DISH or DirectTV???

**8ohms** · 12-16-2004 02:40 PM

I have a DISH system, HD 811 & 522, but I would like to know the honest opinion of everybody in this forum who switched from DISH to DirectTV who they think offer the better service, programs, HD channels and equipment.

Thk

**boba** · 12-16-2004 03:29 PM

Directv leaves DISH in the dust for receiver reliability. You are leasing two of the biggest pieces of junk dish has produced, if you like them you will LOVE Directv. But you have to buy Directv equipment instead of leasing it, this you may not like.

**Neutron** · 12-16-2004 04:31 PM

Directv has a very good roadmap for their future HD vision. They also have announced the capability of local HD channels. DISH doesn't want to have any part of it.

**MacKenzieIII** · 12-16-2004 05:05 PM

How about some comments about the cost of moving to D* and getting HD. I currently have DISH with a 811 and 311 with AT 120 and the HD pack. I am pretty sure I can get all the same channels that DISH has in HD on D* plus some. My locals come from LA so I should qualify for any HD locals D* has.

But what would the move cost me? DISH was nice enough to give me all the hardware. What would hardware cost me from D* and what would my monthy bill be?

**charper1** · 12-16-2004 06:30 PM

If you have never had D* before AND YOU ACT FAST, you should be able to get a 3 or 4 room setup for free. Add $299 for an HD receiver, or maybe lower if you get you HD receiver of of ebay. If you do that, make sure to add the HD unit after you get your promo deal done, maybe about 3 days later. Ask if the NFL Sunday Ticket and HD promos are still running.

**hdtvtechno** · 12-16-2004 10:47 PM

just a reminder the 6 months free hd channel package deal ends on 12/31/2004

**8ohms** · 12-17-2004 07:24 AM

Plenty of people here with lots of good advice. However I am looking for comment directly from subscribers to DISH now with DirectTV to find out if they're really happy with the switch. Also! Just a few days ago Comcast installed new cables to deliver digital cable/HD to my area. Are their system/package better than satellite?

**billbillw** · 12-17-2004 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by 8ohms

Plenty of people here with lots of good advice. However I am looking for comment directly from subscribers to DISH now with DirectTV to find out if they're really happy with the switch. Also! Just a few days ago Comcast installed new cables to deliver digital cable/HD to my area. Are their system/package better than satellite?

If your Comcast is anything like mine (Atlanta area), the quality is poor the lower channels (2-78), which are still analog. The Comcast HD box won't get OTA like a DirecTV or Dish HD reciever. The problem in Atl area is Comcast doesn't carry ABC, PBS, or UPN in HD. I get them all of my locals in digital OTA and its great. There are two good things about Comcast though. 1st is they offer the HD/DVR box for $10 month, which is much cheaper than D*'s HD-Tivo box for $800+. Comcast also has (or is adding) video-on-demand in most areas. Its nice to be able to watch Premium (HBO/Show) movies and series at your leisure. As far as the poor quality analog stations, there are rumors that they will be switching to all digital sometime in the next year, but its just a rumor.

**rad** · 12-17-2004 11:13 AM

OK, here's my comments. I was a D* customer that went to E* when D* didn't have Showtime-HD, E* did and said they were the HD leader, and since they did have more HD then D* I switched.

The first thing I noticed was the user interface on the 6000, after having a Mits HR400 STB was like going from a Playstation 2 to an Atari 2600. On D* I had a full program guide, include my local OTA digital stations, on E* all it said was local digital. I took E* at it's word that they would be adding the OpenTV interface to the 6K, hell the box even had the Open TV logo on the back of it. That was my first taste of E* saying on thing and doing another.

While on E*, the HD leader, D* added HDNet, then HDNet and ESPN-HD, E* added WCBS/KCBS-DT feeds, but my local CBS station was HD so that really didn't matter. But wait, E*'s coming out with SuperDish late 2003 and 105 would allow us to do up to 50 channels of HD.

When the 811 came out I looked over it's feature list and purchased one right way. IMHO it was a POS (purchased 12/2003), constant hangs, OTA NTSC channels looked like hell, ATSC stations that my 6K could receive the 811 wouldn't (49% bug). Even the 'unlimited' number of favorites didn't work and the channel recall button didn't work between DBS channels and OTA. The E* on a CC said no new HD, no compelling content and 105 started to fill up with LIL's.

So I went back to D*, the main reason being the reliability of their hardware/software. When I turn on the TV to watch a show I don't want to have to reset the STB, run check switches, remember to not leave it on a OTA station because if you did then hit the guide button you sit for a number of minutes waiting for an update. Since going back I've had the HNS E86, no problems, a Sony HD300 (got it for the DVI output and it was $299), the software it came with hung three times, but no more hangs since a software upgrade. I've had the DirecTV HR10-250 since May and not once have I had to reset it our watch it reboot on its own. It's recorded every show that I've asked it to and it's not lost any recordings. All the D* HD boxes have the channel guide for all OTA stations and I don't have to pay for a LIL package to get the guide on the HR10-250 (unlike the 921). I also have to standard def D* Tivo's, one that I've upgraded with a 160GB harddrive and I've had no problems with them.

As for programming, like all HD customer I'd wish they'd add more. We're all keeping our fingers crossed that as soon as NFL Sunday Ticket ends that we'll be seeing more channels. We know they can do it since they've done 4 or 5 simultanious NFL-ST games in HD so they have the bandwidth.

As for customer service, no problems any times that I've had to call in.

I will say there are some things that I miss from E*, like RF remotes on their high end hardware (why doesn't the HR10-250 have it) and caller ID. E* hardware does tend to try to be leading edge, like the 522, but based on what I've seen they can't carry through on their implementation and end up with way too many bugs for a consumer product. Given enough time they'll eventually get it working by I don't think that their customers should be a substution for a beta test program.

IMHO, D* is a much better company then E*. They tend to deliver on what they say (where's the firewall on the 921 that E* advertised as a feature), if you can switch I would, you'll be much happer.

**slacker9876** · 12-17-2004 11:27 AM

I also was with D*, switched to E* for the PVR (501) that D* did not have and the "future" of HD. I could not stand the hardware I used with E*, I longed for the features and functionallity of my D* receivers.

Once my 1-year commitment to E* expired, D* had UltimateTV from Microsoft. I switched and was very happy with the hardware available form D* as I knew I would be. I now have 4 total DVR's on my account, including the HR10-250.

HR10-250: Very expensive, however, it is currently the ONLY HD DVR on the market that will do what it does. 2 SAT feeds, 2 OTA feeds and one heck of a great GUI ... TiVo. I will never go back to Dish.