Direct TV or Dish network

[Jullie]

We currently have Comcast Cable. We are looking possibly to change to satelite. Does anyone have positive or negatives comments for us?
Thanks

[JohnnyM]

Jullie we are thinking of getting Comcast as we now have it in NJ. We will be making a decision also in a few weeks when we get to TV. Why do you want to change from Comcast if you don't mind me asking. Tks, Johnny

[Jullie]

Hi Johnny,

Comcast works okay in TV. Mainly we are thinking about changing because of the cost difference. Sometimes cheaper is not always better, so that is why I'm asking everyone.


Thanks,
Jullie

[JohnnyM]

Thanks. I was thinking comcast for the television and also for my desktop.

[schotzyb]

We had Comcast up until 2 months ago and we switched to Dish Network . About as many pros as there are cons for Dish vs. Cable. Picture quality seems better with Dish than Cable. More Channels for less money . The downside so far has been the thunderstorms. Doesn't take a lot to lose the picture with Dish during a storm. Never lost it with cable during bad weather.

[islandgal]

Comcast has a great deal now because they just began phone service in our area, so their package for phone, internet and cable is excellent. However, like with the others, the good deal ends in one year -upside is there is no contract and unlimited long distance.

I switched from Comcast two years ago to Dish because they had a great deal along with the Embarq phone service. However, when my contract ended recently, I went back to Comcast not only because Dish/Embarq prices had increased, but also because I was tired of my service frequently going off because of our frequent wind and thunder storms. Dish does have more channels.

[JohnM]

For us, when we had Dish in NY, one of the big negatives was the technical requirement of a separate receiver for each TV. At that time, you had to pay for the extra receivers in addition to the extra space needed, etc. Is that still the case?

John

[784caroline]

Just curious as to what are the cost differences between Dish and Comcast assuming you get

HIGH SPEED INTERNET and
Basic cable TV service (not the 12 channels next one up)

[schotzyb]

JohnM,
No, a separate receiver is not required for 2 TV's. A friend just had Dish installed and he got one receiver with two remotes and the receiver had some type of small antenna on the rear of it and you can watch different channels on the two TV's. Remotes are labeled and can only be used for it's specific TV.

[dgammon6]

With Dish or Direct, if you have a second home, you can carry the receiver back and forth and only pay for one service.

[JohnM]

With one receiver, can you simultaneously watch two different channels? We had one receiver connected to two TVs and a UHF remote which allowed us to change the channel from either room, but we could only watch one channel at a time.

John

[scottke]

My husband is a die-hard Yankee and Giant fan. For the Yankee's is there any way to get the YES network. What about the Giants - do they carry them on the any of the cable stations or just the Florida teams. Does Comcast have any packages that can be added at an additional cost.

[schotzyb]

JohnM,
I just checked with my friend to make sure I was correct in saying you could watch different channels on different TV's and he assured me you can.

[JohnM]

Thanks!

[Jullie]

thanks to everyone for your input!

[gfmucci]

The current Embarq deal is this:

Land line with unlimited long distance
High speed DSL 5 meg
Dish Network with 200 stations, HD, local channels, up to four TVs (two cable boxes-one each per 2 TVs, one with DVR)

...for about $110/month with a 2-year contract. Dish Network installation service is primitive...it might take them 2 or more tries to install - my current experience - ongoing.

[diskman]

dish network gives you old rebuilt or refurbished equipment, everything from direct tv is brand new. this is what i have been told. :)

[billethkid]

I have both Comcast and Dish network. Comcast cable plus high speed internet in TV.
Dish Network at our lake home in TN.
I had Dish Network install their new DVR set up with 2 televisions. Two separate remotes as some one mentioned above. Each operate just as though they had their own box. Both access the same DVR features. In fact you can watch different recordings on each set.
Dish Network is a much clearer picture because it is ALL digital. The other plus is that almost ALL programming is in 5.1 surround sound. I do not have HD in TN. We get 250+ channels and pay $59.99 per month. And contrary to one post above....all equipment I have ever received from Dish Network was brand new out of the box. Yes we do lose our picture during thunderstorms. Usually only minutes before it clears.

I have Comcast in TV because I do not want to be without service during Florid's sometimes inclement weather, especially during those times when TV is being battered by the outer bands of approaching storms.

If it were not for the weather issues in FL I would definitely have Dish Network there.
In fact if there are anymore rate increases from Comcast I may switch to Dish Network and take what comes weather wise.

BTK