Dish Network vs Direct TV

[NoTrespassing]

Has anybody been a customer of both services and have an opinion on which one is better?

I've been a customer of Dish for over 20 years. We've never upgraded to HD because I didn't want to start a 2 year contract and have always thought about switching to Direct for the new customer discount.

I don't like the way either service only gives discounts to new customers but I understand the marketing. I'm pretty sure I could get a sizable discount by talking to an account specialist at Dish but I still think I'd have to sign a 2 year contract to upgrade to HD even after being a customer for 20 years.

I don't want to go satellite and we can't get cable. I have an antenna but don't want to live without a few cable channels so we will have one or the other dish services.

Opinions on Dish and Direct?

Kevin

 

[ovrszd]

We've been on a "dish" with dishnetwork for many years. Couple years ago our receiver quit. I called Dish about a replacement. They sent a service guy. He asked if we wanted HD? I said what's it cost? He said "nothing". I said sure. He replaced our receiver with the latest greatest. Tuned our dish. Took him about 30 minutes. No charge. I was shocked and still wonder about it.

I've heard people say they have contacted Dish about discontinuing their service and came away with a better channel selection with no increase in fees. I've never tried that.

 

[Shaneard]

We have had both and currently have Dish Network. I would advise against Directv, they went up on our price, then went up again and the service was not as good as Dish Network. Every time we go in Wal-Mart or Sams and those Directv people try and stop me I just start saying Dish Network is where it's at. They don't pester me after that!

We switched from Dish Network to Directv to save money (wound up being more), we regretted it until our contract ran out with them and switched back to Dish Network and have been happy ever since.

 

[kcflhrc]

I vote Direct TV. I had Dish Network for 1 year, hated it and switched back. I do have to call every year when my contract expires and negotiate price but for $76 a month with 3 receivers and DVR service it's probably the most economical form of entertainment. I could spend that easily on 1 night at the movies with popcorn and drinks for the wife and I. So that kinda puts it in perspective, cheap entertainment is how I justify the monthly price.

 

[EddieWalker]

I started out with DirectTV and didn't have any real complaints about it, but when I called them about upgrading to HD, they wanted to charge me an additional $10 a month for the service and $200 for the guy to come out and install it. I called Dish and they offered HD and more channels for less money they I was paying for DirectTV, and no cost for the install. I haven't had any problems with it and don't see any reason to change back to DirectTV.

Once I cancelled DirectTV, they started calling me and making offers that they refused to give me before I left. I guess they thought I was bluffing or something, but it was too late.

 

[ovrszd]

I reread your post. I'm a bit confused. You have been a customer of Dish for 20 years but you don't have a "dish or "cable" and you use an antenna. How does that work?

 

[rekees4300]

Been a DirecTV customer for years. They keep increasing price every year. It's double now compared to 10 years ago. Note ATT recently purchased DirecTV and that may result in better deals for DirecTV customers?

 

[kcflhrc]

I don't like the way either service only gives discounts to new customers

Not true, I renegotiate every year with Direct TV and get the same deal as a new customer. They don't want you to leave and will do about anything to keep you as a customer. It's actually better than a new customer because new customers have to commit to 2 years and existing customers to just 1 year contracts. It's no different than XM radio. Their price shows over $100 a year for service, but you can actually get it for $30 every 6 months. You gotta be a smart shopper.

 

[ovrszd]

Not true, I renegotiate every year with Direct TV and get the same deal as a new customer. They don't want you to leave and will do about anything to keep you as a customer. It's actually better than a new customer because new customers have to commit to 2 years and existing customers to just 1 year contracts.

I think I took his comment differently than you did. How I take it is a new customer can get a better price than they give me,,,,,, unless I call and *****. In your case you are calling them every year to get the "new customer" deal. I've never called Dishnetwork to negotiate my monthly fee. Maybe I should? But it shouldn't be necessary. As a long term customer I should be getting the best price available.

 

[TripleR]

We've been with Dish for ten years and have HD, recently upgraded to HD boxes at no added cost. My brother tried Direct TV and had price increases and poor service, so he recently went back to Dish, youngest son is having Dish today, use to have Direct TV.

 

[NoTrespassing]

I reread your post. I'm a bit confused. You have been a customer of Dish for 20 years but you don't have a "dish or "cable" and you use an antenna. How does that work?

I have both Dish and antenna. I get HD over antenna but not many channels.

 

[kcflhrc]

I think I took his comment differently than you did. How I take it is a new customer can get a better price than they give me,,,,,, unless I call and *****. In your case you are calling them every year to get the "new customer" deal. I've never called Dishnetwork to negotiate my monthly fee. Maybe I should? But it shouldn't be necessary. As a long term customer I should be getting the best price available.

Well, I guess you can call and ***** or keep taking the beating. I never have to *****. Just a simple phone call and they drop the price immediately. This year it went up to $127 a month and their first offer to me was $76 a month with a 1 year commitment. I can spend that on dinner out on a Friday night.

 

[ovrszd]

I have both Dish and antenna. I get HD over antenna but not many channels.

Awwww,,,, got it, thanks for the clarification!!!

 

[ovrszd]

Well, I guess you can call and ***** or keep taking the beating. I never have to *****. Just a simple phone call and they drop the price immediately. This year it went up to $127 a month and their first offer to me was $76 a month with a 1 year commitment. I can spend that on dinner out on a Friday night.

The highlighted part is my complaint. Shouldn't be that way. But it obviously is and isn't going to change.

 

[kcflhrc]

The highlighted part is my complaint. Shouldn't be that way. But it obviously is and isn't going to change.

Yep, I work for the #3 Telco in the US and my customers have to call in every year and do the same song and dance. Just the way it is. Kinda like paying sticker price for a new truck, that aint gonna happen.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

We have Direct, bundled with our phone service.

Both my wife and me, like it a lot...my wife keeps saying it's worth what it cost because it's cheap entertainment. We don't do bars or clubs, and rarely go to a movie, Direct service has been just fine for us.

I tried both Dish and Direct at friends, before I had Direct installed. But I didn't like Dish as well as Direct, so I went with Direct...

SR

 

[KYErik]

I have had dish and direct. Dish seems a little more up front about price increases. It seemed like direct was more sneaky about automatically giving a free temporary upgrade but then expecting you to call and cancel the extras when the time ran out. I had to always tell them to leave my service as it is (no trials) to avoid this.

 

[hutchman]

This situation is probably better now but I initially looked at both when they first started and I went with Direct TV. I liked the idea of having name brand receivers (Sony etc.) while the Dish boxes looked like they came from the 80's because they made their own receivers. I started out with RCA receivers. As time went on DirecTV made changes to their signal format and the receiver didn't get updates to make changes to keep up. If you call Direct pointed you at the hardware mfr., and if you called the hardware mfr they pointed at DirecTV. I got tired of the finger pointing and just wanted my stuff to work. I switched to Dish and never looked back. Since they make their own receivers there is not incompatibility when they go change some compression algorithm etc.

I have other gripes about DirecTV but of the services available, I always felt like Dish was the lesser of the two evils.

 

[Deere Dude]

I never had Dish or Direct TV until 3 years ago when I signed up with Dish. They start out offering a $19 a month plan but when they got done reaming me out I was paying $140. I would be afraid to switch to Direct because they would just ream me all over.

But I like dish, had no problems, the price hasn't changed and it works for me. Maybe they don't want to rock the boat knowing they hooked me.

I talked to my next door neighbor who had Direct TV to find out if I should switch. By the time our conversation was over with me trying to nail him down as to what he is paying, he said around $200. Maybe he could get it down by bitching I don't know, but I just kept what I got although it is tempting to switch.

Every time I think about switching I start reading their advertisement small print and end up just throwing it all away.

 

[kcflhrc]

By the time our conversation was over with me trying to nail him down as to what he is paying, he said around $200. .

Well, as they say, you cant fix STUPID. However, there is a lot that can affect the monthly rate. Channels, # of receivers, maintenance plans, etc. But for $200 a month I would expect the guy to have every channel known to man and probably 5+ receivers with a maintenance plan.