Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Directv Review

We've seen all of the television commercials, heard the radio ads, and gazed upon the billboards as we drive down the highway- the war is on and in high gear between the cable and satellite companies, and then more intensely between DirecTV and Dish Network. Each company is constantly ripping apart the other, making negative claims about the service and/or technology in the process. So whom are we supposed to listen to for the best home television entertainment plan? You've got to look at the concrete facts while forgetting about any rumors that you may have heard. To help you out with this, we've done the all of the research, so you don't have to.

Starting with customer satisfaction: according to JD Power and Associates, satellite television is the clear winner with an outage average of only 1%. Cable comes in a surprising second place with an average outage of 3-5%. (Those stats are a bit different than the information you may have heard in the cable television ad campaigns.)

When it comes to the monthly bill, here are the latest stats and you can be the judge and make up your own mind. The average 60-channel satellite television monthly cost, including all televisions hooked up to the system, is roughly $33. Digital programming is included, as this is the only kind of programming that the satellite companies offer. On the other hand, the typical 64-channel analog cable bill will run about $40 per month, with digital programming an extra $11, and additional television hook-ups can cost between $4 and $10 for each set, each month.

In our opinion, satellite is the clear, overall winner.

Next, we're on to the battle of the 2 top satellite television providers- Dish Network and DirecTV. Each offers something that the other doesn't. For example, DirecTV is the only satellite with the NFL Sunday Ticket, a subscription channel that grants access to 14 professional football games each week during the season. Both main satellites have a different variety of college football games with add-on programming. But, if you have a high-definition television (HDTV), you'll be interested to know that Dish Network carries 29 high-def channels compared to the 9 of DirecTV.

International programming, anyone? Dish Network is once again the clear winner here, boasting 30 foreign language/culture channels compared to DirecTV's 10, with most of them in Spanish.

If you're more of a homebody that likes to stay on the couch and access Pay-Per-View channels, Dish Network has 60 of these channels while DirecTV falls a bit short with 55. Adult PPV's are available on 5 DirecTV channels and 6 of Dish Network's.

Directv Great Offer

Who is the top provider of digital satellite television services in the world today? Direct TV has a viewing audience of more than 16 million subscribers in the USA. Directv Satellite strives to provide the best technology at the most affordable prices. Directv remains the preferred provider of choice - offering the latest and best equipment and the most affordable programming choices. These offers are superior to Dish Network or Cable TV offers.

In keeping with their desire to maintain the top spot in Customer Satisfaction, Direct TV continues their offer of state of the art equipment and professional installation (all completely free) and the best programming packages available. An added incentive is a free Digital Video Recorder (DVR) to each new subscriber. Busy schedules used to mean missed television programs - not any more. The DVR gives one the ability to digitally record and store favorites (up to 70 hours) on the hard drive. The slender remote contains features to Record, Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, and Skip Forward. Editing may include elimination of commercials as well as creation of your own instant replays for showing to family and friends. Live programming may be paused and resumed at will. Video and audio programming is delivered in 100 percent digital signaling via Directv's fleet of orbiting satellites. It is then processed through a home-based receiver where it is converted to either standard or high definition (HD) resolution for projection onto the television screen. Either format provides excellence in imaging with high definition providing crystal-clear pictures with accompanying Dolby surround sound. High definition is state of the art television viewing and is often compared to a theater-like viewing experience.

Excellence in superb programming choices is a valued feature of Directv Satellite TV, and variety is the spice of life. From 155 to more than 250 channels, Directv's variety of channels is divided into three packages - Total Choice, Total Choice Plus, and Total Choice Premier. There is something sure to please each member of the family. Packages contain exciting sorts, local channels, news and informational channels, family and children's selections, pay-per-view events, arts, entertainment, and XM Satellite music channels. Lineups are diverse with each containing more channels when compared to lineups costing the same from other providers. Specialty sports are exceptional with exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket, NBA League Pass, and others. Direct TV's International service includes selections in different languages and sports programming exclusive to international events - Cricket, Soccer, Lacrosse, and more.

Direct TV Offers now for details on all package lineups and pricing information. Direct TV offers next day installation in many areas. Get details now on your favorites, and become one of the millions of satisfied Directv customers. Switch to the best. Begin enjoying the best technology has to offer at the best price. USDirect is the top online Authorized Directv Dealer.

Directv for FREE

Free satellite TV! Get free satellite TV system free for 4-room, get free DVR, free HDTV, free incentive gifts like iPod and home theater system, free installations…… sounds familiar with the slogan? Don’t worry; this is not another free satellite TV promotion advertisement. Instead, we will examine some facts of these satellite TV promotions here: Are these free deals really for free? Are they worth the money? Do such satellite TV deals suit my need?

Are free satellite TV deals for real?


To answer the question, you need to know what are given free in such deals. Free satellite TV means you get the satellite decoder system for free. You will get satellite dish, decoder system (up to 4 rooms), and remote control for free. The free satellite ‘TV’ deals do not include a free television for you. However the satellite systems are compatible with almost any television in the market so if you have one at home, you don’t need to buy extra TV with special features.

So back to the questions - without a doubt, these free deals are for real. But it comes with conditions. You will get the satellite TV system for free, if you are their first time customer and you must be willing commit to a service contract up to 18 months. Check out on some of these free satellite TV deals at here. If you read those free satellite TV ads carefully, you should notice that such free deals are only for first time customer.

Are the free deals worth the money?


The answer is yes and no.

The Yes:
Free satellite TV deals are lucrative not because they give out free satellite TV system for free. It is good because with a very low monthly subscription fees, you can get hundreds of 100% digital satellite pictures. By paying just little amount of money, you will get premium movie channels like HBO, Starz, ShowTime; you will get your favorite sport actions such as NFL, NHL, or NBA; you will also get lots of news channels like CNN, CNN2, Bloomberg, BBC. As you can see the wide programming selection is why satellite TV deals look attractive. Dish Network or DirecTV, you can now enjoy top class TV entertainment service with satellite TV without paying anything up front (satellite TV system are given for free, remember?). It certainly gives something that cable does not have.

The No:
Nevertheless, the free satellite TV deals do not worth the money if you don’t spend time long enough in front of the TV. If you hardly spend an hour in TV within the whole week, that is the point of having 255 TV channels? All you need is some crap TV talk shows to tease you before you get to bed and sleep, why get satellite TV?

Often consumers order satellite TV deals blindly just because the free ads flyers are too attractive. Do not buy and then regret. The conclusion, do not spend money on free satellite TV deals just because their deals are too good to resist. The free deals are worth the money if you watch TV a lot; if you don’t, locals should be good enough.

Consumer facts (in case you are still wondering is the free deals worth the money or not)

Due to the demise of Pegasus and Voom services, there are only two major satellite TV providers in the USA -- Dish Network and DirecTV. Both companies are providing 100% digital satellite pictures; both companies are offering amazing free satellite TV systems; and both companies have the finest sales support team for their customer services.

Since Dish Network and DirecTV were officially launched in 90s, millions had switched from cable TV to Dish Network. J.D. Power and Associates has ranked Dish Network and DirecTV as the top TV broadcasting companies. Both DirecTV and Dish Network are higher in customer satisfaction than any of the cable TV companies for the last five years.

Ordering Dish Network Satellite TV

Dish Network require $49.99 activation fee. The fee will be credited to your programming bill however, so in essence, your satellite TV system is free. With Dish Network you have the option to upgrade to a DVR (digital video recording) receiver, or an HDTV (high definition TV) receiver at no charge. Dish Network services at a monthly cost of $19.99. However, Dish Network standard programming fees start at $31.99 per month (for standard 60 program channels). The monthly subscription fees then goes up to around $86.00 for 230 channels including Showtime, Starz!, HBO, Cinemax, and Sirius radio.

DirecTV Satellite TV Service

Depending on your credit rating, when you order a free satellite TV system from DirecTV you may be required to pay a deposit or prepayment. Because the deposit is refunded to you and the prepayment goes toward your programming fees, the DirecTV satellite dish and receivers are free. Installation is also free. If you want a DVR receiver you will be charged an additional $49.99. The charge for HDTV receivers is $299.99. DirecTV programming packages start at $29.99 per month for 115 channels (including 31 music channels), and go up to more than $90 per month for 185 program channels, including Showtime, Starz!, HBO, Cinemax, and 31 music channels.

Closing things up: Is free satellite TV deal the right thing for you?


The answer is actually lies inside of you. If TV is one of your primary forms of entertainment and you want the biggest variety of shows, movies, sports, and news -- then we satellite TV deals should be something you should seriously consider. Cable TVs nowadays doesn't looks like a good deal to go for as their monthly fees increase a lot every year. For football fans that wish to get every NFL games- DirecTV is what you are looking for; for normal family, Dish Network seems to be a better choice.

However, if you watch just a few television programs a week and have access to over-the-air TV, then satellite TV probably isn't for you.

Choose Between Directv And Dish Network

There are two main direct broadcast satellite TV providers in the United States today: DirecTV and Dish Network.

About DirecTV

In 1991, PrimeStar became the first satellite service in America, but its competitor DirecTV, launched in 1994 by Hughes Electronics, eventually absorbed it. DirecTV has since become the largest satellite TV provider in the United States, with over 15 million customers as of the end of 2005.

DirecTV provides premium channels (such as HBO), nationwide turnaround channels (such as ESPN), and local programming (such as ABC). It also has several HDTV channels, showing about 900 hours of high definition content a week. In addition, DirecTV offers XM Satellite music channels, and some pay-per-view and video-on-demand services.

The company also provides digital video recorders (DVRs) to its customers - its first DVR was licensed from the TiVo company, which brought "pause-live-TV" technology into the public eye, but DirecTV now uses the internally-developed XTV system. Its receivers also have a built-in parental control system, allowing parents to block certain channels, or shows with a certain rating, from being accessed without a password.

DirecTV offers free professional installation with all of its packages.

About Dish Network

The other major satellite TV provider in the United States is Dish Network, which was launched by EchoStar Communications in 1996. It has grown steadily in popularity, with about 11 million customers at the end of 2005.

Like its competitor, Dish provides premium channels, turnaround channels and local programming. It has also added 29 HDTV channels, acquired from a failed satellite company called Voom, which competed briefly with Dish and DirecTV between 2003 and 2005 by focusing on high definition television channels. Dish provides over 1400 hours of HDTV programming a week.

Digital video recording (DVR) technology is also available with all Dish packages, and the company has recently offered a "PocketDish" portable DVR device that can download and view media (TV shows, music, photos and games) that is recorded and stored on the set-top device.

Dish also provides pay-per-view, video-on-demand, interactive TV, and Sirius Satellite Radio channels, as well as parental control features, and they provide free installation for their satellite TV equipment.

Competition is good

Dish Network and DirecTV both provide the expected packages of satellite TV channels, and both have great customer service. The competition between them to provide more programming choices, better technology, clearer picture, fewer interruptions in service, and lower prices is making satellite television better for everyone.