DirecTV or Dish??? Help!!

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azjim66

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Sep 8, 2006
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Peoria, Arizona
Hi all I am new to these forums and very happy to have found them!! I am a former DirecTV customer(pre HD). I currently have Cox Cable in Phoenix. I am strongly considering going bac to Sat Tv. I now have 2 HD TV's and am using a hd dvr from Cox. I dont wish to have NFL ST so I dont need DirecTV but I dont know much about Dish. how does PQ compare between Dish and DTV? I am sick of the analog on Cox. Any help would be appreciated. Tia

Jim
 
I have DirecTv for the NFL Ticket. Dish offers quite a bit more HD than DirecTv.
 
Even die Hard DirecTV fans will tell you if you're not into the NFL go with Dish. They have many more HD channels than DirecTV. DirecTV has plans to add more HD but I'm sure the priority for them is saving every nickel they can to win the bid again for the NFL games in 2010. (I think it's 2010) It makes business sense, believe me they make tons more money from Sunday Ticket than they do from the handful of HD customers they have.
 
Thanks guys. I love the NFL but I get my fix with what is normally broadcasted. I will be getting the Center Ice deal but I can get that with cable or Dish.
 
dnyce said:
DirecTV has plans to add more HD but I'm sure the priority for them is saving every nickel they can to win the bid again for the NFL games in 2010. (I think it's 2010).

Excuse me, please tell me how you arrived at this conclusion? I guess D* launching SW1 and SW2 and the planned launch of D10 and D11 next year aren't costing them much? Come on, D* can't add anymore HD since they're out of bandwidth capacity at the moment for new national channels. E*'s facing the same issues. Check out the threads where folks are starting to complaine about E*'s HD PQ also becoming HD-Lite or worst.

To the OP's question, if you can wait a year I'd recommend it, by then there should be a better picture of what service will be best. Have you checked with Cox to see if/when they have any plans to start digital simulcast of the current analog channels? I know when Comcast started that conversion when I had them the 'analog' channels PQ got better. Also, don't count on the SD PQ of either DBS provider to be great, they're both overcompressing the channels to squeeze out the last drop of bandwidth.
 
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Thanks Rad for your reply. I have to believe that the sd channels would be far superior to Cox analog. I did ask Cox a while back when they were going all digital and they said within a few months...that was a year ago. Who really Knows.
 
azjim66 said:
Hi all I am new to these forums and very happy to have found them!! I am a former DirecTV customer(pre HD). I currently have Cox Cable in Phoenix. I am strongly considering going bac to Sat Tv. I now have 2 HD TV's and am using a hd dvr from Cox. I dont wish to have NFL ST so I dont need DirecTV but I dont know much about Dish. how does PQ compare between Dish and DTV? I am sick of the analog on Cox. Any help would be appreciated. Tia

Jim

I really don’t think now is the best time to switch to DISH. As a DirecTV customer you may not get a great retention offer by threatening to switch to DISH, but if you are a DISH customer coming over I'll bet you get a sweetheart deal from DirecTV. Why? Well a couple of weeks ago the United Stated District Court in Texas ruled that EchoStar Dish Network must disable all infringing DVR features within 30 days. If this ruling stands millions of DISH customers will lose their DVR functions. The appellate court has “stayed” the order for 30 days in order to review DISH’s appeal.

TIVO is suing EchoStar (DISH) for patent infringement. TIVO inventions protected by this patent, and illegally infringed on by EchoStar, include a method for recording one program while playing back another; watching a show as it is recording; and a storage format that supports advanced capabilities -- such as pausing live television, fast-forwarding, rewinding, instant replays, and slow motion.

TIVO invented, developed (spent capital in doing so), and obtained legal patents for this product. As a result TIVO justifiably owns the rights which EchoStar took with no royalty paid to TIVO. Corporate theft at its ugliest. The trial court agreed and do not be surprised if the final appellate court upholds the lower court. This case clearly illustrates EchoStar's foolish and arrogant approach in the way it conducts business in this industry.

The court of appeals temporarily stayed the district court injunction only until it decides whether a stay should or should not be in effect for the duration of the appeals process. The court stated that the temporary stay is not based on a consideration of the merits of EchoStar’s appeal.

The district court ruled that EchoStar pay TIVO nearly $74 million in damages as awarded by jury (in addition to disabling all DVR's used by subscribers). The final penalty would increase to $90 million based on $5.4 million in interest payments and $10.3 million in supplemental damages.

If the decision stands, which is a real possibility, the long term damage would be the loss of numerous current and future customers. That translates into a serious revenue drop and a rise in monthly fees to compensate. The issue now puts EchoStar in a precarious position: either negotiate with TIVO, or risk losing subscribers.

You can be certain the legal costs of this decision will be passed on to the DISH customer. If the decision is upheld DISH is doomed. In any event this action is going to have a serious impact on DISH's ability to compete for new customers until this is settled, and that translates into additional revenue loss. The pressure is on DISH to find a way to settle, and TIVO holds all the cards. DISH loses regardless if the court decides or they settle.

In the meantime stock will continue to plunge and company worth will drop (not a good thing) while costs go up and customer base stagnates or falls. Do the math and be prepared to pay for this disaster if you are a DISH customer. Increased cost to the customer will result in more defections and the competition will seize this opportunity to offer more incentives to jump from DISH (and the beat goes on).:D
 
As you can see D* will screw you over without notice
Sign up with Dish Network for the Best service
 
I agree with rkr, go with E* since anything D* tells you is not to be
taken literally. They do what they want and the only thing that matters
is keeping the NFL-ST money flowing in.
 
azjim66 said:
Thanks guys. I love the NFL but I get my fix with what is normally broadcasted. I will be getting the Center Ice deal but I can get that with cable or Dish.


Dish uplinked 4 NHLCI HD channels this week, last year DirecTV would show a game or two a week until the beginning of this year when HD hockey disappeared until the playoffs. I've been with Direc and their HD service for 6 years but am switching because hockey is my sport of choice.
 
rkr0923 said:
As you can see D* will screw you over without notice
Sign up with Dish Network for the Best service


When the lawsuit with TIVO is all said and done the DISH customers' heads will be spinning with a similar thought. So sign up with DISH and be screwed over with ADVANCED NOTICE. LOL :D
 
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I don't have an HD TV and will not be buying NFL Season Ticket, but I'm about to switch from from Dish Network to DirecTV. I was tired of the DVR that Dish offered that has only one tuner.

They could get me a DVR with two tuners, but it would cost me more than $100. With DirecTV, I'll get two tuners on a TiVo-brand DVR and, on top of that, I'll get $150 cash back, which will pay for my Center Ice subscription this season. In addition, I'll get an I-pod shuffle in the deal.

The installation won't cost anything and the analogous programming level actually is about a dollar less. So instead of being $100 down to get a better DVR with Dish, I'm coming out $150 ahead and then some with DirecTV.

For those who know both services, is my move a smart one? I've only had cable TV and Dish Network.
 
IceRunner said:
I don't have an HD TV and will not be buying NFL Season Ticket, but I'm about to switch from from Dish Network to DirecTV. I was tired of the DVR that Dish offered that has only one tuner.

They could get me a DVR with two tuners, but it would cost me more than $100. With DirecTV, I'll get two tuners on a TiVo-brand DVR and, on top of that, I'll get $150 cash back, which will pay for my Center Ice subscription this season. In addition, I'll get an I-pod shuffle in the deal.

The installation won't cost anything and the analogous programming level actually is about a dollar less. So instead of being $100 down to get a better DVR with Dish, I'm coming out $150 ahead and then some with DirecTV.

For those who know both services, is my move a smart one? I've only had cable TV and Dish Network.

You need to do some more searching on this subject, before you make the move. I have both D* & E* and would consider a move to Directv a big mistake at present. I do agree you need another DVR and since I have three (two Directv Tivo units, one SD and one HD, plus the DISH VIP 622 that records three programs at once) I could not handle a one turner DVR either!

You need to invest in the future and up-grade with DISH.
 
You're right, I just double-checked it and I'm getting a "DirecTV Plus DVR." I had assumed it was TiVo because my dad has DirecTV with TiVo.

Has anybody got this kind of DVR without a phone connected to it and had problems with it.
 
IceRunner said:
You're right, I just double-checked it and I'm getting a "DirecTV Plus DVR." I had assumed it was TiVo because my dad has DirecTV with TiVo.

Has anybody got this kind of DVR without a phone connected to it and had problems with it.


With or without a phone line you are going to be receiving the Columbus Blue Jackets of the DVR world, beware.
 
rkr0923 said:
I'm sure, like all lawsuits of this kind , it will be settled with both being happy

Now that's gotta be the understatement of the century. I am certain that when one side prevails in a hostile lawsuit against the other, regardless if they settle before the final judgement is in place, you would be hard pressed to find both sides happy.

If you had any idea of the potential ramifications to DISH over this you would understand why there aren't any smiles in their board room these days. TIVO holds all the cards here and the ultimate loser will be the DISH customer. Especially since the courts just threw out Echostar's countersuit against TIVO.

Dish will not fail nor cease to exist because of this; but this situation spells hard times in the months ahead for the company and its subscribers. Even the best of realistic outcomes is going to be damaging to both the company and its subscribers, including a decline of the current customer base and the ablity to attract new customers.

The ongoing legal costs of this decision will be passed on to the customer. In any event until this is settled, this action is going to have a serious impact on Dish's ability to compete for new customers in a very competive market, and that translates into additional revenue loss. The pressure is on DISH to find a way to settle, and TIVO holds most all the cards. DISH loses regardless if the court decides or they settle.

rkr0923 said:
As you can see D* will screw you over without notice
Sign up with Dish Network for the Best service

If you decide to follow your own advice then you can wait in great anticipation to reap the benefits of the happy result that both sides normally enjoy when the dust settles from lawsuits like this. :p
 
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The stunt D* pulled today will help E* add many new subscribers, and the offer they have right now is a nice one indeed, blows what D* can offer right now out of the water
 
Lawsuits settle with both sides unhappy, not happy. The "stunt" today was over Nascar, I am sure if enough people complain it will be accomodated somehow. But seriously, with limited resources, the lowest rated HD NFL regular season game game draws more pull than the highest NASCAR event if forced to compete head to head nationwide (which they don't, so that's an academic exerise), and that's just a fact. So guess what DTV or E would and will choose.
 
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