Direct TV or Dish Network...

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

..Opinions?   Going to call and schedule one in the morning....  Who should I go with?

...fed up with Charter.   Haven't been able to get a billing issue fixed with them since I moved in, and I'm tired of fucking with them.  When they get it fixed, I'll pay it, but I'm closing them out.

Appreciate the info!

[Jumbo]

..Opinions?   Going to call and schedule one in the morning....  Who should I go with?

...fed up with Charter.   Haven't been able to get a billing issue fixed with them since I moved in, and I'm tired of fucking with them.  When they get it fixed, I'll pay it, but I'm closing them out.

Appreciate the info!

Glad you asked, I have had both, Directv is far superior in Hd Channels(90) and customer service! My Directv service has only went out twice in 2 years and that was when the power was out!

[Kaos]

Glad you asked, I have had both, Directv is far superior in Hd Channels(90) and customer service! My Directv service has only went out twice in 2 years and that was when the power was out!

Concurrance.  DirecTV (have had both) is vastly superior.  Its like choosing between a 1968 Pinto and a 2008 Accura. 

[Aubie16]

Another vote for DirecTV. Especially if you have an HDTV, but they are better regardless.

[AUChizad]

I have DirectTV and pretty much love it.

Question though. Why the fuck do you guys have BOTH?

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Thanks guys.  I've called Direct TV this morning and got some info.  They have to order the equipment and have it sent to the installer.   I'll have to see when I can do that with my travel schedule.

Appreciate the heads up!

[Tiger Six]

I have DirectTV and pretty much love it.

Question though. Why the fuck do you guys have BOTH?

HAVE had both. 

Do you IT guys not use past tense?

[Kaos]

I have DirectTV and pretty much love it.

Question though. Why the fuck do you guys have BOTH?

Started with DishNetwork.  Couldn't get it to stay on, kept losing satellite reception.  Chattin' Charlie blamed the trees, sunspots, swarms of mosquitos, raindrops, wind, moles, the space station, Chairman Mao, Chernobyl and Jimmy Carter.  But they never got it fixed. 

Swapped to DirecTV and haven't had a single reception problem in four years.

Friend just went satellite.  Against my advice he went Dish (because they promised tons of HD channels that you couldn't get with DirecTV, most of which have now been discontinued).   So far he's cut down two trees, topped another and had their "technicians" out to the house five or six times.  At any given time, however, at least one of his three TVs will pick up no channels and at least one other is getting only what comes in on one satellite. 

DishNetwork SUCKS.

[Jumbo]

HAVE had both. 

Do you IT guys not use past tense?

Bingo!

[AUChizad]

HAVE had both. 

Do you IT guys not use past tense?

Looks like I will read it wrong. I apparently do not read it correctly the first time.

[GarMan]

Friend just went satellite.  Against my advice he went Dish (because they promised tons of HD channels that you couldn't get with DirecTV, most of which have now been discontinued).   So far he's cut down two trees, topped another and had their "technicians" out to the house five or six times.  At any given time, however, at least one of his three TVs will pick up no channels and at least one other is getting only what comes in on one satellite. 

DishNetwork SUCKS.

I've had DishNetwork for years.  I too had lots of reception issues for the first couple of years.  Finally, they sent a tech who knew what he was doing.  He relocated the dish, and things have been great ever since, 4+ years now.  Reception has been fine except during heavy rainstorms and extremely dense cloudcover.  Outages only typically last a couple of minutes.  I haven't jumped to HD, but I do have the DVR.  It's great.  I'm about ready to upgrade to HD with a newer DVR.  I understand that Dish still offers the most HD channels, even with the whining in this thread. 

Aside from the complete outage, your friend's problems don't seem to make sense.  Trees are a real problem for any satellite system, but that would affect all of his receivers.  I don't understand why he's having those problems with the newer technology receivers.  I'm still on the old 301/501 receivers, and whenever I seem to have an issue like that, I just reset them by unplugging them for 30 seconds.  Then, they're good for the next several months. 

As for the negative customer service comments in here, I haven't had any problems.  The outage issues from the poorly located dish were a problem, and I was extremely frustrated by their inability to solve the problem.  Once they sent a more senior tech, he had the problem resolved in 30 minutes, and it still works great. 

I would like to know what makes DirecTV so great.  I haven't tried them, but I'd be willing to make the switch if there's something that really makes them "better". 

[chinook]

i had dish network for 5 years without a complaint until i wanted to upgrade to hdtv.  i don't know if this applies to other states, but in oregon hdtv requires 2 dishes through dish network.  direct tv requires only 1; however, oregon is being equipped with fiber optics through verizon called fios. 

comcast cable teh sucks. 

with that said i just signed up with verizon fios.  fiber to the garage and they use your existing coax from the garage to your rooms.  internet, phone and tv are packaged in a bundle with fiber. 

[Jumbo]

Dish Network 73 Hd channels
Directv  95 Hd Channels

Directv has Nfl Sunday Ticket.

thats all the comparision you need!

[GarMan]

Dish Network 73 Hd channels
Directv  95 Hd Channels

Directv has Nfl Sunday Ticket.

thats all the comparision you need!

DishNetwork advertises "over 80".  That seems to be true if you purchase all of their HD and premium programming options including the local network HD feeds.  DirecTV advertises "Now 95", but most of those channels seem to be packaged under additional fee schemes as well.  I'll probably just stick with Dish.  For an extra $10 per month, they'll give me 39 HD channels.  I really don't need ESPN "The Ocho" HD, The Etheopian Food NetworkHD, OxygenHD and LifetimeHD. 

[Kaos]

DishNetwork advertises "over 80".  That seems to be true if you purchase all of their HD and premium programming options including the local network HD feeds.  DirecTV advertises "Now 95", but most of those channels seem to be packaged under additional fee schemes as well.  I'll probably just stick with Dish.  For an extra $10 per month, they'll give me 39 HD channels.  I really don't need ESPN "The Ocho" HD, The Etheopian Food NetworkHD, OxygenHD and LifetimeHD. 

Having used both systems, I'm telling you that Dish is a cheap imitation of DirecTV.   Cheap, cheap, cheap.  It's the difference between a new pair of Nikes and a pair of Dollar General Niskes. 

[GarMan]

Having used both systems, I'm telling you that Dish is a cheap imitation of DirecTV.   Cheap, cheap, cheap.  It's the difference between a new pair of Nikes and a pair of Dollar General Niskes. 

Well, give me something.  What's the difference?  What makes Dish a "cheap imitation" when compared to DirecTV? 

Here's an interesting comparison...
http://www.direct-vs-dish.com/

On the Package/Channel Comparisons link, Dish's America's Top 250 is looking better than the comparable from DirecTV.  Of course, DirecTV does have a lot more in the way of sports offerings. 

[Aubie16]

Well, give me something.  What's the difference?  What makes Dish a "cheap imitation" when compared to DirecTV? 

Here's an interesting comparison...
http://www.direct-vs-dish.com/

On the Package/Channel Comparisons link, Dish's America's Top 250 is looking better than the comparable from DirecTV.  Of course, DirecTV does have a lot more in the way of sports offerings. 

To me..the biggest difference is the user interface of DirecTV. It is a lot more intuitive to me.

[Kaos]

Well, give me something.  What's the difference?  What makes Dish a "cheap imitation" when compared to DirecTV? 

Here's an interesting comparison...
http://www.direct-vs-dish.com/

On the Package/Channel Comparisons link, Dish's America's Top 250 is looking better than the comparable from DirecTV.  Of course, DirecTV does have a lot more in the way of sports offerings. 

The overall presentation is much better.  Technology-wise, DirecTV is a good bit ahead of Dish IMO.  
The menus are better, the scrolling options are better, everything with DirecTV doesn't look like it was done off some kid's Excel Spreadsheet.

There's no comparison in terms of service and support.  DirecTV technicians have been professional and knowledgeable to the man.  DishNetwork technicians have all been bumbling fools with poor hygiene.  The first installation I did, the guy got there two hours late and struggled from the start.  Ended up mounting the dish on a wooden pole he scavenged from my basement about 15 yards from the house (because he'd forgotten his metal poles). I didn't want the damn thing on a pole to begin with.  Then he dug a trench across the yard to get the wires buried.  But his "trench" was only about four inches deep and I lawnmowered the wires in two several times over the next few months before I scrapped that entire idiotic setup.  To top it off, he STILL only got one satellite (110 or 119, it's been five years and I STILL remember the damn numbers) to come in properly.  And then since it was about 8 p.m. by this point the clown asked if we would mind if he had dinner with us (my wife had cooked meatloaf, mashed potatoes, limas and biscuits) since he had no cash and it was a long drive home.  He wanted us to fix him a plate.  My wife restrained me and fed the idiot.

After a few months of missing ball games and pretty much anything important I wanted to watch because the satellite would sway on the wooden pole if the breeze blew or I had massacred the wires with the lawnmower and needed to go to Lowes to get connectors I had them come back out and send somebody else.  He stuck the dish on the side of the house but said it would only work in the winter because the trees would get leaves in the summer.  I crawled up on the ladder and checked the sight line.  No tree could possibly block anything.   But we spent that winter and then most of the summer listening to the BEEEEEP as we tried day after day to get the satellites "locked."  

When I missed an AU football game that fall on ESPN because the Dish wouldn't pick it up -- and when they refused to upgrade my system for free when they came out with some new boxes -- I told them to stick it up their ass.   I ordered DirecTV, they came out two days later, put the dish where I originally asked that it be located (in an unobtrusive place) and I haven't had the first reception problem since.  DirecTV has twice upgraded my entire system (both times for free) when new technology came out.  I didn't request it either time, they called me.  

DishNetwork can suck it.  

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Okay...  so you know...

I've decided to do Direct TV somewhere in the middle of June.  Supppppppposedly Charter "all the sudden" has solved the billing issue. 

[Jumbo]

Okay...  so you know...

I've decided to do Direct TV somewhere in the middle of June.  Supppppppposedly Charter "all the sudden" has solved the billing issue. 

Nice choice!