DISH vs DIRECT TV

[tpbrady]

Just to clarify satellites used by both DISH and DirecTV. DirecTV primarily uses satellites at 99W, 101W, and 103W. The 99W and 103W satellites are Ka band only and carry both local channel programming in spot beams and HD programming on CONUS beams. The reason the Intellian can look at all three satellites at once is the close proximity of the satellites makes it relatively easy to build an antenna and triple LNB to see all satellites concurrently. DISH on the other hand using 3 satellites in the Western ARC (110W, 119W, and 129W) for all of their programming. Their HD programming and local channels (also on spot beams) are spread onto all three satellites with most of the HD programming on the 129 satellite. While a antenna installed at your home can look at all three concurrently, a stabilized antenna to do the same thing would drive the cost up significantly. The stabilized antennas used for DISH look at one satellite at a time (as does the Tailgator), and spoofs the receiver into believing it is looking at all three. When you choose a program that is on a different satellite the controller points the antenna to the new satellite. Because of that it is only practical to have a single receiver on a DISH stabilized terminal unless they are both looking at programming on the same satellite. So if you need multiple receivers, DirecTV may be a better solution.

Tom

 

[mixman]

To further clarify; Dish Network's "Eastern Arc" has most HD programming on 72.7. Spot-beam locals are on 61.5. 77 typically has foreign language programming on it. So one only needs to "point" to 72.7 in Dish's Eastern Arc to get the majority of programming and multiple receivers can share that.

 

[Lobstah]

My only experience is with Directv.

Pros: Wireless, wireless, and wireless I have 4 TVs in my home, and they're not connected via coax to a wall plug. All of them run on wireless connections back to the Rcvr/DVR, so I can put a TV anywhere without worrying about where/how to run cable to connect it.

Cons: Terrible, pathetic, ridiculously obtuse and non-responsive customer service

 

[BandB]

Cons: Terrible, pathetic, ridiculously obtuse and non-responsive customer service

Is there any satellite or cable provider that you can't say that about? We have been with Time Warner and Comcast and Direct TV at home and could say that about them all.

 

[saltcod]

We don't subscribe to a tv or internet service on our boat. We have some movies on DVD, we play cards, read, talk, enjoy the marine environment around us, cook and enjoy each other's company away from the rat race.

 

[Lobstah]

Is there any satellite or cable provider that you can't say that about? We have been with Time Warner and Comcast and Direct TV at home and could say that about them all.

While that's true, many/most of the DTV customers I speak to say that it's gotten even worse since the ATT purchase. I spent 15 minutes on the phone AFTER they put a hoomin on, just trying to drop the NFL Sunday Ticket, and had to leave before he could finish the job. 15 mins to make a programming change as simple as deleting an add-on. It's about 3 mouse-clicks to do that. Sometimes I think helplines try to outlast you

Won't be putting it on our boat. Had it for awhile in our motor home, but really didn't use it much. Ended up with a nice little Jack antenna for locals, and that gave us everything we needed

 

[FF]

"We don't subscribe to a tv or internet service on our boat."

Local over the air TV will give a good local weather report ,

and in election season can provide great comedy.

 

[tinped]

For the few posters that said it was primarily for the nfl sunday, wouldnt just be easier to find a local sports bar on Sunday, get a burger and a beer. I can see if it is baseball(161 games), but not football.

 

[hmason]

Is there any satellite or cable provider that you can't say that about? We have been with Time Warner and Comcast and Direct TV at home and could say that about them all.

My experience with Dish has been quite good.

 

[BandB]

For the few posters that said it was primarily for the nfl sunday, wouldnt just be easier to find a local sports bar on Sunday, get a burger and a beer. I can see if it is baseball(161 games), but not football.

Wifey B: Other than it wouldn't be the game I wanted to see and the fact I don't like sports bars....then ok. And we do like it for all sports, not just football. Basketball is number one with us.

 

[live2fish]

We have DISH and it works well. Others at our marina have Direct. The big difference is that we get local stations and a lot of HD on DISH while Direct doesn't offer either.

 

[MYTraveler]

We have DISH and it works well. Others at our marina have Direct. The big difference is that we get local stations and a lot of HD on DISH while Direct doesn't offer either.

I am not a fan of Direct, but Direct does provide both. The only programming difference I noted was that Direct does not carry the Pac12 network, so I miss(ed) some Stanford and USC football. But since all the big games are on other networks, my conversion to Dish will be complete before either is in another Pac12 network game.

 

[hjorgan]

We watch fishing shows while we fish!
College football saturdays find us on a sandbar or anchored up, watching the game, grilling on the transom, and enjoying cold beverages.
That beat the hell out of a sports bar.

 

[AusCan]

The only TV I watch is one or two series on Netflix, and football. Australian Rules Football. The most spectacular team sport played. No, it's not rugby. Only 4 games left this season, but most of you will need satellite TV to watch it.
Have a look if you get a chance. Hawks vs Bulldogs semi-final in about 10 hours from now. Adelaide vs Sydney tomorrow.

(and now back to dish/direct TV debate)

 

[BandB]

The only TV I watch is one or two series on Netflix, and football. Australian Rules Football. The most spectacular team sport played. No, it's not rugby. Only 4 games left this season, but most of you will need satellite TV to watch it.
Have a look if you get a chance. Hawks vs Bulldogs semi-final in about 10 hours from now. Adelaide vs Sydney tomorrow.

(and now back to dish/direct TV debate)

Wifey B: You have to be even crazier to play it than American Football. The field is huge and weird shaped but the colorful odd shaped balls are cool.

 

[catalinajack]

We don't subscribe to a tv or internet service on our boat. We have some movies on DVD, we play cards, read, talk, enjoy the marine environment around us, cook and enjoy each other's company away from the rat race.

Just wondering. How does your observation advance the point of this discussion? It always amazes me when someone asks a very specific question someone answers something like "well I don't have have Ford Lehman engines but on my Perkins ....". Thread drift is one thing, irrelevant comments are a waste of evryone's time. Yeah, I know, I just drifted indulging in a pet peeve.

 

[Patemey]

For the few posters that said it was primarily for the nfl sunday, wouldnt just be easier to find a local sports bar on Sunday, get a burger and a beer. I can see if it is baseball(161 games), but not football.

We're still in the working class, so Sunday is usually traveling day to get back to our marina. And in the fall, with the sun setting earlier, we have to travel mid-day. Having satellite TV and being able to watch the NFL games enroute (esp your hometown favorite) makes the trip all that much more enjoyable.