Both companies provide excellent service, all-digital broadcast quality, and great customer service. The main difference between the two companies is the programming they provide.
How Satellite TV Service Works
Satellite TV providers such as DIRECTV and DISH Network send a broadcast signal carrying television programming to a satellite orbiting above the earth. The Satellite then broadcasts the signal back down to earth.
This signal is picked up by a satellite TV dish then transmitted to a receiver where it is amplified and sent to a TV screen.
Benefits of Satellite TV Service
* Satellite TV is broadcast in all-digital format, providing the highest quality picture and sound available.
* Satellite TV gives you access to hundreds of different programs, pay-per-view movies, special events, and commercial-free music channels.
* Satellite TV utilizes DVR (digital video recording) receivers so you can record your favorite programs and bypass commercials while watching live TV.
* Satellite TV is much more reliable than cable or over-the-air TV. Broadcast outages average only 1% as opposed to 3%-5% for cable.
Satellite TV Services
DIRECTV
DIRECTV was launched in 1994 and was the first DBS (direct broadcast satellite) service in the world. It is currently the largest satellite TV provider with 14.5 million subscribers. It is ranked #2 in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates.
DIRECTV offers more than 225 channels of programming, including movie channels, music channels, pay-per-view movies and events, sports packages, and international programming.
DIRECTV has the most sports program packages, including NFL Sunday Ticket.
When you order DIRECTV programming, the system -- satellite TV dish and receivers -- is free for up to four rooms. Installation is also free.
Program packages start at $41.99 a month for 135 channels (which includes 31 music channels), plus HBO, Showtime, and Starz.
Note: To find out about DIRECTV's latest special offers and free bonuses, click on the links at the bottom of this article.
DISH Network
DISH Network was launched in 1996 and is the second-largest satellite TV provider with more than 12 million subscribers. It is ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates.
DISH Network offers more than 255 channels of programming, including movie channels, music channels, pay-per-view movies and events, sports packages, and international programming.
Dish Network has the biggest variety of movies and shows and the most HD (high definition) programming.
When you order DISH Network programming, the system -- satellite TV dish, receivers, and installation -- is free for up to four rooms.
Program packages start at $31.99 a month for 60 channels plus HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax.
Note: To find out about DISH Network's latest special offers and free bonuses, click on the links at the bottom of this article.
Bottom Line
If you're a sports fan and want the most sports packages -- including the popular NFL Sunday Ticket which allows you to watch almost all the NFL football games -- then DIRECTV is the way to go.
If you're a movie buff and want the biggest variety of movies and shows, and the most HD (high definition) programming, then Dish Network is what you're looking for.
A happy home doesn't just happen and there are a lot of things that you can do to make sure that everyone in your home is happy and content. Standard TV programming, like you get with an antenna on the roof of your home or your TV set can lead to sensory deprivation and that in turn can lead to far more serious problems including depression and anxiety, due to the extremely low quality of programming that is available on it.
Dish Network is the leader in high definition programming, with a full thirty-one channels of high definition channels for your family to select from when they watch TV. Having this quality and quantity of programming in your home can only bring good things like happy smiling faces. Dish Network is home to the Americas Top series of programming packages and they are heralded as some of the best compiled and well balanced programming packages that are available on the market today.
There is something for everyone in these programming packages and they are so easy to select from because each successive programming package has incrementally more channels in it and they are all competitively priced, with a very low over all cost per channel.
The Americas Top 60 package comes with all the basic programming that you need including all of you local standard TV programming in digital format. It includes such favorite programs as ABC Family, Cartoon Network, The Disney Channel, The discovery Channel, MTV, CMT, TNT and so many more. It's the perfect programming package choice for someone who wants to start getting the better quality of satellite programming, but doesn't want to break their budget.
Just up from that is the Americas Choice Plus package and it adds on another thirty channels to the Americas Top 60 package, to total ninety great channels of programming. The Americas Top 120 package is a great selection that gives you loads of great programming choices to select from. It adds on great programming such as The Independent Film Channel, Lifetime Movie Network, Animal Planet, American Movie Classics, The Speed Channel and thirty sports channels.
Just up from that is the Americas Top 180 programming package and it adds even more great Dish Network programming for your family to select from. The Western Movie Channel, National Geographic, The Outdoor Channel, and Discovery Kids Network and much, much more are all there for your family to select from.
The Americas Everything pack has a full two-hundred and fifty channels for you to select from and it includes something for everyone, including thirty-one premium movie channels. HBO, Showtime Unlimited, Starz Superpack and Cinimax are just as few of the many premium movie channels in this package.
Dish network specializes in premium movie programming and you can use the DVR recorder that comes with your satellite system to compile your own personal movie archive with. With all he programming packages above the Americas Top 60 package Dish Network also includes free Sirius satellite radio programming and it is the revolutionary new way of listening to commercial free radio. So when you are ready to liven things up in your home a little bit, look to the folks at Dish Network to lend you a helping hand.
Both Brian Stevens & Kaptain Dave are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Brian Stevens has sinced written about articles on various topics from Satellite, Information Technology and Satellite. Brian Stevens is a professional freelance writer and webmaster who has written extensively on satellite TV service. Click on the following link for more information on. Brian Stevens's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
Kaptain Dave has sinced written about articles on various topics from Movie Reviews, Football and Nokia Phones. Written by David Johnson. Find more information on a . Kaptain Dave's top article generates over 1000000 views. to your Favourites.