Direct tv vs. Digital cable vs. Dish Network

[locked&loaded]

I know I know, this is not the right place. Oh well.

Anyway which one is the best, which one includes nfl network, or has it for cheapest price?

NOt only for nfl network, but does it include other good channels, with alot of HD. Pretend youre a salesman and try to sell them to me....

 

[theogt]

Fiber optics.

 

[superpunk]

If you can get DirecTV, get DirecTV. NFLN is part of the basic package, and there is Sunday Ticket. Tons of HD channels.

/thread.

 

[vicjagger]

Beware of NFLN on digital (or analog) cable. You may get NFLN, but not the live games.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I think this is a topical question given the game Thursday...

But I've been wondering about this myself. I'm on my second stint with DirecTv. My mom and dad want to get satellite, but I don't know all the differences between it and Dish. My city doesn't have locals on DirecTv, but they do on Dish. I get the networks fine over the air, so that doesn't matter to me, but it might to them.

Is it still true that on the higher channel packages, the differences go away?

Which one has more HD channels now?

Sunday Ticket isn't an issue as we get every Cowboys game anyway.

 

[BehindEnemyLinez]

Not sure about the others, but Directv has just added plenty of HD channels! They've finally made it worth the extra $10/month that I'm paying for my HD service!

 

[theogt]

Not sure about the others, but Directv has just added plenty of HD channels! They've finally made it worth the extra $10/month that I'm paying for my HD service!

How many do they have now?

 

[superpunk]

Not sure about the others, but Directv has just added plenty of HD channels! They've finally made it worth the extra $10/month that I'm paying for my HD service!

Yeah. There are a ton.

NFL Network needs to step it up still and become REAL HD. I'm still salty about the extra 100 dollars I have to pay on top of the 250 I pay for Ticket to get the Ticket in HD, lol. But I won't watch football in standard def ever again, and so I pay. damn Ticket's got me by the short and curlies.

 

[superpunk]

How many do they have now?

An assload.

Just got 46 new ones, and the cost hasn't raised yet.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

What do you mean by NFLN being in real HD, SP?

 

[superpunk]

What do you mean by NFLN being in real HD, SP?

On Directv, the secondary channel 212 is in "fake" HD. I'm not sure how to describe it technically, but instead of the full screen, hi-resolution HD, NFLN comes across as a standard ?16:9? (not sure about that number) ratio channel.

Basically, it looks like they took a standard definition broadcast and sharpened it. It doesn't fill the whole screen. Someone with more technical knowledge could probably explain it better. Their game broadcasts are in full-HD tho.

 

[theogt]

An assload.

Just got 46 new ones, and the cost hasn't raised yet.

Not bad with the upgrade. I knew just a couple months ago that AT&T's fiber optics had the most. It's probably about even now.

Best bet: Go with DirecTV, but have your internet through fiber optics.

 

[jchocolate82]

What do you mean by NFLN being in real HD, SP?

They rarely show any of the shows in HD you would think that they would have standard HD for there weekly shows at least like ESPN does.

 

[CantonBound08]

I think this is a topical question given the game Thursday...

But I've been wondering about this myself. I'm on my second stint with DirecTv. My mom and dad want to get satellite, but I don't know all the differences between it and Dish. My city doesn't have locals on DirecTv, but they do on Dish. I get the networks fine over the air, so that doesn't matter to me, but it might to them.

Is it still true that on the higher channel packages, the differences go away?

Which one has more HD channels now?

Sunday Ticket isn't an issue as we get every Cowboys game anyway.

I have Dish, and my problem is just the opposite. DirecTv has the locals in HD, but Dish does not.

Dish is expanding their HD lineup. They say they have 70 (in one of their commercials, but I see differently on their website). I haven't counted, but they do have quite a few. Directv is touting around 75 I think. They say they could have up to 100 by the end of the year. I wish Dish would tell you what channels they are planning rather than you finding out about a new HD channel by waking up in the morning and looking through the guide. DirecTV is kicking their butt as far as marketing goes.

I was considering switching to DirecTV b/c of the HD locals, but I can pick them up with an antenna. I do like the Dish DVR better than the DirecTV one. I like the fact that I can access my DVR from more than one TV in the house (they share the receiver). Also, you get PIP in the Dish receiver (I don't think you get this with the DirecTV one). I also think that in order to watch one and record another with DirecTV you have to have two coax cables running into the back of the receiver. With Dish you get this same functionality, but with only one cable.

I think either way you win. I have had DirecTV in the past, and I was very satisfied with it, but I think I'll be sticking with Dish for now (based on the reasons above).

Hope that helps.

Here is a great link to another forum (not sure if this is allowed, if not mods, please remove). They have a table that lists all of the HD channel lineups so that you can easily compare them.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=419472

 

[CalCBFan]

I just got DirecTV and I wish I'd gone w/ Dish. With Dish you can go to a AT&T store and see what you are getting before you sign. W/ DTV you talk to someone on the phone and if the order comes out wrong, tough!. I know people that have had great service from DTV, but I also know people that have been lied to, as I was. And remember, you have no paperwork to substantiate any claims, when you are on the phone. I told the guy (on the phone) I wanted their "choice plus DVR pkg, 2 HD receivers and one standard rcvr". Even having one over it several times he had trouble repeating that back to me and when the order came, no DVR! When I called the lady says "it's $299". I said when I placed my order the guy said it was "only $199 if I got the DVR then", so I said "ok". The lady tells me that is "incorrect. It's $299", so I said "forget it". Also the installastion did not go well. The installer used existing TW cables that don't have enough bandwidth for the HD stuff. They did come out and replace those and the HD is awsome.

If you are in a smaller venue such as Beaumont, TX you may not get ANY network programming. You read me correctly. I signed up for this to see Cowboys games in HD and as it turns out I can't see them in any definition because there is no access to FOX (or any other network) in this area w/ DTV. I had to go buy cable and re-connect TW to see the non-NFL Network games. Supposedly DTV has more HD, but you are completely at their mercy as to what you get in equipment and programming. I'd look at Dish if I had to do it again...

 

[Chocolate Lab]

On Directv, the secondary channel 212 is in "fake" HD. I'm not sure how to describe it technically, but instead of the full screen, hi-resolution HD, NFLN comes across as a standard ?16:9? (not sure about that number) ratio channel.

Basically, it looks like they took a standard definition broadcast and sharpened it. It doesn't fill the whole screen. Someone with more technical knowledge could probably explain it better. Their game broadcasts are in full-HD tho.

Gotcha, thanks. They're using some kind of cheesy upconversion for their studio shows... But at least the games are in real HD.

Any arguments for Dish from anyone? How many HD channels do they have now?

Edit -- Thanks, CantonBound. Your post wasn't up when I wrote this.

 

[CalCBFan]

P.S. The picture quality on non-HD channels is worse that it was w/ our old TV. Looks like someone smeared grease on the lens of the camera. Very unsatisfactory...

 

[dallasfaniac]

I have Dish right now and DSL through my phone company (Only 6.0 Mbps). All told, the bill comes to $99.

I used to have Cox cable, with Internet and phone. I will never do VOIP again. I was cut off during calls, sometimes it would take 15 minutes to get a dial tone and many calls would not go through to the house. (I would call the house from my cell phone while at the house. It would ring and ring, but not at the house. I don't know how many calls I missed.)

I will never go back to Cox again. I experienced Internet outages on a frequent basis and it takes almost an hour to reach a live representative. The automated system sucks beyond all suckage. I often work out of house as opposed to my office and when it goes out for hours at a time at critical moments, they said for a small fee, they could provide a dialup account.

Ok, this is becoming a Cox rant, so I'll stop there.

Dish has been awesome in comparison, although my sister has DirecTV and it works out well for her too.

 

[superpunk]

P.S. The picture quality on non-HD channels is worse that it was w/ our old TV. Looks like someone smeared grease on the lens of the camera. Very unsatisfactory...

If you have a hi-def widescreen, you'll have to make sure that you set the default aspect ratio to 4:3, or whatever conventional TV is.

Otherwise, everyone is really fat and blurry.

 

[CalCBFan]

Thanks Superpunk. Will this effect my HD resolution?...