If you are looking for satellite television service, the two major providers are Dish Network and DirecTV. Both companies have reliable service and in most areas will offer more channels for less money than cable. The advantages of going with cable over satellite include not having to have a dish installed on your house or in your yard and there usually isn’t a long term contract required. With satellite service you will have to have a small dish (less than 24″ diameter) and will usually be locked into a 24 month contract. An advantage of satellite is that is available in many areas that cable isn’t, as long as you have a clear line of sight to the satellites on you property you will be able to get service. In most areas of the country the set top boxes and digital video recorders are much better than most cable companies, with more features, more storage, etc.
If you have decided that satellite is the best choice, you will need to decide whether to go with Dish Network or DirecTV. In order to make a good decision, you will need to get a clear picture of what you are looking for in a system. Begin by listing your needs and wants. This will include channels, number of televisions, number televisions with high definition, and ability to record. Armed with this information, it is time to research and see which provider will be the best value for you. You will be able to go to each provider’s web site at www.dishnetwork.com and www.directv.com and select your programming package and select your equipment.
Pick the programming package that has the channels that you want included in it. Going for a higher package that has 50 extra channels isn’t a value if you will not watch any of the extra channels. Selecting the programming package is the easy part. Selecting equipment is where it can get tricky. Dish Network and DirecTV both have recently released new equipment that adds choices, but also mean you need to do your homework to make sure you get what suits you situation the best.
Both providers offer basic receivers for standard definition and high definition television as well as dvr’s that allow you to record. If you do not want DVR service, you can simply choose the number of SD and HD receivers needed for the number of televisions that you have. If you want DVR service, this is where there are several options.
If you choose Dish Network, your options for DVR service includes receivers that can output to 2 televisions at once. Only one of these will be available in HD. Also, if you have more than one of these receivers, such as a home with 4 televisions, you will not be able to watch something that is recorded on each DVR on each television; it will be divided into two systems. If you want to be able to have all recordings in the home accessible by all televisions and/or want high definition on more than one television, Dish Network’s newest system, the Hopper may be the right choice for you. This system consists of the main receiver, the Hopper, where all recordings are stored. Each additional television receives a Joey. The Hopper has 3 tuners and the Joeys operate from these tuners. This means that regardless of the number of Joeys you can only be watching live and/or recording a combined total of 3 shows at once. The exception to this is during prime time, the Hopper can record all shows on the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX) on one tuner. If most of your recording is done on the networks during prime time or do not have multiple televisions watching live at the same time this may be the system for you.
If you choose DirecTV for DVR service, you will have many similarities to Dish Network’s Hopper system. With DirecTV you will need at least one DVR in your home, and will be able to watch all recorded shows from anywhere in the house with the multi-room viewing service. Each television will have a receiver box. The advantage over Dish Network is that each receiver has its own tuner, unlike the tuner, so live television can be watched on each set regardless of the number of televisions without running out of tuners. The only disadvantage is that unlike the Hopper system, you can only pause, rewind, etc, on television that is directly connected to a DVR. You can add more that one DVR in the system and this will increase the number of shows that you can record at once as well as the amount of recordings you can save. DirecTV’s newest receiver, the Home Media Center HR-34 DVR, has 5 tuners, allowing you to record 5 programs at once on the one DVR.
If both providers offer the channels and equipment that suits your needs, the deciding factor could very well come down to which one will be least expensive. Both providers offer excellent incentives for new customers. The determine which one is the best value configure you package and system on each providers website and determine the total cost for your 2 year contact period including the discounts and any upfront costs for equipment and installation. You can often get discounts on top of their normal new customer offerings by asking for a referral from someone who is a current subscriber, as well as clubs that you may be a member of such as Sam’s Club, Costco, or AAA.
Once you have made you choice, it is time to sign up. This can be done online or by calling the number provided on the website. Both companies are quick to install and many times can be installed the next day. By taking the time to see what both offers and how it fits your needs and making a wise choice, you should have a system that will provide you with an excellent entertainment value for several years.
