Direct tv vrs Dishnet, pros and cons
- Thread starter ubee
- Start date
Some answers in here...
http://www.johndee.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=16517&highlight=dish+network
http://www.johndee.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=16517&highlight=dish+network
G
G
Guest
I have had Direct for many years. They have been very good to me. Just recently a bunch of people here switched to Dish in hopes of saving a bunch of money. From what I am hearing it is about like how the other posters describe. By the time you get the channels you want the cost gets to be really close. I get my local channels and I can move my receiver back and forth to the lake. If you want the NFL channel or the NHL channel you will pay. Simple as that. On the few occasions I have had issues they have been very quick to come to my rural property and fix what was wrong. One time they even came on Christmas Eve Day. Still can't believe that one. One poster stated he was charged $50 for a service call. I have never been charged. I do have 4 receivers - maybe that makes a difference.
fusionfool
New member
We have had Direct TV for the past 10 years. We like the service, and benefits we get from our local support. Example: we have a cabin up north, our local Direct TV provider gave us the dish to put up at the cabin, modified our plan so that we have two receivers at home, and one at the cabin. I also like the menu system of Direct TV more than Dish.
I had Directv for years and switched to Dish, and then switch backed to Directv. Hated Dish's programming. I like Dish's reciever compared to Directv. It moved faster compaired to Directv. Dish has terrible customer service. With Directv you get far more sports pacakges than Dish, which I like. I am staying with Directv from now on. Lot better than cable by far.
cortland_crew
Member
Dish network 
Same as many have posted we have had both.. Direct tv is the only way to go ,Dish service is bad and plus way over priced ... Direct tv always has been a true pleasure to deal with from set up to replacing the dish after a storm we had ... To up grading our boxes to hd digital .. We have had direct tv 6 yrs now,, neighbors have dish network for 1 yr and pay 30.00 more than we do with darn near the same package so they are switching to direct tv soon as their " please stay with us" offer is over......lol
Same as many have posted we have had both.. Direct tv is the only way to go ,Dish service is bad and plus way over priced ... Direct tv always has been a true pleasure to deal with from set up to replacing the dish after a storm we had ... To up grading our boxes to hd digital .. We have had direct tv 6 yrs now,, neighbors have dish network for 1 yr and pay 30.00 more than we do with darn near the same package so they are switching to direct tv soon as their " please stay with us" offer is over......lol
booondocker
New member
Unless you want only one tv, Dish is cheaper to run. Direct charges for each box for each tv, unless you simply want to run a splitter and watch the same thing on two tv's at the same time.
Wife watches her stuff on one, and you watch sports on the other with Dish. This isn't true with Direct.
I do agree that Direct has better support and menu-ing. But $6 per tv is a bunch of beer over the course of a year.
Both rip you off on the bill, and if you don't check, they get you every now and again because few people bother to check.
Wife watches her stuff on one, and you watch sports on the other with Dish. This isn't true with Direct.
I do agree that Direct has better support and menu-ing. But $6 per tv is a bunch of beer over the course of a year.
Both rip you off on the bill, and if you don't check, they get you every now and again because few people bother to check.
skidoodoug
Member
I have had both and currently have DISH. Went to Dish a few yrs ago solely for the free upgrades and intro $ offer. Was maybe looking to go back to DirecTv for basically the same reasons.
Currently with Dish, I have 2 dual receivers, 1 is a DVR. I can view 2 different channels on each receiver. Meaning I can watch 4 different channels on 4 different TVs from 2 receivers. or I can also, from the DVR receiver, record 2 different channels at the same time and watch 2 other channels.
Question:
Does DirecTv have receivers like this or will I have to have 4 seperate receivers?
I really like not having a receiver in every TV room.
Currently with Dish, I have 2 dual receivers, 1 is a DVR. I can view 2 different channels on each receiver. Meaning I can watch 4 different channels on 4 different TVs from 2 receivers. or I can also, from the DVR receiver, record 2 different channels at the same time and watch 2 other channels.
Question:
Does DirecTv have receivers like this or will I have to have 4 seperate receivers?
I really like not having a receiver in every TV room.
harvest1121
Well-known member
Go on to Direct tv website they had a great special. They would not give it to me because I already have them.
polarisrider1
New member
I have Direct ever since it was USB years ago. Love it. My nieghbor sells Dish Network yet has Direct TV for his family, go figure???
boondocker i have three hd boxs in the bedroom, living room and basement, and only paid for one, the other two were free, and yes we can watch three different shows at once so i don't know where your coming from. ive had direct for ten years and the only complaint i would have is when you get storms you lose the picture for a while. the weird thing is with the storms is i'll lose the hd picture but not the regular analog picture unless it a wicked storm.
I am a technician and have worked for both. Often I ask people why they are changing when I switch people from one to the other. The typical response from people direct to dish is price, and dish to direct is problems.
Purely looking from the perspective of service calls. Approximately 80% of the work I get for dish network is trouble calls. Directv is probably closer to 20% service calls. Dish network has a lot of problems with their equipment (receivers and lnbs (the eye on the dish) going out). Directv has very little equipment failure.
Dish Nework also has many fittings and things to go wrong along the way. Lets compare a basic 2 room installation. Directv: 2 fittings at the dish, 2 cables coming down, 4 fittings in and out of the ground block, 2 fittings one at each receiver. That is 10 fittings and a ground block. Dish network: 1 fitting at the dish, 2 fittings ground block, 3 fittings diplexer one, 3 fittings diplexer 2, 3 fittings separator, 3 fittings receiver, 1 fitting tv 2. That is 16 fittings, a ground block, 2 diplexers, and a separator.
Service calls for directv are typically the result of a very poor installation. A wobbly dish, and corroded fittings where a tech left them with water running strait in are 2 very common service calls.
Many people changing from direct to dish say that direct cant get the billing strait, don't know if this is dishonesty on the salesman's behalf, or they really cant get it right.
Timo, not sure whats going on there, but it is probably in your best interest not to broadcast that.
The reason you lose your HD channels 1st is that the signal is not as strong on the satellites that provide them channels. If you have a 5 lnb kaku satellite dish it is centered on the 101, then skewed to center on the 119, this lines the 5 satellites up perfectly. If it isn't centered perfectly on the 101, then skewed perfectly on the 119, (or vice-versa, centered perfect, skewed imperfect) you won't line up perfectly. The 99 and 103 satellites are small and easy to miss or get a small piece of. If you have a 3 lmb kaku dish, your mast needs to be perfectly level, and the 101 needs to be perfectly centered, because there is no 119 to base the skew off of, need to skew it at what the book tells you to skew it at for you zip code.
Skidoodoug not available yet, but I think that I've heard direct is coming out with a single receiver that will control 4 rooms. But don't quote me there.
As far as High Def Picture, some people can be overly optimistic or pessimistic. I've had people tell me after I re-peak their dish that there picture is better as well as many other claims. People think something and your not going to convince them otherwise. It is not an analog signal that is being worked with, it is a digital signal. If your the signal from the satellite is weak, it will pixilate or go out. That gets you to the receiver. From the receiver to the tv there are 2 standard methods of connecting it, component cables or an HDMI cable. HDMI is the better of the 2 for quality, but I can hardly believe that unless you have about a 240 inch screen you would notice the difference. Directv supplies component cables or HDMI cables, Dish network does not you'll have to get them on your own.(most technicians will buy HDMI cables in bulk and have them for sale if you want them.) Directv provides up to a 1080p resolution, dish provides up to 1080i, and I believe most cable companies will provide up to 1080p.
My advice to people is to switch every 2 years, both give the new customer $ saving promotions, but do little in comparison for existing customers.
I am connected to people with retail licenses is for both dish and direct, make commission for sales, willing to split commissions with customers, and probably able to install either in my area.
Purely looking from the perspective of service calls. Approximately 80% of the work I get for dish network is trouble calls. Directv is probably closer to 20% service calls. Dish network has a lot of problems with their equipment (receivers and lnbs (the eye on the dish) going out). Directv has very little equipment failure.
Dish Nework also has many fittings and things to go wrong along the way. Lets compare a basic 2 room installation. Directv: 2 fittings at the dish, 2 cables coming down, 4 fittings in and out of the ground block, 2 fittings one at each receiver. That is 10 fittings and a ground block. Dish network: 1 fitting at the dish, 2 fittings ground block, 3 fittings diplexer one, 3 fittings diplexer 2, 3 fittings separator, 3 fittings receiver, 1 fitting tv 2. That is 16 fittings, a ground block, 2 diplexers, and a separator.
Service calls for directv are typically the result of a very poor installation. A wobbly dish, and corroded fittings where a tech left them with water running strait in are 2 very common service calls.
Many people changing from direct to dish say that direct cant get the billing strait, don't know if this is dishonesty on the salesman's behalf, or they really cant get it right.
Timo, not sure whats going on there, but it is probably in your best interest not to broadcast that.
The reason you lose your HD channels 1st is that the signal is not as strong on the satellites that provide them channels. If you have a 5 lnb kaku satellite dish it is centered on the 101, then skewed to center on the 119, this lines the 5 satellites up perfectly. If it isn't centered perfectly on the 101, then skewed perfectly on the 119, (or vice-versa, centered perfect, skewed imperfect) you won't line up perfectly. The 99 and 103 satellites are small and easy to miss or get a small piece of. If you have a 3 lmb kaku dish, your mast needs to be perfectly level, and the 101 needs to be perfectly centered, because there is no 119 to base the skew off of, need to skew it at what the book tells you to skew it at for you zip code.
Skidoodoug not available yet, but I think that I've heard direct is coming out with a single receiver that will control 4 rooms. But don't quote me there.
As far as High Def Picture, some people can be overly optimistic or pessimistic. I've had people tell me after I re-peak their dish that there picture is better as well as many other claims. People think something and your not going to convince them otherwise. It is not an analog signal that is being worked with, it is a digital signal. If your the signal from the satellite is weak, it will pixilate or go out. That gets you to the receiver. From the receiver to the tv there are 2 standard methods of connecting it, component cables or an HDMI cable. HDMI is the better of the 2 for quality, but I can hardly believe that unless you have about a 240 inch screen you would notice the difference. Directv supplies component cables or HDMI cables, Dish network does not you'll have to get them on your own.(most technicians will buy HDMI cables in bulk and have them for sale if you want them.) Directv provides up to a 1080p resolution, dish provides up to 1080i, and I believe most cable companies will provide up to 1080p.
My advice to people is to switch every 2 years, both give the new customer $ saving promotions, but do little in comparison for existing customers.
I am connected to people with retail licenses is for both dish and direct, make commission for sales, willing to split commissions with customers, and probably able to install either in my area.