In my experience, both have done everything possible to minimize the cost of interacting with customers, so be prepared to talk to a computer, then to a person whose english is limited and whose only real skill is reading from the same script that the computer tried to give you. Their incentive seems to be to keep you from talking to level II support, etc. Still, I would give the edge to Dish, as ATT's acquisition of Direct seems to have forced a further focus on standardization and efficiency. Plus, Direct tries to stick you with fees for what used to be free. For example, if the receiver you rent on a two year commitment stops working correctly, they are going to try to charge you for a house visit, and if you need new equipment they are going to want you to sign a new two year commitment. I am not sure Dish is any different in that regard. I know HD doesn't matter to you, but in the end it was HD that sold me on Dish (my KVH M7 wouldn't work in HD when Direct changed its signal), and then when Dish changed its signal to be no longer compatible with my KVH, I replaced the KVH with Intellian and switch the boat to Direct because it costs only $5 / mo extra, while Dish charged separately for boat and home. All in all, I look forward to relying exclusively on internet as my video provider.