hi everyone i new to satelitte and i wanted to know how good is it. i want to go with direct tv but i unsure because i heard of static and unclear pictures. since all of you have direct tv, can you post HONEST opinions about the picture and other important junk? THX
how good is the service
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DirecTV is all digital, there is no such thing as static, if picture quality is most important for you, personally, IMO, I think their standard definition (SD) picture is better than my local Concast provider, and more or less on par with Dish Networks, sometimes DirecTVs SD is over compressed from time to time, depending on the time of day/year (when they offer Sunday Ticket they tend to reduce bandwidth on some channels), both providers seems to have complaints about over compression on SD and HD, now, if you were to want high definition (HD), you may be more pleased with Dish Network more (for now), but things may change in that respect in the future, if sports is your thing, particularly Football (sunday Ticket), DirecTV is pretty much it.
If programming and or price is most important, you would have to look at both providers offerings and decide for yourself.
Customer service, well IMO it seems pretty obvious to me DirecTV is superior (ok, arguably) to Concast OR Dish Network. (yay retention!)
Equipment, well, based on the amount of complaints I see on both sides, it seems D* may have an edge on equipment (though that varies from model to model and user to user).
Of course you will see a varying degree of opinions, they may all have their validity since picture quality can vary by install quality and equipment used, as well as the users optical accumen and taste.
To be fair, I have DirecTV, and never had Dish Network (though I know people who do, so I have seen the picture quite alot), so there may be some unintended bias on my part, YMMV, offer not valid in WY, MI or RI, and all that other tripe.
Good luck with whomever you choose.
If programming and or price is most important, you would have to look at both providers offerings and decide for yourself.
Customer service, well IMO it seems pretty obvious to me DirecTV is superior (ok, arguably) to Concast OR Dish Network. (yay retention!)
Equipment, well, based on the amount of complaints I see on both sides, it seems D* may have an edge on equipment (though that varies from model to model and user to user).
Of course you will see a varying degree of opinions, they may all have their validity since picture quality can vary by install quality and equipment used, as well as the users optical accumen and taste.
To be fair, I have DirecTV, and never had Dish Network (though I know people who do, so I have seen the picture quite alot), so there may be some unintended bias on my part, YMMV, offer not valid in WY, MI or RI, and all that other tripe.
Good luck with whomever you choose.
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go with dtv....they will be the probably the best provider by next year, don't get thrown off if they don't have a lot of hd channels available now
I've had both and I know I'm gonna disappoint the legion of Dish fans but, to me anyway Directv is like BMW and Dish is Kia. Especially when it comes to equipment and customer service. I truly believe that someday soon Directv will be the HD leader.
It all comes down to personal opinion. I have both and have had both since they first started up, andthought directv was better up until about a year and a half ago. Now in opinion Dish wins hand down. But you really need to find a local retailer or someone that has a system set up that you can view and form your own opinion. Unless you have an HDTV or an sd tv bigger than 27inches you probably won't notice any difference.
Well I could badmouth DISH but I believe it's best to check out both services.Each
one offers different channels and be sure to read the posts on this Forum for potential problems that could affect you.Also
one offers different channels and be sure to read the posts on this Forum for potential problems that could affect you.Also
evil bunny said:
That's kinda like asking which do beer drinkers think is best, Bud Lite or Coors Lite? There both lite and it really is a matter of personal preference.
I have never had Dish but have friends who do. I have never found a good reason to switch. Dish SD PQ appears about the same to me, but I really believe my HD PQ is slightly better. Going on 9 years with DirecTV and have never had a problem with an order, equipment or an install, including my last which was a free HR20-700.
I have always been treated well by CSR's and retention. There's a 1st time for everything, but a bad experience has not happened in over 8 years. Then again it will be a while before I have another install or upgrade. Am satisfied with what I get for my money and the future looks good .:up
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I've had both ... for me locals had better picture quality on Dish ... HD is better quality on Dish (and LOTS more content right now) .. SD quality was similar between the two - i actually got more mileage out of dish-network customer service than i ever did out of Directv .. seems like unless you have been a customer for a while - they don't much care what problems you have - they are not really interested in working them out with you ... (my experience anyways) .. Dish-network seemed more interested in fixing my early post-install issues ... Directv did not ... they seemed more interested in getting me tied into a contract.
They both had + and - points though ... if Directv comes through with more HD content than Dish when my next contract is up for renewal .. I may jump back to them - but I'm not about to commit to a 2 year contract just because they might have more HD next year - I'll take what you have now and then review the situation next time i need to make a choice.
Directv has NFL - they also had Setanta (which was the reason i went with them first) .. but in the end ... they just dragged their feet one time too many for me.
Am glad they did now though - am more than happy with Dish network.
Quality-wise .. both are similar in my opinion .. what is more important to you though - HD - NFL - Foreign Language packs - see which one has content that you want - and pull the trigger .. what i will say though ...
Both are much better than my cable service ever was
They both had + and - points though ... if Directv comes through with more HD content than Dish when my next contract is up for renewal .. I may jump back to them - but I'm not about to commit to a 2 year contract just because they might have more HD next year - I'll take what you have now and then review the situation next time i need to make a choice.
Directv has NFL - they also had Setanta (which was the reason i went with them first) .. but in the end ... they just dragged their feet one time too many for me.
Am glad they did now though - am more than happy with Dish network.
Quality-wise .. both are similar in my opinion .. what is more important to you though - HD - NFL - Foreign Language packs - see which one has content that you want - and pull the trigger .. what i will say though ...
Both are much better than my cable service ever was
meaning - install took three attempts (23 days from order to install) .. then 10 days to send someone out to re-align after low signal strength caused drop-outs on some channels -
Then they wanted another 12 days before they could schedule someone else to come out and take a look at a problem i was having with one of my receivers (they told me it was likely that it has not been waterproofed correctly ?? ) ...
By the time they would have come out the final time - i would no longer still be inside my 30 day trial period .. and i was unwilling to walk into a 2 year contract without knowing if the tech they sent out would be able to fix the problem or not - i asked for an extension of the trial period .. or for a tech to come out a little earlier so that i could be sure that the whole setup would work before committing myself to paying them for 2 years - they would not move ... so I was left with no choice but to cancel.
Shame .. but there ya go ... i would have happily given them $120 per month for the next two years if they would have been reasonable and at least tried to work with me.
Then they wanted another 12 days before they could schedule someone else to come out and take a look at a problem i was having with one of my receivers (they told me it was likely that it has not been waterproofed correctly ?? ) ...
By the time they would have come out the final time - i would no longer still be inside my 30 day trial period .. and i was unwilling to walk into a 2 year contract without knowing if the tech they sent out would be able to fix the problem or not - i asked for an extension of the trial period .. or for a tech to come out a little earlier so that i could be sure that the whole setup would work before committing myself to paying them for 2 years - they would not move ... so I was left with no choice but to cancel.
Shame .. but there ya go ... i would have happily given them $120 per month for the next two years if they would have been reasonable and at least tried to work with me.
Sounds like a bad contracted installer and/or lack of quality installers in the area. But I fell your frustration. Whom did you contact about getting your trial extended on getting any "credit"?
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charper1 said:
yup - I agree ...
Nice enough bunch - but didn't seem to have too much of an idea what day it was ... never mind how to install a satellite ..
Directv had 4 or 5 chances to send someone else though to be fair .. or at least to work with me and give me a week or so extra to make sure that everything would work before getting me tied into the contract ...
I was very nice to them and was more than patient .. but they just seemed unwilling to move - i was quite surprised actually ..
I finally called to cancel with 7 days left on my "trial" (9 days before the scheduled tech visit) ... and got a call from retention on the day my trial would have ended offering me all kinds of deals -
By that time (within a week) I had ordered dish - had it installed - and had the guys out once to re-align and once more to add an extra room ..
Directv came out about 3-4 weeks later to take a look at the installation to make sure their guys did a good job ... they were a little bemused when they saw the dishnetwork dish on the roof and not theirs .. hehe
You live and learn i guess.
edit - i called regular customer service - got no go - so called cancellations/retention dept (number i found on these forums) and still no go - until the day my trial was over and a few days after i had already pulled the trigger on Dish network install.
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This is one main reason I do not like the contractor only installs; and other than the BBB (if people use it) there is no database for customers to look at potentially problematic install companies. I continue to hope we get one here. I for one am not worried about people's feelings, but getting bad people weeded out so customers can have a much better expectation of you they are getting. They may not have anyone else in your area other than who was screwing you. HOWEVER, I agree that there should have be NO PROBLEMS with retention extending your trial or giving some credit.
Having said the above - and to drag this back on topic ... i would certainly not let my bad experience put anyone off going with Directv over Dish ... its easy to find good and bad in most transactions - just because I took a few bad hits does not mean anyone else will - the vast majority of people will get a good install and will be happy with the service ... whichever provider they go for.
You should choose a provider who can deliver the features and programming that are most important to you. I would not pay any attention to the scaremongering that cable throws your way ...
My downtime with satellite is much less than I ever had with cable (I do lose picture in heavy storms .. but generally only for 5-10 mins and if the storm is bad enough for me to lose signal I'm generally watching the local boys anyway (via an OTA antenna) to make sure it isn't a twister anyway.
Personally .. I would downgrade your cable (if that's what you have right now) to the lowest possible package ... get Directv Installed (or Dish or whatever) and try it out for a week or two - if you are happy with it - cut the cable (not literally) If not - give Dish a try
You should choose a provider who can deliver the features and programming that are most important to you. I would not pay any attention to the scaremongering that cable throws your way ...
My downtime with satellite is much less than I ever had with cable (I do lose picture in heavy storms .. but generally only for 5-10 mins and if the storm is bad enough for me to lose signal I'm generally watching the local boys anyway (via an OTA antenna) to make sure it isn't a twister anyway.
Personally .. I would downgrade your cable (if that's what you have right now) to the lowest possible package ... get Directv Installed (or Dish or whatever) and try it out for a week or two - if you are happy with it - cut the cable (not literally) If not - give Dish a try
My downtime with satellite is much less than I ever had with cable (I do lose picture in heavy storms .. but generally only for 5-10 mins and if the storm is bad enough for me to lose signal I'm generally watching the local boys anyway (via an OTA antenna) to make sure it isn't a twister anyway.
Which living in Tulsa means if there is a dark cloud within 200 miles the weather boys are on tv and not giving us a choice of anything to watch locally, making that sat signal very important or at least having plenty of dvr material.
I can definately understand getting better service from Dish if you went with a local retailer around here, as most of them have been in business going back to the BUD days and they are now affiliated with dish. They would not still be in business if they didn't know how to take care of their customers. The further south of Tulsa you go the worse Dish gets in terms of service. I have seen really laughable installs for dish and great Directv installs in those areas.
Which living in Tulsa means if there is a dark cloud within 200 miles the weather boys are on tv and not giving us a choice of anything to watch locally, making that sat signal very important or at least having plenty of dvr material.
I can definately understand getting better service from Dish if you went with a local retailer around here, as most of them have been in business going back to the BUD days and they are now affiliated with dish. They would not still be in business if they didn't know how to take care of their customers. The further south of Tulsa you go the worse Dish gets in terms of service. I have seen really laughable installs for dish and great Directv installs in those areas.
I actually have both services. Like both for different reasons. If you are a football fan, then DirecTV is the only choice until 2010, if you plan on getting the NFL Sunday Ticket.evil bunny said:
If HD is what you are looking for Dish is the leader, as of today. This should change in the second quarter of 2007, but there is no guarantee of that.
If you want plain ole TV, it doesn't matter. Both carry a large variety of the cable channels, both exceeding what any cable company offers in the realm of generic programming.
I've never had Dish, so I cannot comment on them. But D* is not too bad. One of the biggest problems with D* is getting someone who can correct your problem (if any) right away. Seems like you'll get 10 different answers from 10 different people. However, when I've called to complain about service and what not, they are good about making me happy in the end with credits & free upgrades.
Now as far as cable goes? When I had TWC the service almost never went out, but they were pricey. If I compare apples to apples, I get more for the money from D*. Better SD PQ by far, 100% better sound quality across all channels in comparison to TWC. Not to mention that if I wanted to get all the channels in every room like now, cable would be too expensive for me to keep. I always had HD & Digi-Pak on the main TV, but all the others always had "Basic" pkg. unless I paid more $$. Plus cable co.'s have a tendancy to have a God complex. They told me I WOULD be back after I told them I was going to D*. little do they know that I'm much happier.
D* may have some under paid customer service people who may have to transfer you 5 times till you get your probelm solved, but there was NEVER a time when they were nasty to me, no matter hold much or how loud I bitch.
Will you lose your picture with Sat.? Hell yes, but it's not too often, and usually brief. Static? never for me, either I get a signal or I don't. I say go with D* or Dish for a lousy year (or 1.5 with Dish) and see what happens. A year will fly by and before you know it, you'll know what you want then.
Cable has it's advantages, but it also has limitations. No matter how much you pay them, the PQ & sound will never be as good as Sat. But in a nasty storm, it's nice to have Cable. Even though my cable has gone out in bad storms, it was very seldom.
Now as far as cable goes? When I had TWC the service almost never went out, but they were pricey. If I compare apples to apples, I get more for the money from D*. Better SD PQ by far, 100% better sound quality across all channels in comparison to TWC. Not to mention that if I wanted to get all the channels in every room like now, cable would be too expensive for me to keep. I always had HD & Digi-Pak on the main TV, but all the others always had "Basic" pkg. unless I paid more $$. Plus cable co.'s have a tendancy to have a God complex. They told me I WOULD be back after I told them I was going to D*. little do they know that I'm much happier.
D* may have some under paid customer service people who may have to transfer you 5 times till you get your probelm solved, but there was NEVER a time when they were nasty to me, no matter hold much or how loud I bitch.
Will you lose your picture with Sat.? Hell yes, but it's not too often, and usually brief. Static? never for me, either I get a signal or I don't. I say go with D* or Dish for a lousy year (or 1.5 with Dish) and see what happens. A year will fly by and before you know it, you'll know what you want then.
Cable has it's advantages, but it also has limitations. No matter how much you pay them, the PQ & sound will never be as good as Sat. But in a nasty storm, it's nice to have Cable. Even though my cable has gone out in bad storms, it was very seldom.
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