The other thong that they are well known for is their higher quality Hughes satellite TV systems and components that they provide each new viewing family member with when they start receiving DirecTV programming. Only DirecTV has chosen to take the high road in the free equipment that they give away, because all of their competitors that offer free equipment use cheap off brand electronics.



Hughes is a well known name in the satellite electronics components industry and their product is of a far higher quality and also carries more and better features to use when you are watching your TV set. Hughes features are not just whistles and bells and they are reliable functions that are going to work right every time that you use them and that is the most important thing about a feature or function.

The more features and functions that a receiver has, the more places there are for things to malfunction and that is why DirecTV carries the well recognized Hughes name exclusively. DirecTV is the recognized sports programming leader in TV programming and because of this they offer Hughes DVR receivers Powered by TiVo, for the viewers who want this function to use when they are watching their favorite sporting events.

What TiVo brings to the DVR receiver, is instant replay in slow motion and the ability to zip past commercials along with the ability to stop any sports event for breaks and then have it start right back up where it left off where you stopped it. TiVo is patented technology and it costs DirecTV to have it in each of their Hughes receivers and this is why many of DirecTV's competitors don't offer it to their customers.

Not only are Hughes a better constructed receivers, they are a better looking receiver and you can't help but notice this when you set your sleek, low profile Hughes receiver on your TV set for the first time.

For well balanced and competitively priced programming packages, you can do no better than the Total Choice series of programming packages that DirecTV has for you to look through and select from. If you are looking to move up to satellite TV on a budget, then you have found the right place to do that with DirecTV, because they have a great base level programming package that is both long on programming and short on price.

The Family Choice package is heralded as one of the best balanced and well stocked entry level packages on the market today and it comes with a free Hughes Director receiver that is included in your free satellite TV system. Other programming packages that you have to select from in the Total Choice series are the total Choice package with 155 channels, the Total Choice Plus package with 185 channels of programming and the Total Choice Premier package with a grand total of 250 channels of programming.