4DTV vs DirecTV Review & Comparison

[tvropro]

As some of you know. I joined the small dish crowd about 4 months ago. I want to write up an honest review here on the pro's and con's of both. This may help ones looking for options make there decision as the c band 4DTV master subs go away in the next couple months, and W5 is only left. I only have SD with Direct so I will only compare that to the 4DTV.

Picture Quality:

4DTV:
The masters are absolutely the best quality out there. It wins hands down and blows Direct out of the water.

W5 on the other hand and Direct are a close race depending on the channel selected.

DirecTV:
Can look soft and shows digital artifacts, they are not giving enough bandwidth to each channel. Although Direct blows the old G3 NPS channels away.

Reception Issues:

4DTV:
none

DirecTV:
Rainfade can be a problem. especially if you run with Direct's stock setup. When a strong cell one that usually produces red on the radar gets between you and your dish. it will go out. It can last sometimes up to 20-30 minutes. We had some bad storms this summer and it reared its ugly head multiple times. I upgraded my stock 18" setup to use my 90cm Primestar dish. This did help and keeps the signal going during the storm where it would be lost on a stock setup. Although a cloud full of mosture even kills my 90cm, it usually returns after some of that mosture is expelled and can be pouring heavy. If you have HD your forced into a Slimline dish with 3 LNB's (2 for HD on ka band) This may help over the 18" a bit on SD but still IMO don't have the gain needed. Talking of HD since they are on Ka band they will go out sooner and the outage will last longer then the ku SD channels. The rainfade issue is probably my biggest beef with Direct. They make a 1.2 meter dish for Alaska & Hawaii that works with HD birds. If your looking into HD and want the most constant reception during rain this is probably the best way to go. If you live in a rain belt like Florida c band is still your best bet.

Channels:

4DTV:
Loosing channels quite a bit, should level off after Jan 1 with W5 only remaining. This is the biggest blow to why c band subscription is where it is at. People want there MTV so to speak and the 4D cannot currently supply them to us as a subscription. If you like movies you can buy alacarte even on W5 and still get more HBO/Cinemax offerings that Direct offers. 4DTV also offer nitch music channels that are in the MTV suite and no one else offers all of them.

DirecTV:
You can get all the popular cable networks with Direct although there are some nitch channels especially music channels they don't provide. Like CMT Pure and MTV Hits etc. If you like those channels only the 4DTV (and they are on W5 too) offer those.

Pricing:

4DTV:
Competitive, no contacts pay as you go.

DirecTV:
Contract for 2 years. $20.00 a month for remaining months left if you want out early.
Pricing for first year you can get a good deal after that the prices skyrocket and if you can't afford that current package you have to downgrade to save. So while it works out for year one year two can be a shocker which you have to deal with one way or another.

Final thoughts:
While IMO nothing beats C band. We are faced with the decision if we want those cable channels we may have to go to the dark side so to speak. I don't regret my decision (yet) It is nice to turn on a channel I want and enjoy my favorite shows. But I love my c band and nothing will ever replace it. It makes me sad to see what happened to the 4DTV. I applaud SRL and Skyvision for trying to keep things going and hope that somehow there will be some kind of resurgence for c band subscription in the future. I would be the first one to gobble up a new receiver and dump pizza tomorrow.

 

[pendragon]

Format:

4DTV:

SD (essentially limited by legacy to a standard released in 1941)

DirecTV:

SD and HD (essentially limited by legacy to a standard released in 1997)


I will make no apologies regarding the quality of HD offered by DirecTV and Dish Network. It could be much better, but for those without lightly compressed fibre in the United States, it's the most readily available HD game in town. Shaw Direct at the moment supplies the best HD quality of the satellite providers.

Some have argued here that lightly compressed SD looks better than heavily compressed HD. I presented an earlier thread that directly compared these formats and contradicted that assertion. Regardless, almost all movies made since the early 1950s and most television shows produced today are shot in a 16:9 or wider aspect ratio. Distorting a 4:3 SD image onto a 16:9 screen is not a very appealing option for many of us, and for me the compelling reason why 4DTV ceased being an option.

 

[Corrado]

For me part of the C band or 4DTV appeal is being a hobbyist and just being off the grid and being different. Searching out new and unknown signals from space. I just cannot see the enthusiasm others have for services like DirecTV or Dish. I just don't get it, let alone belonging to a forum devoted to them. To have that I might just as well have cable, pay the money and sit down and watch what's on and it would end there.

But that's not everyone's cup of tea. I want the care and feeding that goes along with it. For the masses it's only TV, turn it on, find your program and watch it. Not to worry if it will be there tomorrow or ever again.

I'll have a big dish out in the yard and the off air antenna until every last signal goes fiber.

 

[truckracer]

Agreed

 

[tvropro]

My bud will never go away. I enjoy watching the masters. I will eventually upgrade to S2 and get a commercial DC2 that does combo and maybe more. The Hobby will always be there. DirecTV is just something to fill the hole left by the destruction of C band subscription channels by NPS. I chose Direct over Dish since they had the programming I wanted in the package I wanted. And have been disgusted with Charlie Ergan since the days of Superstar Netlink and Turnervision. (AKA YSP)

Years ago before I got my 4DTV I actually signed up with YSP to upgrade to Dish Network. Dish never came out to install and I paid $240.00 up front for the promotion they had going on. They wanted to reschedule my install for 3 weeks down the road. I told them no and I wanted my money back. It took me 3 months to get that back fighting with Dish Network and finally had my bank go after them. Dish Network had no intentions of refunding my money. Charlie had a chance with me and blew it. Right then I saw Dish Network's true colors. I was very skeptical when I signed with Direct. But from install to this day everything has gone smoothly so they are the better company. Plus there is no Disney and Fox disputes going on all those channels work fine

 

[Corrado]

Back on topic...

DirecTV must be doing something right. In my area, the only new satellite installs I ever notice are theirs. New Slimlines popup all over. I can't remember the last time I noticed a new Dish install locally. Of the two I can think of over the last few years, now have DirecTV dishes in their place. The rest are just faded old Dish 500s and obsolete Superdishes.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

I've been considering subbing to DTV since I'd like to see NHL action again. But, I'm a cheap you-know-what and will probably wait until next year to make a decision (if ever). TV has just gotten too expensive for what it has to offer. One would think that prices would come down with unemployment still at 9.6%. Not to mention being forced to watch commercials that are embedded in the programming along with the persistent network logo and, of course, contracts. I think I'll stay with FTA, 4DTV, and Netflix. I know, Netflix costs money but I usually don't have to watch a bunch of commercials (too bad I can't skip the FBI warning also) - sometimes I get a DVD where you can't skip the previews (Grrrrrrr!). There's always some kind of annoyance......

 

[eurosport]

Format:

4DTV:

SD (essentially limited by legacy to a standard released in 1941)

Digicipher II was around in 1941?

 

[tvropro]

Digicipher II was around in 1941?

I'm sure he meant that is when NTSC was introduced. Myself I see nothing wrong with an excellent SD signal. I don't care that it's 4x3 vs 16.9. If the picture is sharp clear and free of analog noise, ghosts or digital artifacts it's great in my book.. A 4x3 aspect ratio I can live with if it's good.

 

[highskies]

Myself I see nothing wrong with an excellent SD signal.

Good thing there's still hundreds of excellent SD signals on DVB, because it doesn't look like there's going to be very many of them via 4dtv anymore. I'm somewhat old school. I still use a Faroudja LD100, lol, with my front projector. For the most part, the pic via master feeds, both 4dtv and dvb, are killer. I rarely watch anything HD even tho I have a 1030 card in my pc. If I had a stb that did both S1 and S2 HD, perhaps I would then change my viewing habits. But as of now, excellent SD still looks pretty killer to me for the most part. What I hate most about MOT no longer sending the 4dtv data stream is all of those masters I won't have access to anymore. At one point in time I was spending about a hundred bucks a month for programming via the 4dtv. After Obama took office, all of that changed.

 

[tvropro]

Good thing there's still hundreds of excellent SD signals on DVB, because it doesn't look like there's going to be very many of them via 4dtv anymore. I'm somewhat old school. I still use a Faroudja LD100, lol, with my front projector. For the most part, the pic via master feeds, both 4dtv and dvb, are killer. I rarely watch anything HD even tho I have a 1030 card in my pc. If I had a stb that did both S1 and S2 HD, perhaps I would then change my viewing habits. But as of now, excellent SD still looks pretty killer to me for the most part. What I hate most about MOT no longer sending the 4dtv data stream is all of those masters I won't have access to anymore. At one point in time I was spending about a hundred bucks a month for programming via the 4dtv. After Obama took office, all of that changed.

This is true we still can get some very nice SD DVB master signals. I don't fire up the Visionsat as much as I should but when I do I get floored by the excellent picture quality. I use component out to my HDTV and run in Smart Stretch mode. It fills the screen and looks excellent.

I used the PVR function earlier this year on the Visionsat and recorded a movie off a SD master (PowerVu) feed that was ITC and burned it to a DVD, it turned out excellent. We had some good openings this summer of PowerVu masters when Zombiesat was passing too.

The 4DTV with the masters were tops always. At least we should still be able to catch them when running ZK or FP if we don't do a MR. They will all still work either using what is mapped in or using a generic after 12/31. If Skyvision /SRL can't persuade Comcast to add certain FTA channels and generics to the map downloads when converting to W5 they will probably loose quite a few subscribers. I want to support what is left on the 4D after 12/31 but if it comes between having the generics or not I will go with running my current maps and forgo subbing at least with my current 922.

I thought about picking up a second 4D or 410 for subbing and that is an option. But right now I'm married to Direct till summer of 2012. I'm going to downgrade once my come on year is up, since close to $70.00 a month for subscription tv that I don't watch 80% is foolish. I'm toying with adding something back on W5 then. If I can pick up a second 4D for a song. (I'm sure there will be plenty out there from the NPS DN converts) I may go that route. I miss the old days when the Bud was king and we got everything alacarte on the VC-2. IMO tv viewing with that quality and choice can't get no better.