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Slide 1: ==== ==== More information at: www.chicagosatellite.tv ==== ==== Recently, there has been a price war with cable and satellite providers. All are vying for your subscription to their product. Typically, I've stayed away from my cable provider simply because they have a strangle hold and strong political ties in my area, that I refuse to believe that they are my only provider available. There are a few slight differences between DirecTV and Dish Network that may or may not be important to you. They were to me. First, I'll start off by naming the possible options for Television content in my area. 1) Dish Network 2) DirecTV 3) Comcast Cable 4) Verizon FIOS Next, I'll start with why I am only comparing the two main satellite companies. Comcast, as mentioned above, has a monopoly in my area and they continue to drive prices up while not providing much in incentives. Customer Service is horrible (my experience as my parents have them) and equipment is shaky at best (multiple service calls in the past few months). Verizon FIOS is still relatively new and has me intrigued. Though, a few friends who have HAD FIOS, have switched back since it appears there still are a few bugs in their software which caused multiple phone calls to customer service. Ok, on to the comparison. I was a Dish Network subscriber for 6 years. From early 2003 through mid 2009, I enjoyed their service. Their customer service was fantastic and their technology was great in the beginning. The hardware technology started off great, with one of the first affordable High Definition DVR's in the business that can handle 2 TV's (the second TV being a standard definition). DirecTV got me away from Dish Network with their first time customer special and more HD Programming. Those DirecTV ads you see on TV explaining the differences between Dish Network High Definition programming vs. DirecTV HD programming are accurate. DirecTV has more FULL-TIME HD stations than Dish Network. Both offer essentially the same types of packages - channels are VERY comparable. No one has the edge there. DirecTV has a great touch screen High Definition DVR unit now. But let me get into some of the little differences. 1) Dish Network's DVR User Interface and Guide was a bit more user friendly. I find DirecTV's guide to be cluttered and difficult to get through. No easy search functionality makes it difficult to
Slide 2: find a show when you don't know the station number. Dish Network had a SUPER easy search function, which I miss dearly. 2) DirecTV does NOT allow you to use DVR functionality on the second TV on LIVE TV. So, for example, I have two HD TV's in the house. One in the living room, the other in the bedroom. I have a DirecTV HD DVR connected to TV 1 and a regular HD Receiver on TV 2. On TV 2, if I am watching a LIVE show, I am NOT able to rewind or pause. Dish Network allowed this functionality with only ONE HD DVR connected to TV 1 while TV 2 was ALSO connected to that same HD DVR. The work around: Record the show on DirecTV's TV 2, go to the List of shows you have recorded and start watching it there. 3) Dish Network's satellite signal seemed a bit weaker. What I mean is, I've been through a few storms now with DirecTV and it has NOT lost service! Dish Network would lose signal with a decent rainstorm. That was pretty frustrating! 4) DirecTV has a high functional Remote Control which is VERY easy to program other devices to. Dish Network's remote control had a better natural feel to it and buttons were much easier to press. While on this topic, DirecTV's HD DVR Receiver is BRUTAL when it comes to direct signal from the remote!!! This is frustrating! With the Dish Network DVR Receiver and Remote, it didn't matter what was in the way, the remote control signal was always picked up by the receiver. So there you have it. Some little differences that I've noticed from 6 years experience with Dish Network and 1+ year experience with DirecTV. Both are high quality in terms of picture and relatively comparable in Price. Go with the company offering the best offer - you'll be happy with both services. I know I was. Hugo Teixeira is a full time software engineer at a major corporation in the USA. Recently discovered, is his passion for sharing his real life experiences, in words, online to anyone who may be interested. Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/hteix for up to the minute information on real life experiences! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hugo_Teixeira ==== ====
Slide 3: More information at: www.chicagosatellite.tv ==== ====