Dish vs Comcast

[jeffincolo]

I am thinking of taking the promo comcast is now offereing to dish customers to join comcast. I have a 55" HDTV display. My biggest concern is the quality of the non HD programming on cable vs satellite. Has anyone switched from dish to comcast and if so are you happy with the decision?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Chris Freeland]

I switched, but only because I moved into house with too many trees to get line of site to the E* satellite. PQ on digital channels are about = with E*, analog channels are not bad, slightly worse then E*. I have had problems with digital channels going out when it rains for much longer periods of time then they ever did with E* and analog channels get a little fuzzy when digital goes out. STB's are clunkier, much better looking epg with E*, although Comcast epg goes father out into the future and I like the VOD service. I do love the Comcast Internet though. Once we build are new home, I will likely return to E*for TV, but I may keep Comcast Internet and Limited Basic TV (cheaper that way), or may give DSL a try if CenturyTel ever gets their act together.

 

[jimg1960]

I was a E* than a DTV subscriber for years but moved to Comcast when I purchased a new house and the line of sight was in front of the house (which I did not like the look of a dish in front). I have not been unsatisfied with Comcast picture quality. The HD is better than DTV (not downrezzed). The digital channels are not as good as dish but they are not far enough off for me to notice after the first time or two. The analog channels are a bit disappointing but I can live with them. And Comcast offers the dish buy back $25 off a month which is a good deal. So all and all I am satisfied.

 

[Rob O]

I switched from E* back to Comcast when the HD packages and the 622 deals were announced by E*. I got a 32" HD Panasonic LCD and was waiting for E* to make their announcements. No deals there, so I went to Comcast. My biggest deciding factors was that E* would not have my regional sport net anytime soon in HD and $299 to buy the privilege of leasing a 622!

The analog channels on the LCD are not good (but with HD, I'm really not watching much of anything else anyway). In fact they are better on my old CRT. The digital channels on the LCD are equivalent (to me anyway) to the SD on E*. The HD stuff can truly be spectacular, even my low tech wife was impressed and can now see why I wanted HD programming so badly.

The 6412 DVR is just OK. I liked my E* 522 much better as far as capacity and ease of use. The 6412 is not as intuitive as the 522, at least IMO. I didn't like the 6412 epg at first but I'm used to it now and kind of like it. I love the fact that with the 6412 and HD, most of what I am watching is DD5.1 with my receiver and surround set up.

I did like E*, never had any bad service, etc. But overall I am fairly pleased with Comcast . With the buyback offer I pay like $44/month for digital plus and DVR. Even when the price goes back to normal it will still be cheaper than the equivalent HD package with E*.

 

[jgantert]

I'm about the same as the rest here. I switched from Voom to Comcast. Digital SD is about the same. HD is very good on Comcast. Analog SD sucks on Comcast (for me, all channels under 100 are analog and look horrible on a 52" RPTV.)

I also have the Comcast DVR, but the SA8300HD model. It's ok, and works most of the time (didn't record House last tuesday at 9:03pm, tho). But no search or season pass features. Its a bare bones DVR for the most part.

Soon (I hope!), I will be switching from Comcast to Verizon FIOSTV. Hoping for better SD picture quality, as well as more HD channels. Although, Comcast does have a good selection of HD channels in my area.

-John

 

[parrothd]

Same here, when voom shutdown I went with comcast, because the DVR was free and the HD channels aren't HD lite, I'm still waiting to see how things work out with DISH/DTV but gonna stay with comcast for now. If dish wasn't downrezzing I'd switch tomorrow..

 

[ChrisK114]

Go with Comcast. I left D* and went with Comcast and I don't regret it one bit right now. I have the platinum package for $79 a month for 16 months. I also have the HD-DVR and am loving it. it is my first DVR so I don't know firsthand how it compares to the others, But to me it is a must have.

 

[mailman390]

I just switched from E* back to Comcast. I did the "dump the dish" deal. $25 a month for 16 months. I switched because with E* I couldn't get ANY of the major networks (ABC,CBS,NBC & FOX) in HD with out adding an OTA antenna! Plus my wife didn't like the fact of loosing the signal during a lighting storm. Plus Comcast does have the "On Demand" feature which is nice. I think HD with Comcast is awesome. Analog is just ok, but who watches much of that anyway. E* added a bunch of new HD with the addition of the Voom stuff, but you need to put up a second dish. I don't want 2 dishes hanging off my house! I added a DVD recorder in line with one of my digital receivers so it's kinda like a DVR. Works just as well for me. And with the new DVD-RAM disks you can reuse over and over again. Just my 2 cents............

 

[Chris Freeland]

I just switched from E* back to Comcast. I did the "dump the dish" deal. $25 a month for 16 months. I switched because with E* I couldn't get ANY of the major networks (ABC,CBS,NBC & FOX) in HD with out adding an OTA antenna! Plus my wife didn't like the fact of loosing the signal during a lighting storm. Plus Comcast does have the "On Demand" feature which is nice. I think HD with Comcast is awesome. Analog is just ok, but who watches much of that anyway. E* added a bunch of new HD with the addition of the Voom stuff, but you need to put up a second dish. I don't want 2 dishes hanging off my house! I added a DVD recorder in line with one of my digital receivers so it's kinda like a DVR. Works just as well for me. And with the new DVD-RAM disks you can reuse over and over again. Just my 2 cents............

I hate to break this too you, digital channels on cable will break up and sometimes go away during rainy weather too. I have lost all or part of my digital channels on Comcast much more often and for longer periods of time then it ever did with E*. If I could get a line of site to the E* satellite's wear I currently live I would go back to E* for TV, keep Comcast for Internet.

 

[Bobby]

I left Dish for Comcast a year ago for the same reasons that mailman did, except I didn't take the "dump the dish" deal. I thought I might want to go back. That's not the case any longer. BTW, in that year, I have never lost any channel, digital or analog for any period of time. YMMV.....