Is that really the charge for the whole home drv install?? If so, is that for new installs, upgrades or both?
Unbiased Dish vs Direct Comparison
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Is that really the charge for the whole home drv install?? If so, is that for new installs, upgrades or both?
I had Dish for almost two years after having Direct for almost ten, I am back to Direct, I wanted a change to see what Dish was like. I missed having sports "options" with that I have to give the Dish Recievers a big thumbs up.
Programming wise, its nice have the RSN's in HD and not wonder if it will be lit in HD or not (and there are other shows that show HD programming on RSN's other then games)
But I think overall, if you can deal with your RSN's in HD sometimes and like preimum movie channels. Dish is a good choice, and right now they do have more National HD channels, if that is a big factor for you. I do admit I hope some more nationals will be lanuched down the road this year for Direct
Programming wise, its nice have the RSN's in HD and not wonder if it will be lit in HD or not (and there are other shows that show HD programming on RSN's other then games)
But I think overall, if you can deal with your RSN's in HD sometimes and like preimum movie channels. Dish is a good choice, and right now they do have more National HD channels, if that is a big factor for you. I do admit I hope some more nationals will be lanuched down the road this year for Direct
Just got an H24-100 at work. The EPG may take a fraction of a second longer to come up than the ViP series, but it otherwise is just as fast or faster. I'll reserve judgement on other items until I have more experience.
You don't want mine!
Well Today you might
Quick run down.
[/LIST]Pros D*
Cons D*
- HD PQ
- All the Sports you can imagin in HD
- VOD options most are free and over 600 HD choices
- Lots of 1080P VOD
- Interactive features
- Score card feature
- Double play feature
- Apps Feature
- Cast and Crew Information
- 1 touch record
- Whole home DVR option
- 1 dish solution
- Notify customers of any new fee's or programming changes.
- Choice Extra a good Value
- Equipment Slow and buggy STILL! (N/A HR24)
- Receiver Upgrade fees are high.
- Geared toward more High end customers
- HD Channel line up
- Premiums
- HD Extra pack ( Should be free all the time)
- Customers service going down hill
- $149 for Whole home DVR install
- $3 per month on Whole home DVR.
- Apply credits due when they feel like it
- Software updates crash DVR all the time
So if DirecTV has one dish solutions for everyone, why do they still have programming at 72.5 W? Opps.
Good ideas, but the list is too long.
Dish - Movie channels. (great hardware)
Direct - Sports.
they don't. Pretty much everyone who had locals at 72.5 got moved and upgraded to MPEG4 equipment for free. The locals on 72.5 were mirrored on 99 & 103 in MPEG4 SD or HD
This has been rehashed many time.. There are actually several of us out here that have both Dish and DirectV installed right now.. And it really is apples and oranges. Each systems has pros and cons. Dish has movies, the Best DVR, and at the moment the most national HD. DirecTV has the most sports, The new MRV system.. Dish is a little cheaper. DirecTV has a little better Hi-Def picture. I have 2 Dish HD DVR's and 2 DirecTV HD DVRs. I barely ever turn on the DirecTV receivers. I just like Dish Better.. But that is my personal opinion only.
well, I'm less than a week in on D*, and so far I've only noticed a few things different. But for the next 2 years, my bill will be significant;y cheaper on D*, which is a big selling point for me.
I do think the HD looks better on D* over E*, but everyone will need to trust their own eyes on that one, not mine. I'm still one of those guys who was susceptible to the Rainbow Effect on DLP stuff, so maybe I'm weird.
I like D*'s channel lineup for the Choice Extra package better than I did the top 120 I had with E*. For me it's not so much about quantity of channels as it is channels I'll watch. I still get a kick out of there actually being a full time Fishing network even on the air (no offense to anyone who enjoys it, it's just not for me). Sooner or later, I think someone will make bank by offering all ala carte channels only, but til then, D* gave me a few extra channels I'll watch, and E* had none that I'll miss.
E*'s DVR functions seem faster to me. Rewind, 30 second jumps, etc. While the built in OTA tuners on the E* stuff are nice, I doubt 'most' people even hook antennas up to them. I did, but that as just because I didn't wanna pay the $5.99 for locals anymore. (Someone suggested that is no longer an option, to drop locals, but it was definitely in my package until last Thursday when I canceled service. And it's still listed on the E* site as 'free' locals with qualifying packages - mine must not have been. On a petty side note, once you do drop locals over sat, Dish fires back by eliminating guide support for those channels you get OTA!)
Other than that, I'm not really noticing a whole lot of difference on the SERVICE DELIVERY side of things. I'm kinda of techy, but not down to bitrates and other equipment specs. I like D*'s on demand much better than E*s. D* also doesn't charge more from HD PPV events from what I've seen. E* was usually a $10 premium for WWE or UFC events if memory serves me. But in day to day operation as I use it, I don't notice much difference yet in the equipment outside what I feel is the slower D* DVR.
On the CUSTOMER SERVICE side, D* has floored me, hands down. So far, and this is before my first bill, I've gotten my HD's for Life for free on a phone call (24 month $10 credit with autopay), installer was great, cost is gonna be MUCH cheaper for the 2 year average than Dish was, they are sending an AM21 comped to make up for my OTA-DOT-2's missing.
That, and every time I've called in to D* (probably 5 or 6 times already to get things squared away as a new sub), I've talked to someone who spoke English as their first language and I was able to communicate my needs with them without added frustration. With the sole exception of my cancellation call, I can't remember the last time I didn't have a language barrier with an E* rep.
I do think the HD looks better on D* over E*, but everyone will need to trust their own eyes on that one, not mine. I'm still one of those guys who was susceptible to the Rainbow Effect on DLP stuff, so maybe I'm weird.
I like D*'s channel lineup for the Choice Extra package better than I did the top 120 I had with E*. For me it's not so much about quantity of channels as it is channels I'll watch. I still get a kick out of there actually being a full time Fishing network even on the air (no offense to anyone who enjoys it, it's just not for me).
Sooner or later, I think someone will make bank by offering all ala carte channels only, but til then, D* gave me a few extra channels I'll watch, and E* had none that I'll miss.E*'s DVR functions seem faster to me. Rewind, 30 second jumps, etc. While the built in OTA tuners on the E* stuff are nice, I doubt 'most' people even hook antennas up to them. I did, but that as just because I didn't wanna pay the $5.99 for locals anymore. (Someone suggested that is no longer an option, to drop locals, but it was definitely in my package until last Thursday when I canceled service. And it's still listed on the E* site as 'free' locals with qualifying packages - mine must not have been. On a petty side note, once you do drop locals over sat, Dish fires back by eliminating guide support for those channels you get OTA!)
Other than that, I'm not really noticing a whole lot of difference on the SERVICE DELIVERY side of things. I'm kinda of techy, but not down to bitrates and other equipment specs. I like D*'s on demand much better than E*s. D* also doesn't charge more from HD PPV events from what I've seen. E* was usually a $10 premium for WWE or UFC events if memory serves me. But in day to day operation as I use it, I don't notice much difference yet in the equipment outside what I feel is the slower D* DVR.
On the CUSTOMER SERVICE side, D* has floored me, hands down. So far, and this is before my first bill, I've gotten my HD's for Life for free on a phone call (24 month $10 credit with autopay), installer was great, cost is gonna be MUCH cheaper for the 2 year average than Dish was, they are sending an AM21 comped to make up for my OTA-DOT-2's missing.
That, and every time I've called in to D* (probably 5 or 6 times already to get things squared away as a new sub), I've talked to someone who spoke English as their first language and I was able to communicate my needs with them without added frustration. With the sole exception of my cancellation call, I can't remember the last time I didn't have a language barrier with an E* rep.
When I switched from D* to E* I noticed that the HD picture was different, with neither one being really better, just slightly different. On the SD side, E* is hands down better that D*, imo.
As to the service. I've never really had an issue with either D* or E* in that arena. But I did notice that after 90 days, the couple times I called E*, I got a foreigner. But it wasn't a problem as they were knowledgeable and the language barrier was not that big a deal to me. My calls to D* were always handled well too.
Your current pricing, and next year too, is a nice savings over E*, but that is just the carrot pricing they both do for new signups and will change.
Frankly, I can deal with either service just fine. The channel selection is good on both, but I would miss Epix 1 & 2, and BBCA-HD if I were to switch. The new HR24 from all reports is a very nice step in the right direction. I cancelled D* service specifically because the HRs prior to the 24 were sluggish and very irritating to use.
As to the service. I've never really had an issue with either D* or E* in that arena. But I did notice that after 90 days, the couple times I called E*, I got a foreigner. But it wasn't a problem as they were knowledgeable and the language barrier was not that big a deal to me. My calls to D* were always handled well too.
Your current pricing, and next year too, is a nice savings over E*, but that is just the carrot pricing they both do for new signups and will change.
Frankly, I can deal with either service just fine. The channel selection is good on both, but I would miss Epix 1 & 2, and BBCA-HD if I were to switch. The new HR24 from all reports is a very nice step in the right direction. I cancelled D* service specifically because the HRs prior to the 24 were sluggish and very irritating to use.
recently?
I really dont want to compare because I canceled Dish a couple years ago and didnt have a DVR. I only used 301's....oh wait I had a 508 for about 6 months then sold it. With D* I have a DVR.
I dont have really anything bad to say about either company. I went with what I wanted (MLB Net, locals that werent on dish...until now and my local teams to be in HD each game) and that happened to be with Directv. If someone loves movies and HD well then Dish may be for you.
D* issue today with the DVR's needing a reboot did bug me but on the flip side if I had to call DIsh I would cringe because I knew it would be a headache when I called them.
Well looks like you and me are traveling the same road(except for the sports thing).I only had the 301 with Dish and I always hated that you had to press Info to get any information( can everyone say Carpal Tunnel?),where with DirecTV's D10-D12 there was a little description of the program at the top of the guide.
Then I got into DirecTV's DVRs(R15,R22,HR10-250) the only thing good about the R15 is when you paused the single 90 minute buffer it could expand up to 4 hours the bad no dual live buffers plus no First Air date in guide.
Then the R22 I thought that DirecTV had a winner then they wrecked it by having to have DoublePlay where you have to activate it everytime the any key reactivation helped but it still was a pain.Then there was the reboots,slow guide scrolling,have to press Info for First Air Date.Then DirecTV canceled the series.
I got the HR10-250(DirecTivo) because I never had one,the good was you can change between grid guide and list guide and in list you can go backwards in time to see if you missed a program.The bad it took like 3 or 4 button presses to find the First Air Date of the program.Plus the reboots/reformats time and the need for it to have to call in all the time was a bear.
Now because of my want for more standard definition programming and the credits did'nt hurt either I returned to Dish and their 625.What can I say about Dish's 625? It's for me the total package.I can operate 2 TVs in Dual Mode or go with Single Mode and operate 1 TV with PIP and split screen(watch programs on both tuners at once).The 625 has a 2 hour pause and 2-120 minute live buffers that you don't have to activate just turn it on,they are on.The 625's guide has the First Air Date right on the top when you highlight the program in the guide.
Now for those who may think I am a Dish Fan Boy? I will tell you right now I do not like Dish's VIPs DVRs mainly because they only have a 1 hour pause and only 2-60 minute live buffers.Where DirecTV's HR2xs have 2-90 minute live buffers,you just have to activate the second live buffer and that is a pain in the posterior!:rant:
:up agree 100% and as you posted (N/A HR24). that machine is the answer to the previous slow as snails dvrs of the past.You don't want mine!
Well Today you might
Quick run down.
Pros E*
Cons E*
- Great Base Packages and prices
- Premiums Movie channels
- National HD
- Top Notch Equipment
- Never late with Credits
- Tons of International Options
- Much improved customer service
- Reasonable lease upgrade fees
Pros D*
- Downgrade fee's
- HIGH Addtional receiver fees
- VOD Poor and expensive
- HD PQ not as good as it could be.
- No 1 dish solution everywhere
- Random Price increases on several TV options
- Never notify customers of anything (Price increases/Channel drops)
Cons D*
- HD PQ
- All the Sports you can imagin in HD
- VOD options most are free and over 600 HD choices
- Lots of 1080P VOD
- Interactive features
- Score card feature
- Double play feature
- Apps Feature
- Cast and Crew Information
- 1 touch record
- Whole home DVR option
- 1 dish solution
- Notify customers of any new fee's or programming changes.
- Choice Extra a good Value
- Equipment Slow and buggy STILL! (N/A HR24)
- Receiver Upgrade fees are high.
- Geared toward more High end customers
- HD Channel line up
- Premiums
- HD Extra pack ( Should be free all the time)
- Customers service going down hill
- $149 for Whole home DVR install
- $3 per month on Whole home DVR.
- Apply credits due when they feel like it
- Software updates crash DVR all the time
Not me I can point out the short comings in any provider.Like they say"You don't have to love them,just like them".
When it comes to standard definition programing both providers come up short with Dish a little less with more Premium Movie Services in standard definition Dish-39,DirecTV-31,and while I'm talking about Premium Movie Services Hey Dish! Where's my HBO Zone in MPEG2 SD!.:rant:
Hopefully he did, Tonight Washington's prize rookie pictcher takes the mound....on MLBTV
FYI, not as quick as Dish, but the yellow button will allow you to quickly change guides with just a few steps.
another option is to press the guide button twice where you can choose a category of what type of programming you want to watch.this way the channels are grouped by category. sports, movies etc etc.........
