Dish vs Directv

[BMW]

I wanted to get an additional DVR from Direct and didn't feel I should have to pay for it since I currently pay $120 per month. They lowered the price to $100,but I think that is BS. Anybody have Dish, how does it compare? How about this situation. Is there a better way to pursue a new DVR? Thanks
BMW

 

[j_garcia]

I don't think there is a ton of difference between them, but $120/month is a lot. At least as a new customer, you would get a discounted rate for at least a year.

One thing I know the Dish DVR can do that the DirecTV can't, is allow the use of an external hard disc via USB. Why do you need another DVR? How many simultaneous shows are you recording?

 

[adk highlander]

I would be very careful here and make sure to compare apples to apples. The channel selections that Dish offers on their base package is way less than direct so by the time you move up to equal them the prices come much closer.

Also make sure you have phone lines to each box if you want to not get extra charges from Dish. I have had both and even with the issues I have had with directv the reliability (in my area due to the angle of the dish being low on the horizon) of Dish was not as good.

To my understanding once you pay the $7 DVR fee you don't pay more for extra DVR's. You may need to buy the DVR but they don't charge twice the service fee for having two. To be at $120 you must also subscribe to several premium networks. If you are not under contract to keep them I would cancel them, wait a month then call back and see what kind of deal they will give you. If you have been a customer for more than 5 years they will offer you savings.

 

[bandphan]

IIRC Dish recently did away with the phone line charge to the second box.

 

[j_garcia]

I think you only have to step up to the second level to get the same channels as the basic DirecTV, at which point they are within a dollar or two.

I don't have a phone line in my living room so the dish guy installed a "through the wires" network junction to connect it.

 

[Exit]

I have had Dish network since the 1990's and I have allways had a high quality picture and sound. I have a basic package with Comedy Central, the History Channel etc. and a high definition package with about a dozen channels. I have one high definition receiver and one standard definition receiver. This is enough for the family to allways find something to watch. I am paying about $54 a month. I don't have any movie channel packages or anything else that costs extra.

 

[njedpx3]

DishNetwork Bigot

I wanted to get an additional DVR from Direct and didn't feel I should have to pay for it since I currently pay $120 per month. They lowered the price to $100,but I think that is BS. Anybody have Dish, how does it compare? How about this situation. Is there a better way to pursue a new DVR? Thanks
BMW

I am DishNetwork all the way.

I have two 722 VIPs at my house ( 625 at cabin). I have the america's top250 package, platinmn HD and local channels. I pay $107.62 a month. Each 722 also has an external 750 gig hard drive ( it was $30 one time toactivate) for additional DVR storage.

Do at the house I am driving two HD TVs and two standard TVs. Each 722 services one HD and one SD. It works very well and the price is right.

====
I couldn't stand the orginal Sony Vega picture at cabin so updated to 40"Sony Bravia 1080p and HD there also

Peace, Good Sound and Good Video,

Forest Man

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I have had both and hated both. Signal drop outs even if it was supposed to get cloudy.

I switched to U-Verse so I can hate a 3rd service.

 

[highfigh]

I wanted to get an additional DVR from Direct and didn't feel I should have to pay for it since I currently pay $120 per month. They lowered the price to $100,but I think that is BS. Anybody have Dish, how does it compare? How about this situation. Is there a better way to pursue a new DVR? Thanks
BMW

Threaten to leave. I do that periodically and then ask for any current promotions. They all want to add customers and usually don't give the place away to existing accounts but they will discount the price or do free channels, etc if they're not yelled at. Last time, I just said that if I can't lower the price, I'll have to go to Cable, U-Verse or Dish and that it's only TV- it's not a life altering event. As soon as they hear that they aren't needed, they usually fire up for something.

One reason they're both the same when it comes to the number of receivers is that once you go over 4, it needs a different multi-switch and possibly a different dish/LNBs. If you got free install and all kinds of free stuff, they eventually come close to making money on the equipment charges- at the monthly rate, they have an awful lot of equipment out there that hasn't been paid for. I recommend keeping up to date as much as possible on the equipment. If there's anything weird going on, I ask for replacements.

Beat them up on the price of additional equipment- I know of people who didn't pay the usual cost for receivers.

Last time I talked to anyone from Dish, I wanted to strangle someone.

 

[MatthewB.]

I have Directv, my folks have Dish and I hate their channel lineup and finding channels is almost impossible compared to Directv whose channels that are alike are bundled fairly close to each other. Even my dad hates Dish and he loves my Directv lineup better, but is too lazy to switch over.

 

[j_garcia]

I just got tired of Comcast and there is no Uverse or anything else in my area so Dish was it. The only thing that I've had an issue with so far is when I went to program my URC and even though it has Dish listed, none of the code sets work; I had to manually program everything.

 

[highfigh]

I forgot to mention that DirecTV just did a software update this morning (about 2AM CST) so the R22-(With HD)200 and some other receivers now can link to the DVR to view and/or delete shows. Both need to be connected to the LAN and it's in the Beat phase at the moment. I think they're going to try to charge for it but I don't know how many people will want to pay since U-Verse already has it at no charge.

 

[adk highlander]

I forgot to mention that DirecTV just did a software update this morning (about 2AM CST) so the R22-(With HD)200 and some other receivers now can link to the DVR to view and/or delete shows. Both need to be connected to the LAN and it's in the Beat phase at the moment. I think they're going to try to charge for it but I don't know how many people will want to pay since U-Verse already has it at no charge.

Oh cool. I will bring some extra cables home tomorrow and test it out.

Thanks.

 

[Shock]

In all honesty satellite TV and Cable TV providers should be drawn and quartered for the prices they charge for their services. The OP is paying 100 bucks a month to watch TV, I can't be the only one thinking that is ridiculous. We pay 74 dollars each month to get the highest tier of service that Bell Canada offers. Luckily for me it is split between 4 people. I wouldn't even consider paying that full price. When my satellite bill and my interent bill is more than my hydro and gas bill combined I feel like I want to cancel everything because I'm being bent over so badly.

We really have no one to blame but ourselves. We buy all of this expensive equipment and we want to run it to it's full potential. Sadly we can't even do that because no service provider even has 1080p HD content other than some movies.

All I want is Discovery, Space, The History Channel and Showcase. That's it......give me those 4 channels and take the other 100ish pieces of garbage and piss off please.

 

[highfigh]

Oh cool. I will bring some extra cables home tomorrow and test it out.

Thanks.

What kind of gear hound are you, anyway? Any self-respecting AV junkie would have them at home, in great quantity. For shame!

 

[adk highlander]

What kind of gear hound are you, anyway? Any self-respecting AV junkie would have them at home, in great quantity. For shame!

Its true. I keep all my cat5 tools at work. Dam I'm going to need a bigger router.

 

[highfigh]

Its true. I keep all my cat5 tools at work. Dam I'm going to need a bigger router.

Just get a switch- they're cheaper and there's no setup. Unless you get a rack-mounted Cisco. I have a couple of those- I think I'll play with one this week.

 

[sholling]

They have gone through an evolution over the years. 6 years ago Direct TV's CSRs were too ignorant to answer simple questions so I went with Dish. Then I fell into the mess of Dish's first HD DVR - what a piece of crap! They finally bought it back from me after a year of weekly outages, and I moved to Direct TV 3 years ago and have been much happier. Now I'm moving to FIOS TV this coming Friday and will look forward to a good signal in bad weather.

The one thing that Dish and Direct seemed to have in common was incompetent contract installers. Both had to send somebody back 3-5 times of times before they got it right.

 

[bandphan]

Its true. I keep all my cat5 tools at work. Dam I'm going to need a bigger router.

I keep mine there also, just so my neighbors will leave me be... BTW HUGE THANKS FOR THE CARE PACKAGE

 

[adk highlander]

Just get a switch- they're cheaper and there's no setup. Unless you get a rack-mounted Cisco. I have a couple of those- I think I'll play with one this week.

I have a spare Cisco here but configuring it is not part of my domain at work and I don't know if I want to deal with it. I'll get a new 8 port switch like your suggestion.

In the setup it looks like you may need to connect both RJ45 cables and choose one for STB functions and the other for Music. It was around 11:30 when I was looking at this last night so my head was not clear.

The one thing that Dish and Direct seemed to have in common was incompetent contract installers. Both had to send somebody back 3-5 times of times before they got it right.

You have no idea. The only time I did not actually do most of the work myself was during this last HD upgrade. I made them give me a swim switch due to the distance of my dish to the house and the fact it took the 3 times to get a "supervisor" installer.

I keep mine there also, just so my neighbors will leave me be... BTW HUGE THANKS FOR THE CARE PACKAGE

I'm glad you like the stuff. Thank you for all the help.