HD Channels Comparison DISH vs. DirecTV

[MAVERICK007]

What HD channels are offered on Dish, but not on DirecTV?

[Lyle_JP]

What HD channels are offered on Dish, but not on DirecTV?

All of the Voom channels, such as:

MonstersHD
KungFu
Gallery
Equator
Rave (my favorite)
World Sport
Animania
World Cinema
FilmFest
Ultra HD
HD News
Treasure
Rush HD
GamePlay
Family HD

Those are the ones I know for sure DirecTV doesn't have. Here are some other channels I'm not sure that DirecTV has, but that Dish does:

Food Network HD
TNT HD
Universal HD
HGTV HD
National Geographic HD

And of course, Dish has the biggies DirecTV has:
ESPN-HD
ESPN2-HD
HBO HD
Showtime HD
Starz HD (Mpeg-4)
Discovery HD Theater
HDNet
HDNet Movies (best pic quality on Dish)

[MAVERICK007]

All of the Voom channels, such as:

MonstersHD
KungFu
Gallery
Equator
Rave (my favorite)
World Sport
Animania
World Cinema
FilmFest
Ultra HD
HD News
Treasure
Rush HD
GamePlay
Family HD

Those are the ones I know for sure DirecTV doesn't have. Here are some other channels I'm not sure that DirecTV has, but that Dish does:

Food Network HD
TNT HD
Universal HD
HGTV HD
National Geographic HD

And of course, Dish has the biggies DirecTV has:
ESPN-HD
ESPN2-HD
HBO HD
Showtime HD
Starz HD (Mpeg-4)
Discovery HD Theater
HDNet
HDNet Movies (best pic quality on Dish)


Thanks for that incredible reply. That's amazing DISH offers sooo much more in HD than DirecTV. I thought there would only be a couple more HD channels on DISH. I have DTV and now feel totally deprived of HD possibilities. :bang

DirecTV does offer TNT and Universal HD now.

Thanks, Lyle! :righton:

[rdeco]

Have another question about comparison.... DISH has more HD content now but I wonder what their long term strategy is??? And does anyone know if the HD content that DISH broadcasts today is MPEG-4?

[Stewart Vernon]

Have another question about comparison.... DISH has more HD content now but I wonder what their long term strategy is??? And does anyone know if the HD content that DISH broadcasts today is MPEG-4?

I would imagine their longterm strategy is to continue to have more HD! Not too much HD exists right now that Dish doesn't have... and being so far ahead of the competition, they have time to negotiate good agreements without feeling a rush, and they have spare bandwidth still to launch some more channels in the near future. Not to mention the rumor mill of things that are already in the works for this year.

Some of Dish HD is MPEG4, some of it is not. MPEG4 is not a big deal to us the customer... more a big deal to Dish as once the technology for real-time encoding is up to par they will be able to make a steady migration of everything over a few years to MPEG4 and have even more bandwidth available. But as a customer, I won't necessarily see any increase or decrease in quality due to MPEG4 as it is ultimately just another kind of compression algorithm that Dish will use to compress data and either use it to have more channels in the same space with some reduction in quality OR the same channels at higher quality.

[rdeco]

Thanks HDMe! I have read a lot of stuff about MPEG4 and for some reason was thinking that it would improve my viewing experience.

[Stewart Vernon]

Thanks HDMe! I have read a lot of stuff about MPEG4 and for some reason was thinking that it would improve my viewing experience.

You're welcome... the thing about MPEG4 is it would all depend on how it is used. It could be used to provide better picture using the same or less bandwidth than a current MPEG2 channel requires... however, that would be a side-bonus to the companies like Dish or DirecTV who really are looking at ways to maximize their bandwidth and squeeze more new channels where they can... so it is more likely we will the MPEG4 used to provide the same or slightly lower quality so they can save a bunch of bandwidth and use that to add more channels.

Of course we won't really know for a few years how it all pans out... but history seems to say this is the way companies like Dish will go.

[Cap'n Preshoot]

Thanks HDMe! I have read a lot of stuff about MPEG4 and for some reason was thinking that it would improve my viewing experience.

I watched the Dallas-Jacksonville game today on FOX and periodically switched back and forth from OTA to the MPEG-4 signal from my new AT9 dish.

For folks without OTA access I truly feel sorry for you because if what I saw today is any indication, MPEG-4 cannot hold a candle to full-spectrum HD OTA.

Thank goodness I have good OTA signals.
MPEG-2 (HDNet, etc) are also excellent quality.

The PQ just wasn't there today with the MPEG-4 signals.

[pro710hd]

I have Directv and am disappointed at the lack of HD programming channels.

Would it be worth it to switch to DISH to pick up more HD channels? I have an HDTivo and 2 regular receivers so I'm wondering if they would give me equipment free to switch (HD PVR)? That would make it very enticing.

I'm also wondering what if anything I would be giving up with Directv as I don't buy any of the sports packs, boxing or NFL tickets?

[Nick]

I have Directv and am disappointed at the lack of HD programming channels.

Would it be worth it to switch to DISH to pick up more HD channels? I have an HDTivo and 2 regular receivers so I'm wondering if they would give me equipment free to switch (HD PVR)? That would make it very enticing.

I'm also wondering what if anything I would be giving up with Directv as I don't buy any of the sports packs, boxing or NFL tickets?Yes, no, not much. ;)

[pro710hd]

Yes, no, not much. ;)

Hey Nick. You really don't have 3 dishes do you! I only have one D* dish with a multi-switch so I definitely wouldn't want to gain another dish. I'm guessing that I would have to replace the directv dish right?

[Nick]

Yes, I have three dishes, but none are currently active. I'm a satelliteguy reject. I have cable, so what do I know? :shrug:

Not necessarily -- it depends on which bird your HD locals come from. I'm not a D* guy, so I can't help you there. Maybe someone else will jump in here.

[pro710hd]

That's cool. Thanks Nick!

[wirelessness]

I have Directv and am disappointed at the lack of HD programming channels.

Would it be worth it to switch to DISH to pick up more HD channels? I have an HDTivo and 2 regular receivers so I'm wondering if they would give me equipment free to switch (HD PVR)? That would make it very enticing.

I'm also wondering what if anything I would be giving up with Directv as I don't buy any of the sports packs, boxing or NFL tickets?


I'm sure you already know this but just in case. With Dish right now when you sign up you get $100 of the HD-DVR making the price $199 and you get $200 of your bill every month for 10/mo's = $200....so basically the VIP622 is free!!!

I just ordered mine yesterday and it's getting installed on Friday...a full 3 weeks before D* could do an install....an install I cancelled btw