Who is the best Satellite TV provider in the US?

[mini1]

:welcome_s Please take part in the poll! Tell me your story below, about why you voted the way you did, such as a great experience with the company, best programming packages, most channels you want to watch, local channels by satellite (Voom is exempt), great receivers/DVR's, or anything else related to the topic. Thank you in advance for voting! :)

~Note- this poll was meant for small dish satellite system voters, but if you think C-Band is the best US Satellite TV provider list it below.

[music_beans]

Dish is the best.

[Chris Freeland]

I did not vote because it depends on which DBS company best meets your needs. I have been with E* since they began back in 96. Back in 96 E* served my needs the best because they had most of the channels I wanted in one AT40 package for a price much cheaper then what I could get them on a combination of D*TC and the then USSB basic packages. Now I am thinking about a change to D*, not because I am mad at E*, because I am not, however times have changed and D* programing now fits my needs better and I am wanting to upgrade to a DVR and I feel that the D*DVR w/Tivo is a better value for me then the E*DVR510.

[Jon W]

Having had both Dish and Now DirecTV since 1997, I must say I prefer Direct. The channel selection is pretty much the same give or take a couple of channels. The price Isn't that much different either. My DirecTivo's WORK which is more than I could say for my Dishplayer. The music channels are better IMHO, More PPV, and I like the Freebies, Like the freviews and the bonus material that shows up on the Tivo sometimes. Also 3 words: NFL SUNDAY TICKET! of course ymmv. You are going to find that people have very strong opinions on both sides, hopefully this wont turn into a flame war.

[BobMurdoch]

Showtime Beyond, the other movie channels, HBO Comedy, Superstations, Distant Networks, and good HD channels with much less compression will keep me around.

I didn't list CBS-HD as that will no longer be an advantage come Friday, but that was important too.

Recording HD on my 921 doesn't suck, either........

[Capmeister]

By mere fact that I can get Dish, usually with a good deal, and can't get DirecTV unless I go through Pegasus, Dish wins.

I've been a DISH customer for 4 and 1/2 years.

[Mark Holtz]

Having Dish Network for two years, and DirecTV for six months, my opinion is... none of the above.

From my viewpoint, both DirecTV and Dish Network offer programming on the channels that I or my mother are most likely to watch (History, Discovery, TLC, AMC, TCM, Cartoon Network, Sacramento locals, HGTV, Fox News). The only channel that I'm missing when I switched from Comcast/AT&T Broadband cable to DBS is the [url=http://www.internationalchannel.com/]International Channel[/i], and both DirecTV and Dish do not carry this channel.

Part of the reason why I went with Dish first was that they had a fee-free DVR and carried the Superstations. At that time, SHIVA has not gone into effect, so only ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX was carried in that market, and I was a fan of both Buffy, The Vampire Slayer (which jumped from WB to UPN) and Angel (WB), as well as giving a new series, Enterprise (UPN) a try after giving up on Star Trek: Voyager. I also enjoyed getting the programs about 3 hours early. Dish is also very strong on locals. Dish Network is also strong on International programming, however no German-language channels.

So, why did I switch to DirecTV? If you search the archives, you will find the big thread of Dish charging a DVR fee for their new DVR recorders with a larger hard drive. I was contemplating a jump already because I wasn't watching the movie channels beyond Encore Action, so going with Total Choice Plus w/locals was going to be cheaper for me in the long run. In addition, IMHO, if I'm going to pay $5 per month, I can go with a system that offers a superior DVR software.

So, I went from Dish Network and DirecTV in August, 2003. The superstations no longer mattered since there was only one show, Angel which I could watch early. The other, Yu-Gi-Oh, aired on Saturdays, and I have no time on Saturday mornings to watch it because I have to be at work at 9 AM. (I am weekend tech so that I can attend college.) The dual-tuners were a plus, plus within two months, I had already swapped out the drive.

[TonyM]

I chose Dish Network on the mere point that since I cannot get locals worth crap OTA, and Dish allows me to get just the locals (I did have a pretty hefty package at one time).

I do have ExpressVu and have most of my general programming off of there, but since they are not a US company, I have to exempt them.

[DarrellP]

I chose VOOM because I CAN get my Locals OTA (all digital) and the Dish delivered locals look like crap and VOOM has tons of HD, which is all I watch anymore. I've been with Dish since almost the beginning and it is pathetic how poor their picture has become. All I sub to anymore is HD and locals for Guide info.

[The Old Wizard]

DirecTV for me is the better service. After going through the Dishplayer debacle. It is nice to have a DVR that WORKS, & works well. I have had my D-TiVo for a little over two years & I can safely say I have never had to pull the smart card, or do some code entering just to watch, or record my favorite programs. From what I have read here, & elsewhere, most of Dish's other DVRs are just as untrustworthy at times as the old Dishplayers were. The stability of the equipment & the fact that I have been treated much better by DirecTV's CSRs on that rare occasion that I have called them makes me a happy DirecTV subscriber. :HappyGree

[Crazy 1]

I would have to say DirecTv also, :roundandr just for their customer service alone. Their CSR's have been very polite and the hardware preforms as it should. I can't say that about E* when I had their service. If D* would get the overcompression problem cleared up I would be very happy :D .

[BobMurdoch]

After going through the Dishplayer debacle. It is nice to have a DVR that WORKS, & works well. .... From what I have read here, & elsewhere, most of Dish's other DVRs are just as untrustworthy at times as the old Dishplayers were.

I also was with E* during the infamous Dishplayer era and can agree that the machines were horrific at the time. Timers that wouldn't fire, lockups that they couldn't recover from, Jenny codes, smart card pulls, witch doctor ritualsto keep it performing well. All with a hard drive that only could record a dozen hours or less.

It now turns out that that was a software issue entirely, as I still have two dishplayers in operation in my house in my kids rooms and they are rock solid now. Only two instances in the last YEAR where I had to cut the power and reboot whch brought them both back after the tedious 20 minute download. Both were due to bad guide date downloads during overnight storms.

My 510 has been flawless since I got it for free in November 2003 for extending my commitment for two years, and my 921 is working better than I expected it would, given that it is so new and is crammed with all sorts of new challenges. Even when it hiccups, it reboots itself and comes back to life in 5 minutes.

I understand your pain which caused you to bolt, but the current situation is NOWHERE near as aggravating as it used to be.

[cj9788]

DISH NETWORK for me. I like their menus and guides over D*. The D* LNB"S IMO are ugly while E*'s look more appealing to my eyes. The superstations and the fact that I can have pvr functions with out TIVO. I have distants from NY and LA D* offers that but with E* if I wanted to switch to ATLANTA CHICAGO OR DENVER I have that choice. (I know Denver may go away but as of today it is still an option on my add program section on the E* web site). What made me pick dish over Direc was the fact that @ that time E* did not want my ssn while I found out from the retailer that D* would not activate my programming with out. I have learned that no longer is the case E* now requires a ssn.

[Stosh]

I agree with Chris Freeland's answer - it depends on which provider best meets your needs. I am a Dish Network customer. I chose them a few years ago because they had more HD channels than DirecTV did at that time. Now I don't really feel there is any significant difference between them; certainly not enough to make me go through the expense and hassle of switching. NFL Sunday Ticket means nothing to me, though I can understand people choosing DirecTV if they are loyal to a team in some other part of the country.

I've been perfectly happy with my Dish 6000 and Dish 301 receivers, and am looking to get the 921 receiver when it becomes more widely available. My experiences with Dish's customer support have been nothing but positive. So again, I see no compelling reason to switch to another provider. But I also won't claim Dish is better than anyone else, either (except cable, which sucks where I live).

[HarryD]

I have had both and, for me, DirecTV is clearly the better service. YMMV though.. :grin:

[munsel6]

I have had Dish aprox. 5 yrs now and am very satsisfied with the service. converted from primestar so initial cost was zero, started with a 2700 receiver, than swapped with a friend and upgraded to a 4700 receiver. last May purchased a pvr 508 and then exch anged
the 4700 for a dvr510 in Nov. for free. the only problems I've had with equipment are a broken remote and the 2 LNB's on the Dish 500. both times replacements were free of charge without hassles. have AEP so we don't nave any PVR fee's . the only thing I would suggest is that they do away with the second receiiver fee.

[BurgEnder]

I started out with D* because my employer was a dealer, but after a couple of customer service nightmares, I made the switch to E* and have been happy ever since. International programming can't be matched (very important to my significant other), and every LNB or switch upgrade i've needed they've given to me at no charge. And no one yet has convinced me that a D-Tivo is a better solution than my three networked ReplayTV units, sorry.

[DS0816]

I won't vote in the poll. I've only had DirecTV, and have been a customer since March 1998, nearly six years.

My choice of DirecTV at the time was based on it having more channels. Then Dish Network surprassed DirecTV for awhile. Now it seem like it's about even.

Programming is the first thing. General, on-every-system channels like CNN, TNT, TBS, WGN, USA, AMC, ESPN, Disney, A&E, MTV, VH1, et al. aren't a factor for me because I know people get them easily; it's niche programming that I look for. I also think both DirecTV and Dish Network have ignored customer requests to bring in channels like the MTV and VH1 suites, BET Jazz, CSPAN3, Goodlife TV, and -- in both cases -- people draw comparisons that one satellite service has channels the other doesn't (Dish has Style Network, Games and Sports, and Great American Country; DirecTV has Fuel, Trio, and Nicktoons, just as examples).

There is no clear winner for me. But from a business standpoint, and from a position of a new subscriber looking to make a wise investment in equipment, it seems to me that so many posting on DBSTalk.com are favoring DirecTV nowadays. But that's not necessarily my conclusion -- just an observation.

[benl]

I have been a C customers for over fifteen years. The last 5 or 6 years I have also had directv. C's movie program was the best until the channels elected to do HD in a formate that we could not see on C Band. C Band has many more movie selections than D. The other problem with C is you can only watch one channel at a time.

Ben

[Link]

Dish is better than Directv for several reasons:

Dish Network is better to me than Directv because they provide a lot more content and package choices similar to what C-Band service used to have. Dish offers more programming variety and cost options while Directv doesn't have but a few basic choices.

Dish seems to provide more programming for its subscribers like offering more HBO stations like HBO comedy and Latino which Directv does not, they also offer Actionmax and 5 Star Max.

Dish also has offered national superstations WB and UPN feeds for viewers who still cannot receive them in rural areas while Directv refuses to despite requests from subscribers.

I have always thought the Picture Color and Quality on Dish is far better than Directv. My Sanyo 31 inch Wal-Mart TV has the best picture than even my big screen does. Everyone comments on that TV's picture and sound when they see it on.

[Mike Richardson]

DirecTV does have HBO Latino if you have the latino or triple LNB dish.

Not including west channels unless specified:

DISH has, and DirecTV does not have, HBO Comedy, ActionMax, 5 Star Max, The Movie Channel Xtra, Showtime Beyond, Starz Family, Starz Cinema.

DirecTV has, and DISH does not have, HBO Family West. This is a pretty redundant station. They should replace it with HBO Comedy to compete better. I doubt anybody will pick DirecTV because they have HBO Family West but they might be more inclined to choose DirectTV if they have HBO Comedy.

Neither DISH nor DirecTV have HBO Zone, Cinemax HD, ThrillerMax, WMax, OuterMax, @Max, Showtime Next, Showtime Women, Showtime Family Zone The Movie Channel HD, Starz Kids, MoviePlex, Starz HD. That's a lot. Many cable companies have these channels.

[Brett]

And neither satellite company gives true HBO on Demand though. :(

To me DirecTV's strong point is their dual tuner (and mostly worry free) Directivo. The value makes it great too, being $5.00/mo for all units and $99 for the receiver.

[BobMurdoch]

And neither satellite company gives true HBO on Demand though. :(

To me DirecTV's strong point is their dual tuner (and mostly worry free) Directivo. The value makes it great too, being $5.00/mo for all units and $99 for the receiver.

Big Deal. A week in advance I search through and determine what shows to record. Then I go to my PVR list and watch them when I want to. That's "on demand" enough for me, thank you.

[Chris Walker]

Dish is better..

Better PQ, better channel lineup, free PVR, superstations...

[DarrellP]

Dish is better....
Depends on what channels you watch. My locals totally stink. :mad:

[Chris Walker]

Depends on what channels you watch. My locals totally stink. :mad:

Yea I have heard people complain about the locals, fortunately I have the NY/LA distants and they look as good as the premiums. CBS-E & W for the Super Bowl Sunday looked like HBO, it was incredible. I think they get fiber feeds from NY/LA, maybe this is why the PQ is better than locals?

[Mark Holtz]

free PVR...Only if you have a 508 or earlier PVR or subscribe to America's everything package.

[shetani]

I am a newbie here on the forum but I have been with E* for 3-4 years now. I have never really had any issues with them, the installation initial and upgrades have been fairly smooth, I am actually waiting for one next week. The reason why I think E* is better is because my brother who has D* whenever he is at my house always tells me how he thinks my E* is cool. And he absolutely loves the caller ID feature which he does not have with D*. He also says that my pq seems better than his and thats why he came over to watch superbowl at my house ! Thats my 2 cents :)

[freakmonkey]

Love my 508 dont know how I watched TV before.

[JulienPDX]

DIRECTV's receiving equipment is nicer, you can choose your own manufacturer, the menus and the interace actually have channel logos and the whole interface is just plain nicer. I can go to the store and just PICK up a reciever when I want one and dont have to worry about signing another freaking contract or paying a huge cost.

The music is better on DirecTV..what the hell is the point of having mono-only channels on DISH's music? Esp. when those mono channels are stuff I'd listen to, like 80s or 70's music.

Tivo is much better than DISH's PVR. I dont like paying 4.99 a month for it though, as I dont feel that I need all the stuff that TIVO has. Dish's PVR didn't have a fee at first and now it does..why???

Plus I tried to come back to DISH and found that their credit-checking was not in-tune with my desires. DIRECTV only tried to credit-check me after I bought the equpiment and had it installed. I refused, the only penalty I had to pay was that I had to pay my first bill up front. Big deal..it was 40 bucks! That beats not being able to activate at all with DISH unless I submitted to their credit-checking policy or paid double the cost for a 2-room system that I paid for with DIRECTV.

'nuff said

[FarNorth]

I can't get Direct in Alaska but I would be very interested if I could. They have TiVo and the NFL, for starters....

[Chris Walker]

DIRECTV's receiving equipment is nicer, you can choose your own manufacturer, the menus and the interace actually have channel logos and the whole interface is just plain nicer.

Wrong. Even E*'s BASIC boxes are MUCH nicer than D*'s basic boxes. It's true that the ancient E* receivers (1000, 3000, 4000...) didn't stack up to D*, but the new ones are much faster and nicer than current D* boxes. It's not even close really.

[BarryO]

Depends on what channels you watch. My locals totally stink. :mad:

If you're comparing to digital OTA, yea, they are. I can't believe how sharp and clear the local, studio-shot news looks on digital OTA. On Dish especially, the locals are bad because the feed is received via analog OTA (from a bad antenna, apparently) - you can see ghosts and hum bars in the picture.

Both D* and E* SD channels are designed to be viewed on 20" TV's. Anything larger than that and you'll see how much they overcompress the signal, in comparison to the OTA and C-band sources. All so we can get as many shopping channels as possible.

I vote for Dish because they don't additionally compress and down-rez the HD channels, unlike D*. More and more, the HD pak and OTA HD are the only things I watch.

If E* doesn't carry Bravo-HD in time for the Olympics, I'll cancel my vote.

If I was sure Voom was going to be around in 5 years, I might vote for them.

[Mark Holtz]

Wrong. Even E*'s BASIC boxes are MUCH nicer than D*'s basic boxes. It's true that the ancient E* receivers (1000, 3000, 4000...) didn't stack up to D*, but the new ones are much faster and nicer than current D* boxes. It's not even close really.In terms of standalone receiver, the Hughes HBH-SA (which is the standard receiver now for new subscribers) is better than the 301 receiver. It can hold a seven day guide (verses a 44 hour guide which was broken from January, 2002-August, 2003), has a "Turbo Tune" feature where you can set up three lists of nine channels to quickly switch to your favorite channel, sorts the channel list alphabetically as well as by channel number, as well as some other features.

[Mark Holtz]

Tivo is much better than DISH's PVR. I dont like paying 4.99 a month for it though, as I dont feel that I need all the stuff that TIVO has. Dish's PVR didn't have a fee at first and now it does..why???Because they can. Period. Dish, at one point, was comparing their $4.99 DVR fee to TiVo's $12.99 fee. That's for a STANDALONE TiVo, not a DirecTiVo.

[DaveO]

I've had Dish since 1996-7. Initially had a 5000 which never had a problem. Last year I got a $49. installation deal for a D* GAEBO Director's pack receiver, and triple LNB dish, and I've kept both services since as I wanted to jump on the best HDTV deal when it became available. I have no requirement/wants for any dvr type receiver. I got the 811 when it became available for $99. and I'm very happy with it, and the few bugs that it presently has. It does a good job OTA, and all other channels are much clearer than D*.

Well, they used to be about the same until my Hughes GAEBO died on me at 8 months. They wouldn't cover it under warranty as they said it was only a 90 day warranty and D* came up with a replacement receiver (wanted $30 but I talked them out of it). They sent me a piece of Sh*t RCA DRD435RH receiver, and I had to send the Hughes to them. I've seen the RCA online for $29. The picture is now very poor compared to the Hughes that I had, and I will be dropping them next month when my year is up. I really feel insulted by that deal.

Dave

[JulienPDX]

DISH's guide sucks ass..its too plain and difficult to navigate..the channel logos actually help YOUNG people like me who remmeber stuff by its advertising..not its abbreviation :-)

<snickering like a young kid>

[Nick]

Thus, the rising popularity of Golden picture books among our yout!

[clapple]

The best satellite provider in the US is Bell Expressvu. :lol:

[lifterguy]

I'm a satisfied E* subscriber, so I voted for E*. (Interesting too that the poll results almost mirror the percentage of the market that each DBS provider currently has.) But I almost didn't vote at all, because which service is best depends largely on what aspects of the service you value most.

- Big sports fan? Gotta have NFL Sunday Ticket? Then clearly D* is the best for you.
- Do you want a genuine Tivo DVR with the features that only Tivo has to offer? Again, D* is the way to go.
- What channels do you want the most? Depending on your choices you might end up favoring D* or E*.
- Do you want the most HD programming available, but don't care about initial cost or a DVR? Then Voom is your best choice.
Here are the reasons I personally favor E* :
-E* seems to be committed to being the price leader. Okay, depending on the package you get, they aren't always the cheapest, but they usually edge out their competitors by at least a buck or two a month on the most popular packages.
-I like E*'s selection of channels and I have no interest in NFL Sunday ticket.
-I've been a subscriber for 5 years and have had no problems with my hardware. (We'll see if that changes when I get the 921 I have on order.)
-And finally, E* is not owned by Rupert Murdoch. Media companies used to be owned by people with fairly high ideals for fairness and quality of programming. They sometimes failed to meet those ideals, but there was a belief that media companies had responsibilities other than making money. While Murdoch alone cannot be blamed for a corporate mentality that favors sensationalism over substance, his holdings (from TV to Cable to Newspapers) have certainly helped move the media in that direction. Simply, his values are not my values, and I choose not to funnel my money directly into his enterprises if I can help it.