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And now, my time has come to ask the eternal question: Dish Network or Direct TV?
Self | 10/24/'11 | Zionist Conspirator

Posted on 10/24/2011 1:06:37 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator

Most FReepers are not aware of this, but the past six or seven months have been full of disruptions: the biggest being our having to move from our home of 28 years to a new abode. And there is no cable out here (and analog aerials don't work any more).

So yes, I must now ask the question which other FReepers have asked on prior occasions: which is better, Dish Network or Direct TV?

I have long assumed that satellite is cheaper than cable. Well, it is cheaper, but not by nearly as much as I thought. Dish Network has the more inexpensive packages, but from what I see on their home page, some channels come only with the basic package; you move up to a more expensive package and you actually lose these channels. That seems like the exact opposite of the way things should be.

Now with Direct TV you don't give up any channels by moving up to a pricier package, but it is more expensive than Dish. And once the one year introductory price runs out, it's only about twenty dollars (if that much) less than I used to pay for cable.

Would FReepers who have experience with one or both of these two products please give me some advice? And I don't mean "TV will rot your brain and Obama uses TV signals to brainwash you subliminally." I know that already.

Are local network channels available with either product? If so, what is the difference in prices?

Thank you for whatever advice you are able to give me.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Hobbies; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: nocable; question; satellitetv; tv; vanity
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To: Zionist Conspirator

Back in the early days of DBS I had DirecTV, and it was okay until the rather large mature trees blocked the only signal I could get. My GF has Dish, and I must say, I think I like the Dish software better. She has a ViP722 HD DVR receiver.

It can record two sat channels at once, and if you have an over the air antenna, one broadcast channel (the ATSC tuner is built in), for a total of three shows being recorded while you’re watching a DVR recording. It has an Ethernet port and a couple of USB ports so you can hook up your camera (photos can be saved to the DVR disk for slideshows) and also an external USB drive for additional space for recorded shows you may want to keep longer.

Programming is where your preferences are going to come into play and the package line ups from the two providers.


61 posted on 10/24/2011 2:18:09 PM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: Johnny B.

thx. Cable’s been working pretty well for me. Except FR is S L O W!

I telecommute, so my needs for data transfer are heavy.


62 posted on 10/24/2011 2:19:36 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (Cain = National Sales Tax; Perry = Amnesty for Illegals; Romney = Obamacare forever. Who's left?)
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To: donozark

Not installing the required ground wire to house ground is the biggest “missing” element that I saw in installs up until about a year ago.

The ground connection is not just for lightning strikes - it also takes stray voltage from reception of unwanted frequencies the dish pick up - and dumps it to ground.

Seems in the last year as I’ve watched the DISH Network and DirecTV guys at work - they’re putting in the ground wire connection. Guess a memo went out...

Post type install is best...can’t stand the roof crap.

=8-)


63 posted on 10/24/2011 2:22:54 PM PDT by =8 mrrabbit 8=
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To: Zionist Conspirator

Direct tv is the best, hands down. We’ve tried Dish also but they suck. Never could get the bill right and their service was extremely poor. We didn’t stay with them long until we switched back to Direc. They screamed about us breaking the contract. We told them they didn’t uphold their end so they were the ones who broke the contract. No further word from them.


64 posted on 10/24/2011 2:24:47 PM PDT by JessicaM
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To: Zionist Conspirator

The only thing I will add here, and I will assume that somebody has brought it up, is that the one disadvantage satellites have is that their signal can be blocked from time to time, from clouds or passing planes, etc.

So, depending on how important that is to you.


65 posted on 10/24/2011 2:38:30 PM PDT by Jonty30
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To: shotgun

Hey, Shotgun. We routinely receive 175 to 200 inches a year and we’ve never had to brush snow off the dish. The house, yes. The garage, yes. The shop, yes. I’d sooner think there was a glitch in your individual dish. I don’t know what else to say. We’ve had zero problems with snow on the dish, although we did have a family of wasps set up housekeeping in the LNB when the plastic cover succumbed to UV light. sd


66 posted on 10/24/2011 2:44:50 PM PDT by shotdog (I love my country. It's our government I'm afraid of.)
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To: Zionist Conspirator
We have had both services and currently have Directv, and are much happier with the programming (particularly sports), the DVR, and the HD quality.

I think the service of either company can be poor, or very good depending on your location, or so I have heard, so check that out for yourself. Fortunately we have not needed service for either.

Unless you have no other option, do not go with satellite internet, particularly HughesNet, they are just terribly slow and frustrating.

67 posted on 10/24/2011 3:13:44 PM PDT by Lakeshark
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To: Zionist Conspirator

Oh yeah, don’t set the dish on the roof if you can avoid it, particularly if you get snow storms.


68 posted on 10/24/2011 3:15:41 PM PDT by Lakeshark
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To: All
First, I want to thank everyone for your advice . . . even if I don't understand it all yet!

Secondly, I have been to both web sites and, believe it or not, right now DirectTV is actually cheaper than Dish (at least, for the channels I want). But I'm still unsure about whether local network channels are available with them, as they are with Dish.

I earlier made the comment that some of the channels available on their most basic package disappear after that. That turned out to be untrue; it's just that if you want them with more channels you have to jump way up the line in packages before they're available again. DirectTV, on the other hand, has them with the first package up from basic. So right now Direct looks cheaper. But I have time to ponder.

I don't care about DVR's or HD (we only have two televisions and they are both old-fashioned "box" types), and about the only sport I care for (aside from watching Daytona and Indy 500 on local network channels) is Major League Baseball. I actually have a visceral dislike of football (especially professional football) and don't understand why it is so popular in the South or among conservatives; baseball will always be the Great American Game.

For the moment it's nice to be saving the money that had been going to the cable company, so I will probably take my time about fixing the situation. I've also got a good price on my DSL until next August.

BTW, since we have our phone and Internet through ATT, it might pay further to go with Direct (their partner).

Finally, there are, as of yet, no trees in the yard here . . . something that has been a sore spot with this little household for some time. But I guess that means whatever trees are set out will be easy to avoid when the dish goes up.

Again, thanks to each and every one of you.

As for Obama using TV to beam propaganda, I look at it this way . . . our water is no longer fluoridated, so that's a good trade-off (jk).

69 posted on 10/24/2011 3:17:20 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (Ki-hagoy vehamamlakhah 'asher lo'-ya`avdukh yove'du; vehagoyim charov yecheravu.)
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To: Johnny B.
Satellite-based Internet access ...

In a rural area, if you don't have good cell phone connections, phone line DSL is the way to go.
If you have good cell phone connectivity, you can get a portable hub that will give you broadband with your cell phone.
If both your TV service and your computer internet service is satellite, a thunderstorm comes through and you've lost them both for a few minutes.
If your internet is on phone line DSL, you can check the weather by internet, or watch videos over the internet, or whatever...
70 posted on 10/24/2011 3:34:56 PM PDT by Yosemitest (It's simple, fight or die!)
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To: Johnny B.
Satellite-based Internet ...

One other thing, cell phone hub broadband, if a thunderstorm comes and you lose power, cell phone towers will only stay on until the battery back runs out.
Landline phone DSL service will last longer, even if the power stays out for days.
71 posted on 10/24/2011 3:38:17 PM PDT by Yosemitest (It's simple, fight or die!)
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To: Zionist Conspirator
Hook the satellite dish to the power poll next to your house.
That way, no leaky roof.
72 posted on 10/24/2011 3:42:20 PM PDT by Yosemitest (It's simple, fight or die!)
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To: Cyber Liberty
Except FR is S L O W!
Free Republic, for whatever reason, takes a L O N G time to start sending each page. Once it starts, the whole page downloads fast. I've seen the same behavior on numerous different internet connections, so I'm confident that the slowness is on their end.
73 posted on 10/24/2011 4:00:00 PM PDT by Johnny B.
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To: shotgun

Upon further thought, I’m going to make a guess that you are farther south than Central NY. The angle of our dish is shallow given our latitude. My guess is that your dish is looking more upward than ours. Am I close? sd


74 posted on 10/24/2011 4:08:52 PM PDT by shotdog (I love my country. It's our government I'm afraid of.)
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To: Zionist Conspirator
C4
75 posted on 10/24/2011 5:25:47 PM PDT by magslinger (To properly protect your family you need a Bible, a twelve gauge and a pig.)
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To: Zionist Conspirator

Direct TV


76 posted on 10/24/2011 8:33:05 PM PDT by CynicalBear
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To: Zionist Conspirator

we dumped direct tv after 5 years, they refused to ‘move with us’ even though they advertise doing so, when we canceled they continued to bill us because we didn’t go through the ‘proper chanels’, then they billed every credit card ever used for online bill pay to try to recoup the difference. I had friends and family that paid online as gifts to us and they got billed years later. their dish is now a miniature bird bath near the back pond. Dish network had originally told us that every level adds to the basic package.


77 posted on 10/24/2011 10:11:40 PM PDT by Conservative4Life (Those who don't learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. Elections have consequences.)
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To: Zionist Conspirator
"Analog" antennas work just fine for OTA tv.

The only difference might be to specialize in antennas suited to high VHF and UHF channels, since very few stations are now broadcasting digital channels on 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. (Yes, many still call themselves by those channel numbers, but almost always their actual broadcast channel is UHF. My local channel "5" actually broadcasts now on channel 35.)

www.tvfool.com will list the real and virtual channels for you.
78 posted on 10/25/2011 12:30:34 AM PDT by Nepeta
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To: Zionist Conspirator

Dish Network or Direct TV?

Neither..... Steve Jobs, in an interview stated he has left plans to revolutionize TV, will be released next year through Apple ? I wouldn’t sign no long term contracts. I have also noticed some pH. and TV providers are trying to entice people to a five year contract? May-be they know what Mr. Jobs has created?


79 posted on 10/25/2011 4:57:47 AM PDT by buck61
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To: All
Again, thanks to everyone.

While I am leaning towards Direct, the whole question of TV access is going to have to go on hold for a while till we get a little matter straightened out about our phone bill.

It's always somethin'.

80 posted on 10/25/2011 7:51:52 AM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (Ki-hagoy vehamamlakhah 'asher lo'-ya`avdukh yove'du; vehagoyim charov yecheravu.)
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