thanks so much for the list. we are trying to decide between dish and direct and its hard to find an up t0 date list. dish does offer the hd access free and i was not aware that direct also offers it.
In fairness, I do post DirecTV programming and prices in Dish's forums. I let the poster choose what channels and packages work best. In these times, I think it is best to look at both providers to see which one offers what you want at the lower price:
I made a Dish comparison sheet of the lower packages: [Note: I put in the Feb. $5 increase prices.]
View attachment DishNetworkComparison.xls
Here are the DirecTV packages:
View attachment channel_lineup.pdf
Here are the Dish Network channel lineup cards:
TV Channel Lineup - Satellite Channels on DISH Network
Dish also has those HD only packages of Silver and Gold for $10 cheaper than the 200 and 250 packages respectively:
View attachment Focus On DISH Network HD.pdf
Please note that list came from Scott a while back. Disney (E), Disney XD, ABC Family, and ESPNews are currently not provided in HD due to a dispute. In addition, other members have said that msnbc is not included in HD-only packages.
I hope that helps you choose the best option in terms of price and channel lineup.
It also frustrates me that they do not advertise all packages and do not always update their lineup cards.
It honestly feels unfair to the consumer sometimes especially when you signed up for particular channels that are not actually there. However, they handle all that in the contracts.
Best of luck!
Let us know how it goes.