Comparison of Dish Network and Direct TV

So you have decided to join millions of people across the country and make the switch from cable to satellite television. The choices are confusing but the programming looks amazing. You’ve heard about both Direct TV and Dish Network and are wondering what the differences are. Do not jump too quickly to choose one or the other without investigating the facts first.

First let’s take a look at the installation process. Both companies offer free installation which is a fabulous incentive to make the switch.  We’ll start by taking a look at what Direct TV offers. The Direct TV dish is truly an amazing sight. It has a total of 5-LNB which provide you with incredible satellite coverage. If you do not want a large dish on your home you should go with Dish Network. Keep in mind that Direct TV provides you with coverage of more satellites providing a better viewing experience.

Direct TV advertises installation next day for most areas. Dish Network does not offer this as an incentive. Within the last month I have had two friends switch from cable to satellite TV. One friend went with Dish Network and the other Direct TV. We live in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. My friend with Direct TV ordered the service on Wednesday and received the install on Thursday. The other friend, excited about satellite TV after the ravings of my Direct TV friend, ordered Dish Network on the same Thursday. Their installation was scheduled for a week from that Friday.

While consumers may not experience this in other areas it is certainly something to consider.
Let’s move on to content. The rave now is high-definition programming which is not surprising. This stunning, crystal-clear digital presentation with amazing surround sound capabilities is truly an experience unlike any other in television viewing. Dish Network and Direct TV both offer HD programming.

These companies have been on a race to provide more high-def programming to their subscribers. Each company was scheduled to launch a new satellite for this purpose in the spring of 2008. The satellite launch was successful for Direct TV and a failure for Dish Network. Both the satellite launches Direct TV was already ahead in the race for HD programming and this success will clearly give them a huge lead over Dish Network. Currently Dish Network offers 73 HD channels and cable offers 55+. Direct TV packages feature a total of 95 HD channels and this number is continually rising. Direct TV can provide over 265 channels of regular programming while Dish Network has 250.

Consumers have been selecting HD DVRs as their receiver of choice. A DVR, Digital Video Recorder, allows the subscriber to select programming to record and watch at a later date. Dish Network’s ViP722 DVR is capable of record 350 hours of standard programming and 55 hours of HD programming. This can record 5 more hours of HD programming than Direct TV but with less HD programming available at Dish one would have to weigh the importance of 5 hours of recording. The Direct TV PLUS HD DVR can record a total of 200 SD programming hours and 50 HD hours. Direct TV also provides subscribers with the ability to schedule recordings using their mobile phone or the website.

Each provider offers sports programming. Direct TV is the exclusive provider for NFL Sunday Ticket while Dish Network has football in the form of ESPN GamePlan. MLB recently changed their provider to Direct TV from Dish Network but will continue to air on Dish Network for a transitional period. Dish Network offers extensive Soccer coverage with MLS Direct Kick. Both providers offer NHL Center Ice and NBA League Pass. Direct TV has additional sports coverage including NASCAR HotPass, College Basketball & Football, Soccer, Rugby, and Cricket.

These providers offer more than television. Each provider offers satellite radio amongst their content. Direct TV offers XM Radio while Dish Network offers Sirius. With the upcoming merger between Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio this may not matter to consumers because the coverage will be the same.

The gap is widening between these two providers every day as Direct TV’s content continues to grow and Dish Network falls steadily behind. Dish Network may be a few dollars cheaper but it is not as comprehensive, and there are always many great Direct TV deals available. This makes Direct TV this writer’s satellite provider of choice.

Analog Isn’t Going To Hang Around

Analog is still the choice of some people to view television and its time for them to decide what they will do when the signal changes because it is going too. The change is set for February, so while the holidays are not far behind the time will be here that will change the way everyone views television. Subscribers that have Direct TV deals already know how great digital programming is and HD, if an analog viewer were to ask they could not get one of these subscribers to say they would rather analog programming.

There are defiantly some things that the analog viewers are missing without having what Direct TV offers, like the digital programming but it is also more, the many extra channels over what the local viewer has and the real HD programs they can watch.

Then there are some things that the local analog viewer never even thought of having, which they could with what Direct TV offers, like the movie packages and the sports packages. These are hard to beat channels, they are hard to beat by channels that only show some games and few movies and both are loaded with advertisements during the programs. The analog viewer just does not know what they have been missing without a Direct TV deal.

There is TV and Then There Is DirecTV

There is a big difference when it comes to television programming, there is local television with two, three or four channels, there is cable television where there are a lot of channels but many that are not what you would watch and are included in the package.

Then there is satellite tv with Direct tv packages where there are choices what kind of channels you want to see and extra packages for programs like the NFL Sunday Ticket where you can see more football than you will on any other channels.

There is something else about television and that is the cost, with cable television the cost is higher than with satellite tv, there are Direct tv deals that fit into any budget and while local television is free remember there are two, three or four channels filled with infomercials most of the time. Then there is also the fact that local television will only be free until February and then you will have to purchase a box to watch your programs.

Then there is also the fact that DirecTV has more channels and programs in HD than cable television can offer and Direct tv is adding to this all the time. The truth is there are more than 90 channels with HD programming on satellite tv and there is no cable company that can match that now or anytime soon.

There Are Package Deals and Then There Are Real Package Deals

Everywhere you go you see package deals, in the stores there are always package deals and some you wonder what they had in mind. In some cases it’s extra large cans of something you would like one small can that could make a small serving but the manufacturer thought it would be nice to put it in a can that is 48 ounces.

One place that there are great package deals that can be found is satellite tv deals and Directv has package deals everyone can find to fit what they want.

There are programming package deals that have everything for the family,package deals for movie channels for the adults, music channels for the teen and programming for the younger children that does not need to be monitored. Just to be safe there are ways to use parental locks also, that way should a child think they are using the remote to go to one of their channels there is no way to change to a channel that is not appropriate for them.

Unlike cable which in the grocery store can be equaled to the extra large can, satellite tv offers promotions and they also have different package deals, so there is something for every subscribers needs.

When It’s Time For Sports It’s Time For DirecTV

Sports fans know there are few games on local channels and to go to the sports bar for every game they want to see isn’t possible, unless they work there. That means they have to find their sports fix another way and with Direct tv sports packages they know they are not only getting all the games they are getting all the extras.

There are extras like sports shows that will give them all the inside information on their favorite players, team and even information on the coaches.

The best of all is there is so many games transmitted in HD that it is like having a special seat at the game that lets you see all the action up close and clear like only HD can do.

The way to go for any sports fan other fans will tell you is with satellite tv and sports packages because it’s the best way to see all the different sports, like baseball, football and even racing. When it comes to the races only Direct tv has a deal that lets you not only see the action but it lets you see it from the cars, in the pits and the winners circle.

What Makes Satellite TV A Great Choice?

When it comes to watching television there are certain requirements that people have, some only want to watch new movies, some like old movies and then there is the person that wants to watch anything except for info-mercials.

Satellite Tv has what each of these people want to see and none of what they don’t want to see along with a lot of other programming. When a television is hooked up to a provider like Directv with packages to choose from that will fit anyone’s taste and there are the extra sports packages with football, baseball, soccer and racing.

The best part is this is the kind of programming that is on 7 days a week 24 hours a day so there is no waiting for the night of the week that the local channels might have a movie on or if you want to watch television after midnight there is something on instead of someone trying to sell you whatever it is they think that people will buy over the phone.

For people that own HD TV’s Direct tv is a must have because they have more HD channels than any other provider and way more than cable providers.

These are some of the reasons why satellite tv is a great choice and with DirecTV there is also the added benefit that their monthly bill is less than cable with better choices in packages.