DISH Network vs. DIRECTV

I just switched from DishNetwork to Direct TV a month ago and I really miss my Dish!
The Cons of Direct TV: The guide display on Direct sucks… It cuts off the titles in the box and only displays what will play for the next hour vs. Dish, where you could see the next few hours.
Direct TV has a tiny fraction of the storage space for recordings vs Dish. I had hundreds of shows recorded and never filled it up on Dish. With Direct TV, I have maybe 50 shows and it’s at 50% capacity.
The remote function: There is no toggle to go back and forth on Direct TV between 2 shows like with Dish. Direct TV says to hit the arrow down button twice, but it always goes to some random channel I have never clicked on before rather than what I was last watching!
For the second TV in a second room: WIth Direct TV you have to have a second machine (with Dish, one machine runs 2 rooms). You cannot pause live TV on that second TV, and it totally sucks because we use that function all the time.
On Direct TV, while skipping through commercials that are recorded, it’s more like fast forwarding. It jumps in short increments. With Dish, it will skip an entire commercial with one click. For Direct, it takes 2-4 clicks to get through one commercial.
There is a big delay on the receiver from the remote. In guide, I’ll be scrolling down and it will often be 5 ro 6 clicks behind me and I’ll have to wait for it to catch up . The receiver just doesn’t get the signal nearly as fast. With Dish, it was instant. It’s a real pain to wait. It’s like going back to dial up vs. a cable connection.
The Pros of Direct TV:
When you record a bunch of one show, it only shows one heading for that show so you don’t have to scroll through 100 of the same title when searching recordings. Just click it and all the episodes will drop down.
If you are watching a show and press the guide, you can still pause, rewind, etc. whatever you are watching even though it’s only the tiny box in the corner. With Dish, the controls don’t work on the program while in guide mode.
Smart search is just a couple clicks away on Direct ( But more necesary because only one or two at a time is displayed at a time in the guide)
I definately like Dish better. The most used functions are much more effective, faster and more convenient.

We have been a loyal customer for over 10 yrs,but when they come up with something new it is always for the new customers and the hell with us old loyal customer. But this loyal customer is about to tell them to take a hike,If it weren’t for us old loyal customer how have they stated in business. Very disappointed in there adverting as my husband said they do a lot of false advertising. Once again they come out with something new but is wont work for us old loyal customers.

The newer dishes don’t collect snow the way earlier dished did, and customer service is getting better.

The price was comparable to other service providers, but was still higher than I would like. The price was also increased several times during the time I was with Directv. The customer service was fast whenever I had a problem. The main issues were always weather related, the signal seemed to go out with even mild wind.

Overall they offer a good service but the price is a higher than I would like and the dish breaks up very easily in rainy or stormy wheather.

Direct TV is a good satellite network provider. However, The local customer service center leaves a lot to desire. They are slow, take a long time to service the customer and at times I had to visit more than one area to solve any given problem.

I hate the DVR ads! The other night while watching an NBA game, I had to change channels at least 8 times due to that loud and annoying commercial.

When my contract expires, I will most likely change to another provider like dish or cable.

Direct TV was great for the first year, after that they raised our bill a few dollars a month. Every month I would call to get my package lowered so the cost would go down and it seemed like they would find some way to keep my bill at the same price. I ended up paying to get out of my contract.

I believe Directv is the best option out on the market right now. Unfortunately, that doesn’t say a whole lot since (in my area) Dish and Comcast/XFinity are a joke. I am a current customer of Directv with no intentions of switching.

I am a Contract Installer in the Cleveland area for both Directv and Dish Network. I currently have Directv myself and I am pleased for the most part. First off the equipment is far superior in durability vs Dish Network. What most people don’t know is Dish Network has far too many components involved from the satellite down to your rec that can go bad and this is where alot of Service Calls arise from. Not to mention most new installations are refurbished receivers. Directv does not have this problem. However, the Dish network receivers do work alot faster in response time ie. Guide, DVR functions , channel changing vs Directv’s rec’s. Pricing is comparable and the newer HD receivers that Directv has now enable you to have the entire home capable of getting DVR with only 1 DVR in the house. Programming is a bit better on Directv despite what Dish advertises , you do get far more in HD programming with Directv. Ultimately i had to choose whether it was worth taking the chance that the refurbed dish receivers were worth with down time with inevitable service outages or the NEW directv receivers albeit a little slower but reliable. I opted for Directv and have not had any outages due to equipment failures. I am satisfied with Directv.

I’ve had both and prefer DTV. The extras they have are vastly superior to anything Dish offers. In addition to the Sunday Ticket, DTV has golf, tennis and soccer packages plus the 101. It is more expensive, but worth the price.