite. I figured I would try it for a month or two and switch if I liked it. Within a couple of months, DirecTV offered to send me a HD receiver for $99, so I got rid of Cable because the price was high if I kept it past the trial and I really hated the analog stations.
Dish has good pricing, but be careful and make sure the package you decide on has all of the channels you want. While there base packages are cheaper than DirecTV, they don't include the same channels. I decided to try them out because they had so many HD channels and had a $20 a month discount for switching from DirecTV. I told them I didn't want to sign a contract (you don't have to if you tell them before you sign up that you don't want to. Just make sure you check the correct box when signing your paperwork that the installer brings). I tried it for 3 months. Their service was terrible!! They kept canceling my installation and not telling me (they offered me a free month of service each time). I received an automated phone call telling me that my 3rd appointment was canceled because they didn't have the equipment in stock and they showed up. Then when my free months were up (I ended up with 3) they told me that I wasn't eligible for the $20 a month discount because I didn't send a copy of both sides of my bill with the form. When I pointed out that I did, it was just on two pages, they told me that wouldn't work. I told them to come get their equipment.
I hung on to DirecTV through it all. They have good pricing. I am on an older package that is no longer available, but with most of their channels (except the premiums) and 2 tivos, I am paying around $55 a month. Since I own my HD tivo, I don't pay them for HD and use it to receive over the air HD stations. I will stick with them until someone comes out with a service that will allow me to record in one location on my network and distribute it to any tv within my house. Once that happens, I will be willing to try someone else out. For now, I am staying with the lesser of the evils.
Acropolis
I have had DirecTV since 1995 and have tried both cable and Dish for a couple of months each in the last few years. No matter how you slice it - cable costs more, and most cable providers are still offering analog channels on stations 1-100. I picked up cable for a few months when Comcast fist started doing HD because they weren't charging extra for it while they were testing it out. At the time DirecTV wanted $900 for the box, and only had a couple of stations. They also offered me a monthly discount for having satellite. I figured I would try it for a month or two and switch if I liked it. Within a couple of months, DirecTV offered to send me a HD receiver for $99, so I got rid of Cable because the price was high if I kept it past the trial and I really hated the analog stations.
Dish has good pricing, but be careful and make sure the package you decide on has all of the channels you want. While there base packages are cheaper than DirecTV, they don't include the same channels. I decided to try them out because they had so many HD channels and had a $20 a month discount for switching from DirecTV. I told them I didn't want to sign a contract (you don't have to if you tell them before you sign up that you don't want to. Just make sure you check the correct box when signing your paperwork that the installer brings). I tried it for 3 months. Their service was terrible!! They kept canceling my installation and not telling me (they offered me a free month of service each time). I received an automated phone call telling me that my 3rd appointment was canceled because they didn't have the equipment in stock and they showed up. Then when my free months were up (I ended up with 3) they told me that I wasn't eligible for the $20 a month discount because I didn't send a copy of both sides of my bill with the form. When I pointed out that I did, it was just on two pages, they told me that wouldn't work. I told them to come get their equipment.
I hung on to DirecTV through it all. They have good pricing. I am on an older package that is no longer available, but with most of their channels (except the premiums) and 2 tivos, I am paying around $55 a month. Since I own my HD tivo, I don't pay them for HD and use it to receive over the air HD stations. I will stick with them until someone comes out with a service that will allow me to record in one location on my network and distribute it to any tv within my house. Once that happens, I will be willing to try someone else out. For now, I am staying with the lesser of the evils.
Acropolis
gregjsmith
Member
That's funny. I had DTV and moved, and had nearly the same experience with DTV as you did with Dish. That proves the point that YMMV. Either way, I think either Dish or Direct are way better than cable.Acropolis said:
To clarify the $5.00 box fee further - DirecTV used to supplement the cost of the equipment when you purchased it, but you owned it. They charged you $5.00 per receiver beyond the first one as a monthly fee. When you dropped the service you didn't return any equipment. As of around April 2006 they started leasing the equipment. You still may have to pay a portion upfront for the latest technology, and you will also pay a monthly lease fee for the boxes. The big difference now is that you have to return the equipment to DirecTV when you are done. If you buy the box or lease it, you still pay the monthly fee.Steve said:
One other thing to consider is free equipment - Both DirecTV and Dish have packages that include "free equipment", but you still pay the monthly lease charges. Make sure you read the fine print though. They want you to sign a service contract if you accept the free equipment up front (even though you are paying monthly). I think DirecTV requires 24 months and Dish is 18 months. I don't think you can get around it with DirecTV, but Dish will allow you to avoid the contract if you ask. Both of them have huge penalties if you break the contract before it is done. Once your contract is up, you are considered month to month (unless they call and offer you a free equipment upgrade - then you are locked in for another 24 months from that point).
Acropolis
Michael McSharry
Active Member
The decision was easy for me. DTV put their satellite too low of an azimuth at my lattitude and it is behind a mountain that wraps around my eastern and southern exposure. Dish's is high enough for line of sight. The cable company wanted $10K to lay the cable if I would dig the ditch.
gregjsmith
Member
These probably wont work with the MP4 streams/HDTV. Which it looks like both sat companies are going to.IVB said:
huggy59
Active Member
I've been with Dish for a while now. Not to beat a dead horse, but I've found them to be just like all the others - if you get the right person on the other end of the phone, you'll be fine. What I've found is that if I get someone who won't help me, I just give up and call at a later date, or on some other shift. Chances are you'll find someone who'll work with you to keep your business.
And not to hijack the thread, but remember when we paid for cable and satellite TV to AVOID all those damn commercials? Now the cable and satellite channels have MORE commercials than OTA TV!
And not to hijack the thread, but remember when we paid for cable and satellite TV to AVOID all those damn commercials? Now the cable and satellite channels have MORE commercials than OTA TV!
