[rmak]

Which one is better? I know both systems offer limited HD programs. And HDNet is available at Durect TV only. If you put aside HDNet, would you say both are the same? Or not?

 

[RScogland]

Putting aside HDnet before comparing Dish and Direct HDnet is like putting Shaquille O'Neal aside before comparing the Lakers to another NBA team. Sure you still have Kobe Bryant, but you are no longer comparing doing a worthwhile analysis.


However, to answer your topic ... it really depends on if you can get CBS-HD via antenna or not. DirecTV has HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, and HDnet. Dish has HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, and you might qualify to get CBS-HD from them. If you value a demo-loop and PPV, Dish has them as well.


(In fairness to Marc Cuban, I should have substituted the name Dirk Nowitzki for Shaq, and substituted the Mavs for the Lakers, when I did the comparisson!)

 

[rotaryboy]

But doesn't Dish still require 2 dishes to get HD as opposed to 1 for Direct? Also, I've heard Direct compresses the signal 30X more than Dish and consequently the picture suffers a little..at least the HD channels. Someone please answer as I too am straddling the Direct/Dish line.

 

[GScott]

Quote:

Originally posted by rotaryboy But doesn't Dish still require 2 dishes to get HD as opposed to 1 for Direct? Also, I've heard Direct compresses the signal 30X more than Dish and consequently the picture suffers a little..at least the HD channels. Someone please answer as I too am straddling the Direct/Dish line.

Sorry but that is incorrect. Neither provider recompresses the HD feeds. Both are passed along as received. Yes, Dish does require 2 dishes to receive HD.

 

[rotaryboy]

Excellent....that makes my choice much easier.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

DISH has CBD-HD, which I cannot live without, since life as I know it would cease to exist.


DirecTV has HDNET, which some cannot live without.


It's not an easy choice. Both have their merrits. DISH Network may have a HD-PVR from JVC this Fall and THAT is going to be one hell of a selling point.


The 2nd dish does not bother me in the least.

 

[ahagen]

Dish will allow you to just buy HD content at 22.00 a month. (HBO-HD Plus Showtime-HD)


DirecTV requires a basic package of 33.00 a month regardless.


So annual cost is 150% higher with DirecTV.

 

[mchurchm]

I have Dish Network but had no idea there was a package for just the HD channels. How do I sign up for this package? What is it called? When I originally signed up, they told me there was no way to get the HD channels without subscribing to the SD counterparts, and I thought I could only get those channels if I subscribed to at least the America's Top choice 100. I had been considering switching to DirecTV (mainly for HDnet), but the cost is just too much since we need to keep our cable subscription for the broadband. Since our $9/month deal will be running out soon, this seems perfect for us.

 

[DP1]

Well you're still paying for the SD channels too in effect. The 22.00 just reflects the cost of 2 movie packages. But once any commitment to programming you might have runs out, you can just subscribe to those 2 movie packages if you choose. You'd also have to pay a 5.00 per month "Access" fee on top of it for not subbing to one of their AT packages.


As to wheter you'd even receive the SD channels of the movies would depend upon whether you still left a dish pointed at a core satellite or just used one at 148 or 61.5 for just the 2 HD channels from those movie packages.

 

[mchurchm]

Yeah I just got off the phone with a rep, and he told me basically what you just did. Also, I found out that I am required to keep tc100 for a full year since I signed up for the I like 9 promotion. I would have thought they would have preferred for me to start paying $28/month for the HBO/Showtime packages instead, since it's more revenue for them, but I guess not. So I think I will stick with the tc100 for another 3 months, then if DirecTV still doesn't have a better option (I'm praying they will reinstate the DirecTV Limited or HBO a-la-carte), I will probably just sign up for the HBO package for $12.99 + $5 access fee.


By the way, I believe it costs $22.99 for the HBO/Showtime package, plus $5 access fee. So that ends up costing almost as much as DirecTV. If you don't care about Showtime (I understand it is mostly upconverts anyways), then $18/month is not too bad just for HBO, and certainly less than $33 for DirecTV's basic package.


Please correct me if I am wrong with any of this info. If there really is a way to get HBO-HD and Showtime-HD for only $22, and I missed something or was misinformed, please let me know. Maybe there are some magic words you have to tell the rep?

 

[jacmyoung]

Since you have AT100 for $9.99? now, there will not be $5/mo. access fee if you add $22 for both HBO/SHO, or $13.99 for just HBO. CBS-HD will cost $5.99 (local package) if you qualify.


When your Ilike9 is over, cancell AT100, pay a one time downgrade fee of $5, start paying the $5/mo. access fee. The difference between now and later is just $5.

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by mchurchm By the way, I believe it costs $22.99 for the HBO/Showtime package, plus $5 access fee.

This is correct for Dish Network, $27.99 a month for HBO & Showtime if you do not have an 'America's Top ***' package.

 

[Steve Bruzonsky]

I will tell you on my fully tweaked Dwin HD-700 CRT setup, that back in Nov. 2000 John Gannon of SGHT agreed with me that DirecTV HBO HD was better detail and color than DISH HBO HD. Now, as I just added Showtime HD to DirecTV, I find the same exact improvement in the DirecTV picture over the Dish 6000 HD picture for Showtime HD.

 

[Ken H]

The HBO-HD output from a Dish 5000, decoded by a number of different DirecTV receivers, has been comparable to the DirecTV HBO-HD version.


I've heard others also say the 6000 was a little less pristine in direct comparison to DirecTV HD receivers.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Can you subscribe to HBO-HD, CBS-HD, but no Showtime? Showtime rarely has films that I am interested in. I already have CBS-HD, so qualification is not part of the question.


I am currently with the I-Like-9, but this question is for when my year is up.

 

[DP1]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken H I've heard others also say the 6000 was a little less pristine in direct comparison to DirecTV HD receivers.

In my case I wouldnt say pristine but there is a difference in black levels for example between my 6000 and my Mitsu. But thats kind of true off all the channels across the board. More of just a contrast issue it seems. I'm not going to get into picture detail or lack thereof because they both look fine to me in that regard but I'm not exactly using a top end display either.


And yes Matt, certainly when it comes to the movie channel packages it can be either or, or both when it comes to subscribing to them. And CBS is just ala-carte regardless in any case.

 

[Rick_R]

CBS HD is $1.50 from Dish. You get CBS HD free if you subscribe to locals at $5.99. However you can get the CBS HD by itself for $1.50 as I do.


Rick R

 

[Steve Mehs]

You can get CBS-HD for free only if you sub to NYC or LA locals.

As said above many times earlier Dish and DirecTV both have Showtime and HBO. HDNet is only on DirecTV and CBS is only on Dish. There is on HD channel per tp.


Heres the info oin CBS HD
http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/p...hd/index.shtml