Thread: Which is the technology leader, Dish or DirecTV?

I see post from a number of people that say that Dish is the technology leader,. how their STB's are leading edge, etc. So I started thinking a bit and going over what DirecTV has added to their STB's since 1/1/2007 and just wondering what Dish has done with theirs in that same time frame. Please don't turn this into whos STB better or what you like/don't like about them, just which company is expaning the functionality/features of their STB's

Below is what I remember being done since 1/1/2007. All of these are available to the public via either the national release code or a public beta. This does not include a few nice additions that are going on in the CE process now that can't be discussed outside the CE forums as per the rules, I will say one is something that many people have requested as a very high reqirement to be added.

- External hard drive support (yes I know not as nice as Dish but does allow for expansion)
- DirecTV on Demand
- Media Share for streaming content from PC's on ethernet network
- DirecTV2PC for viewing recording content from HR2X/R22 DVR's to network attached PC
- The Weather Channels Locals on the 8's feature
- PPV purchases reported via network connection, elminiate phone line requirement
- Remote DVR scheduleing via internet
- 1080p/24 support
- Quicktune (rolling out now to HR2X/R22 DVR's)

All these are things added to existing STB's, not new STB's and none require additional fees (except PPV's content available on DirecTV on Demand).

So Dish users can you list what new feartures Dish has added to their STB's during this same time so we can see which company is or isn't the technology leaded?

I have both, it's like trying to compare a Ford F-150 XLT with a Chevy C10 Silverado... both have advantages and disadvantages...

Originally Posted by dfergie

I have both, it's like trying to compare a Ford F-150 XLT with a Chevy C10 Silverado... both have advantages and disadvantages...

Don, I agree with what you've said. Guess what I'm bringing up to try to find out is what has each company done over the past two years, technology wise, with their hardware/software to add new features. I know DirecTV has added a lot of new stuff, trying to find out what Dish/Echostar has added to theirs over the past two years to show they are a leader.

Dish.
I think it has a lot of nice features that work flawless. And Quite fankly I don't think Dish has had to add anything to their DVRs. D* may have added some stuff, But I honestly don't think these HR or R receiver function very well at all. They are Slow, and Buggy.

Originally Posted by Hemi 6.1

Dish.
I think it has a lot of nice features that work flawless. And Quite fankly I don't think Dish has had to add anything to their DVRs. D* may have added some stuff, But I honestly don't think these HR or R receiver function very well at all. They are Slow, and Buggy.

Hemi, not the question being asked in this thread, it's who is the technology leader, who's added new functions/featuers to their STB's.

Sorry I guess ,my Idea and your Idea of a Technology leader are different. Oh Well. You base your Leader on who has more flash, I base my leader on what works fantastic without weekly CE update to Try and perfect something that should have been perfect about 2 years ago. But Only My Opinion.

Not being familiar with Dish, I cannot honestly vote. From what I have read and researched I have no problem believing Dish is better and leads Direct in this realm. The fact that Direct is always upgrading their recievers tells me they are improving, but also tells me they NEED to do something. With Dish, it is probably more of, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

One thing for certain, Direct is not as bad as many, especially those Dish subs whom have never had Direct, often lead us to believe. Direct's DVR's are not bad at all. In fact when compared to TiVO, I would rank my HR20 way above it.

Originally Posted by Hemi 6.1

Sorry I guess ,my Idea and your Idea of a Technology leader are different. Oh Well. You base your Leader on who has more flash, I base my leader on what works fantastic without weekly CE update to Try and perfect something that should have been perfect about 2 years ago. But Only My Opinion.

OK, so your take is that you are happy with just something that works but doesn't get any new functions. OK, that's fine but that's not the question, who's added what to their products that would allow someone to say they're the technology leader. You don't need to be the technology leaded to come out with a product that works today the same as it did two years ago when it came out, that's just you built a reliable product.

And while I was trying to keep away from the my STB is better then your's (really not the subject of this thread) you can find probably just as many posts from E* customers that have problems with their STB's as D*. Yep you find folks saying they've had multiple replacments of HR2X's, you can find the same for 622 users. You had problems when you were a D* customer, I had problems with E* hardware when I was their customer. So what does that prove, just that neither is perfect.

Sounds good. Keeping in mind you chose to put this topic in the War Zone ,So you started the whole mine better then yours topic. And if everytime someone posts their thoughts on their own Technology leader ,you could refrain from always trying to convince them they are wrong. That would be a good start.
As I said , 1 company comes out with more Bling,and Flash That makes them better? I never said E* didn't have problems ,
But when I want to Autotune, or,record OTA and 2 Satellite,while Dowloading a VOD at the same time, While Changing my service,paying my bill,Viewing my Statement. right through my receiver I can. without Huge Drama, of a receiver completely over worked.

External Harddrive a Joke with D* end of story

I can use any 2.0 with E* and use it on any E* DVR receiver in the house and just about any computer if I wish.

Weather on the 8's is a Joke with D* because my Zip Has to be typed in EVERYTIME otherwise I get local on the 8's in California, and by the time my Zip has Processed the local on the 8's are over.
E* Press a button ,and it has instant local weather ,Right from the weather channel. Plus CNN interactive,and TVGuide Interactive.

Game lounge, More Bugs, If you can log in your lucky,If you do log in better hope caller ID is disabled. If not your done. Then their is still a high risk of freeze ups for no reason at all. My kids don't even want to play this thing.

I don't care what Features you have if they don't work properly then whats the point.