direct TV, Dish TV or Comcast Cable

[randy]

so I just spent XXXXX dollars having my whole house re-wired. ethernet, digital, phone, audio the whole works. The guy that did it was awesome. I have this junction box in my basement, all the lines come in the then go out to all the rooms. Into this junction box, I have a cable feed, Satallite feed, DSL feed, my router, and a digital feed. So basically I can burn all my cd to the PC, then just play the music anywhere in the house by just connecting speakers into the wall. I have an old desktop I was looking at donating to someone and now, it may just become our music box.

 

Anyway in each room is a wall plate with 5 connecters. RJ45, coax etc etc.

 

So I have not had anything other than standard local TV for 10 years. I got mad at cable/satellite tv and turned it off in 1996.

 

But I am a huge NBA fan, i do not watch football or baseball, and next year I would really like to watch some of the motoGP races etc. so any consensus on which provider to use.

 

Oh, and just for information, my 16 months with Dish TV back in 1995 was fine from a programming perspective. We got great signal, and very little interuption. So for our location satalite vrs cable, as far as reception/reliability does not seem to be an issue.

 

comments are welcomed.

[ghaverkamp]

I think the best way to approach this is to look at what programming you want and which of the vendors can provide that programming at the most reasonable cost.

 

If you're thinking of extended travels if/when you have an RV, that might be some part of the consideration; there are newer antennae that can actually receive satellite transmissions in motion.

 

If you're a really big NBA fan, your only choice may be DirecTV and their League Pass, which I believe gives you all NBA games. I don't follow the NBA, but I used to have the NFL Sunday Ticket, and they still had to blackout some games. (Dr. Z from Sports Illustrated says this will stop next season.)

 

Finally, if you're into the whole (D|P)VR thing, choosing your vendor may be an issue. It came down to some simple choices for me. DirecTV had two-tuner TiVo (TiVo being operative), and no one else had TiVo at all.

 

Outside of sports, the last time I did a head-to-head comparison for my parents, Dish was cheaper than the other options for their programming choices by a long way. In the end, the apparently, their trees made a dish impossible. Guess that's not a problem for you.

[Bob Palin]

I don't watch the NBA, 8 years as a Warriors season ticket holder cured me, but DISH has about 20 ppv channels dedicated to the NBA which I imagine are some sort of package. The DISH PVR beats the crap out of Tivo any day

 

However, I don't know where the RV thing came from, but if you are going to use your sat dish with an RV I understand that DirecTV is easier to use for that.

[Mike O]

...The DISH PVR beats the crap out of Tivo any day

Bob, I knew this was coming. Just let me comment as follows:

 

 

 

 

TIVO rocks

 

 

 

BTW, Tivo is suing the Copy-Cat Dish folks for Intellectual Property infringement - so there may not be any Dish Copy-Cat in the future anyway. Trial begins on Monday. See the story here.).

 

Otherwise, what Greg said. Pick your programing, then the equipment.

 

Mike O

[ghaverkamp]

The DISH PVR beats the crap out of Tivo any day

 

I am (seriously) curious as to how; outside of HD, anyway, which I don't care about.

 

I liked Dish better when I had it before. But I've read so many negative things about the PVR, I wouldn't even consider switching. I _guess_ I could live without Suggestions, though I sure don't want to. What makes it better?

[Warren_H]

Direct TV w/TIVO - my best friend.

[Bob Palin]

The DISH PVR beats the crap out of Tivo any day

 

I am (seriously) curious as to how; outside of HD, anyway, which I don't care about.

 

I liked Dish better when I had it before. But I've read so many negative things about the PVR, I wouldn't even consider switching. I _guess_ I could live without Suggestions, though I sure don't want to. What makes it better?

There's really nothing, I was just remembering our very recent discussion here on exactly this issue, that's why I put the smiley (see, we need them).

 

Not only can I live without suggestions, I positively don't want them, I don't need any encouragement to watch more TV! I can't think of any negative things about the DISH PVR and this is my 3rd different one - what have you read?

 

BTW, Tivo is suing the Copy-Cat Dish folks for Intellectual Property infringement - so there may not be any Dish Copy-Cat in the future anyway.

Tivo is suing EchoStar for replaying at the same time as recording, EchoStar is suing Tivo for recording at all. DirecTV are also introducing their own PVR separate from Tivo. The news article also says this "Tivo, founded in 1997, introduced the first DVR as a stand- alone product" - I don't think that is true, I had a ReplayTV (by Sonic Blue I think) before TIVO was even out.

[Mike O]

While Bob and I have been trading barbs' on this for a while, one thing we both agree on is the 'skip past the annoying commercials' feature that both Tivo and Dish DVR provide (or most any recorder - including my VCR which I used to do the same thing with)

 

That and being able to record future programs is the most valuable feature I find. The Tivo suggestions have been hit or miss (some of the suggestions I've found chewing up disk space are actually kinda humorous - others, work quite well).

 

In the end, the best thing is to choose the programing and then if you still have a choice of Tivo, or Dish DVR or whatever, I would recommend trying them out either at a retailer or stop by Bob's and see for yourself. I actually have a slightly used Hughes/Tivo model sitting next to my desk that when I'm bored this winter, I plan on taking apart (Greg, you'll be interested to know it's embedded Linux under the covers.

 

Regards,

 

Mike O

[ghaverkamp]

Not only can I live without suggestions, I positively don't want them, I don't need any encouragement to watch more TV! I can't think of any negative things about the DISH PVR and this is my 3rd different one - what have you read?

 

Incidentally, I noted the smiley.

 

As for suggestions, I don't use them to find me new things to watch. They're horrible at that. What they do a good job of is recording things I've rated highly that are around when I'm bored and maybe want something the background (reruns of NYPD Blue, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc.) Basically, things I'd never get a Season Pass for, but aren't bad to kill some time.

 

See this for a summary. That sums up a lot of it. Whether correct or not, I've also been under the impression that when you select a show to record, you record the timeslot, and not necessarily the show. So, if the show moves... no show.

[ghaverkamp]

Greg, you'll be interested to know it's embedded Linux under the covers.

 

Well, Linux is embedded there. But it's not really embedded Linux. It's just Linux on PPC running on a pretty standard CHRP motherboard (assuming things haven't changed too much; I followed all of the initial TiVo hacking, but haven't kept up-to-date.)

[Bob Palin]

I've also been under the impression that when you select a show to record, you record the timeslot, and not necessarily the show. So, if the show moves... no show.

Now that is a good point, I didn't know Tivo could do that. I missed a part of a show this week for that reason. The truth is I have a very limited interest in broadcast TV, 90% of my viewing is English soccer, I watch a lot of movies on DVD but no use for a PVR there. I do occasionaly watch HD programming and will sometimes watch HD things just because the picture is so amazing. I may even have to switch to DirecTV next summer because they have ESPN2 HD and DISH doesn't - every soccer World Cup game is going to be in HD! So, my views on PVRs for general use may not be interesting.

[randy]

sorry I should have been clear about one thing, I work for Philips consumer electronics. We get last years TIVO models as "awards" almost weekly. I have a brand new one just sitting here doing nothing right now. I think it is the 40GB model. So TIVO it will be regardless of how well I like it or not, because I do not have any othet recorders to compare it with. So that decision is made.

 

My company is in partnership with direct tv, but right now there are no employee discounts, so that does not pull me in any one direction.

 

thanks for all the comments

[Capone]

This one's right down my alley. I've have (and have installed) both. I have a dtv dish on one side of the house, dish on the other. I'm currently using dish because dtv p*ssed off regarding a service committment and the long wait times when you call them. No offense, but I don't like traversing 15 minutes of non-human menus just to end up talking to someone in Pakistan about a question about my install in socal. before I begin, if at all possible, let's get 'digital' cable out of your head. for reasons i explain below, it's a joke and, if you likely everyone else i've talked to who gotten it, you'll regret the decision.

 

so, the question then becomes, "dtv or dish?" i don't sell either, i just want the best programming and customer service for the price i'm paying. here's the scoop; I'm into hd and despite dtv offering more channels in hd, I went with dish. dish is cheaper and, after comparing my dish install & plan with my neighbor's new install of dtv, i think dish offers more advantages and better customer service (to date anyway). beside this, their contracts are more flexible and, at least for me, seem way easier to get into/out if and when you change your mind, move, need to cancel, switch to dtv, etc.

 

my research has found that dish offers a variety of sign-up offers which allows NOT to sign up for minimum committment if you buy your own stuff; not sure if dtv does (anyone?). the deciding factor for me was the dish pvr that allows me to record up to 10(?) hours of hd and/or nearly 80 hours of regular programming (still in digital, near hd quality). hd is truly amazing and will replace convential programming, so get used to it. anyway, the hd is unbelievable on my phillips 42" plasma. most people who have (or have had) hd programming and 'dis' it(can't believe i justed typed that) probably don't have the correct technology in their homes to truly see the difference it makes. for one, many don't have a newer hd tv. the hd quality in tv offering hd (or hd upgradebility) as gone up HUGE (there, I used caps, are you happy) in the last 2-3 years. others probably have older style catv running from their sats, through their house, and into the hd receiver (discussed more below).

 

i have a dish 810 hd recvr on my 5 year old hd mistu 65" displaying images in hd via a 1080i signal. although the images are remarkably more clear than the channels displayed on the same set viewing non-hd (but still digital) signals, the hd on my mistsu hd-upgradeable tv don't hold a candle to the two new 42" phillips plasmas i bought about six months ago at sam's club (for about $2.5k, which have since dropped to $2k). the same hd recievers on the new tv's make the hd programming on my mistu look like i'm getting the signal with a convention uhf/vhf outdoor antenna. get a good new hd tv (get consumer reports and do your research), pay the extra $10-12/month when you subscribe to dtv or dish, hook it with the appropriate cabling, and you'll never regret it. so, enough about hd.

 

i concur with the rest of posts, decide your programming first, then choose dtv or dish. both offer nba and both come with channels for viewing racing. look at their programming packages, it may help you decide. dish or dtv may offer channels viewable as part of their less expensive and/or standard packages; one may require you upgrade your subscription package to get the channels which broadcast the races you like to see (speed tv, oln, etc.).

 

i'd add however, also look at how long you are planning to keep the satelitte programming from dtv or dish; do you like to switch around every so often? consider whether you want to get the 'free' offers on the install and equipt.know that these 'free' offers usually mean getting locked up in minimum service agreement for 1-2 years (much like when you sign up for that 'free' cell phone).

 

Consider installing the sat. yourself with new or used equip. from a reputable seller on Ebay if you're at all tool handy; it's not rocket science and, given the fact you bleed beemer blue, black, and white (or, at least i think you do), you're smart enough to figure it out. installing yourself is a benefit in itself if you can because it teaches more about the equipment and the technology you've invested in(you have to go into some pretty techy menus that you regualary woundn't have to in order to get everything set up). when doing so, you actually learn how fix, on your own, many common problems that most sat. subscribers have to wait on hold for 40+ minutes when calling either providing for tech help.

 

another thing to consider, regardless of whether you select dtv or dish, is the type of cabling you currently have run/installed in your home. because sat programming is 100% digital, you need to know (regardless of hd or non-hd) whether whether or not the cable currently run to (behind) the jacks mentioned is regualr catv 75 ohm, rg-59 (older, but still digital) or rg-6 (true digital). You'll get the best signal from the sat w/ either rg59 or rg6 run ALL THE WAY from the sat, through the house, and into the back of the reciever(s); not to mention the dvi, hdmi, or component video cables you'll need from the receiver to the back of your tv if you want hd programming (rg6, rca or s-video will work from for your run between the reciever and the tv if you don't care about hd).

 

related to the cabling issue mentioned above, and given hd is on the way in, with some arguing that it will eventually replace all cable transmissions someday (some say w/ in the next 10 years), know that a complete run of rg6 from the sat to the receiver is mandatory to get hd. a complete run of rg59 may work, but i'm not 100% certain. I just ran all new rg6 during construction of our new home so it'd be one less thing to i'd have to worry about in the future (my daughter's is 2 years old and growing up in socal).

 

also regarding the install; if you have a retailer install your dish and they tie into your home's standard cable junction box (using adjcnt. to your electrical panel outside or inside the garage, realize that if you have the older catv 75ohm from that point foward to your cable jacks, your going to be sacrificing a HUGE amount of signal, which will in turn, make the picture you'll eventually see on your screen look like crap. if this a isn't a concern to you (or if you ride a honda), read no more, disregard what i said above about 'digital' cable and call comcast and get their latest 'special' offer. if you want 100% true digital signal, read on.

 

if you find out that your house has been wired with nothing but the older catv 75ohm, try to have your dtv or dish installers install your dish as close as possible to the point where you (or they) can easily run the rg6 from the sat to where you're going to be watching tv. this method is an valid option which will all together bypass all of the old catv 75ohm and if you only need the sat. feed in 1 or two room which are close together (and can be close to the dish). know however, if you choose this option, you may have be inventive routing the the sat. wire and/or getting it into the house and/or to the

(rooms)and to the locations where you're going to watching.

 

in summary, i've had good luck with both dtv and dish. digital cable is a joke. not convinced? think of how many feet of cable must run between thier originizating satelite source(s)through the streets and roads of your town and finally to your tv. know that every time their suscribers 'tap' into this run to get the signal, signal strength will be lost. on the other hand, the run from your own home's dtv or dish sat dish to your viewing source rarely exceeds 100'. this undoubtedly increases the amount of digital signal you'll receive vs. 'digital' cable and the resulting clarity you'll see on your set(given, of course, it's not run through catv 75ohm cabling).

 

one last thing if you're going to install the equipt. yourself, invest in a good sat pointing signal meter (about $75 bucks at any radio shack). seems like a lot, but try to point a dish to hit a signal once or twice without it and you'll know what i'm taking about. not telling you to do what i did, but, i know they take it back a few hours later or the next day because you've 'changed your mind' about installing yourself. just be careful not to obliterate the packaging when you open it and keep your receipt. nuf said?

 

the meter will save you hours in the long run. when you're up on the ladder trying to zero the dish in on the correct satelite, one of the dish's rg6 wires get plugged into the unit and, much like a standard voltameter, it has a needle that bounces to tell help you guage the strengh of the signal, if any, you're getting. the dish's install manual will help you get the correct pitch and yawl setting pretty close before you mount it, but zeroing it in once mounted can take hours with out it. it will save you the hassle of placing your wife and/or kids in front of the tv looking at the reciever's signal meter on the tv.

 

the meter will mean no shouting back and forth out an open window while you're up on a ladder incrementally moving the dish around searching endlessly for a satelite revolving 100,000 above the earth. remember, a 1/2 inch in any direction down here on earth can equate to thousands of feet up in space where the satelite's at. no doubt; if installing the dish on your own, use the meter. notice i din't say 'buy' the meter; merely test one out for one use and find a reason why you don't like (or need) it.

 

Good luck!

 

capone (a.k.a. CHICAGOBOB)

[Bob Palin]

another thing to consider, regardless of whether you select dtv or dish, is the type of cabling you currently have run/installed in your home. because sat programming is 100% digital, you need to know (regardless of hd or non-hd) whether whether or not the cable currently run to (behind) the jacks mentioned is regualr catv 75 ohm, rg-59 (older, but still digital) or rg-6 (true digital). You'll get the best signal from the sat w/ either rg59 or rg6 run ALL THE WAY from the sat, through the house ... if you have the older catv 75ohm from that point foward to your cable jacks, your going to be sacrificing a HUGE amount of signal,

I guess I'm missing something here, if the signal to the sat dish is digital how is it possible to "be sacrificing a HUGE amount of signal".

 

I just went outside and checked and my DISH installer did use RG6 cable from the dish to the receiver.

 

In terms of customer service I have found DISH to be very good by phone, I have never received and answer to an email I have sent them which does make me a bit unhappy. I have got into the (rarely used) habit of calling them about technical issues at night when I seem to get a well trained person in India or Pakistan who sorts me right out, for financial issues or if I want a favour, e.g. I need someone to come out right now and align my dish that the house painters took down, I call in the day and get an American operator who is much more likely to bend the rules. (The trouble with calling India or Pakistan is that we often end up talking about cricket and I can't get off the line, I guess they are not all that busy)

 

I second the need for a meter to align the dish, I've tried without and never managed. I don't have one and wouldn't even dream of doing what Capone suggests, immoral and dishonest, a form of theft. DISH (American operators) seems willing to send somebody out for free to re-align your dish if needed.

[randy]

a couple of good comments. first, yes I did install my own dish, 10 years ago. so that is not out of the question.

 

second the wiring is 100% new, and is R6 all the way from the dish, to the juction box to all the receptacles in the house.

 

buying refurbed equipment from our employeee store has crossed my mind.

 

And yes for right now i am leaning towards satallite, but the house is also wired for cable just in case.

 

i am checking the on-line offering from dish and direct right now.

 

thanks for all the comments

[BFish]

i have directv. like it. also subscribe to nfl package. more racing than i could've imagined. satisfied with this vs the "cable" which had a 325' run to my house. it was never buried properly and our horses kept cutting the line.

[Husker Red]

 

Hey Randy,

 

I'm in your area and I've had both DISH network and Comcast. I really loved the picture and sound quality with DISH and they had good customer service. Unfortunately, trees grew into my satellite signal area and I just can't get it anymore. So I had to switch to Comcast.

 

I can attest that Comcast has absolutely terrible customer service. Every time I call them I have at least a 45 minute wait on hold before I can speak to a human. They had to come out to my house FIVE times before their original hook-up worked right and I continue to this day to have problems with their motorola HD DVR box. They have switched it out three times and I have given up on them being able to fix it. The signal to my house on the first 100 channels is NOT digital and I find it generally poor quality. After 100 the signal is better and the HD channels are really good. The HD service is the only thing I have been happy with at Comcast.

 

Good luck with your choice and I'll see you soon at tech day.

 

Mike

[Mike O]

I've installed 3 dishes now. Followed the instructions for aiming (roughly gets it pointed correctly) and then utilized the 'wife-meter' for signal strength optimization. That's worked just fine. I have both RG6 and RG59. I can't (visually from the picture) tell the difference.

 

...if installing the dish on your own, use the meter. notice i din't say 'buy' the meter; merely test one out for one use and find a reason why you don't like (or need) it.

 

Good luck!

 

capone (a.k.a. CHICAGOBOB)

 

I don't condone the 'free' rental you advertise above. That sort of shit irritates me. It just drives the cost of things folks buy (legally) higher. BTW, if I were a retailer, I'd never let someone return a tool (that's what a meter is).

[Deaner]

SHOOT YOUR TV! You will be a better person for it. My SWMBO insisted we get a TV when we moved in together in 2003, I hadn't one for about five years.

 

Now, I'm pale, flabby and considerably less inteligent than I was two years ago. My evenings are planned around prime time. Projects don't get finished or started. Books lay unopened on dusty shelves.

 

[Deaner]

But if you have a choice go for cable and TIVO and NetFlicks.

[Capone]

 

...if installing the dish on your own, use the meter. notice i din't say 'buy' the meter; merely test one out for one use and find a reason why you don't like (or need) it.

 

Good luck!

 

capone (a.k.a. CHICAGOBOB)

 

I don't condone the 'free' rental you advertise above. That sort of shit irritates me. It just drives the cost of things folks buy (legally) higher. BTW, if I were a retailer, I'd never let someone return a tool (that's what a meter is).

You may not like it, but face it; it happens all the time. For the tool in questions, a lot of people can't afford to pay $100 for a tool they'll use for less than 30 seconds over the course of their lifetime. It's not everyday you're out in your tool shed "shooting" for those satellite dish signals. If you drop it and break it, don't take it back. However, so long as you've done no damage to the tool, there's nothing wrong with testing it and returning it. The fat corporate bureaucrats running the billion dollar corporate enterprise you're returning it to aren't likely to feel the ‘pinch’.

 

Once repackaged, the price usually drops. I doubt that 'errant' use and return of tools drives the overall cost of tool(s) up in the market place; Increased costs are largely a factor related to increased profit margining by the manufacturers and/or distributors. Enough said; agree to disagree on that point with mikeo.

 

Anyway, Randy, best of luck on whichever route you take and feel free to "pm" me if you go the dish route and run into any snags (especially if you are going to split the signal coming from the dish using Dish's DP34 switch; they're pretty quirky).

 

Take care,

 

Capone (A.K.A. CHICAGO BOB)

 

[Mike O]

...You may not like it, but face it; it happens all the time.

 

...Enough said; agree to disagree on that point with mikeo.

 

OH...I get it now. Because it 'happens all the time' means its OK. Here I was under the mistaken impression that I was to be honest with retailers (BTW, I'm sure the local Radio Shack dealer just trying to make a living like you and me eats this cost, not "the fat corporate bureaucrats" you refer to). Heaven forbid. I guess when I was finished with my GPS I should have just returned that to the store.

 

You are right on one point. We'll disagree about this one.

 

'nuf said,

 

Mike O

[Capone]

(QUOTE)....I guess I'm missing something here, if the signal to the sat dish is digital how is it possible to "be sacrificing a HUGE amount of signal". I just went outside and checked and my DISH installer did use RG6 cable from the dish to the receiver.

 

You'll get 'signal' running CATV 75ohm to the receiver, but it not be the same 100% (true) digital signal leaving that leaves satellite. The older cabling, in effect, down coverts the signal that hits your receiver because it's not designed to carry the higher quality signal originating from the newer satellites. By "HUGE," I literally mean a substantial difference in signal quality due to the older, technically less superior 75 ohm CATV.

 

(QUOTE).....when I seem to get a well trained person in India or Pakistan who sorts me right out....if I want a favour.....the trouble with calling India or Pakistan is that we often end up talking about cricket...I guess they are not all that busy....

 

I've received technical assistants from both Pakistan and India and they've never 'sorted me right out', given me 'favours' nor have we ever discussed cricket (you're kidding, right!?). I have a hard enough time getting them to understand me when I confirm my name, phone number and date of birth; usually takes me about 15 repetitions before they finally get it.

 

(QUOTE)......I don't have one and wouldn't even dream of doing what Capone suggests, immoral and dishonest, a form of theft.

 

I'm not telling Randy what to do, I'm telling Randy what I did and, in doing so, I'd didn't ask for affirmation. If Randy wants to go out and pay a100 bucks for a tool he's likely to use only 1-2 times the rest of his life, then supreme deity bless him! In doing so, I'm sure he'll secure a spot 'right up front' in the great afterlife access control point line. Better yet, if he does want to purchase one to collect dust in his toolbox, I know of a great one at a Radio Shack in San Diego that's now marked 10% off. I'll even vouch that it works just fine.

 

This is not theft; theft is your sidetracking a poor Pakistani customer service rep (who earns $4 American/day) for two hours while I wait on hold, because you need affirmation by someone else on the planet that might begin to appreciate your extensive knowledge of game of 'cricket'. Believe me; the poor kid merely wants to again convey the solution to your recurring problem..... “YOUR SIGNAL IS FINE; YOU CAN’T HEAR IT BECAUSE YOU NEED TO TURN UP YOUR HEARING AIDES. YOUR REMOTE IS FINE.....TRY TAKING THE BATTERIES OUT AND RE-INSTALLING THEM IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION”!

 

kapow!

[soboy]

Randy: I have Comcast digital cable and I am very happy with it. I also use their high speed internet, which is considerably faster than any DSL in Georgia. My uncle recently hooked up his new Panasonic 52 inch Plasma tv to Comcast's HD cable service. It is, by far, the finest picture I have ever seen, and he used to have a dish.

[Bob Palin]

This is not theft; theft is your sidetracking a poor Pakistani customer service rep (who earns $4 American/day) for two hours while I wait on hold, because you need affirmation by someone else on the planet that might begin to appreciate your extensive knowledge of game of 'cricket'. Believe me; the poor kid merely wants to again convey the solution to your recurring problem..... “YOUR SIGNAL IS FINE; YOU CAN’T HEAR IT BECAUSE YOU NEED TO TURN UP YOUR HEARING AIDES. YOUR REMOTE IS FINE.....TRY TAKING THE BATTERIES OUT AND RE-INSTALLING THEM IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION”!

Now THAT is a personal attack! But I forgive him.

[Bob Palin]

You'll get 'signal' running CATV 75ohm to the receiver, but it not be the same 100% (true) digital signal leaving that leaves satellite. The older cabling, in effect, down coverts the signal that hits your receiver because it's not designed to carry the higher quality signal originating from the newer satellites. By "HUGE," I literally mean a substantial difference in signal quality due to the older, technically less superior 75 ohm CATV.

So what you're saying is that some number of the bits in the signal are randomly dropped because the cable can't handle that amount of data? Is there any kind of checksumming to detect this in the receiver? I would guess not since no recovery can be done. What effect does this typically have on the picture? The sound? Does the digital signal have any kind of meta/control data in it and what happens if this is lost?

[2wheelterry]

Randy:

 

I got Dish about two years ago and haven't had a single problem. This was after lots of problems with Comcast, about 2-3 call-outs a year at the end. They never did figure out what was wrong.

 

I downgraded Comcast to the fewest channels I could get. About 25 channels at $13 a month. I mainly use this when we want to watch two things on the TV at the same time, split-screen. My wife gets the sound, I listen through a walkman to AM announcers. Its a funny sight.

 

We love the PVR, once you get one you can't go back. I often use the pause function of live TV. I'll start ball game or whatever, pause it for a while, come back and fast forward past the commercials. I've never used Tivo, so I can't comment. But I did lose my ass on their stock.

 

Regarding the above exchange, I gotta agree with Killer.