Thinking of moving back to Dish...

[lanman]

I have been with DirecTV for MANY years and I am thinking of coming back to Dish for the following.

1. Better DVR tech (External storage, Sling, timers and settings saved in the remote (Brilliant!), etc)
2. Sling vs Genie Go (DirecTV anywhere, yeah right...)
3. I am worried about the at&t factor, it could take DirecTV many years, with at&t's "help", to match the Hopper's features.

My main concern is HD quality and quantity. (FYI - I have a 60 inch Plasma)

1. Is there a list of all the channels available in HD which highlights which ones are only part-time? (Does Dish still only carry some channels in HD part-time?)
2. Is there a place I can go in San Diego to see Dish HD live to see how the quality compares to DirecTV? (When I switched to DirecTV almost 10 years ago, the difference was pretty noticeable.)
3. What is your opinion on the quality difference of the HD?

Any other input, advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,
Dan

 

[dalyew]

Picture quality between the two seems to still be arguable here in this forum but a couple years ago when I switched from Dish to Directv, like you, I noticed a huge improvement in pq with Direct. So much better I wonder how can it still be arguable, but I think, for whatever reason, Dish's pq varies by household (if not by region) so it's smart for you to check it out first in your area.

Another huge difference is customer service. Direct csr's are far more knowledgeable & pleasant. To get that equivalent level of service from Dish you would have to use DiRT here. Unfortunately DiRT can only help you after you sign up & getting a good Dish sales rep, by my experience is a roll of the dice.

But you're also right about the technology. Dish's Hopper systems are really way more advanced than anything that's out there. It's just a pity some of us have to sacrifice pq to enjoy that tech.

 

[tubetwister]

P.Q ( HD lite ) at Dish really sucks on a lot of channels ( some of it's the bit starved content they get even before they murder it ) while some of the channels are not bad , usually the premium cable channels and some of the B'cast /Cable networks and locals are the best while others are not so hot.
That may not all be all on Dish either but certainly some of it is with Dish bit starving dynamic co channel bandwidth allocation ,bit shaping and HD lite mpeg compression but Dish is probably doing all that maybe not as much on some channels if they have a lot of birds but probably plenty anyway .

I never use PPV it's robbery when I have so many cheaper digital alternatives ,extenders and my 4K Sony Android TV apps all with better picture quality ,selection and also Red Box for plastic movie coasters .

Dish CSR's are still beyond brain dead IMO maybe they outsourced those to another planet ?,

The local Dish TV Franchise facility service /install techs are decent here .

I think Dish has better over all channel line ups than D*TV for the same $ and plenty of HD channels .
AFAIK any part time HD would likely be on the content provider and maybe low budget SD content and info commercials and or re transmission of OTA or cable SD or sub channels or 480i primary's ,not Dish TV. .........Some of the OTA channels cut down the power and go dark to SD signals at night and maybe cable channels switch !

On the D*TV vs Dish PQ I can't help you there it might be splitting hairs or significant .


ATT will maybe eventually ruin D*TV ( now or soon ATT something ) maybe with very cheap obsolete HDWE and the usual levels of ATT evil and incompetence but OTOH at least on my ATT- U verse FTTN Internet the techs are well trained and skilled out here ?

 

[bobvick]

I have a 60" plasma as well. When I swapped back to Dish from DirecTV about two years ago, I could tell little if any difference in quality.
One poster pointed out that PQ varied on "what region" you were in, I would love to know how that could be since the same satellite and signal is received all over the CONUS. Perhaps he was thinking about the Eastern Arc vs Western Arc, the SD picture quality is better on EA because they are MPEG4. You would be on Western Arc in California. Also the PQ on the Hopper 3 seems better than on the Hopper with Sling.

 

[Scola77]

I too have been with D* for many years (since 2001). Like you, I share your concerns about Dish but also see the writing on the wall with ATT/D*. I pulled the trigger and scheduled a Dish install for Friday. I ordered a hopper 3 and two 4K joeys, plus I will have an OTA antenna providing locals in case of rain fade/quality issues on major networks.

To me, acquisitions and tech speak louder than words. I am very concerned what will happen with D* now that they are part of the ATT family. Dish seems to be fiercely innovating and buying tech to improve overall service (sling, etc).

Just my thoughts as a current (not for long) subscriber. I would be glad to share my dish experience with you once it is installed.

 

[lanman]

Hey Scola77,

Please let me know your opinion of the Dish HD quality vs Direct and even Hopper vs Genie.

What size TV do you have and how far away you are from it. I have a 58 inch Panasonic plasma and sit approximately 10 feet away from it. I will be upgrading to a new 4K HDR set as soon as the prices get reasonable.

Thanks!

Dan

I too have been with D* for many years (since 2001). Like you, I share your concerns about Dish but also see the writing on the wall with ATT/D*. I pulled the trigger and scheduled a Dish install for Friday. I ordered a hopper 3 and two 4K joeys, plus I will have an OTA antenna providing locals in case of rain fade/quality issues on major networks.

To me, acquisitions and tech speak louder than words. I am very concerned what will happen with D* now that they are part of the ATT family. Dish seems to be fiercely innovating and buying tech to improve overall service (sling, etc).

Just my thoughts as a current (not for long) subscriber. I would be glad to share my dish experience with you once it is installed.

 

[Scola77]

Will do. I have a Sony 65" LED 4K and am also about 10' away.


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[lanman]

Perfect!

Will do. I have a Sony 65" LED 4K and am also about 10' away.


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[KAB]

I can not compare the two side by side, but having spent some time in a home with Directv, I would have to give the PQ nod to them. HOWEVER, when I do a back and forth comparison of Dish sat Local channel, then OTA, I can see little or know difference. So, go figure!?!? Maybe it IS all in the head.

 

[ralfyguy]

I can not compare the two side by side, but having spent some time in a home with Directv, I would have to give the PQ nod to them. HOWEVER, when I do a back and forth comparison of Dish sat Local channel, then OTA, I can see little or know difference. So, go figure!?!? Maybe it IS all in the head.

I did that same comparison. Additionally I also compared it to OTA off the Samsung TV tuner and off the DTV Pal I still have. Put all on the same channel and sat close to the TV. I could not tell a difference looking at different areas of the screen

 

[Joe891]

I have been with DirecTV for MANY years and I am thinking of coming back to Dish for the following.

1. Better DVR tech (External storage, Sling, timers and settings saved in the remote (Brilliant!), etc)
2. Sling vs Genie Go (DirecTV anywhere, yeah right...)
3. I am worried about the at&t factor, it could take DirecTV many years, with at&t's "help", to match the Hopper's features.

My main concern is HD quality and quantity. (FYI - I have a 60 inch Plasma)

1. Is there a list of all the channels available in HD which highlights which ones are only part-time? (Does Dish still only carry some channels in HD part-time?)
2. Is there a place I can go in San Diego to see Dish HD live to see how the quality compares to DirecTV? (When I switched to DirecTV almost 10 years ago, the difference was pretty noticeable.)
3. What is your opinion on the quality difference of the HD?

Any other input, advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,
Dan

The only part time hd they have now are the regional sports networks. As far as pq it has been great here

 

[KAB]

The only part time hd they have now are the regional sports networks. As far as pq it has been great here

100% correct.

 

[lanman]

Cool. I don't watch a lot of sports.

Thanks for the info!
Dan

The only part time hd they have now are the regional sports networks. As far as pq it has been great here

 

[tubetwister]

I have a 60" plasma as well. When I swapped back to Dish from DirecTV about two years ago, I could tell little if any difference in quality.
One poster pointed out that PQ varied on "what region" you were in, I would love to know how that could be since the same satellite and signal is received all over the CONUS. Perhaps he was thinking about the Eastern Arc vs Western Arc, the SD picture quality is better on EA because they are MPEG4. You would be on Western Arc in California. Also the PQ on the Hopper 3 seems better than on the Hopper with Sling.

Seems like outside of my new 2015 4K Sony XBR with Sony X Reality Pro the Samsung 64f8500 Plasma here handles s***y channels /content from Dish better than the 4 other 1080p LCD TV's here ......I think it's a Plasma thing even not the best 720p looks real decent on it compared to the other 4 LCD's here outside of the new Sony !

 

[david_jr]

My only experience with Direct has been at rental houses and a few hotels I have stayed at. Those places have cheap TV's and I was so perplexed by the madness and utter nonsensical order of the guide/channel setup that I didn't really think about picture quality that much to be honest.

 

[Scherrman]

This may just be me but I really think PQ is down the list on priorities especially when it's still HD. The quality of equipment far outweighs any of that to me. I have a 65" and 70" in my house and I am very happy with my picture. I've watched 1080p content and even 4k content on my TV and while it's very nice to look at it's not the most important thing. The fact that I can watch HD content on all of my TVs and access my recordings from every TV along with the Sling capability, those are important features. PQ is just the cherry on the top for me.

 

[Tampa8]

Seems like outside of my new 2015 4K Sony XBR with Sony X Reality Pro the Samsung 64f8500 Plasma here handles s***y channels /content from Dish better than the 4 other 1080p LCD TV's here ......I think it's a Plasma thing even not the best 720p looks real decent on it compared to the other 4 LCD's here outside of the new Sony !

No question the TV can make a difference. It pays to read reviews and really compare in the store as best you can. The Vizio 4K sets are getting good reviews great blacks and other features that may beat Samsung and Sony in some respects - for 4K. But watch what the vast majority of programming is - 720 or 1080 and Samsung and Sony blow it away. Terrible picture because the Vizio does not upconvert well, while the Sony excels and Samsung is very close to it.

 

[Scola77]

Today was installation day. The installer was professional and very knowledgable. Set everything up perfectly, took down the old directv dish and set the new dish in its place. It may just be my perception, but it appears smaller than the D* dish - so it looks better in my opinion. Just a little unexpected cosmetic bonus.

The remotes are a little quirky compared to D*. Fast forward and rewind are not one click. Switching tv inputs requires switching to tv mode (like old directv remotes). But overall, very nice and compact. Feels better in the hand than the white peanut d* remote.

HD quality - so I was really expecting poor hd quality. Honestly after watching several channels, I really can't say the difference (if any) is noticeable. I guess if I have to nitpick, I would say the HD is softer, but ever so slightly. From 8-10' it looks just like D* to me. It is hard to explain, it's not like the HD lacks sharpness - because it can be sharp, it is just creamier on some channels or programming. Could be in my head, but I assure you this isn't anything that would prevent me from switching to Dish. Sd quality on dish is pretty horrible. Luckily I don't watch those channels anyway...

So about those channels that switch to SD at random times. I did experience it on Fox Sports SW. It told me to switch to the SD version of the channel to watch the NBA game. That kind of sucks, but I don't think this issue exists on popular channels. Will keep an eye out...

Finally, the Hopper 3 absolutely destroys the Genie. Very, very fast. Not experiencing issues like others are reporting (yet- only day 1). It downloaded the latest update just a few hours after installation. Tons of options and customization. Love it!




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[dalyew]

Sounds like Dish's PQ has improved since I last had them 3 to 4 years ago but I do recognize that "softness" in the picture you're talking about. I do prefer a sharp, crisper picture that Direct & streaming services like Netflix & Hulu have so that could also explain my preferring Direct's picture in the past.

Still on the fence on getting Dish when I move into my new home in the coming months but your review on the PQ compared to Direct's is reassuring. I now have to convince myself that the Hopper 3 is worth dealing with the crappy customer service. However, hopefully after the initial call to order, I won't need to call in as my experience with Dish installers & DiRT has always been great.

 

[bamasat]

[QUOTE="Tampa8, post: ........ while the Sony excels and Samsung is very close to it.[/QUOTE]

Upconvert?
Agreed ...sony wins hands down .
( 810c here)

Every since Samsung *knowingly used sub par capacitors ( class action)..
Thus / wellI i will never buy a Samsung product again.