Dish or Direct Satellite HD (1 Viewer)

[Ron Connolly]

I am currently a Dish Network subscriber (SD) and my contract is about over. I want to get HD service but thought before I sign any contract, I would ask for the forums' recommendation as to which source, Dish or Direct. Do any of you have any druthers?
All your comments would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Robert_J]

You need to look at the current offerings from each, then look at the press releases on what they say will be offered. Take the press releases with a grain of salt because things change. Finally look at the hardware available. Make your decision based on that. Everyone has different criteria.

Based on that criteria above, I'm staying with DirecTV for at least the short term. They have been pretty accurate in meeting their stated activation of LiL HD channels. But that has no bearing on me since I get my local HD via antenna. I REALLY like my HR10-250 HD receiver (aka DirecTivo) and it will stay part of my system for as long as I am a D* customer. I will be adding an HR20 whenever they start to add additional HD channels in MPEG4.

I was a Dish customer for a year (the length of my contract) and it was the worst experience of my TV viewing life. My only other option would be Comcast and going with a Series 3 Tivo or the Comcast Motorola box with Tivo software when it is released. The only problem with that is the missing HD channels owned by Mark Cuban. Comcast has dropped HD Net and HD Net Movies over a pricing dispute.

-Robert

 

[Don T]

Hello Ron,

I too live in San Jose. I have been a DishNetwork customer for 10 years. I haven't had any issues with them. I just recently upgraded to HD and was very impressed with their line up. The had a special and I received the ViP 622 DVR and I like it. It controls to separate TV's and has 200 hours of SD video and 30 hours of HD. It works pretty slick in that whatever you record you can watch on either TV.

As for content, I really like the choices that Dish offered. I recently visited my folks in Tracy to help set up their new remote, and I wasn't very impressed with the DirectTV lineup. But I think this is just a personal preference. I really love the Rave HD channel.

The local channels are nice to have in HD as well.

Thank you,
Don

 

[Jeffrey Allen Rydell]

Guess I should piggyback on this thread.

I'm not pleased with the quantity - or especially the quality - of Time Warner's HD broadcasts. Too much compression, 'downrezzing', whatever. Just not up to snuff.

It seems DirecTV and Dish Network are the dominant players in this game, with Dish coming out ahead in movie channel selection (they offer Monsters HD, which I'm dying to see), but what I'd like to know is: who delivers the better, less processed HD picture?

 

[Ron Connolly]

Thanks Robert_J for the response. I needed the input from someone using Directv. Sorry to hear about your trouble with Dish. The only problem I had was a bad software drop which caused the DVR-625 to freeze up requireing a re-boot of the system.
Again, thanks for the response!

 

[Ron Connolly]

Thanks for the response Don_T. When you upgraded to HD did they overlook the fact that you were an existing customer to take advantage of the "DEAL" or did you have to go to customer service for additional help? Did you have to sign-up for an extended contract? Any charge for installation? What happened to the equipment you had previously?
Sorry for so many questions, but the web site doesn't have the answers.

 

[Don T]

Hello Ron,

They gave me the deal right away. I think I signed up for a year. I kept my old receivers, one had 100 hr drive, the other was 35 hours. The install was $99, I think. It was super simple, basically he swapped out the dish, and my house was already wired, so he just wired in the new receiver.

I have been a customer for a long time, and they usually take good care of me.

Thank you,
Don

 

[Ron Connolly]

Thanks again Don! I'm probably going to get my HDTV for Father's Day and I'll order it at that time, unless they come out with a super-fantastic deal in the mean time.
Thanks again!

 

[Jeffrey Allen Rydell]

Does anyone (aside from Robert J, who was kind enough to reply when I mistakenly posted this in the wrong forum) have any opinions as to my question above: who delivers the better end image for HD, DirecTV or Dish Network?

Thanks guys.

 

[David Norman]

Well, the answer isn't really simple in part because no 2 people seem to agree on what is best. In the recent past DISH probably was better and compressed the signal less for National HD channels. The VOOM channels were apparently grandfathered in as minimal compression/no down rezzing and should look better given the limitation of some of the original source material. I'm not a DISH subscriber, but there is certainly increased grousing online about DISH starting to decrease their signal quality. Overall I still hear more griping about DirecTV down-rez than DISH.

LiL networks, I've heard DirecTV is usually better with some of the MPEG4 locals rivalling OTA signals though this seems to be entirely dependent on which market you are in as some LiL's are apparently horrible.

Certainly DISH has the advantage of volume right now if you like any of the VOOM channels.

CAble HD is a mixed bag and seems to entirely dependent on where you are located with some systems being borderline unwatcheable and some pristine.

FIOS seems to be universally considered the best quality from those that have seen all, but it has such a small footprint and availability is tiny relative to the other choices.

DirecTV may or may not improve quality once the new sats are in place. Whether they will increase their bandwidth per channel or just flood a max number of channels is still an unanswered question as is WHAT new channels will even be available over the next 18 months. My opinion would be to either choose based on number of currently available channels or go with whichever gives you the shortest "mandatory term" which would allow you to jump ship in a 6/12/18 months if you like the other grass better by that time. If you want NFL SUNDAY then the decision is easy since that;s exclusive to DirecTV among the Sat Services.

Basing a decision based on where the system is expected to be 12 months from now would be impossible since there isn't enough hard evidence to make a logical choice -- will the extra sats launch successfully, will the sats function once up, will the Powers make a decsion on programming based on what you might want or what they want for themselves.

 

[Jeffrey Allen Rydell]

Wow - thanks for all the info. Some of it I'm clueless on just now (LiL, FIOS), but it's appreciated.

What I'm gathering, however, is that for a die-hard movie fan (i.e. me), DISH may be my best bet. I'm certainly not going to be watching any sports, and general tv programming (documentaries, concerts, talk shows) I'm more apt to let slide, quality-wise. At least to a reasonable extent, which I don't feel that Time Warner's service exemplifies. I'm seeing wholesale image crash on things like strobe lights during concerts, for example.

 

[David Norman]

Sorry, LiL (Local in Local Network) -- basically ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX/PBS stations that are sent directly to specific locales. Most of the HDTV local stations are sent with the newer MPEG4 system instead of the MPEG2 that has been used since DBS's inception. MPEG4 is more efficient and will supposedly be able to able to allow more channels at better quality, but nobody knows how things will end up as the service transitions. The MPEG4 channels also will also require a different dish and receiver to be used so most equipment prior to the H20 generation will be limited to the current channels and if current HD channels are moved to MPEG4 level then even lose some of the current channels.

FIOS is Verizon's Fiber Optic TV service which is only available in very few markets and has gotten very positive reviews from many if not most of the folks who have it.

 

[Stephen Orr]

We are coming to the end of a promotional deal with Cox Cable and have been looking at DirectTV as an alternative. DT seems to offer more HD programming. plus quite a few more digital channels for the about the cost of what we're already paying.

Any new thoughts since May?

 

[David Norman]

My usual advice is to look at the programming available or not available. I think Dish, Direct, and Cable all provide pretty good products each with its own pros and cons.

If you are a NFL junkie then the answer is pretty much made for you. DirecTV (D*) is the only game in town.

If Cable is treating you right no reason to consider changing until the Counterpunches are thrown. If you are still using nondigital cable without cable boxes or cable cards on older TV's then you have a different question to answer. If you switch, then you are looking at install, all new boxes (depending on how many independent TV's you need), and a time commitment of 2 years looks to be typical.

D* is looking like they will have the new HD channels up starting in September, but the Sat hasn't even begun testing yet and the promised channels are still promised. D* has taken a beating about its HD-Lite/DownRes channels for quite a while deservedly so and there is no promise that the new HS channels will be full bitrate or more of the same though by all reports the MPEG4 Local Network channels running now are pretty close to OTA quality.

DISH still has the VOOM channels which are pretty unique but has started to down-res some of their channels as well. When their new MPEG4 will be functional is still questionable.

As many people have said, the D* successful launch has just upped the ante for every HD viewer since DISH, CABLE, FIOS now HAVE to respond sooner to get more HD channels in the pipeline or risk losing subscribers. Whether Switched Digital is rolled out, Cable switching away from analog quicker to get more digital and HD content or coming up with some other incentive/solution they can't not respond to the threat.

 

[zmurphy]

I don't want to hijack the thread but i have a question. i am a digital cable subscriber and i wanted to hear from you guys whats your experience w/ the sound you receive from sat? do you get 5.1? is it really clear? do the sat boxes have coaxial or optical out for sound?

with cable, its hit and miss, i am using the optical out on the cable box. some of the channel sound ok, mainly HBO. the ppv movies are ok not as good as HBO.

thanks guys!

 

[Kendall T]

I have only had a 5.1 capable box (Dish) for about 6 months now, but in that time I have not noticed any problems with 5.1, it has always sounded great to me. However it's worth noting that not all programs are broadcast in 5.1.

My box has an optical out for DD.

 

[hydrojohn]

I got on to this thread because I have exactly the same question direct or dish. I will be getting my first HDTV next week. I have been a direct tv customer for several years with no real problem. However, since I need to upgrade to the HD service I though I would check around. What I have found it for what I want in programing they are comparable cost. However, one difference appears that Direct TV broadcasts more channels in HD. For instance FX is listed in both packages but only shows up as HD for Direct. Seems odd, maybe I missed something. On the other hand Dish advertises their DVR can provide programing to two tvs so that you can watch different programing at the same time. I can not see where the Direct TV HD DVR receiver makes the same claim. Can anyone address that issue. I suspected this would be a good topic as many people want to understand the differences or similarities between the two providers. Their web sites leave alot to be desired in terms of straight forward disclosure. Looking foward to some great input.

 

[Robert_J]

DirecTV has more HD channels then Dish. They have spent the money to send up additional satellites. Dish may counter with numbers but they are counting their Voom channels. You can only watch the same shows over and over before it gets boring.

Dish does have a receiver that allows 2 TV's to watch different shows. But I think that the 2nd TV is only in standard definition. Also this receiver only has a single OTA digital tuner. What if you wanted to record CSI and Ugly Betty on Thursday night? Can't. You have to choose and I know the show my wife would pick.

I'm a DirecTV subscriber. I switched to Dish in '99 for 1 year and a week. It was HORRIBLE. I hated their equipment and service. I would have been with them for a year but it rained the first weekend and I had to delay putting up my DirecTV equipment for a week. I currently use three dual tuner DVR's. A GXCEBOT (standard definition DirecTiVo), an HR10-250 (high def DirecTiVo) and a HR20-100 (HD DVR running DirecTV's own software). I can record four 4 HD and 2 SD channels at the same time. The three DVR's are shared between two HD TV's. I am pleased with the channel lineup as well as the equipment. The new DVR does have a few glitches but nothing like it used to. The software updates are fixing the problems and adding new features. Now I can schedule my shows from my PC at work and the DVR will record them.

-Robert

 

[hydrojohn]

What are Voom channels? Is that HD?

 

[Robert_J]

Voom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia