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The satellite television industry has made great strides in the cable television industry in recent years. With the price of cable television skyrocketing each year, many cable subscribers are switching to satellite television. Well, you have decided to switch to satellite television; But which satellite TV provider do you choose? A satellite television provider is a company that owns and operates satellites in geostationary orbit around the earth. These satellites transmit the satellite signal to your satellite dish and from there the signal is transferred to your receiver (black box). The two largest satellite television providers in the United States are DirecTV and DISH Network. The vast majority of satellite TV subscribers in the United States use one or the other, so this article will focus on comparing the two satellite giants in an attempt to help you decide which of the two is better for you.
With the near exponential growth of the satellite television industry, both DISH Network and DirecTV are now in a position where they can afford to offer satellite equipment (satellite dish and receivers) free to their subscribers. So for starters, both DISH Network and DirecTV offer free satellite equipment. Basically the only requirements are that you sign up for the first time and that you have a credit card for monthly billing purposes. So if the equipment is free, how do the two providers make money? Well, you have to pay for the monthly schedule, of course. The price of your monthly programming invoice depends on the programming package you choose.
DISH Network’s America Top 60 programming package starts at $ 24.99 per month and local channels are available. DISH Network is not currently making new subscribers commit to a one-year contract. You can end your subscription at any time without having to pay any financial penalty. DirecTV’s entry-level programming package is called the Total Choice Package and it comes with local channels and costs $ 39.99 per month. With the Total Choice package you get more than 130 channels. DirecTV requires you to sign a one-year subscription agreement. If you cancel your service before the end of the year, then you must pay a penalty to DirecTV.
As both satellite giants use the latest technology in their satellites and receiving equipment, what sets the two apart is in the programming options they provide to their subscribers. I would rate DirecTV somewhat ahead of DISH Network in their sports packages as they offer seasonal sports options like the NFL Sunday Ticket to which DirecTV has exclusive rights. Both providers offer tons of premium movie packages to choose from, including HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax. All of these come with multiple channels per movie package. Since DISH Network has more satellites in orbit than DirecTV, they have the ability to offer up to 500 viewing channels, whereas with DirecTV, you can get “only” 250 channels. Additionally, DISH Network offers many more foreign programming packages than DirecTV.
Both DISH Network and DirecTV offer 100% digital picture and CD quality sound in all their programming. So again, they are linked in this important quality. This technology enables a perfect, sharp picture that cable television simply cannot provide.
DISH Network, a subsidiary of EchoStar Communications, was founded in 1996 by Charles Ergan. Although not as old as DirecTV, DISH Network was the fastest satellite provider to reach 100,000 subscribers in just four months. DISH Network currently has more than nine million satellite television subscribers in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. DISH Network has many “firsts” under its belt, including being the first company to offer a satellite TV receiver that had a built-in DVR (digital video recorder).
DirecTV started in 1994 and is the largest satellite television provider in the United States. When it was first launched in 1994, Direct TV was the first satellite television company to offer all digital-quality multichannel television programming using Direct Satellite Broadcast (DBS) technology. DBS technology is now the standard for the satellite television industry and we have the ingenuity of DirecTV engineers to thank. While DirecTV does not have as large a bandwidth allocation as DISH Network, to counteract this, DirecTV has agreed to have exclusive deals with programming companies to cater to the programming whims of its subscribers.
In the all-important area of customer care, both DirecTV and DISH Network offer excellent customer service and support. They both offer online FAQ sections and help sections for their websites. You can also call both toll-free numbers for help with any problems you may have. Pay-Per-View movies can be ordered using your remote or by calling either provider’s 800 toll-free number.
Both DirecTV and DISH Network offer free professional installation as part of their free satellite TV promotions. One difference is that DirecTV will install your equipment for free in up to five rooms, while DISH Network currently only installs free in up to four rooms of your home.
DISH NETWORK AND DIRECTV RATING POINT BY POINT:
- Satellite equipment – DirecTV – FREE; DISH Network – FREE
- Satellite Installation – DirecTV – FREE (up to 5 TVs) DISH Network – FREE (up to 4 TVs)
- Picture Quality – DirecTV – Exceptional DISH Network – Exceptional
- Price – DirecTV Total Choice Package $ 39.99 per month DISH Network America Top 60 Package $ 24.99 per month
- Amount of programming: DirecTV offers programming packages of up to 250 channels DISH Network has the capacity to offer up to 500 channels
- Programming quality: DirecTV has excellent programming package options with a heavy emphasis on seasonal sports packages. DISH Network also has excellent programming package options with a somewhat less emphasis on sports.
- Customer Service – DirecTV – Exceptional with free online support and 800. DISH Network: outstanding with online support and no charge to 800.
FINAL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION:
Both DISH Network and DirecTV offer a great TV viewing experience. Image reception for both is far superior to cable TV. DISH Network’s entry-level package is cheaper than DirecTV’s; but the Total Choice package comes with many more channels. DirecTV is stronger in the area of sports coverage, while DISH Network places more emphasis on its premium movie packages and foreign programming options. And both have excellent customer service, both have won the prestigious JD Power Award in recent years for providing the best overall service among satellite and cable subscribers.
Our recommendation is that both DirecTV and DISH Network offer a superior television viewing experience than cable television. Both are much cheaper than cable, offer superior image quality, and free equipment and installation. Both also offer superior customer service compared to local cable providers. If you are a huge sports fan and just need that premium sports package, then DirecTV is for you; But if you’re not a huge sports fan and cost is an issue, then you can go for DISH Network and its entry-level US Top 60 for just $ 24.99 a month. Also, remember that DirecTV will require a one-year commitment, whereas with DISH Network there is no contract to sign, which means you can cancel your service at any time and not have to pay a penalty.
Whichever satellite provider you choose, you can’t go wrong. As a DISH Network subscriber and marketer who has several years of experience in the satellite television industry (I have sold both DirecTV and DISH Network), I highly recommend that you ditch cable, stop feeding the pig, and switch to television service by satellite today. The far superior image quality alone provided by DBS satellite technology makes the switch worthwhile. It’s like watching TV in the sky with no more wavy lines on the screen!