Directv vs. Dishnetwork

[rdln]

If anybody is considering these to satellite TV providers,
These two channels might make up your mind:

RFDTV - The only place you'll find shows about tractors, gardening,
rural America, farming shows, Etc.

The Outdoor Channel - the only channel with down to earth, good ol'boy
hunting shows. When was the last time you saw a hunting show host with
enough modesty and confidence with himself to shoot a doe deer and put it
on his show? Ted Nugent, Spirit of the Wild

These two channels are only available on The DishNetwork.

 

[MossRoad]

Dish Network and Dirctv are merging. I'll bet you will be able to get them on directv in the near future. And then you will be able to get the sports packages offered by Directv that are not offered on Dish Network. Sounds like a win-win for both sets of customers. We'll see, right?

<font color=green> MossRoad </font color=green>

 

[tpaulson]

You can't get NFL Sunday Ticket on Dishnetwork.

http://faq.dishnetwork.com/questions/83.asp?sc=/&cboSubCategory=0&cboCategory=0&txtSearch=nfl&pg=1

 

[gws]

If you like watching re-runs of Antique tractor shows, Horse's being parades around and polka music shows, RFDTV is for you.

outdoor channel is getting better but still a lot of re-runs of gold panning shows.

Gary.

 

[GlueGuy]

<font color=blue>Dish Network and Dirctv are merging</font color=blue>

So my read on that is that it's a non-issue. A more interesting question might be whether DishNetwork's $9.95/month will continue after the merge or perhaps whether the $9.95 will become available on DirecTV?

We are about to give PacBell (AKA SBC-lite) the boot for our data line. We've had hot & cold running technicians out to our place for about a month now. They ware playing musical chairs with all the neigbors' phone lines: We would call a problem with one of our phones, they would "fix" it by stealing a line from another neighbor. That neighbor would call in a new problem, they would repeat the process. We've been "swapping" phone lines with neighbors now for about a month. What a joke.

The GlueGuy

 

[MossRoad]

It'll be interesting to see what the pricing schemes do when they merge. I've been very happy with directv. I've had it for 4 years this month. My friend has dish network and has no complaints either. We have the common theme of anti cable.

<font color=green> MossRoad </font color=green>

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I doubt anything good will result from Dish Network and Directv merging. Lack of competition will allow them to increase all prices!

 

[TerryinMD]

I do not know if the Gubmint will allow a full merger. Antitrust garbage. If they allow it, Dish will be watched very carefully.

As far as pricing, I wouldn't expect much change. Keep in mind that they are after cable customers and there are a lot more cable customers than satellite customers. So, the price pressure will more than likely stay the same.

Another thing to consider is that you have the satellite radio kicking off now - XM and Sirius. That will place additional pressure on sat and cable TV.

Terry
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by TerryinMD on 11/27/01 07:38 AM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Jeff396]

Anti cable theme....AMEN!!! My problem is that I just moved to a place where my dial up was going to be a toll call. Soooo, we decided to spend the buck and get a cable modem. Problem is that in order to get the cable modem from our provider we have to at least sign up for the basic cable tv and I couldn't justify carrying basic cable and not using it. Now I no longer have my direct TV and miss it./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Does anyone else have this problem? My cable provider is Comporium and I believe it's local. Roadrunner isn't available here.

Jeff

 

[MikePA]

Why not have basic cable and DirecTV? I have basic cable, which gets me the local channels, and DirecTV which gets me everything else. I use ReplayTV boxes (digital recorders) that combine the signals from the cable and the satellite for a single signal source.

My cable company does not offer cable modems and had no plans to. Even if they had offered it, I probably would not have signed up for a cable modem except as a last resort given the cable companies random outage policy. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Fortunately, the phone company began offering DSL a few months ago and I was probably one of the first ones to sign up in the area served by the local CO. I had been bugging them every 3 months for about 2 years since they offered it in other areas (where the potential customer base was larger).

 

[MossRoad]

Here, you can get a cable modem without being a cable tv subscriber, except that cable modems aren't available in my area yet. They just ran a large trunk cable down the street several weeks ago, so it is coming. Cable modem prices here are 39.00 per month if you rent their modem, 29.00 per month if you have your own. DSL is not available in Indiana by the major phone company because of some deal where they agreed to upgrade the rural phone systems several years ago and have not, so the state won't let them install DSL until they fulfill that promise. Now they are arguing that they want to do it all in one fell swoop. Yeah right. The major metropolitan areas will get it first and the rural users will never get it because by the time they get around to it, some other technogy will be out that they will want to upgrade to.

<font color=green> MossRoad </font color=green>

 

[Jeff396]

I'll have to check on the DSL thing but I have a feeling it isn't available here. (My wife takes care of most of the high tech stuff). As far as getting both basic cable and direct tv.....ouch!!! I had everything you could get on direct tv and I think I was paying $89.99 plus the $39.99 for the cable modem plus the cost of the basic cable which I would think has to be at least $20.00.

Jeff

 

[Jeff396]

I didn't think of asking and noone offered that there might be a lower rate if I provided my own modem. I'll have to look into that. Thanks!!

Jeff

 

[DVerbarg]

Are any of you using, or know someone who is using, the two-way satellite links for internet access? Dish has Star-Band and Direct-TV has Direct-Way. I live in a rural enough area that my only options are dial-up, one-way satellite, and two-way satellite. I occasionally do work from home (couple evenings a week dialed in) and work is willing to foot the bill. Just looking for any experience.

DaveV

 

[Jeff396]

I had heard that they are slower than a dial up line so I didn't look any further into it.

Jeff

 

[Bird]

I periodically do a little searching on the Internet for satellite service; still don't have it; just this old slow dial up connection, but StarBand sure looks the best to me (everything except the cost, that is)./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I'll be interested in hearing from some of our more knowledgeable members on this topic myself.

 

[TerryinMD]

Both Direct TV and Dishnetwork are providing some type of satellite service for networking.

The current Direct TV service is satellite to you and modem back to the ISP. Their two-way service is months late and I do not know what the current status may be.

Starband is a weird marriage between Dishnetwork and Guilliat (sp?). They have had their startup problems too. The two way service give you something near 500kpbs from the satellite and 128kbps up to the satellite. The norm is something in between.

Either solution is expensive.

DSL - it is being offered in most metro areas (meaning dense population centers). The baby-Bells have killed this service. The current regulations allow for colocation - meaning Covad can place equipment into a baby-Bell central office (telephone switching office). Well guess what, baby-Bells have been dragging their feet in allowing the Colocation to happen. Have you noticed that most of the DSL vendors have gone belly-up. Guess why!!! They were getting the orders but could not fullfill. With DSL you need the phone lines and CO access to be successful to do the crossconnects. Also, with DSL, the capability exists to have internet, voice, long distance, and multimedia thru one access point. This technology exists.... but is being stiffled by the lack of competition.

Ack.... off of my soapbox.

Here's my recommendation.

1. If you have access to DSL, get it. Way cool!!
2. Satellite dish (f the cable companies - excuse my french)
3. cable modem - last resort (once everyone finds out in your neighborhood - network congestion hell)
4. good ol' analog modem.

Terry

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>The current Direct TV service is satellite to you and modem back to the ISP. Their two-way service is months late and I do not know what the current status may be.</font color=blue>

Terry, that's why I said StarBand looked best; however, I just now checked their web site and DirecPC claims to now have two way (no phone lines) service currently available. I may have to check into it again soon.

 

[TerryinMD]

Well - it's about time!!!

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Terry

 

[Bird]

Yep, now if they'd get the price down right . . ../w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif