# Is anyone actually happy with Dish?



## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

I see a lot of complaints about every provider. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you switch to...

I've been with DirecTv off and on for many years, and am currently out of contract. They saddled me with an awful HD DVR, the HR22, which has been slow and unresponsive since day one. It has never missed a recording, but I'm tired of it not changing channels quickly when I turn it on for the kids and whatever is showing is totally wrong for their eyes (A Baby Story on TLC is the usual culprit.). 20 seconds later, I still can't change the channel or get their program started. To add insult to injury, they lack BBC America and TheHub in HD.

I have the AM21 for HD Locals (not in HD currently on DirecTV, but are on Dish) and like that they work even when rain fade hits.

I have a single set. Two tuners at once us usually sufficient. I see the Hopper, and I think I'd like to switch to it, but worry about the lack of OTA support, and the complaints about it.

So... Is anyone actually a happy Dish customer, or am I risking saddling myself to another company that fails to provide basic functionality? Thanks for your replies.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

I've been a happy E* customer since 1997. That's not to say I have not had issues. I got a 921 HD DVR when the price dropped from $999 to $549 thinking I was "future proofing" my set-up (I did not own an HD set). The neat feature of the E* DVR was the integrated OTA tuner which I use a lot. Well the 921 was buggy, but E* kept sending out replacements at no cost way past the warranty period (and without me having to sign up for a service plan). I had 10 different 921's  Eventually I was upgraded to a 622, again at no cost. One thing Dish is good about is customer loyalty. They see that I've been a continuous customer since '97 so they have waived charges to swap DVR's many times.

The 622 and 722 both have OTA tuners and the ability to use them in either single mode (for picture in picture) or dual mode (to feed a 2nd TV in SD without having to buy a second receiver or pay the monthly fee for an additional receiver). 

The Hopper/Joey is only needed if you have multiple HDTV's and need to have a true HD feed to all sets. It's a "whole house solution".


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## neomaine (Feb 3, 2003)

Been a very happy customer for about 12 years now. The only time I waffled about switching was when D* had our locals in HD but Dish did not. I can hangle all the other stuff not being in sync but the locals were driving me nuts. That cleared up within 8-9 months. Longer than I would have liked and I was actively shopping.

But, too many other good features. Loved my 622 for years and now have had my 722 for awhile. Looking to go to the Hopper/Joey soon. Probably before summer for the extra HD for TV2.


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## PasTypique (Oct 16, 2009)

Yes! I've been very happy with Dish Network. I may be an anomaly because I purchased my receivers and self-installed them. But every encounter with a Dish representative has been agreeable and I only had one issue with incorrect programming that was resolved fairly quickly (after a little bit of voice raising on the phone).

I've never had Direct TV per se but travel for business and have stayed at many hotels that offered Direct TV and I find the Direct TV receivers less responsive and the channel lineups less organized than Dish. 

I'm a movie buff so I have the Everything Pack with Blockbuster @ Home. I pay an extra $5 per month to get the second DVD and I've been getting about 10 DVD's per month. I think it's worth the extra $15 and I enjoy the HD channels that are bundled with it.

My only suggestion to Dish for improvement is to roll out more HD. It's a little bit of a peeve of mine that I pay a premium for movie channels and many of them are not in HD yet. Dish should get moving on retiring old equipment and sunset the SD copies of HD channels.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

I like Dish a lot. I haven't been tempted to leave. Had 'em since 2008.


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## Orion9 (Jan 31, 2011)

I've been a happy Dish customer since 2000. I have several friends who would tell you the same. Forums always make things seem worse since most people only feel a need to join and post when they have a problem. 

I have a 722K that I am happy with. The only thing I wish I could get rid of is the live video window in the menus and guides, which I find distracting. (Mute helps.) Admittedly I never watch live TV so I don't know how long a channel change takes. I turn it on, press the DVR button and select a recording to watch. It always does that very quickly.

There are some lockout features that you can use to keep it from showing inappropriate stuff.


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## mdavej (Jan 31, 2007)

I switched from D* a couple of year's ago and am much happier with Dish, due mostly to a lot more basic HD and responsive DVRs. I switched to hopper last month and am very happy with it, even though there a some minor bugs to be worked out. I still use an HR23 quite often at a relative's house. While I like the HD GUI, the box itself is a dog. I don't think I could tolerate it for long. D* seems to be more intent on adding worthless features than fixing bugs. 

I haven't really missed OTA since PTAT resolved all the conflicts I was using OTA for anyway. I can live without most of the sub channels until OTA arrives for Hopper later. 

Lastly, support is fantastic thanks to the Dish support folks you can reach by PM or email in these forums. I wish D* had something like that. They are far more knowledgeable and responsive than phone or chat support from any company I've ever dealt with. 

Besides, if you aren't thrilled, you can go back to D* in a few years and get all the latest and greatest equipment when you sign up as a new customer. Personally, D* doesn't have anything compelling enough for me to switch back. If I were a huge sports fan, I suppose it would be a different story. 

Most people ask about PQ. Although I know D*'s HD is technically better, I can't see any difference.


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## domingos35 (Jan 12, 2006)

very happy here
just signed another 2 year contract:heart:


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I'm happy with my Dish... but let's be honest for at least a minute here...

I talk with family and friends all the time about some service (phone, internet, tv, etc.) and hear how they are dissatisfied and "hate" a particular company.

Oddly enough, many of these people have the same complaints about different companies! So... switching from one company to another doesn't make them happy.

Thus... it kind of depends on what your complaints are.

Taking Dish vs DirecTV... Each provider has channels that the other doesn't... so if you have a specific channel you want, that is a good reason to pick one over the other. However, if a channel just dropped because of a contract dispute, each company deals with that too... and if you wait long enough these usually self-resolve.

Picture quality? Depends on who you ask. Some like one better than the other... though it seems like DirecTV usually comes out more on top than Dish... but that said, I don't have any complaints about my Dish picture quality even though I know there are sometimes issues.

CSRs? People have trouble with CSRs at any company. IF your problem is fixed, they are awesome! IF your problem is not fixed, then they are "idiots"... if they don't fix it quickly enough? I see enough complaints to think both have major issues... and at the same time, lots of people get great service and have next to no issues at all.

Bottom line... try to keep emotion out of it, and be honest about why you are considering switching. IF you're mad because of a billing problem, a hardware problem, a CSR issue, an outage, a lost channel, etc. be prepared to be equally disappointed no matter which way you switch.


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## jdskycaster (Sep 1, 2008)

Satisfied Dish customer since 98'. Coming up quickly on two weeks with the 2 Hopper/ 3 Joey system and it is excellent. If this system is not for you I previously had 2 722k's which are also very nice DVR's.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

As my signature notes, when I started with C-band in 1988 I used Echostar equipment. When I shifted to the small dish, I continued with Echostar service and equipment which means now I'm a Dish Network customer because Echostar spun off its Dish Network subsidiary in 2008.

Obviously I am a satisfied customer. Am I "happy" with everything associated with my experience? If you did a search on my name here you would find me moaning and groaning about different things at different times. But I know I would be less satisfied with Comcast, my cable company. And based on personal preferences regarding programming and equipment capabilities, I believe I my needs are better met with Dish than they would be with Direct.

Perfection is an unobtainable ideal. So I'm satisfied with how close Dish comes for me.


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## jdmart (Jan 9, 2004)

My wife and I have enjoyed Dish and their DVRs for over 10 years. Our new Hopper system is absolutely amazing!


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## Redbullsnation (Apr 16, 2012)

no sir, but I can do little about it right now until my folks wake up and switch...

Can't get FSC or FOX Deportes or NBCSN without giving up an arm and a leg...


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

Redbullsnation said:


> no sir, but I can do little about it right now until my folks wake up and switch...
> 
> *Can't get FSC or FOX Deportes or NBCSN without giving up an arm and a leg...*



FSC & NBCSN are both on E*. What's your definition of "an arm & a leg"?
Does D* give these channels in a cheapie pack?

I have Top-250 HD. I pay $80.32 including tax. If I had cable I'd be paying over $100 for the equivalent package. That may be "an arm and a leg" to some, but there are lesser packs starting at ~$25, something cable or D* can't match.


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## Redbullsnation (Apr 16, 2012)

An arm and a leg to me is when i gotta get X package with even more channels that I/We don't watch and pay for those channels along with the ones I/We don't watch


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## Orion9 (Jan 31, 2011)

I think that's true of nearly all satellite and cable companies. They all have several packages of channels, and some of them you never watch. But some of those are free or nearly free and some even pay the cable/satellite provider for access.

The channels you listed are ones that I've never heard of which shows that you can't make a package that pleases everyone.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

Redbullsnation said:


> An arm and a leg to me is when i gotta get X package with even more channels that I/We don't watch and pay for those channels along with the ones I/We don't watch


That is true for every provider! Nobody sells ala-carte channels.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

Orion9 said:


> I think that's true of nearly all satellite and cable companies. They all have several packages of channels, and some of them you never watch. But some of those are free or nearly free and some even pay the cable/satellite provider for access.
> 
> The channels you listed are ones that I've never heard of which shows that you can't make a package that pleases everyone.


FYI: Those channels are soccer channels (well 2 of them anyway, NBCSC is the old Versus network that has all kinds of sports and is a must for Hockey fans because of exclusive games). E* has these in normal packages and only charges extra for FSC+ which he did not mention.


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## Redbullsnation (Apr 16, 2012)

Michael P said:


> That is true for every provider! Nobody sells ala-carte channels.


did I mention EVEN??


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## inazsully (Oct 3, 2006)

I'm quite happy with Dish. I think most folks who join in on these discussions are pretty happy. It's the company we chose going in with our eyes open. That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. I don't care if "D" improves because I didn't choose to jump in bed with "D". But I will always want my Dish to strive to be the leader and innovator above all other providers. Constructive criticism is the best way to inform and bring about positive change. I'm pretty proud of this forum and every once in awhile you just may feel the need to scream a little. That,s cool, we all know where you're coming from.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

Redbullsnation said:


> did I mention EVEN??


I asked if the channels you wanted were in a cheaper pack on D* than E*.
Don't go by number of channels you get, go by your bottom line.

You may be able to get the cheapest E* package and add the sports pack for $7 if the channels you want are included.

AAH, I bet it's the NBCSC formerly Versus, you are complaining about. That network charges the providers an arm and a leg almost as bad as ESPN (which demands to be in every pack and charges almost more than some premium channels). That's not the providers fault. The alternative is for E* or any other provider to not carry the network at all.


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## sacflies (Apr 10, 2012)

Interesting reading the replies. I am also currently a D* customer out of contract and am thinking of jumping to Dish and the Hopper system. I would have to go with the 2 Hopper setup with the added cost up front for the additional tuners. I am about fed up with my unbelievable slow HD receivers (2 HD23's), and have heard good things so far about the Hopper/Joey setup. Even though it has just been released it seems much more responsive than these sluggish D* receivers. So I may be making the jump soon. I hear that D* may be working on a solution to the sluggish HD problem. I'll believe it when/if I see it. I'll give them a few weeks and if there is no improvement...I'm out.


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## nmetro (Jul 11, 2006)

I have been with DISH since August, 1998. With only a few minor items, I have been very satisfied with their service. As any provider will have problems, I feel that DISH very quickly took care of any issue I did have. So, unless something major happens, I do not see myself moving to anothe rprovider any time soon.


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

I too have been with Dish almost since they started, a poster here since they started!! So I guess it goes without saying I have been very happy with Dish overall.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

I've been with Dish continously since Oct 2000. They mostly meet my expectations, but as Stewart said - any multichannel provider is going to have some pluses and minuses. Maybe Sometime I can upgrade to an HD subscription system.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

Been with Dish for about 5 years now, and even worked for them for a while. Cant be happier with the service.


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## Rduce (May 16, 2008)

I am more than happy with Dish Network! I have been with them since 03 after leaving Charter. I have really had no problems other than a lightening strike that took out the modem of my first 722 and that a replacement was sent out and I got two days later. 

I now have the 722K and love the dual OTA tuner, which is why I am waiting for that capability for the new Hopper and then I will upgrade to that system.


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## psdstu (Oct 3, 2009)

Been with Dish for awhile now and my only real complaint has been there lack of HD locals in my DMA, and even that would be a little easier to handle if Dish would at least layout there plan to roll-out the missing HD locals..... I'm guessing that somewhere in the Corp HQ someone has a plan put together.


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## olds403 (Nov 20, 2007)

Happy dish customer here, had them since '02. Love my 722 dvr. No major issues in 10 years. I did have my service bundled with my phone/internet. When I dropped my landline I got unbundled, Dish is continuing my $5/month discount for an additional 6 months. I thought that was nice even though they didn't have to. I have always had very good customer service.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

Okay, I'm convinced. Install is scheduled for Saturday morning. I'll report back once I've had a chance to put the Hopper through its paces. 

Why the Hopper for a 1-set install? The prime time feature, the fact that it has a fast processor, the future compatibility if I ever add a second set. I'll live without using my antennas for now and see how it goes.


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

I've been mostly happy with Dish since 1999 (Dishplayer 7100 frustrations notwithstanding). I have another round of decisions coming up as to whether Dish is still right for me now that CableCards support 4 streams and Dish wants $7/mo for each Joey.


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

sregener said:


> Okay, I'm convinced. Install is scheduled for Saturday morning. I'll report back once I've had a chance to put the Hopper through its paces.
> 
> Why the Hopper for a 1-set install? The prime time feature, the fact that it has a fast processor, the future compatibility if I ever add a second set. I'll live without using my antennas for now and see how it goes.


Sounds like you have done your homework and asked questions. Congrats. Just to cover the one big difference of Dish and Direct, Dish is less likely to have your local pro team in HD for every game and in general direct carries most every sport and in HD. On the other hand Dish has about 16 to 18 more non sports channels in HD than Direct.


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## mdavej (Jan 31, 2007)

sregener said:


> Okay, I'm convinced. Install is scheduled for Saturday morning. I'll report back once I've had a chance to put the Hopper through its paces.
> 
> Why the Hopper for a 1-set install? The prime time feature, the fact that it has a fast processor, the future compatibility if I ever add a second set. I'll live without using my antennas for now and see how it goes.


I have a single Hopper / no Joeys for the same reasons. I think you'll be pleased. You can at least continue to watch OTA in the meantime by connecting your antenna directly to your TV of course.

A notable difference between DirecTV and Dish is if you add an external drive, it adds capacity rather than replacing it. You can also move it from one DVR to another without losing your recordings, should you ever add or replace yours. And the remote will back up and restore all your settings and favorites when you get a replacement.

Be aware that Hopper needs at least 24 hrs to download enough info for everything to work properly, like searches and prime time. So be patient at first. Also go into the remote manager screen and disable limited mode. Those are the biggest gotcha's IMO.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

psdstu said:


> Been with Dish for awhile now and my only real complaint has been there lack of HD locals in my DMA, and even that would be a little easier to handle if Dish would at least layout there plan to roll-out the missing HD locals..... I'm guessing that somewhere in the Corp HQ someone has a plan put together.


10 months from the Feb 2013 federal 'all HD everywhere' deadline. So...by then.


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## ljr01 (Mar 6, 2008)

I've been a Dish customer for almost 12 years. I'm very satisfied with the equipment and satellite service. On the other hand, the customer service people are consistently poorly trained and lack access to reliable information. As long as you can avoid dealing with them as much as possible you may be happy with Dish.


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

djlong said:


> I've been mostly happy with Dish since 1999 (Dishplayer 7100 frustrations notwithstanding). I have another round of decisions coming up as to whether Dish is still right for me now that CableCards support 4 streams and Dish wants $7/mo for each Joey.


Yea I can't see a $7.fee for the Joey either(it's just a box),when I can use that fee to put in a VIP211k which has both 1SAT+1OTA tuners.

I wanted the new format(Logos in guide+ Menu Tiles) so I bought a VIP922/wMT2.

Am I happy with DISH? well I have been with DISH off and on for 10yrs.I did have DirecTV for 3 yrs.Charter cable for 1 yr. so I would have to say Yes!


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## BqWUDUDj (Feb 26, 2007)

I'm happy with the service. That's why I complain so pasionately about it.

Verizon is always pushing me to switch to a FIOS TV plan. I get at least one junk mailing a week from them, plus calls. And I'd consider it, except that Verizon cannot compare to Dish's international plans. That's the deal breaker for me.

Plus I like the hands-on nature of the equipment. It's fun to see the dish and switches and know that I helped install them, run cable, buy extra parts over e-bay and make a system to my specs. FIOS would just come through a box. FIOS is amazing tech but also a little boring in a way.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

"tampa8" said:


> Just to cover the one big difference of Dish and Direct, Dish is less likely to have your local pro team in HD for every game and in general direct carries most every sport and in HD. On the other hand Dish has about 16 to 18 more non sports channels in HD than Direct.


So if Fox Sports Net North has a Twins/Timberwolves/Wild game in HD, Dish may or may not have it in HD? Since my sports passions are mostly Tennis, NFL and NASCAR, I can live with that. I even considered packages without FSN because I almost never watch it anymore.


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

Michael P said:


> That is true for every provider! Nobody sells ala-carte channels.


Now DISH does have some ala-cart packages,more than any other provider.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

Jhon69 said:


> Now DISH does have some ala-cart packages,more than any other provider.


Not for the channels the poster I was replying to wanted (FSC, NBCSC FS Deportes). High priced sports channels that are not a part of the Sports Pak but are a part of the mid or upper tier "Top-2xx" paks, which is what the poster was complaining about. I guess he thinks D* has these channels in a lowball pak :lol:


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

Michael P said:


> Not for the channels the poster I was replying to wanted (FSC, NBCSC FS Deportes). High priced sports channels that are not a part of the Sports Pak but are a part of the mid or upper tier "Top-2xx" paks, which is what the poster was complaining about. I guess he thinks D* has these channels in a lowball pak :lol:


Ahh just thinking about the good old CBand days it seemed like you could ala cart anything.


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

RasputinAXP said:


> 10 months from the Feb 2013 federal 'all HD everywhere' deadline. So...by then.


Do you have a link for that?


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## neomaine (Feb 3, 2003)

Actually, that should be 'all digital' not 'all HD'. They aren't the same thing...


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

RasputinAXP said:


> 10 months from the Feb 2013 federal 'all HD everywhere' deadline. So...by then.


I've been with Dish since 1999. I had a Dishplayer which was sluggish.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

ljr01 said:


> I've been a Dish customer for almost 12 years. I'm very satisfied with the equipment and satellite service. On the other hand, the customer service people are consistently poorly trained and lack access to reliable information. As long as you can avoid dealing with them as much as possible you may be happy with Dish.


Poorly trained? lol. 4 weeks (was 5 when i first worked there) training to be a Dish phone CSR, plus frequent up training on changes and staying up to date on relevant new and old information.
Dish does one of the best jobs training employees from my experience working in call centers. 
Just because you ran into a bad egg that is likely to have been fired by now doesnt mean the excellent trainers at Dish should be discredited.


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## jdskycaster (Sep 1, 2008)

Jhon69 said:


> Yea I can't see a $7.fee for the Joey either(it's just a box),when I can use that fee to put in a VIP211k which has both 1SAT+1OTA tuners.


Characterizing it as just a box is more than a bit simplistic. It provides HD access to all of my DVR content across two hoppers (6 tuners) in my home.

I am now not limited to nor do I have to schedule recordings on discrete DVR's scattered across 3 HDTV's, which is what I had before, and I only had SD picture quality at the remote TV's prior. It also eliminated a noisy fan in the DVR in our master bedroom that would spin up to 12K RPM's every morning at 3AM. It is well worth the 7 bucks and then some.

JD


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## ljr01 (Mar 6, 2008)

Inkosaurus said:


> Poorly trained? lol. 4 weeks (was 5 when i first worked there) training to be a Dish phone CSR, plus frequent up training on changes and staying up to date on relevant new and old information.
> Dish does one of the best jobs training employees from my experience working in call centers.
> Just because you ran into a bad egg that is likely to have been fired by now doesnt mean the excellent trainers at Dish should be discredited.


Over the years probably 90% or more of the answers I got were incorrect, some laughably so. That includes phone, chat and DIRT. I stand by my original statement. Its a great service just don't talk to them if you can avoid it.

If other's have been more fortunate, I envy them.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

ljr01 said:


> Over the years probably 90% or more of the answers I got were incorrect, some laughably so. That includes phone, chat and DIRT. I stand by my original statement. Its a great service just don't talk to them if you can avoid it.
> 
> If other's have been more fortunate, I envy them.


Having personally seen and used the systems CSR, Chat and DIRT use to get you your answers im going to have to boldy call you a "falsifier of statistics" 

Dont go and confuse not hearing what you want to hear and lying.


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## domingos35 (Jan 12, 2006)

i have nothing but good things to say about dish's CS both here on the forum ,chat and on the phone.


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## Rduce (May 16, 2008)

I certainly have had very little problems with any Dish CSR when I needed to interact with one. They seemed competent and helpful, now if you are talking about an AT&T CSR there is where your nightmare scenario comes in…6+ hours on the phone talking to no less than 10 separate people over the course of two months to get a phone billing mistake fixed and I know for a fact that John, Chris and Ryan were not their true Hindu names...


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## [email protected] Network (Jan 6, 2011)

ljr01 said:


> Over the years probably 90% or more of the answers I got were incorrect, some laughably so. That includes phone, chat and DIRT. I stand by my original statement. Its a great service just don't talk to them if you can avoid it.
> 
> If other's have been more fortunate, I envy them.


I sent you a PM.


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## Stalky14 (Feb 18, 2005)

Been with from 97-06, and 09-present. Always owned my equipment and been off contract. They've always offered the best bang/buck.

I'm very happy with them currently because Welcome Pack+HBO gets me 90% of what I watch cable/sat for for $31/month. (And Netflix Instant covers the next 8 or 9%.) The only things I miss are IFC and BBCA and then only during the small fraction of the year they are showing what I want to see.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

bidger said:


> Do you have a link for that?


http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/fcc-adopts-dbs-carriage-order-for-hd/197661

I'll dig some more up later.


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## dasjman (Oct 12, 2011)

I've never had a complaint about Dish. Been with them since 2002ish. I was with Direct prior to that. I've never considered going back.


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## bnborg (Jun 3, 2005)

:hurah:


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## Arya Stark (Mar 17, 2012)

I'm one of those "switch satellite providers every two years" people. I'm with Direct now (out of contract), but I loved Dish when I was with them. The only thing is...last time I was with Dish, I didn't have an HDTV. Now that I do, and have been thinking about switching back to Dish, I have been reading that their HD picture sucks compares to Direct. I want to go back, but the thought of being stuck with an inferior picture for two years gives me pause.


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

Arya Stark said:


> I'm one of those "switch satellite providers every two years" people. I'm with Direct now (out of contract), but I loved Dish when I was with them. The only thing is...last time I was with Dish, I didn't have an HDTV. Now that I do, and have been thinking about switching back to Dish, I have been reading that their HD picture sucks compares to Direct. I want to go back, but the thought of being stuck with an inferior picture for two years gives me pause.


Isn't that a good enough excuse from people who are making excuses for a company that has less basic channels in HD than DISH?.

The decision has to be yours just make sure the company you go/stay with has the channels you want in HD.

Here's the comparision:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=196101


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

Arya Stark said:


> I'm one of those "switch satellite providers every two years" people. I'm with Direct now (out of contract), but I loved Dish when I was with them. The only thing is...last time I was with Dish, I didn't have an HDTV. Now that I do, and have been thinking about switching back to Dish, I have been reading that their HD picture sucks compares to Direct. I want to go back, but the thought of being stuck with an inferior picture for two years gives me pause.


Ya, we all put up with such an inferior picture rather than switch..... Silly us.


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## mdavej (Jan 31, 2007)

Arya Stark said:


> ... I have been reading that their HD picture sucks compares to Direct. I want to go back, but the thought of being stuck with an inferior picture for two years gives me pause.


Those kinds of comments that you may have read are written by complete morons who have never even seen Dish. While there is technically a difference, it's barely noticeable, if at all. The only thing you'll be stuck with is 20-something new HD channels you used to have to watch in DirecTV's migraine inducing SD. As tampa said, if the HD PQ was so bad, we all would have switched back to DirecTV a long time ago.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

The difference is marginal at best, with DTV's PQ just barely being better. I have access to both and have tested them on a 42" Panny viera plasma that was calibrated in the hidden service menus. Even with top notch calibration you still have to be really looking hard to notice a difference. The people who sit there and chime in that the DTV PQ is superior usually forget to mention its only just barely superior.

Something to note is that Dish's SD PQ is definitely superior to DTV's SD PQ, so when you are stuck staring at a SD feed its not that bad, which is pretty awesome especially if your a fan of the Encore channel line up or IFC.
edit:
By the way awesome username arya!


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## Arya Stark (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanks all, and thanks Inkosaurus!


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## bobjackson (Oct 26, 2007)

> no sir, but I can do little about it right now until my folks wake up and switch...
> 
> Can't get FSC or FOX Deportes or NBCSN without giving up an arm and a leg...


I am looking to switch from cable to either D* or E*. I am currently leaning to E* after a ton of research. It seems that you are a football/soccer fan like myself (watching Newcastle beat up on Stoke right now). Both of those channels are in the 250 package on E*. I agree with you getting channels you might not watch, but it you were to pay for them individually via a la carte, they would probably cost the equivalent. You might as well get the other channels for the cost. The problem I have with E* is the 15$ a la carte cost for FSC+. Just my 2 cents... Just make FSC+ part of the sports package E* and I sign up later today...


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## Mojo Jojo (Mar 14, 2012)

"Redbullsnation" said:
 

> no sir, but I can do little about it right now until my folks wake up and switch...
> 
> Can't get FSC or FOX Deportes or NBCSN without giving up an arm and a leg...


You could get FSC and Fox Deportes in Dish Latino Dos with HD Dos Free for $44.99/month. It also has other sports networks like RSNs and MLB Network. I think other providers are way higher.

The Multi-Sports package is an optional add-on for $9/month.


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## satcrazy (Mar 16, 2011)

Has anyone tried dish's "flex tv" plan?

If so, do you like it?


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