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DirecTV  and DISH Network ? How Do The Two Leading Satellite TV Providers Stack Up?

If you live in the U.S., you have two choices in satellite TV systems.    There are other providers, but DirecTV and DISH Network offer the best  choices at low rates. Pegasus and Voom are fast becoming competitive in the satellite television industry.
DirecTV and DISH Network are the clear leaders with similar services and constantly  adding new features to remain competitve and retain their customers.
Choosing between the two?
A comparison of the services and prices will help customers decide & select for a  which service that best fits their TV viewing preferences. 

DirecTV
The DirecTV Group is has four main units, DirecTV U.S., DirecTV Latin America, PanAmSat, and Hughes Network Systems (HNS). 

The   organization serves  12 million  plus U.S. satellite TV customers with another 1.5 million subscribers in Latin countries.
They use PanAmSat, and have a fleet of 25 satellites capable of transmitting TV programs to 98% of the world.
Hughes Network Systems operates a satellite-based consumer
broadband Internet access service called DirecWay with more than  180,000 subscribers.

They have partnered  with industry leaders AOL, Microsoft, and
TiVo and this helps them with a  huge  customer base.

At Hughes Network  Services, a more advanced satellite broadband  communications package (SPACEWAY ) provides customers with more affordable high-speed, two-way data communications.

DirecTV has been actively working to increase the number of markets where they offer
 local programming.  In January of   this year, the company added 18 new markets that will receive local channels   via the DirecTV(R) programming service.  By year-end, the company plans to offer local channels in a minimum of 130  markets, representing 92% of U.S. television households.  Continued marketing and development of their HDTV and DVR products will  also be a part of their plans to expand their customer base.
Two different basic dish designs and several different manufacturers  provide DirecTV consumers with a number of dish options.

DirecTV   subscribers have a choice of two basic dish designs for their satellite
 service.  The round dish is the   more common 18″ design that has been popular across the country.   The oval dish or low noise blockdown (LNB) dish is able to receive  information from more than one satellite and is required for those who want to
receive local channels, HDTV, or Spanish language programming.

Popular  manufacturers of DirecTV compatible dishes include Hughes, Sony, Phillips, and  RCA.  Current DirecTV sales and  deals offer the satellite dish and other equipment for free with a one-year   commitment.  It could cost  anywhere from $50 to over $200 to purchase the DirecTV compatible dish
 separately.

DISH Network
EchoStar Communications Corporation and their DISH Network service are Hughes
Network’s top competitors.  Headquartered   in Englewood Colorado, EchoStar has been a leader in the satellite TV industry   for over 20 years.  The company,
founded by Charlie Ergen, began as a distributor of C-band cable television
systems and filed for a Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) license in 1987.
The company received broadcast access in 1992, launched its own
satellite, EchoStar I, in 1995, and introduced DISH Network in 1996.
 

Today,   the company has 9 satellites, and through DISH Network, provides over 500 channels of video, audio, and data satellite services to over 8.5 million customers in the U.S.  In addition  to satellite television services, DISH Network customers can also receive high  speed Internet, Interactive TV (on demand programming), and High Definition TV   (HDTV).  

HDTV   is EchoStar’s latest innovation, which reportedly delivers super quality sharp pictures and integrated sound by digitizing television programming. Broadcasting all DISH Network programming in wide-screen format and transmitting up to 10 percent more pixels, HDTV provides a clearer more proportionate picture.
 

In   August of 2003, EchoStar was the first company to offer a satellite receiver with a built-in digital video recorder (DVR).  A DISH Network standard DVR receiver allows viewers to stop, rewind,   fast forward and record up to 60 hours of live TV programming. More advanced receivers provide enhanced services.
 

DISH Network services can be purchased on-line or through a local retailer.
This service   usually involves a fee, but often is offered at free or reduced rates through   special sales promotions. The  equipment needed for DISH Network satellite TV is basically the same as for  DirecTV service.  It needs a dish,  a satellite receiver & access cards.
Depending on the type of satellite TV you want, you have several choices for equipment.  Whether   you want standard satellite TV or Digital Video Recording (DVR), or High   Definition (HD) options, you will need a dish.
Each type of service requires a different dish, but that depends on the package you choose.

So how  do the two leading satellite television services compare?
Both offer over 200 channels and Pay Per View selections, DVD  recorders, HDTV and seven HD channels each.

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