# Question: DirecTV and Dish Network subs



## DS0816 (Mar 29, 2002)

*Question: DirecTV and Dish Network subs*

*Which service does a better job with its channel assignment (locations)?*


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

I think you can answer that question yourself, look at the channel charts for both services and see what you think of them.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

I know someone that has had both services and was told that they like Dish Network a lot better when it comes to keeping channels of the same category together.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

Here are the links to the DirecTV and Dish Network channel lineups located here at DBSTalk. Quite frankly when I switched from Dish to DirecTV, I had no trouble adjusting to the new lineup. I don't think it's a matter of which one is better, they are just different.

http://steve.dbstalk.com/dbs/directvlineup.htm

http://steve.dbstalk.com/dbs/dishnetworklineup.htm


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## dfergie (Feb 28, 2003)

dish does have tbs off by itself while direct has it with tnt and usa


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## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

Had both services and I perfer Dish. It just makes sense the way the news categories are all together, the music , the variety channels , movies etc all together without splitting them up. Directv splits all the news channels up and I hated that.


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## Mike Richardson (Jun 12, 2003)

dfergie said:


> dish does have tbs off by itself while direct has it with tnt and usa


TBS is next to the other "superstations" such as WGN and the true local channel superstations such as KTLA. These days TBS and WGN are basically general entertainment channels but a long time ago they were only nationally rebroadcasted local channels. TBS is short for WTBS (which is a true broadcast station ch 17 in Atlanta GA) and WGN is just simply WGN.


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## dfergie (Feb 28, 2003)

Mike Richardson said:


> TBS is next to the other "superstations" such as WGN and the true local channel superstations such as KTLA. These days TBS and WGN are basically general entertainment channels but a long time ago they were only nationally rebroadcasted local channels. TBS is short for WTBS (which is a true broadcast station ch 17 in Atlanta GA) and WGN is just simply WGN.


Had them all on b.u.d. in the clear in the good old days...as well as all the networks, movie channels etc...  going all over the 'arc' for your programming and only 24 channels per bird.... dbs is better


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

I liked Dish's line up a little better, they have the PI channels way out there in the 9400s, the shopping channels in the 210s and 220s and their line up makes a little more sense then DirecTVs but I really had no problem getting used to the line up. One thing I do like about D*s however is the lack of channel duplication in the EPG, locals are only listed on OTA numbers, Dish has a bunch of English channels mirrored for DL subs now. 

Nothing can be as bad as my old cable company. ESPN 2 was channel 28 ESPN was 52, CSPAN 2 was 12 CSPAN was 20. Fox News, CNN and MSNBC were channels 42, 29 and 18 respectively, PAX was floating out there at channel 75 and the next highest channel was 59 which was I want to say Empire, Playboy was on channel 33, get this in between the Disney Channel (34) and A&E (32). I think some brain at TW just threw darts to pick which channels were on which numbers.


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## dfergie (Feb 28, 2003)

On my Hughes D* box in all channels mode I get Locals in my guide. Im only with the 101 sat and the18" dish. (in the past I hooked it up to my dish 500 and got the other locals in my guide)


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## Link (Feb 2, 2004)

Dish Network has the channels grouped better with Superstations together, News Channels together, Kids, Music, Shopping and Religious together.

Directv's is not as good with CNN way up in the 200s, WGN is not with TBS,
QVC and Home Shopping aren't close to each other. They need to redo them.


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## DS0816 (Mar 29, 2002)

*RAD*,

Just in case you didn't understand: When I asked this question, I was asking for people's _opinions_. What you wrote in response was a waste of your time, everyone else's, and mine. Next time I suggest you not bother.


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

BTW, channels pay (in the form of a discount) for certain channel number placements. This is the reason for the low numbers for ESPN and CNN on DirecTV. The theory is that people "start at the bottom" and work up". I personally think its a silly theory. ESPN even likes to dictate the order of its channels, with news and Classic being placed between the original and 2. Home Shopping Scams also like to be "sprinkled" in among other channels.

Anyway, DirecTV quibles, IMHO:

- Afformentioned low number for CNN and CourTV, which should be up with others in the news catagroy (watch this change under the new management).

- ESPN should be with the other sports channels.

- Home Shopping Scams are sprinkled throughout the line up.

- Spike (nee TNN) is misplaced as a music channel. It belongs with TBS, FX, etc.

- BET isn't a music channel either.

- TV Land isn't a kid's channel. It belongs with general entertainment.

JMO


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Remembering the b-a-a-a-d old days of cable lineups, seems like every time they added a new channel, almost the entire lineup changed like a fruit-basket turnover. That used to drive me absotootely NUTS! :new_cussi
Not dissing D*, but I've seen their lineup at friends' homes, and have had trouble figuring out the logic, or lack thereof. I'm sure I could get accustomed to it if I were a D* sub.

With E*, IMO, the lineup is more logical, but I do have a few issues with certain channel placements. For example, the recently added "Reality" channel (190) was inserted in between D Health (198) and TechTV (191). "Soap" is between NGC (186) and D Health. Soap should be down with the 'entertainment' group. Finally, poor little TLC, the once-excellent channel that lost its way and got kidnapped by wedding planners and taken to the emergency room, is in among the childrens channels (178). Go figure! 

There are a few others I would change, but nothing in life is perfect, and if things _were_ perfect I would be out of a job. Oh, and one more thing - I wish E* would get on the stick and map my LiLs to their OTA channel numbers. Sheesh!


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## jasonjpw (Mar 6, 2004)

When comparing the lineup, I think Dishnetwork has the best lineup. Its more organized then cable and Directv. But it needs a few adjustments. And Dish does not rearrange its channels like cable and Directv does. I been a customer for seven years and my numbers have stayed the same. There were a few adjustments but everything worked out.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

Both systems need to redo the channel assignments, including putting in channel "holes" for possible future channels. But, it would require cooperation between the provider and the program provider. On a cable system, the lower the channel number, the better. 

Hopefully, the DVRs are set up to record by channel name and not by channel #.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

DS0816 said:


> *RAD*,
> 
> Just in case you didn't understand: When I asked this question, I was asking for people's _opinions_. What you wrote in response was a waste of your time, everyone else's, and mine. Next time I suggest you not bother.


I guess I was giving you too much credit to figure out on your own which service has a better channel layout (E* by the way, unless you like D*'s layout better).


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## DS0816 (Mar 29, 2002)

No, *Rad*, I was thinking you were being insulting. And then I was thinking you truly misunderstood why I asked the question. It was to get an idea of people's opinions. (I apologize on my end of this; I've come across a lot of people -- various discussion groups -- and there are insults unnecessarily exchanged between posters. Sorry!)


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

DS0816 said:


> No, *Rad*, I was thinking you were being insulting. And then I was thinking you truly misunderstood why I asked the question. It was to get an idea of people's opinions. (I apologize on my end of this; I've come across a lot of people -- various discussion groups -- and there are insults unnecessarily exchanged between posters. Sorry!)


No problem, I now understand. Hope you got what you were looking for. RAD


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## BearsFan (Apr 22, 2002)

I have D*, and even I'll say that I personally prefer how DISH has their channel lineup set. It seems more coherent than D*...but it's not a reason for me to ever "switch."

What I don't like is how when I'm on "basic cable" channels (FOXNews, ESPN, ComCentral, MTV2, etc.) and then switch to my locals in the 900's, it takes (seemingly) ALL DAY for the guide info to come up. Don't know if it's different with maybe a different receiver or provider, but it drives me nuts. Sometimes the info comes right up, but most times it takes almost a minute (in this day & age, an ETERNITY!).


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