About to jump from DTV to Dish - questions

[gti5notrkt]

Been a DTV customer for 20+yrs but the time has come to explore another option since the ATT takeover has jacked up the price considerably and they are not willing to 'deal' on the monthly cost. My requirements are;

DVR
5 total TVs
240+ channel package
Multisport add-on
Fox Soccer package
Ability to watch remote (currently use an M2 Slingbox on a DTV mini-Genie)
Note: No need for 4k

Dish rough quoted me $132/mo + taxes which is $43/mo cheaper than DTV. My concern is regarding usability and performance compared to DTV since I would be locked into a 2-yr contract.

Specific Q's;

How does the picture quality compare to DTV?
What's the stability/performance of the Hopper3?
What's the stability/performance of Dish Anywhere?
Can I watch 100% of what's on my DVR through Dish Anywhere or is it subject to restrictions (like recorded sports)?
Any notable issues with the Joey (wired version since my house has RG6 to all rooms)?
Is Dish any more/less sensitive to signal fade vs. DTV?
Is technical support responsive? How long to get a service appointment if I have an outage?
What happens after the 2yr contact price 'freeze' does the cost go way up? Can a better rate be negotiated at that time?
What's the Dish Anywhere app like on a Samsung Smart TV, Firestick, Roku?

Thanks,
Jon.

 

[dare2be]

Been a DTV customer for 20+yrs but the time has come to explore another option since the ATT takeover has jacked up the price considerably and they are not willing to 'deal' on the monthly cost. My requirements are;

DVR
5 total TVs
240+ channel package
Multisport add-on
Fox Soccer package
Ability to watch remote (currently use an M2 Slingbox on a DTV mini-Genie)
Note: No need for 4k

Dish rough quoted me $132/mo + taxes which is $43/mo cheaper than DTV. My concern is regarding usability and performance compared to DTV since I would be locked into a 2-yr contract.

Specific Q's;

How does the picture quality compare to DTV?
What's the stability/performance of the Hopper3?
What's the stability/performance of Dish Anywhere?
Can I watch 100% of what's on my DVR through Dish Anywhere or is it subject to restrictions (like recorded sports)?
Any notable issues with the Joey (wired version since my house has RG6 to all rooms)?
Is Dish any more/less sensitive to signal fade vs. DTV?
Is technical support responsive? How long to get a service appointment if I have an outage?
What happens after the 2yr contact price 'freeze' does the cost go way up? Can a better rate be negotiated at that time?
What's the Dish Anywhere app like on a Samsung Smart TV, Firestick, Roku?

Thanks,
Jon.

Dish Anywhere website is a mess right now with the latest Hopper software update, but it has been reported that the app is more stable and reliable than the website.
Signal fade should be the same or better with Dish
SD picture quality is much better with Dish, and there have been various reports of HD quality differences, with the general consensus being that the quality is about the same to slightly worse.

I'll leave the rest to others to answer. If you want a referral code to save more money off your bill, PM one of us.

 

[navychop]

I have no problems now using the DA app on my iPhone 6+. Skip ahead is slower than on the Hopper itself, but that’s about it.

 

[Fiveft20in]

How does the picture quality compare to DTV?

This question is hotly debated here and elsewhere but, honestly, I have never been able to distinguish a difference in PQ.

What's the stability/performance of the Hopper3?

Hopper 3 is an awesome product. Occasionally (but rarely), I run into an issue that requires a red button reset, but then all is well with the world.

Can I watch 100% of what's on my DVR through Dish Anywhere or is it subject to restrictions (like recorded sports)?

I don't use Dish Anywhere a lot, but I've never run anything I couldn't watch.

Any notable issues with the Joey (wired version since my house has RG6 to all rooms)?

I have wired Joeys in two rooms. No issues whatsoever.

Is Dish any more/less sensitive to signal fade vs. DTV?

I think they are identical.

How does the picture quality compare to DTV?
Is technical support responsive? How long to get a service appointment if I have an outage?

I have had Dish for a little over 13 years now and have never had to request a service call.

What happens after the 2yr contact price 'freeze' does the cost go way up? Can a better rate be negotiated at that time?

You can go to the website and check current rates to see if they are significantly higher than any promotional rate you may be getting. Although you may be successful at negotiating a better rate after your contract is up, I wouldn't count on it.

 

[HipKat]

As far as signal fade, most is from Weather and the dish has less to do with it than how well it's pointed/peaked. Direct's is a larger antenna which is supposed to help with rain fade, but when I had DTV, I'd loose signal if it cloudy in the next state - before I was a Dish Tech, so I didn't know anything other than DTV sucks. If a tech takes the extra few minutes to peak it in as best as he can. both should do well in weather

 

[ncted]

Been a DTV customer for 20+yrs but the time has come to explore another option since the ATT takeover has jacked up the price considerably and they are not willing to 'deal' on the monthly cost. My requirements are;

DVR
5 total TVs
240+ channel package
Multisport add-on
Fox Soccer package
Ability to watch remote (currently use an M2 Slingbox on a DTV mini-Genie)
Note: No need for 4k

Dish rough quoted me $132/mo + taxes which is $43/mo cheaper than DTV. My concern is regarding usability and performance compared to DTV since I would be locked into a 2-yr contract.

Specific Q's;

How does the picture quality compare to DTV?
What's the stability/performance of the Hopper3?
What's the stability/performance of Dish Anywhere?
Can I watch 100% of what's on my DVR through Dish Anywhere or is it subject to restrictions (like recorded sports)?
Any notable issues with the Joey (wired version since my house has RG6 to all rooms)?
Is Dish any more/less sensitive to signal fade vs. DTV?
Is technical support responsive? How long to get a service appointment if I have an outage?
What happens after the 2yr contact price 'freeze' does the cost go way up? Can a better rate be negotiated at that time?
What's the Dish Anywhere app like on a Samsung Smart TV, Firestick, Roku?

Thanks,
Jon.

-Similar Picture Quality, although some prefer DirecTV in this regard.
-My Hopper3 has been very reliable and performant compared to the HR54 I had previously.
-DA is a bit of a mixed bag. My wife uses it reliably to download content to watch on her phone almost daily. Watching Live TV or Recorded content streamed over the Internet it hit or miss for us. Sometimes it is great, and sometimes it sucks.
-Yes.
-I have Joey 2.0s, and they are way better than the C61k I had previously, but still could be better. Try to get the Joey 3s.
-I have less signal loss on Dish than DirecTV Ku >> Ka
-About the same in my experience.
-The cost goes up. Dish will deal though. Of course, I found DirecTV would as well.
-The DA app is only available on the Firestick. It is ... ok.

 

[pattykay]

What happens after the 2yr contact price 'freeze' does the cost go way up? Can a better rate be negotiated at that time?

Yes, it is called the Preferred Customer Offer. (formerly known as the Renewal Offer) Many of us on here have gotten that deal. It provides discounts toward your programming package and a price freeze for two additional years. You may also be able to get a discount on the DVR fee to match what Dish is offering new subscribers at that time.

 

[Jackonearth]

Dish and Directv are both horrible. What you want is Comcast, make sure you ask for the X1 DVR. It's truly unbelievable (you won't believe it's a DVR). If you don't live in a Comcast market, you'll want to move just for the X1 experience (experience being the only word you'd want to use that isn't an expletive). You'll love the X1 voice remote, especially if your first language is Klingon and you never use the skip back button (it ran away). If you're a TV addict, the X1's massive 500GB hard drive will make sure you go cold turkey. But if you can't handle the expletive... I mean experience. Then I think you'll like Dish, just make sure you ask for the Hopper 3, if they say you don't need the Hopper 3, threaten to go with Comcast (try not to laugh).

 

[dare2be]

Yes, it is called the Preferred Customer Offer. (formerly known as the Renewal Offer) Many of us on here have gotten that deal. It provides discounts toward your programming package and a price freeze for two additional years. You may also be able to get a discount on the DVR fee to match what Dish is offering new subscribers at that time.

That's two years out from when he would have his original agreement expire. No one knows what kind of offers would be available by then.

 

[ncted]

FWIW: We had heavy thunderstorms move through last night from SW to NE from 7-midnight. We had our TV on the whole time, and we never experienced complete signal loss -- only minor breakups which seemed to coincide with lightning.

 

[darrengs]

Anything recorded on your DVR can be watched anywhere with Dish Anywhere.

I have had no problems getting discounts since I have been out of contract. My current discount is $40 off per month for 12 months, but it did come with a 12 month commitment.

I was looking to "cut the cord" as it was quite aggravating using my older Hoppers with the "updated" interface. Dish put their money where their mouth was and upgraded my equipment to Hopper 3 Joey 3 without any additional commitment. And I have been happy with the "upgrade".

Dish Anywhere on FireTV and Firestick works well, I like the fact that I don't need to pay for a monthly fee for another TV. I am not aware of a Roku or smart tv app being available.

Hopper3 & Joey 3 have been rock solid so far, but it has only been about 2 months since my upgrade.

I have only needed to contact support a couple of times and my experiences have been positive. This includes, DiRT, chat and phone.

 

[dolfan3033]

Dish and Directv are both horrible. What you want is Comcast, make sure you ask for the X1 DVR. It's truly unbelievable (you won't believe it's a DVR). If you don't live in a Comcast market, you'll want to move just for the X1 experience (experience being the only word you'd want to use that isn't an expletive). You'll love the X1 voice remote, especially if your first language is Klingon and you never use the skip back button (it ran away). If you're a TV addict, the X1's massive 500GB hard drive will make sure you go cold turkey. But if you can't handle the expletive... I mean experience. Then I think you'll like Dish, just make sure you ask for the Hopper 3, if they say you don't need the Hopper 3, threaten to go with Comcast (try not to laugh).

I see what you did there...


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[bwexler]

Unless you are getting a major hardware upgrade IE VIP to H3 which Dish requires a tech install there should be no need for a visit.
DA is on again off again, but when it works it is great.
When you are out of contract you simply act as if you have read the Art of the Deal and negotiate the best deal you can. I am among those here who have done well over the past couple decades.

 

[JSheridan]

In my experience Dish Anywhere works great all the time on my Android phone, tablet and Fire Stick. The PC web based version is not nearly as reliable.

 

[DJ Lon]

Similar situation here as OP. I currently have an HR44 (5 tuners) and 3 HR24s (6 tuners in all), have Select package and 4 HD TVs. Genie (HR44) got software update to new UI this week and no longer "talks" to older DVRs. Had a tech at the house today, he told me there's nothing that can be done because AT&T wants me to upgrade to newer equipment (which means another 2 year contract) even though everything worked fine 3 days ago before software "upgrade." I've been looking at Dish's website, looks like the Hopper 3 would work with 3 Joeys but unsure as to the comparable programming package. Input welcome!

Oh, I forgot...in addition I'd lose 4 tuners because I would only be able to have a new genie and satellite receivers. Current monthly charges are $111.00

And how many shows can you record? HR44 has a limit of 100 the HR24s have a limit of 50 each

 

[pattykay]

Similar situation here as OP. I currently have an HR44 (5 tuners) and 3 HR24s (6 tuners in all), have Select package and 4 HD TVs. Genie (HR44) got software update to new UI this week and no longer "talks" to older DVRs. Had a tech at the house today, he told me there's nothing that can be done because AT&T wants me to upgrade to newer equipment (which means another 2 year contract) even though everything worked fine 3 days ago before software "upgrade." I've been looking at Dish's website, looks like the Hopper 3 would work with 3 Joeys but unsure as to the comparable programming package. Input welcome!

Flex Pack would likely come the closest. You may also want to look a level above that (Dish America) or a level below that (Smart Pack) depending on what channels you are looking for.

 

[navychop]

Any upgrade from a ViP system to a Hopper system will likely require a tech visit. Wiring and components are different.

 

[bwexler]

You definitely need to look at each pack offered by Dish and compare it to the channels you actually watch. Then look at the price of each pack and determine if any missing channels are worth the price or if there is an alternative source to stream or OTA any missing channels. When I downgraded to the welcome pack I lost 4 channels I watched but saved $$.
I have an alternate source to watch them live, but have chosen to watch 2 and skip the other 2. I still don't have time to watch everything I have recorded .

 

[DJ Lon]

You definitely need to look at each pack offered by Dish and compare it to the channels you actually watch. Then look at the price of each pack and determine if any missing channels are worth the price or if there is an alternative source to stream or OTA any missing channels. When I downgraded to the welcome pack I lost 4 channels I watched but saved $$.
I have an alternate source to watch them live, but have chosen to watch 2 and skip the other 2. I still don't have time to watch everything I have recorded .

Haha. We're all retired so TV is our entertainment. Trust me there were tears in the household today when I said we'd lose our DVR recordings by switching I told them get in binge watching mode. My choices will make the bill the same as DTV but I will be getting more channels and 5 more tuners

 

[pattykay]

And how many shows can you record? HR44 has a limit of 100 the HR24s have a limit of 50 each

Hopper 3 has a limit of 199 timers. (or something close to that)

By the way, I love your avatar.