I prefer cable with digital, internet, voip, vod among other services coming out on it, it is becoming your one stop for about everything you need. the franchise fees you pay also goes toward your schools, fire and police services among other things. you support your local community by helping them be able to provide these services without cutting back or raising taxes to make up for the down fall in revenue. Dish and Directv doesn't help your local community in this aspect. they cry everytime there is even a mention of a "tax" for the services. the agrument that they don't use "ride of way" to provide services like cable, that they should not have to pay it. Question is, how do you think they get those local channels to you? by using fiber back to there uplink which they use "ride of way" to get it back to them in order to provide you that signal. If you do decide to go with a "pizza pan service", I would go with Directv. they are in the process of launching four new satellites in order to provide your locals in HD among other things that Dish isn't doing. I think personally between the two, Directv gives you more for the price. I like cable though but I am out in a rural area where I do not have access. everyone has there opinion though.