# On the fence between DirecTV and Dish



## masked_bandit328 (May 27, 2009)

This is what likely will determine which provider I go with. I am currently wondering if I can get RSNs with any of the Turbo HD packages. I was told by the Dish Network live chat that i have to subscribe to the Classic Bronze or higher to get RSNs, but I am pretty sure I've seen that you can get them with Turbo packages. I just figured I'd ask to get a straight answer from this forum.


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## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

TurboHD Silver and above get the RSNs.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

Since it looks like you're a HD customer and interested in the RSN's I'd recommend that you check around and see how many games Dish has in HD for your RSN vs what the RSN can actually provide. Yesterday folks in Chicago were upset because the Cubs/Pirates game, which was in HD wasn't in HD on Dish. Last week Boston folks were upset that some of their Sox games were in SD on Dish while NESN produced them in HD.


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## masked_bandit328 (May 27, 2009)

Hmm...so, suppose that there is a game that isn't scheduled to be in HD, and I am a turbo HD subscriber. Will I still be able to watch the game in SD? Or am I only able to watch games that are scheuled to be in HD?


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## jclewter79 (Jan 8, 2008)

You will always get the sd version if it is scheduled to be on. Dish Network does not offer the HD versions of the RSN's on a fulltime basis. What they do instead is swich between the HD feeds only when games are on. Sometimes they run out of room and a game that is shown in HD will not be availble because they do have room to show it. But, SD RSN's are full time so, if they are showing the game and, it is not blacked out in your area you will get it.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

masked_bandit328 said:


> Hmm...so, suppose that there is a game that isn't scheduled to be in HD, and I am a turbo HD subscriber. Will I still be able to watch the game in SD? Or am I only able to watch games that are scheuled to be in HD?


Check thread http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=158724 for an example.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

I'm a long time Echostar/Dish subscriber. But I would be the first to advise anyone who places importance on sports to think long and hard. Dish is still about equipment technology while DirecTV is about content.


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## Kenkong586 (Apr 3, 2007)

How often does this type of thing happen? I need my Tigers in HD when possible.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

If you want sports from out of market teams via MLB-EI or NBA-LP (or any other major sport), get Directv. I'm not bashing Dish, but HD sports is more abundant on Directv.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

Over at post http://www.satelliteguys.us/1836031-post13.html he started a spreadsheet on Google where folks can post what games that should be in HD aren't.


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## finniganps (Jan 23, 2004)

phrelin said:


> I'm a long time Echostar/Dish subscriber. But I would be the first to advise anyone who places importance on sports to think long and hard. Dish is still about equipment technology while DirecTV is about content.


I agree with the above. If sports are very important to you, look at Direct to see what they offer and the price connected with it.


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## Kenkong586 (Apr 3, 2007)

RAD said:


> Over at post http://www.satelliteguys.us/1836031-post13.html he started a spreadsheet on Google where folks can post what games that should be in HD aren't.


Thanks for that post. After seeing that, I appreciate Directv much more than I did earlier today.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

I don't watch much baseball, so I don't pay attention to it right now.
I would be REALLY upset during college football season, and would like to see more RSN's carry more MSL in HD.
I do find in interesting though that on the 5-26-09 the Mariners vs A's game was in SD in Seattle, but I watched the top of the 9th over here in Couer D' Alene, ID,and it was on in HD. Strange that would happen, as its the same RSN Channel


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## chriscpmtmp (May 13, 2006)

Kenkong586 said:


> How often does this type of thing happen? I need my Tigers in HD when possible.


Most of the Tigers are in HD. Once in a while they aren't though.

I was reading in a financial review of bonds that Dishnetwork is fading fast. The more subs the better if we hope to see continuing service.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

chriscpmtmp said:


> I was reading in a financial review of bonds that Dishnetwork is fading fast. The more subs the better if we hope to see continuing service.


:rant:
Yeah. Well, my sister is mad at me over the Fisher, my daughter and her significant other don't complain any more about the audio dropouts unless I ask the if they too are still getting them (after "the great fix"), I'm getting freezes on playbacks which are only happening to 9 subscribers all on this forum (yeah right), and Echostar instead of fixing things is devoting significant engineering resources to the 922 mostly for a hand full of techies.

After 20 years, I quit recommending Dish/Echostar to family and my rural neighbors in 2008, when they couldn't seem to find an engineer to fix the audio dropout. But if you're a techie who likes toys and accepts glitches as the way life is, [strike]Echostar[/strike] Dish is the place to go.

Of the three Dish customers in my family, they'll lose my sister in 2010 for certain even if they settled with Fisher next week. That's ⅓ of the customers in my family. If I died tomorrow, Dish would lose all, as my wife and my daughter are not going to depend on Dish support for their TV. Comcast would be the big winner. Comcast already has my two son's households as needing Dad to keep or not keep the TV running isn't acceptable.

Dish needs their own unaffiliated, technically incompetent, DMA distributed, "Nielsen" households (about 1,000) to run proposed ideas by. Under those circumstances, my guess is that they would drop the 922 and spend a lot of money on finding ways to add the remaining HD's including locals.

Incidentally, those households would not be the choice of Echostar for obvious reasons.
:rant:


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

I hope you live a long time ... DISH needs every customer.


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## ajc68 (Jan 23, 2008)

If you're a sports fan and/or in a Fisher market, D* is a no-brainer...


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## ZBoomer (Feb 21, 2008)

I think it may depend on what KIND of sports fan; I'm a major "sports fan" and love Dish. I rarely find it lacking.


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