I am considering getting satellite TV. Not sure which is better, Dish Network or Direct-TV (Dish seems to be cheaper). I have basic cable right now but the price is higher than satellite and I want to get more channels. Does anyone out there have Satellite TV and can you give me your opinions about it. Things like is it worth the money? Do you lose reception when it snows or rain or if it's windy? Customer service? Any information would be a great help in helping me to decide what to do.
Need satellite TV opinions *****
- Thread starter Dave L.
- Start date
Dish.
I have had both. DirecTV used to have it all over Dish, but somewhere along the way they really dropped the ball. I have family that still has DirecTV and every time I'm at their pad it reminds me how much I prefer Dish.
> Dish has a two-room receiver that provides programming to two TVs from one receiver.
> Their two-TV DVRs also have two different "channels." That is, there is a TV1 and TV2 DVR.
> Something as simple as fast forward on recorded material: On Dish, you have both a 30 second jump and a traditional fast forward. You have this on DirecTV as well, but when you press the 30-second jump, you have to wait while the video fast forwards. On Dish, it just jumps to that point. A seemingly minor thing, but once you have that power, you find it very annoying not to have it.
> I'm running two standard-def TVs and two HD TVs. I pay less per month than an office coworker who is running 1 HD and 1 standard def. The only movie package I have is Encore, but I have every non-movie-channel HD channel there is.
I only lose signal when the rain is very, very heavy. And then it's only for a few minutes. I probably lose 30 minutes of programming to weather a year. I lost at least that much to weather for my cable internet.
Customer service is a mixed bag. I've had good and bad service from Dish. It really depends on the individual agent. My family and friends have had the same from DirecTV. It's a crap shoot in that regard. However, whenever I've upgraded service (that didn't require a hardware upgrade) I've usually had my extra channels by the time I was off the phone.
I will never go back to cable. I will only lose satellite when I can get similar service via the internet.
I have had both. DirecTV used to have it all over Dish, but somewhere along the way they really dropped the ball. I have family that still has DirecTV and every time I'm at their pad it reminds me how much I prefer Dish.
> Dish has a two-room receiver that provides programming to two TVs from one receiver.
> Their two-TV DVRs also have two different "channels." That is, there is a TV1 and TV2 DVR.
> Something as simple as fast forward on recorded material: On Dish, you have both a 30 second jump and a traditional fast forward. You have this on DirecTV as well, but when you press the 30-second jump, you have to wait while the video fast forwards. On Dish, it just jumps to that point. A seemingly minor thing, but once you have that power, you find it very annoying not to have it.
> I'm running two standard-def TVs and two HD TVs. I pay less per month than an office coworker who is running 1 HD and 1 standard def. The only movie package I have is Encore, but I have every non-movie-channel HD channel there is.
I only lose signal when the rain is very, very heavy. And then it's only for a few minutes. I probably lose 30 minutes of programming to weather a year. I lost at least that much to weather for my cable internet.
Customer service is a mixed bag. I've had good and bad service from Dish. It really depends on the individual agent. My family and friends have had the same from DirecTV. It's a crap shoot in that regard. However, whenever I've upgraded service (that didn't require a hardware upgrade) I've usually had my extra channels by the time I was off the phone.
I will never go back to cable. I will only lose satellite when I can get similar service via the internet.
For me it comes down to exactly one thing: Sunday Ticket. Dish doesn't have it, neither does cable or fiber. Therefore, DirecTV it is.
If I wasn't interested in NFL Sunday Ticket I don't think I'd have any problems with giving Dish a shot...
Not sure I'd like that since commercials are rarely 30 seconds or even multiples of 30. If I had those quick jumps, I'd invariably have to keep backing up from when the show picked up again. I've gotten pretty good at estimating commercial breaks and can hit the number of 30 second jumps with DirecTV pretty well to where I might see 5 or 6 seconds of the last commercial before the show starts up again.
Same here...it's so rare for me that it's not an issue.
The good thing about DirecTV (and possibly with Dish as well) is that if you get a CSR who isn't very responsive to your requests, you can try again later and there's a good chance you'll get someone more willing to work with you. AND it's very competitive now so if you threaten to change providers, a lot of the time DirecTV will give you what you ask for. Regarding changes in programming, with DirecTV you can do it online most of the time and they take effect almost instantly.
If I wasn't interested in NFL Sunday Ticket I don't think I'd have any problems with giving Dish a shot...
I'm not a sports guy but Dish has the NFL RedZone in which they advertize "Every Touchdown from Every Game." I can't vouch for the truth to that or how it compares to DirecTV's Sunday Ticket. I'm just saying that Dish has a competitive offering now.
UPDATE: I see, after a little Google-Fu, Red Zone is a highlight channel, flipping through all the games as they happen. Acting as your own remote control. Sunday Ticket gives you access to each game, if I'm not mistaken, Jim?
I think the big difference is what you want and how much you want to pay for it.
UPDATE: I see, after a little Google-Fu, Red Zone is a highlight channel, flipping through all the games as they happen. Acting as your own remote control. Sunday Ticket gives you access to each game, if I'm not mistaken, Jim?
I think the big difference is what you want and how much you want to pay for it.
Ron G.
TVWBB Wizard
We've had DirecTV for about 7 years now, and it has been a good experience.
Financially - it has proven to be a much better deal than cable for us. (We use land-line phone, and have AT&T DSL - the package is reasonable.)
The only issue I find lacking is that if you need service on your DirecTV System - the "Bozos" that they typically send-out for free do not seem to know what they are doing. I had signal loss, and they sent a guy out, who tried adjusting the dish by shouting in a window "is it better"?! (Receiver has built-in signal strength meter - but any tech who's worth his salt should have a portable unit, and none of these guys do.)
In short - pay a tech from a local company to do your install. It will probably save your roof from damage, and you will probably get a better job of aiming and configuring.
Their Customer Service is generally pretty good - worst wait on hold has been about 3 minutes vs. 3 hours for cable.
In Snow Country - we only loose signal on very bad weather days (3-4 per year, and usually, only for a few minutes).
I would recommend them
Financially - it has proven to be a much better deal than cable for us. (We use land-line phone, and have AT&T DSL - the package is reasonable.)
The only issue I find lacking is that if you need service on your DirecTV System - the "Bozos" that they typically send-out for free do not seem to know what they are doing. I had signal loss, and they sent a guy out, who tried adjusting the dish by shouting in a window "is it better"?! (Receiver has built-in signal strength meter - but any tech who's worth his salt should have a portable unit, and none of these guys do.)
In short - pay a tech from a local company to do your install. It will probably save your roof from damage, and you will probably get a better job of aiming and configuring.
Their Customer Service is generally pretty good - worst wait on hold has been about 3 minutes vs. 3 hours for cable.
In Snow Country - we only loose signal on very bad weather days (3-4 per year, and usually, only for a few minutes).
I would recommend them
That's about it Cullen....with Sunday Ticket you get pretty much every game that isn't your local team. RedZone pops you around from game to game when teams get close to scoring, or they'll show a replay if a team has just scored. Sometimes during downtime when no one is really threatening to score, they'll go to a game where someone is close to close so scoring (if you follow that, hehe.) Fantasy football players love something like Sunday Ticket because they can flip to any game and see how their players are doing. Me, I like (and have to have) it because my favorite team is not local and the only way I would get to see them is if the game is national or they happen to play one of my local teams.
Thanks guys. That really helps me with my decision. I will probly go with dish only because it's a little cheaper. The football package doesn't interest me so that is not a concern. I just want more regular TV shows to watch. I have a Netfex account so I get plenty of movies. I think I was the most concerned about reception in bad weather but if you lose it for only a couple of minues then I can live with that.
BradP "p-nut"
TVWBB Fan
I love my dish network.
I have two HD DVR's (one mine and the other is the kids/wifes.
I have the HD top 200 package and pay around $85 a month for it. I do have it packaged with my local telco and DSL so I get a little discount.
It's much better than my buddies DirectTV as far as HD content and cost of adding a 2nd DVR.
I have two HD DVR's (one mine and the other is the kids/wifes.
I have the HD top 200 package and pay around $85 a month for it. I do have it packaged with my local telco and DSL so I get a little discount.
It's much better than my buddies DirectTV as far as HD content and cost of adding a 2nd DVR.
I see DirecTV is now in beta testing for this...happened to come upon it while looking into some other satellite issues.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/.../equipment/multiroom
One less thing Dish can claim to hold over DirecTV I guess. Still not buying that Dish has more HD than DirecTV and more than Comcast does...Comcast counted all their OnDemand shows. Makes me wonder if Dish does as well. If there was any chance I was looking to swap to Dish, I'd look into it further but at the moment I don't know of any HD channels on Dish that I don't get on DirecTV.
LarryR
TVWBB Diamond Member
I think out of the two I'd prefer Direct TV, but for the price I've stayed with Dish. Why would I prefer Direct TV, the NFL package and The Mountain Sports Network so I can follow my Utes.
I pay $54.33 a month for the following:
Classic Bronze 100+ HD
1 HD DVR receiver (runs two TVs)
1 HD Receiver (runs two TVs)
Local stations
When our contract w/Dish expired I contacted them regarding my desire to go to Direct TV as I was paying too much for Dish and they dropped my bill from around $80 something to what it is now without signing a new 24 month contract
. I check the Direct TV website from time to time to see what their prices are like as I do think I'd prefer their service but so far they haven't been able to touch the prices.
Never had an issue with my dish, even in the hard rain we've had the past couple of days. Customer service has always been good too. Can recommend.
I pay $54.33 a month for the following:
Classic Bronze 100+ HD
1 HD DVR receiver (runs two TVs)
1 HD Receiver (runs two TVs)
Local stations
When our contract w/Dish expired I contacted them regarding my desire to go to Direct TV as I was paying too much for Dish and they dropped my bill from around $80 something to what it is now without signing a new 24 month contract
Never had an issue with my dish, even in the hard rain we've had the past couple of days. Customer service has always been good too. Can recommend.
BradP "p-nut"
TVWBB Fan
Dish doesn't have a multiple room DVR that will control more than one HD tv which is why I went with two DVRs. I have a VIP722 that can control one HD and 3 analog tvs and a VIP612 will control 1 HD tv.
I have two 1080HD tv's so I wanted HD signal to both.
I have two 1080HD tv's so I wanted HD signal to both.
Not sure what you're saying here...a multiple room DVR that will control more than one TV? What do you mean by control? I'm a little confused. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think he's trying to say that Dish doesn't have an HD DVR that will feed two TVs. That's not correct though. My <STRIKE>VIP612 DVR HD</STRIKE> ViP722 receiver is running my two HD TVs.
BradP "p-nut"
TVWBB Fan
Not sure what you're saying here...a multiple room DVR that will control more than one TV? What do you mean by control? I'm a little confused. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think he's trying to say that Dish doesn't have an HD DVR that will feed two TVs. That's not correct though. My <STRIKE>VIP612 DVR HD</STRIKE> ViP722 receiver is running my two HD TVs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Using what connection?
My VIP722 only has one HDMI port.
If one isn't using HDMI then it isn't being ran at the highest resolution.
Not sure what you're saying here...a multiple room DVR that will control more than one TV? What do you mean by control? I'm a little confused. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think he's trying to say that Dish doesn't have an HD DVR that will feed two TVs. That's not correct though. My <STRIKE>VIP612 DVR HD</STRIKE> ViP722 receiver is running my two HD TVs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Using what connection?
My VIP722 only has one HDMI port.
If one isn't using HDMI then it isn't being ran at the highest resolution. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes, this is true. I only have HDMI for one TV and coax for the other. It's not ideal, but it's better than the standard def receiver.
BradP "p-nut"
TVWBB Fan
Not sure what you're saying here...a multiple room DVR that will control more than one TV? What do you mean by control? I'm a little confused. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think he's trying to say that Dish doesn't have an HD DVR that will feed two TVs. That's not correct though. My <STRIKE>VIP612 DVR HD</STRIKE> ViP722 receiver is running my two HD TVs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Using what connection?
My VIP722 only has one HDMI port.
If one isn't using HDMI then it isn't being ran at the highest resolution. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes, this is true. I only have HDMI for one TV and coax for the other. It's not ideal, but it's better than the standard def receiver. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Which is why I opted for a 2nd DVR both being connected via HDMI. Up to true 1080p signal depending on the feed.
I'm following you now.
Another thing, Dave, that I thought of when I was thinking about this some more is the difference in the menus and how the different systems interact. If you have the opportunity, try and find someone with DirecTV and Dish and see if you can fiddle around with them.
I have found that Dish's software and menus are far more responsive than DirecTV's. Again, it's another minor thing, but a thing nonetheless.
That's a good point Cullen, I wish I knew someone, that's why I wanted to ask you guys. Even the DVR is not a big issue with me although I will probably want it later. As I said, losing reception is my biggest concern. I know these are dumb questions but I tend to freak out when I purchase big items. I want everything perfect which never happens. You should have seen me when I bought my house
. Here's another thing I wanted to ask you guys. When I was looking at the Dish Network web site it said it needed my social security number to order it. Is that for just ordering online or even inhome purchasing? Did you guys have to give them your number? I can't possibly see why they need it.
I overstand, Dave.
Regardless of which you go with, there's going to be an adjustment period. And you may not think it's a big deal now, but DVR will change your life.
If you don't have any friends or neighbors to rely on, do any of your local electronics stores use satellite to feed their TV displays? Do you have any brick and mortar satellite stores in your area? Ask around.
Regardless of which you go with, there's going to be an adjustment period. And you may not think it's a big deal now, but DVR will change your life.
If you don't have any friends or neighbors to rely on, do any of your local electronics stores use satellite to feed their TV displays? Do you have any brick and mortar satellite stores in your area? Ask around.