Satellite is my only option... DISH or DIRECTV?

DIRECTV vs DISH

Pros

• 2 yr. price guarantee

• Genie DVRs

• 3 mos. of free premium channels

Cons

• 2 yr. contract/agreement

• Hidden fees

• No NFL SUNDAY TICKET in 2023 (This moved to YouTube TV)

DIRECTV has the most channels and packages, plus awesome perks such as three free months of Max, Cinemax, SHOWTIME, STARZ, and MGM+ for new customers. It also has more sports channels than DISH. But DIRECTV’s plans, while priced somewhat competitively in lower tiers, get expensive in the higher ones. Also, all DIRECTV plans now come with an Advanced Receiver Service Fee ($15 a month), which is a sneaky way of charging for the Genie DVR, which used to be included.

At least DIRECTV now has a two-year price guarantee, which means there’s no longer a massive, second-year rate increase. DIRECTV also charges $13.99 monthly for regional sports networks (RSNs) for CHOICE, ULTIMATE, and PREMIER, among other hidden costs.

Here is an example:

When asked about the 'Advanced Receiver Fee' we were given this answer. The $15 Advanced Receiver Service (ARS) fee that’s applied per account, not equipment covers HD programming, DVR functionality and A Whole Home Satellite Experience for the customer.

DISH

Pros

• 3 yr. price guarantee

• Best DVR (Hopper 3)

• Best kids programming

• Best parental controls

• DISH Anywhere app

Cons

• $10 monthly fee for Hopper 3 DVR

• Limited bundling options

DISH has four main satellite TV packages priced $79.99–$109.99 a month (and two current-customer plans). We recommend America’s Top 200 ($99.99 a month, 240+ channels) because it has the most channels for the best value. Like DIRECTV, DISH has two-year agreements, but it locks in your price for three years—nice.

What to look for in Satellite TV providers

What are the most important qualities of a satellite TV provider? If you said channel count, DVR equipment, or contract length - you’re right.

It’s also smart to see if the provider has an app for mobile viewing, account management, perks & user friendly, and good customer satisfaction rating.

Let’s dive deeper into why these are key features.

# of channels

For TV providers, channel count is a crucial stat. The higher the number, the more impressive, but a lot of times it can be a bunch of fluff and duplicate channels. So, quality also matters: to make sure you can get the channels you want, check out the channel guides for each provider.

DVRs and other equipment

When you sign up for satellite TV service, you’re also committing to a DVR/receiver unit—and possibly a monthly rental fee. Make sure the machine meets your needs.

• Is the DVR included or is there a rental fee?

• Is there also a separate fee for DVR service?

• How many hours of HD content does the DVR store?

• Can you buy separate DVRs or receivers for multi-room viewing?

• Does the DVR have cool, exclusive features?

• Does the remote control have voice search capabilities?

Mobile apps

Most cable and satellite service providers have apps that allow account management (bill pay, support, etc.), watch-anywhere streaming, or both. You should get some of that convenience in your life. DIRECTV (Android, iOS) and DISH (Android, iOS) both have mobile apps that allow you to watch your live channels, on-demand content, and DVR recordings on your smartphone or tablet. You can also use both apps to set and manage DVR timers and parental controls.

Perks, deals, and other promotions

DIRECTV and DISH sell pretty much the same product for the same price. So, to get your business they regularly offer promotions/deals to entice new customers to sign up. You always want to ask what they are offering to attract your business. Is it HBO or another movie channel? Is it free installation? Always ask because if you do not, they are not going to just give it to you.

User Friendly Design

This one seems to get looked over, but we think it is a very important one to note. Have you ever downloaded an app and immediately removed it from your phone because you it was unusable? You will need to be able to pay your bill, stream, and access all of it's features from your phone. Ease of use is easily at the top of our list.

Customer satisfaction

It’s always smart to see what other customers think of a provider before you commit. In an annual customer satisfaction survey, customers were asked to rate the top Providers on billing, channel selection, customer and technical support, DVR satisfaction, installation, signal reliability, user experience, and overall satisfaction. DIRECTV finished second in overall customer satisfaction with 69% indicating complete or very high satisfaction. DISH finished 7th with 62% (remember, these are customer ratings, not Cable Concierge's ratings).

Call us today to find out which option is best for you. You may be surprised at how many options you actually have!

(737) 787 - 1933