Preface:
I am doing this little writeup to capture my personal experiences with both Dish and Direct and am doing so for information and entertainment purposes only. Dish loyalists and Direct loyalists are not about to be swayed by my simple observations and that is really not the point. It should be noted that I have less than a weeks use with Direct as opposed to 13 months with Dish, so some Direct features or shorcomings may have not even been discovered yet. Some inaccuracies are expected. That said, I found some key differences in the two services that some may find useful, especially those looking for new service or a possible switch.
I tried very hard to be as unbiased as possible but obviously having left Dish for Direct, it would disingenuous to not disclose that I left for cause and even paid a termination fee to do so. I will add though, that I was never unhappy with the Dish service, just their policies and inflexibility in supporting the 5 HD signals that I required when I did two new room additions (rec room and home theatre). While I acknowledge that Dish has better equipment (read 922's) than I used they were not able to provide these to me at anything close to a reasonable cost. I can only compare what I used then and now.
Old Dish Setup: One 722 using SD Duo and one 222 using SD Duo. America's Top 250 service and sports package add on. Total Bill was $112 after fees.
New Direct Setup: Two HR-24s, 3 HD Receivers. Premeire package with MRV, Sunday Ticket and HD Extra Pack. Total Bill is $85.99 for 12 months and will raise to around $125 after that (at which time I will drop down a tier).
So with that out of the way, here is my humble comparison:
Initial Observations - Before we compare service, signal, functionality, pq, et al. I would like to state that the Direct Service does make it much easier/cost efficient to support multiple HD signals (read >2). If you only need 1-2 HD signals then this is probably a non factor for you, but having a setup to accommodate a larger household may be important to some. I was able to get 2 HD DVRs and 3 HD receivers with MRV for significantly less than my Dish setup which provided 2 HD signals and 2 SD signals plus a single DVR. I believe if you have a requirement for 4 or more HD signals, then Direct will be the better value, while at 3 or less the decision becomes much more personal.
Interface:
Dish: I had obviously grown very accustomed to the Dish interface and really enjoyed the layout and the breakdown of DVR space availability by hours. Also the search while a little less powerful is easier to use for people just wanting something that is fast and efficient. Dish does that. I also prefer the Dish system of sorting programs and the listing of episode numbers. Managing your programs seems less intuitive with Dish however. In just 3 days, I felt more comfortable with the Direct system interface for managing programs than I did in 13 months with Dish. Score 7
Direct: The Direct menus are a bit sharper and the program search and data available is clearly more powerful. The power seems to come at a price however. While I got pretty handy with the system, which is good, it is clear to me that it takes a few more button presses to get the extra data or even execute the basic functions. This is inherent with the added search capability. For me personally, this is better but my kids and wife will probably disagree. So if simplier/faster is key for you, then Dish might get the nod. However I enjoy the added capabilities. I do however take a point off what might be a near perfect interface because while I love the layout and power of the filmography and advanced search abilities, Direct does not appear to list episode numbers on recorded shows which I find unfortunate as it makes catching up on my old House episodes more difficult. Score 9
DVR Hardware:
Dish: I used the 722 which is a fine model. This model does look to use older technology in general. I say this mainly from the size of the unit which is big and bulky. No real complaints on the functionality save for the fact that the "Duo" feature is really becoming obsolete unless you are OK with an SD signal in 2010. For some this is fine, but given the monthly fee associated with this box ($17 per month) you definitely "feel" like you are paying for the Duo use. Dish has a 922 that appears to be pretty slick, but I have had no exposure to it and Dish wanted an arm and a leg to acquire one. Score 6
Direct: The HR-24s definitely give off the "wow" vibe. These units are about 1/2 of the size of the 722 and have a cool looking lighted blue face. The buttons are touch sensitive (like the new xbox 360) and just feel very 2010. HR-24s also have DECA built in to the unit. Adding the MRV to the picture really puts Direct over the top here (again only if that is important to you). Score 9
Channel Lineup:
Dish: This is a very subjective facet of the comparison because if the service has or does not have a channel that you love, then the impact is great. I can acknowledge that Direct has more "real" HD channels but the channel that I loved from Dish was NFL Redzone which was $5 per month as part of the sports package, while I would have to pay $300-400 (or $30-40 per month) to get NFL Redzone as part of the Sunday Ticket package. This was a big deal to me, but will not matter to some customers that either A) do not like sports or B) would be getting and watching Sunday Ticket over Redzone anyway. I am probably in the minority as somone who loves NFL football but actually would rather watch Redzone. I also understand that Dish lost Disney HD if that matters to you. Score 8
Direct: For someone that wants NFL Sunday Ticket for example, Direct is a no brainer and probably scores a 10. However the lack of a decoupled Redzone, which in fact is just a way to "force" NFL fans to buy ST is greedy (perhaps contractual, but greedy nonetheless). This score is going to be all over the board for each person, so my recommendation is to look at the channel lineups and make your decision. For me, Dish still edges Direct just becuse of the Redzone issue. Score 7
Value:
Dish: For someone looking for 1-2 HD signals that can live with SD as well, Dish provides a better value. This may not have been my personal experience as I was paying "full boat" (read MSRP) on most items but they are/can be comparable, especially to new subs. That said be aware of the DVR lease fees from Dish which start at a minimum of $7 and go to $17 per month PER UNIT. This was the real deal breaker for me. Also note that Dish simply will not lease more than 3 hardware devices, period, end of discussion. Score 3
Direct: I do not know if it has always been this way but Direct offers a flat $5 per month DVR lease fee. Plus the first unit is not charged. This makes all the difference in the world when wanting a couple of DVRs and say 5 HD signals in total. If you are OK with SD and base models from Dish then the price difference is minimal (Dish would be $2 more per month per unit). But when you start looking at the high end stuff, we are talking about Dish demanding $12 more per unit per month. Score 8
You will notice that I do not score this facet based on my Dish versus Direct bill. That is because I got a ton of discounts in the first year with Direct and that is simply not fair, because Dish would probably do the same for a new customer. I paid MSRP from Dish which was unfortunate, but in the end these two services cost almost the same (in fact Dish is slightly cheaper) in terms of channel service. It is the "fees" where Dish gouges you.
Customer Service:
I will not separate these into scores because my experience was very biased and unfortunate. After 13 months with Dish, they simply did not want to keep my business and therefore offered me very little to stay, in fact forcing me to look to Direct (which did not even cross my mind the day I called Dish to order more boxes). The fact is, I do not blame them at all as I am now convinced that Dish is looking to target the "lower tier" of Satellite consumers (in terms of need... not starting a class war or making any user statement). I simply fell out of thier demographic. Dish offers a slightly cheaper service that has comparable channels and PQ. The differences in terms of service is almost transparent and will be to many users. I seem to feel like Direct has better PQ but it is so close that I am not even sure it matters to most.
Overall there clearly is no winner across all demographics. I see it as Direct = Upper Tier and Dish = Lower Tier (technology based). However each consumer will prioritize what is important to them and in many cases Dish will indeed fit the bill. In my year plus with them, there service was reliable and enjoyable and had I not started to build a home theatre and have some "high end" needs, I would likely still be with Dish.
That said, Direct clearly scales much better with HD and HT needs and saves you money on the service fees that Dish uses as a true revenue stream.
I am doing this little writeup to capture my personal experiences with both Dish and Direct and am doing so for information and entertainment purposes only. Dish loyalists and Direct loyalists are not about to be swayed by my simple observations and that is really not the point. It should be noted that I have less than a weeks use with Direct as opposed to 13 months with Dish, so some Direct features or shorcomings may have not even been discovered yet. Some inaccuracies are expected. That said, I found some key differences in the two services that some may find useful, especially those looking for new service or a possible switch.
I tried very hard to be as unbiased as possible but obviously having left Dish for Direct, it would disingenuous to not disclose that I left for cause and even paid a termination fee to do so. I will add though, that I was never unhappy with the Dish service, just their policies and inflexibility in supporting the 5 HD signals that I required when I did two new room additions (rec room and home theatre). While I acknowledge that Dish has better equipment (read 922's) than I used they were not able to provide these to me at anything close to a reasonable cost. I can only compare what I used then and now.
Old Dish Setup: One 722 using SD Duo and one 222 using SD Duo. America's Top 250 service and sports package add on. Total Bill was $112 after fees.
New Direct Setup: Two HR-24s, 3 HD Receivers. Premeire package with MRV, Sunday Ticket and HD Extra Pack. Total Bill is $85.99 for 12 months and will raise to around $125 after that (at which time I will drop down a tier).
So with that out of the way, here is my humble comparison:
Initial Observations - Before we compare service, signal, functionality, pq, et al. I would like to state that the Direct Service does make it much easier/cost efficient to support multiple HD signals (read >2). If you only need 1-2 HD signals then this is probably a non factor for you, but having a setup to accommodate a larger household may be important to some. I was able to get 2 HD DVRs and 3 HD receivers with MRV for significantly less than my Dish setup which provided 2 HD signals and 2 SD signals plus a single DVR. I believe if you have a requirement for 4 or more HD signals, then Direct will be the better value, while at 3 or less the decision becomes much more personal.
Interface:
Dish: I had obviously grown very accustomed to the Dish interface and really enjoyed the layout and the breakdown of DVR space availability by hours. Also the search while a little less powerful is easier to use for people just wanting something that is fast and efficient. Dish does that. I also prefer the Dish system of sorting programs and the listing of episode numbers. Managing your programs seems less intuitive with Dish however. In just 3 days, I felt more comfortable with the Direct system interface for managing programs than I did in 13 months with Dish. Score 7
Direct: The Direct menus are a bit sharper and the program search and data available is clearly more powerful. The power seems to come at a price however. While I got pretty handy with the system, which is good, it is clear to me that it takes a few more button presses to get the extra data or even execute the basic functions. This is inherent with the added search capability. For me personally, this is better but my kids and wife will probably disagree. So if simplier/faster is key for you, then Dish might get the nod. However I enjoy the added capabilities. I do however take a point off what might be a near perfect interface because while I love the layout and power of the filmography and advanced search abilities, Direct does not appear to list episode numbers on recorded shows which I find unfortunate as it makes catching up on my old House episodes more difficult. Score 9
DVR Hardware:
Dish: I used the 722 which is a fine model. This model does look to use older technology in general. I say this mainly from the size of the unit which is big and bulky. No real complaints on the functionality save for the fact that the "Duo" feature is really becoming obsolete unless you are OK with an SD signal in 2010. For some this is fine, but given the monthly fee associated with this box ($17 per month) you definitely "feel" like you are paying for the Duo use. Dish has a 922 that appears to be pretty slick, but I have had no exposure to it and Dish wanted an arm and a leg to acquire one. Score 6
Direct: The HR-24s definitely give off the "wow" vibe. These units are about 1/2 of the size of the 722 and have a cool looking lighted blue face. The buttons are touch sensitive (like the new xbox 360) and just feel very 2010. HR-24s also have DECA built in to the unit. Adding the MRV to the picture really puts Direct over the top here (again only if that is important to you). Score 9
Channel Lineup:
Dish: This is a very subjective facet of the comparison because if the service has or does not have a channel that you love, then the impact is great. I can acknowledge that Direct has more "real" HD channels but the channel that I loved from Dish was NFL Redzone which was $5 per month as part of the sports package, while I would have to pay $300-400 (or $30-40 per month) to get NFL Redzone as part of the Sunday Ticket package. This was a big deal to me, but will not matter to some customers that either A) do not like sports or B) would be getting and watching Sunday Ticket over Redzone anyway. I am probably in the minority as somone who loves NFL football but actually would rather watch Redzone. I also understand that Dish lost Disney HD if that matters to you. Score 8
Direct: For someone that wants NFL Sunday Ticket for example, Direct is a no brainer and probably scores a 10. However the lack of a decoupled Redzone, which in fact is just a way to "force" NFL fans to buy ST is greedy (perhaps contractual, but greedy nonetheless). This score is going to be all over the board for each person, so my recommendation is to look at the channel lineups and make your decision. For me, Dish still edges Direct just becuse of the Redzone issue. Score 7
Value:
Dish: For someone looking for 1-2 HD signals that can live with SD as well, Dish provides a better value. This may not have been my personal experience as I was paying "full boat" (read MSRP) on most items but they are/can be comparable, especially to new subs. That said be aware of the DVR lease fees from Dish which start at a minimum of $7 and go to $17 per month PER UNIT. This was the real deal breaker for me. Also note that Dish simply will not lease more than 3 hardware devices, period, end of discussion. Score 3
Direct: I do not know if it has always been this way but Direct offers a flat $5 per month DVR lease fee. Plus the first unit is not charged. This makes all the difference in the world when wanting a couple of DVRs and say 5 HD signals in total. If you are OK with SD and base models from Dish then the price difference is minimal (Dish would be $2 more per month per unit). But when you start looking at the high end stuff, we are talking about Dish demanding $12 more per unit per month. Score 8
You will notice that I do not score this facet based on my Dish versus Direct bill. That is because I got a ton of discounts in the first year with Direct and that is simply not fair, because Dish would probably do the same for a new customer. I paid MSRP from Dish which was unfortunate, but in the end these two services cost almost the same (in fact Dish is slightly cheaper) in terms of channel service. It is the "fees" where Dish gouges you.
Customer Service:
I will not separate these into scores because my experience was very biased and unfortunate. After 13 months with Dish, they simply did not want to keep my business and therefore offered me very little to stay, in fact forcing me to look to Direct (which did not even cross my mind the day I called Dish to order more boxes). The fact is, I do not blame them at all as I am now convinced that Dish is looking to target the "lower tier" of Satellite consumers (in terms of need... not starting a class war or making any user statement). I simply fell out of thier demographic. Dish offers a slightly cheaper service that has comparable channels and PQ. The differences in terms of service is almost transparent and will be to many users. I seem to feel like Direct has better PQ but it is so close that I am not even sure it matters to most.
Overall there clearly is no winner across all demographics. I see it as Direct = Upper Tier and Dish = Lower Tier (technology based). However each consumer will prioritize what is important to them and in many cases Dish will indeed fit the bill. In my year plus with them, there service was reliable and enjoyable and had I not started to build a home theatre and have some "high end" needs, I would likely still be with Dish.
That said, Direct clearly scales much better with HD and HT needs and saves you money on the service fees that Dish uses as a true revenue stream.
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