Switch to Direct or stay with Dish?

[jtravel]

I have been a Dish Customer for 6 years still using the original 522 they gave me.
Its starting to have problems will bad recordings and I was wanting to upgrade it as well as maybe move to HD
I'm only a Top 120 with a $47 monthly bill on paperless and auto pay.
Direct TV has been sending me lots of offers and I'm almost read to bite on the 2 year promo they have for Choice Extra 210 with free HD for life and a HD-DVR. 3 months free starz & showtime. Free equipment and free install. Monthly bill will be $41.00 first year and $56.99 2nd year. Full price is currently $63.99 and I have to take a 2 year contract to get the discounts.
Called Dish and they will give me a 722 HD-DVR and new dish for $95 plus another $99 for Installation. Monthly bill will goto $60 for the top 120 and HD,DVR fee.
I told them the Deal Direct was offering me and the Rep became snotty telling me that was a first year only deal. I told her it was actually a 2 year promo and even full rate on the 3rd year was only $3.99 higher than Dish wanted for less channels with the 120 package.
She said if I signup for DHPP the Install will only be $15 but that was the extent of any special offers she would give me.

I assume they are both about the same in what they offer on the basic channel packages and HD content.
Is their any reason I shouldn't switch to Direct in this situation?
one worry I have is i notice a couple homes in my Area have two direct TV dishes and I really don't want more than 1 dish on the house. My currect dish is mounted to a Block wall on the side of the house and I like that location for it. Not sure direct could do the same and it's hard to get thoes kinds of details inadvance of ordering.

 

[KAB]

I too have been getting lots of mailers but have never seen a discounted second year. Always full price after the first. Pending your location and line of sight, you should be able to get just a single sat for Dish.

Most people will agree the Dish HD equipment is generally better than Direct. With a 722, you can record two Sat and one OTA at the same time. Direct, only two and you have to buy an optional mod for OTA.

Check the HD channels you would be interested in. Though similar, Dish does have a few more (non RSN) that Direct.

Good luck deciding.

 

[delta_charlie]

Hi, regarding

"one worry I have is i notice a couple homes in my Area have two direct TV dishes and I really don't want more than 1 dish on the house. My currect dish is mounted to a Block wall on the side of the house and I like that location for it. Not sure direct could do the same and it's hard to get thoes kinds of details inadvance of ordering."

First take your remote and hit menu 6-1-3 and look at the satellites listed. If you see 61.5, 72 and 77 you are on the eastern arc. I believe the direct TV system uses satellites well to the west of these so the dish would have to point much more west. Might it hit the wall?

If you see the satellites 110, 119 and 129 then you are on the western arc and the Direct TV dish would point a bit to the east of your current dish and should work in the same spot as the current dish.

Hope this helps, DC

 

[jtravel]

If you see the satellites 110, 119 and 129 then you are on the western arc and the Direct TV dish would point a bit to the east of your current dish and should work in the same spot as the current dish.
Hope this helps, DC

Thanks for the help.
With my Current SD setup I get 110,119 only
I assume with the new Dish I would get 129 as well.

 

[jtravel]

I too have been getting lots of mailers but have never seen a discounted second year. Always full price after the first. Pending your location and line of sight, you should be able to get just a single sat for Dish.

The Two year promo is for DirectTV and they do have it listed right on their website.

 

[lman12]

Hi, regarding

"one worry I have is i notice a couple homes in my Area have two direct TV dishes and I really don't want more than 1 dish on the house. My currect dish is mounted to a Block wall on the side of the house and I like that location for it. Not sure direct could do the same and it's hard to get thoes kinds of details inadvance of ordering."

First take your remote and hit menu 6-1-3 and look at the satellites listed. If you see 61.5, 72 and 77 you are on the eastern arc. I believe the direct TV system uses satellites well to the west of these so the dish would have to point much more west. Might it hit the wall?

If you see the satellites 110, 119 and 129 then you are on the western arc and the Direct TV dish would point a bit to the east of your current dish and should work in the same spot as the current dish.

Hope this helps, DC

Directv currently uses one dish for programming. What you may have seen is a very old installation where two dishes were required, one for domestic programming and another for international programming.

 

[KAB]

The Two year promo is for DirectTV and they do have it listed right on their website.

Link, please. Special pricing for all packages says for 12 mos.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/new_c...footernavtype=-1&ICID=PRHP_GM_060510_Alice#lb

 

[lparsons21]

Look down in each selection and you'll see :
$29 off first year
$14 off 2nd year

Plain as day at your provided link...

 

[jtravel]

Link, please. Special pricing for all packages says for 12 mos.
English Packages

I followed your link at it says right at the Top :
NEW SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOUR AREA, LOCK IN YOUR SAVINGS FOR TWO YEARS
PLUS FREE HD FOR LIFE.
The Details are $29 monthly credit first year
and $14 monthly credit second year

I guess if your not seeing this same offer maybe its not available in your area?

 

[KAB]

Look down in each selection and you'll see :
$29 off first year
$14 off 2nd year

Plain as day at your provided link...

I'm either insane or blind. I see NOTHING about a second year.
Here's what I see (and copied):

Save $29 a month for 12 mos. Reg. price: $58.99/month.

Your monthly savings include $24 plus an additional $5 for
signing up for DIRECTV emails and submitting rebate online.
Online redemption requires valid email address.

How do I redeem?

Redeem your rebates by visiting directv.com/rebates. If you redeem prior to your installation, your rebate credits will begin with your first bill. Rebates submitted after installation will take 6-8 weeks.
3 months FREE

Local channels included at no extra charge. Eligibility based on service address.

NO startup costs & NO equipment to buy

FREE standard professional installation

FREE shipping & handling — $20 value
ONLINE ONLY

 

[Ringthane]

I see four different plans when I go to that link, and all of them have the two-year info on them.

 

[KAB]

Here's what I see....

 

[Ringthane]

It must be a location thing then... I had to put my zip code in when I went to that page, and I'm seeing the $29 and $14 pricing.

 

[radtech]

When I enter zip code 62948, I see the two year deal. When I enter my own zip code, I only see the one year deal.

Ed

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I'm either insane or blind. I see NOTHING about a second year.
Here's what I see (and copied):

Save $29 a month for 12 mos. Reg. price: $58.99/month.

Your monthly savings include $24 plus an additional $5 for
signing up for DIRECTV emails and submitting rebate online.
Online redemption requires valid email address.

How do I redeem?

Redeem your rebates by visiting directv.com/rebates. If you redeem prior to your installation, your rebate credits will begin with your first bill. Rebates submitted after installation will take 6-8 weeks.
3 months FREE

Local channels included at no extra charge. Eligibility based on service address.

NO startup costs & NO equipment to buy

FREE standard professional installation

FREE shipping & handling — $20 value
ONLINE ONLY

Mine shows this as well.

 

[lparsons21]

When I enter zip code 62948, I see the two year deal. When I enter my own zip code, I only see the one year deal.

Ed

Huh? You mean my down-in-the-boonies zip code gets a slightly better deal? That's nearly a first!!

 

[radtech]

Yep!

 

[KAB]

Location Discrimination??

 

[teachsac]

If you don't see it, the two year deal will show up when you go into your cart. There you can see your pricing for two years.

S~

I'm leaving too after 12 years. Deciding now between D* and Comcast (xfinity) Triple Play. Frontier S****, and E* is no longer a value, especially with three HD receivers.

 

[AlaJoe]

I have been thinking of switching also but with Direct I do not think you get full DVR functionality in each room unless you have a DVR in that room. I think you can watch and program recordings from a non dvr that are on a conected dvr but I do not think you can pause live tv from a non dvr unit