Dish Network or Direct TV?
Quick question:
The area where we are moving only provides one local cable company, one that I think totally sucks (Insight). I’m most likely going to go with either Dish or Direct TV with Sprint as my high speed/phone provider (my only choice for high speed Internet, sadly) and I was curious if you folks had any experience with either and if so — what’s the perferred choice? (And yes, I’ll be using HD.) Any customer suppoprt horror stories or anything I should know before signing up?
March 21st, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Bill -
I was a Dish subscriber for 4 years before making the switch to DirecTV and i couldn’t be happier. While everyone will have their own stories to tell. I had nothing but problems with Dish and they also lies a few times.
First way back when, they told me (remember this is a long time ago) that they would also be getting a Sunday ticket package in a year. Lie #1.
We constantly lost our signals with them, while we never lost our singal in the same location with DTV. While you might chalk that up to a misaligned dish, then chalk up back support because they sent someone out a dozen times to fix the issue.
The straw for me was after a few months of billing snafus, i called them to say I was thinking of switching to DTV. Because i wanted the Sunday ticket, plus the issue mentioend above. The customer retention person told me that and I quote “Well we are buying out DTV as we’re more succesful and then you’ll be forced to switch back to us and we won’t give you the equipment for free”
At that moment I canceled and went to DTV. I have enjoyed sunday ticket, better customer service, Tivo built into my receivers (not some crappy knock off DVR, nothing is as good as Tivo IMO).
So color me one in the DTV camp, as Dish offers nothing exclusive I know of, but even if they had a 24 Jessica alba nude channel I wouldn’t switch back I’d just find the bit torrents
March 21st, 2006 at 1:00 pm
go with DTV…sunday ticket, tivo, great customer support…i complained to them about a mess up on my bill and they knocked off 15 bucks for 6 mths…
My bro has their HD and it lags behind cable…I dont think they have a DVR yet that can record local channels…that’s if u can get them in your area…but supposely their HD will be top notch by the end of the year
March 21st, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Another vote for DirecTV here.
I’ve used them for about 5yrs now and couldn’t be happier.
I have 4 total receivers, all “advanced technology” types too:
HD Tivo
SD Tivo
HD receiver (an older one)
HD mpeg4 receiver (to get my local HD channels through them, although I have an antenna still for my other 2 HD receivers)
Sunday ticket is fantastic, especially with so many games being in HD.
However, while Tivo is the best DVR anywhere IMO (and I have two ReplayTV’s and have done the cable DVR thing at my inlaw’s), Tivo was purchased by Comcast and DirecTV now has their own brand of DVR without the Tivo software
They are still supporting Tivo hardware being used, but new subs are being leased Tivo branded DVR’s (which, I hear, are not nearly as slick as Tivo… but still not as bad as cable company DVR’s, probably on par with Dish’s DVR offering).
I don’t have any experience with Dish, but before you decide on one or the other, do some research in the HDTV hardware section of the forum at avsforum.com (hint when surfing there: D* = DirecTV, E* = Echostar/Dish Network)
Things to consider:
1. Can you get your local digital/HD networks OTA, for free, with an antenna? If so, that makes things easier since DirecTV or Dish might not have them available through their system (yet) for your area (not likely).
2. Are you interested in recording in HD? I can tell you from having one for a year (HD Tivo that is), that it’s a truely killer app. for watching TV. Sure, I’ve had DVR’s for 5-6yrs now, and have loved them, but once I got my first HDTV in 2000 I was never able to record my favorite shows in HD and would still be a slave to programming schedules (tough with two little ones) if I wanted to watch in HD… otherwise I had to watch it recorded on a smaller SDTV.
That said, Dish has a HD DVR available right now. DirecTV, not really. HD Tivo’s are being phased out as they clear out their inventory and DirecTV’s HD DVR won’t be available until later this year.
3. Programming and pricing is largely similar on both, except for NFL Sunday Ticket which is a D* exclusive.
4. Customer support. DirecTV is outstanding, I can’t say a bad thing about them. I’ve moved 3x in the past 2yrs (STL to Tampa to Houston back to STL) and each time DirecTV installed a new dish for me, no charge (I just had to re-up my 1yr contract, no biggy).
March 21st, 2006 at 2:28 pm
DirecTV all the way Bill. Good deal!
March 21st, 2006 at 8:06 pm
As a stockholder of TIVO I can tell you no one has bought out the company.
DTV no longer sells Tivo units. You’ll be stuck with their crap DVR.
March 21st, 2006 at 8:14 pm
NFL Sunday Ticket
‘nough said!
March 21st, 2006 at 10:36 pm
Guys I was under the impression that DTV didn’t sell Tivo receivers any longer either. But my friend just purchased a Tivo HD receiver from DTV two weeks ago.
I thought maybe it was branded and not really Tivo, but when I went to his place it is in fact the same Tivo HD I have.
Perhaps something has changed recently?
March 21st, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Just did some quick research. The agreement ends in early 2007, so there’s still time to enjoy Tivo with DTV.
March 21st, 2006 at 11:43 pm
So, you guys are saying that in 2007 the 2 lifetime subscription tivo boxes that I have will not work at all w/ DTV? That’s a really, really big deal for me.
March 22nd, 2006 at 10:14 am
Tivo the company wasn’t purchased by Comcast (although Murdoch/D* tried). Comcast bought the exclusive marketing contract (guess I should have specified). The contract that Tivo has with DirecTV which expires in 2007 is for marketing the Tivo. Service and support for existing DirecTivo’s is likely to continue beyond that. I believe they have a seperate service contract that goes into 2009 (or so I read).
Yes, there is still time to enjoy Tivo with DirecTV (aka DirecTivo), but DirecTV will have to replace all of this installed hardware when they no longer support the guide data sometime in ‘09 or after (which is why they are making it more difficult or less attractive to acquire the remaining inventory).
Last summer, I was able to get my HD Tivo for a net $0 after using a Best Buy coupon, rebate, D* service credits and free D* programming when I activated it.
Now, you have to pay a few hundred for the HD Tivo, and even then you don’t even own it, it’s leased, (as of March 1st, all D* receivers are leased, even if you “bought” it at the store or on eBay, when it gets activated, it’s leased).
Bill - you say you have 2 lifetime subscription Tivo boxes? That has nothing to do with DirecTV. Those are standalone units, which should work fine for as long as they still chug along. The DirecTivo units are a different animal as they are D* receivers AND DVR’s built together (no cables, no digital to analog to digital conversion). Your existing units will work fine, in fact they have a Series 3 Tivo in the works for the standalone customers.
If you guys want to learn more about this stuff, I’d suggest this forum:
http://www.tivocommunity.com
March 22nd, 2006 at 1:56 pm
good stuff, jon, thanks man