Directv vs. Dishnetwork

[EarPlug]

I tried the 2 way satellite service and the experience was awfull!! The installers we incompetent (I had to show them how to get the dish level & plumb), provide them with tools, etc.

When the boss came out after 2 weeks we finally got the service running. BUT, most of the time I had better speed with the dial up modem. I did talk to a tech that told me the service works better the further south you are. The SAT is stationary over the equater so the further south the better the signal (I'm in Colorado)

The service was so inconsistant that I junked it. For $900 in equipment and $90 per month it just wasn't worth it.

I was able to get a microwave service from http://www.sprintbroadband.com and it works great. Basically the same as the cable modem I had befor moving to the country.

Jack

 

[GlueGuy]

Where we live, there is no:

1. cable
2. ISDN
3. DSL

We are approximately 80,000 feet from the CO. At that distance, we feel fortunate to get phone service. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif We do get a dial-up connection, but it is usually 21K or 24K on a good day.

We looked into the Sprint broadband direct, but they don't make it over Montebello Ridge, so that wouldn't work either. Also, they have stopped signing up new subscribers.

DirecTV wasn't signing anyone up for the 2-way service last time I checked.

The DishNetwork 2-way looked pretty pricey, but it seemed to do what we need. Perhaps I ought to tell them what I'll pay and see if they'll take it or not?

The GlueGuy

 

[MossRoad]

I heard that some of the problems with 2 way satellite are that since it emits microwave energy, you could roast your weeny if you went in front of the dish while transmitting.

Also, the bandwidth is very touchy. If you start downloading gobs of stuff, they will cut your bandwith down as a penalty.

Microwave is cool stuff. Pretty decent speed, but you have to be line-of-sight with the company. It's available from Sprint in Chicago if you can see the Sears tower.

Cable modems work great around here if you can get them. We have several big wigs at work that need to work from home. We got them cable modems and they tunnel in to our site from home. Near life like performance, as if they were at work.

One of our support contractors lives in Vermont and has the same deal. He tunnels in to our network with great results.

The big selling point of cable modems seems to be that most home computer users have the cost of a second phone line plus the cost of an Internet Service Provider. They usually total up to more than the price of the cable modem per month. You can dump your ISP and your second phone line and get WAAAAYYYYY faster performance usually for less.

I only have 28.8 at home, but it is fine with me.

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

 

[scruffy]

If you are looking at the two for TV reception, the following link will give a mighty big inducement for DishNetWork! At least in my opinion it would. More money reserved for implements!
see: http://home.thirdage.com/SmallBusiness/shinydangle/

Just to be fair, here's one for DirectTV!:
http://www.mini-dish-affiliates.com/t.asp?id=5160

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by scruffy on 11/27/01 10:53 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[RAllen]

I was a beta tester for DirecPC sat service. For a time, they were signing up 2-way subscribers, there is a one-way with reg. land line option as well. As of a couple of months ago, they had stopped signing up new members. The reason I was given, and it is backed up by my experience, is the speed is nowhere near what they expected. When the system first went online and you had everything just right, downloads where very fast. But as they signed up folks, it went downhill fast. ADSL became available and I jumped. Sat service is better than modem most of the times- sometimes it seemed no faster- but they have real problems. DirecPC sevice leaves alot to be desired.

Rick

 

[MikePA]

Much like a cable modem, satellite bandwidth is shared amongst all the subscribers. (With a cable modem, everyone on your 'loop' shares the same bandwidth). The more people that sign up, the smaller everyone's piece. Eventually, the pieces will be come too small. This is also why DirecPC monitored your utilization and if they deemed you a bandwidth hog, you got FAPed (Fair Access Policy) where your throughput was reduced, in some cases slower than a dialup connection, for a period of time.

 

[Bird]

Hmmm, I wonder about a number of things in connection with DirecTV/DirecPC, etc. My brother had DirecTV when he lived 40 miles north of Dallas, but when he moved 58 miles south of Dallas and called them to re-activate it, he was told to call Pegasus Satellite Service (different phone number, but the same service). So, I, too, have Pegasus (DirecTV?). Now as I said, when I looked at their web site, DirecPC listed Pegasus as one of the companies to call to get the satellite service and it showed them to have the two-way service available. So after reading all this thread, I called them about 10 minutes ago in inquire about it. I was told that they did have some problems with upload speeds (40k to 60k), but that those problems have been corrected so that upload speeds are now 128k, and that the two-way service is available now. I was quoted $499 for the equipment (23"x39" dish), professional installation required for $199, and a monthly fee of $69.95.

 

[MikePA]

Are you going to go for it?

 

[Bird]

Nope, can't afford to gamble that much right now. But I think there's a very good chance I can talk my brother into trying it, and then I'll have more information./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[EarPlug]

All of the probelms I related in my previous post about 2 way Direct PC was from Pegasus. They uses the lowest bid contractors they can find for installation. At least in my area (Denver, CO) they were VERY unprofessional, didn't have the correct tools, and had no clue how a computer works let alone the DirectPC. I would be very careful about going with Pegasus and make sure you keep track of your 30 day money back guarantee.

Jack