dishnetwork vs cox & direct tv

How does dish stack up against cox & direct tv for hd tv contact.

any one have any preferences?

As a former dish subscriber, currently with dtv, my first thoughts are about customer service. Thats where dtv wins. When it comes to the equipment however... put it this way, I'm still waiting for a HD DVR after going on the list a month ago. And the equipment leaves something to be desired.

I'm sure someone can give you a more detailed response breaking down Direct TV vs. Dish Network, but I'll give you my brief two cents worth. First off, I can't help you with Cox cable and HD content, that just depends on where you live and what they offer in that particular area. Some cable operators have some great packages and some offer zero.

Direct TV vs. Dish Network: Both offer the basic HD channels such as HDNet, ESPN, and TNT. Dish Network offers several more HD channels they acquired through Voom. On this forum you will find much debate on the quality and worth of these channels. But when it came down to it, I really don't pay anything extra to receive those extra HD channels. In my research I went to both Dish Network and Direct TV's website and built my own personal package and honestly they both came to be almost exactly the same price. Dish Network offered this special, Direct TV offered this one, blah, blah, blah - almost same price(for me) after the promotional period. This was several months ago so you can go to their websites and do the same. I ultimately chose Dish Network so I could get my locals in HD through their HD/DVR. At the time the only way to get locals in HD without an OTA(over the air antenna) with Direct TV was by using their HD receiver but the HD/DVR would NOT receive locals in HD. Someone will surely correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand it Direct TV will be rolling out their version sometime at the first of 2007.

As a sidenote: Don't just look at HD channels but also non-HD(SD) channels you might like. I would have been happy with the HD Bronze package but it lacked a few channels that I really desired so I had to upgrade a little to the HD Silver package.

In my opinion it also appears that Dish Network is more better prepared to add to their HD programming in the future. But, if you live in an area where you can receive HD locals through Dish then I would strongly look at them. This can be easily determined by going to Dish Network's website and entering your address at this site: https://customersupport.dishnetwork.com/customernetqual/prepAddress.dod

Have fun in researching your options.

does that ViP622 DVR™ have to be connected to a phone jack?

The VIP622 does not need to be connected to a phone line. I had a few hours of running around with dish over this before they activated my 622. It will cost you an extra $5 a month if it's not connected.

I had comcast not cox but Dish is better. Comcast (formally Adelphia) had a good picture but would digitize at night all the time (square pixels that would freeze) or would just come up black while the sound came through. Where the real advantage is the analong and to a lesser extent the SD digtal. With cable I would never zoom in on a channel, too fuzy, now with Dish I do it all the time. I've even gone from watching only HD content on cable to watching every channel on Dish.

As a sidenote: Don't just look at HD channels but also non-HD(SD) channels you might like. I would have been happy with the HD Bronze package but it lacked a few channels that I really desired so I had to upgrade a little to the HD Silver package.



Yeah, I wasn't real happy with the fact that if I wanted all hockey telecasts (I subscribed to Center Ice) I would need Versus and unfortunately that requires Gold. Seems to me they oughta separate the HD from the non-HD packages.

I just recently switched from DTV to Dish. I was a DTV customer for seven years, and have gone through many phases of their HD growth. I am very happy about the switch. The HD(on Dish) is a better signal, no ifs, ands, or buts. And my wife and I are very happy with VOOM. Its the best HD broadcast PQ I have seen. The SD channels come in better also. I don't know how, but I think DTV reduced the bandwidth on their HD( to provide more room for NFL packages). The Dish HD signal is superior, better blacks, cleaner, etc. I am using component cables for the moment, and may not go to HDMI. Its that good. And it sounds better too.:yippee:

How does dish stack up against cox & direct tv for hd tv contact.

any one have any preferences?

Right now Dish offer about 26 to 30 HD Program not including HBO, ShowT, ext..more then Direct and cable.

I prefer dish with there great HD programs and the ota local hd programs

Jim

I never got Cox cable's digital package with HD because their analog signal (the majority of the channels are of the old, inferior analog signal type) is lousy where I live. I have Cox cable for broadband and that's great, but I digress.

I just switched from DTV to Dish a month ago. My main complaints with DTV were, no HD growth (I get my local digitals via antenna, so local digital/HD meant nothing to me. I think most early HD adopters probably put up an antenna long ago!) and their constant manipulation of my channel guide preferences. I'd take the shopping and sports channels out, and DTV would put them back in. Anyway, Dish doesn't do that and an unexpected bonus is that Dish's standard definition signal is much better than DTV's. I can't technically explain why, but they do look better.

DTV zealots like to claim that the VOOM HD channels on Dish are worthless, but I beg to differ. My kids watch Anamania all the time and Rave has me watching music television again. Monster is awesome and etc., etc.. Your mileage may vary, but having 27 HD channels versus 7 on DTV is pretty persuasive. And they are much better than I was led to believe.