If you have been thinking about switching to satellite TV, then you know that there are two key satellite companies yearning for your business. The two are always trashing each other’s reputation via advertising commercials in a bid to win more customers. If you get to see a commercial made to popularize DIRECTV commercial, you can believe that DISH is terrible. In case you watch a DISH commercial, you can end up believing that DIRECTV offers sub-standard services. In such a situation it gets hard to know who is really telling the truth and which option among the two offers the best value. Here we size up the two competitors to find out the most outstanding option.

Why DIRECTV Satellite TV?

DIRECTV is part of AT&T and has been in the market for about 16 years. It is considered to be the biggest and oldest of all the satellite TV service providers present in the United States. It boasts of over 19 million subscribers more than any other company in this industry. The company relies heavily on its marketing catch phrase that it provides the best value ever in the whole satellite industry. DIRECTV includes local channels in every package and offers the most sports action in HD. It offers elite sports packages that include NASCAR HOTPASS and NFL SUNDAY TICKET. Below is a breakdown of its features, offers and services in order to substantiate its claims.

How Does DIRECTV Packages compare?

New customers to DIRECTV will have a choice of choosing the following packages when they make the switch.

• SELECT package is $50 for 150+ channels
• ENTERTAINMENT package is $55 for 155+ channels
• CHOICE package is $60 for 185+ channels
• XTRA package is $70 for 230+ channels
• ULTIMATE package is $75 for 245+ channels
• PREMIER package is $125 for 325+ channels

What Are Current DIRECTV Promotions?

Currently DIRECTV is offering a free Genie upgrade, NFL Sunday ticket is included at no extra cost for the CHOICE package and above and three free months of STARZ, HBO, CINEMAX and SHOWTIME (CHOICE package and above). DIRECTV ON DEMAND as well as thousands of movies and shows included. Local channels are available for U.S. households as well as professional installation. There is no equipment that customers should buy. There is no-start up costs and the signal reliability is 99.9% according to Hdbundles.com.

What are HDTV extra Options?

In order to get HD Access, you should add an extra $10.00 every month. It offers the most in HD sports and DIRECTV has exclusive rights to air NFLSUNDAYTICKET. It offers more than 170 full time HD channels and boasts of the newest technology. This technology enables viewers to enjoy their favorite movies, sports and shows anywhere using their cell phone, tablet, laptop and TVs at home. 

How Good Is DIRECTV DVR?

DIRECTV offers GenieGo and Genie as part of its state of the art DVR service. The Genie enables viewers to enjoy full HD experience in up to eight rooms, record any five HD shows at the same time and watch them on as many as five mobile devices including cell phones, laptops and tablets. No internet connection when the GenieGo device is available. The Genie allows four different recorded or live shows to be shown in as many as four rooms at once. It is also possible for viewers to catch up on past episodes that run as far back as five weeks. 

What Are Customer Satisfaction Ratings?

DIRECTV boasts of a JD Power award for its excellent customer satisfaction. DIRECTV has scored highly in customer satisfaction for more than a decade compared to the other cable companies. This is in the measures conducted in the American Customer Satisfaction Index. DIRECTV ensures that over half of its employees work hard to deliver the best services to its customers whenever they call, work with installers or are involved in the management of their accounts online. The company aims at ensuring that its customers rely on it when they want their needs to be effectively and professionally met. 

Satellite TV service by DISH 

DISH was established by EchoStar back in 1996. It is the company that has emerged as the main competitor to DIRECTV. It offers thousands of TV shows and movies on demand by just pushing a button. The company also offers the DISH Anywhere™, which allows viewers to watch their favorite programs on their smart devices like an Android phone or iPad. Below is a breakdown of its main features, offers and other important details about the DISH. It is among the fastest growing at the moment and it boasts of over 14 million subscribers. It has some cheaper plans which could be the reason for its fast growth. Its $10 per month basic plan is cheaper than the cheapest plan offered by DIRECTV. It comes with a big guide that is easy to read, unavailable channels are shown in red and you can create 4-5 diverse favorite lists for the family members.

How Does DISH Packages Compare?

DISH packages include;

• The America’s Top 120 plan that costs $24.99 and has 120 channels
• The America’s Top 200 plan that costs $39.99 and has 200 channels
• The America’s Top 250 plan that costs $49.99 and has 250 channels
• America’s Everything Pak that costs $84.99 and has 295 channels that include movie channels.

What Are Current DISH Promotions?

At the moment, the DISH is offering HD Free for life with the qualifying packages. There is the BLOCKBUSTER @ Home® offered free of charge for three months. New customers also get a free Hopper® Whole-Home HD DVR with the qualifying packages. There is a free standard expert installation that is done in up to 6 rooms as soon as 24 hours after making the order. There is no equipment that should be bought. 

How Many HDTV Channels Dish offer?

New customers can access HDTV free for life and HD Access starts at $10.00 monthly. Customers can get up to 3 HD receivers at no added costs. New customers get the first HD DVR receiver and an additional 2 HD receivers at no cost. Over 200 HD channels are available on the DISH.

How Good is DISH DVR?

DISH offers whole home DVRs like Hopper, Joey, Virtual Joey and Super Joey. It also offers DVR receivers like DuoDVR® ViP 722k (HD), DuoDVR® 625, SoloDVR ViP 612 (HD) and SoloDVR 512. 

Customer Satisfaction

DISH has a JD Power award for customer satisfaction. In 2010, DISH emerged as the top in customer satisfaction among the cable and satellite companies. This was after the tabling of results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) in 2010. 

Final Thoughts And Verdict

DIRECTV & DISH Comparison Chart

DIRECTV wins on almost all fronts as it offers viewers with more channels, overall content and sports packages when compared to DISH. Even though it costs more than DISH, it is highly preferred by sports enthusiasts. DISH is cost effective and this makes it an attractive option. If you prefer getting the most channels to match the value of your money, you should go for DIRECTV. If you are operating on a budget but still want to enjoy a number of great channels, you should opt for the DISH. 

There are numerous occasions for which you would have to go shopping for your adorable brother and here are some nice suggestions for that.

Backpacks:

Smart backpacks are always a welcome kind of a gift. For your little brother who is about to go into a vacation shortly, buy a sturdy backpack for him. As a rakhi gift for brother also it would be widely accepted. Keep in mind the color, brand, and the size of the backpack to be gifted as guys are every sensitive about these three aspects.

Watch:

Watch is a style statement and one of the most favorite items that a guy would love totally. There are world renowned brands like Tag Heuer, Diesel, Audemars Piguet, Rolex, Chopard, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin, etc. which should be hunted by you. Make your little brother happy with a token of love in the form of a watch.

Personalized t-shirts:

A cool picture with a nice quote that totally defines your brother can be put in to a t-shirt. This would mesmerize him totally. On his birthday or on his graduation day, this would be a lovely gift of love. Pick a color that he loves and find out the cutest picture of him to be transformed into a magical experience.

We all want to travel more, but most of us are paralyzed by the sheer cost of visiting different places. Between airfare, accommodations, and food, the total for even a short trip quickly adds up. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be outrageously expensive, as long as you’re willing to be savvy with what you do and how you spend money.

Give These 4 Tips a Try

Affordable travel isn’t a myth – and you don’t have to go hungry either. There are ways to have an enjoyable time traveling the world without spending thousands of dollars on every trip. The key is to keep the following tips in mind:

1. Be Willing to Leave at a Moment’s Notice

Most travelers are planners, meaning they book flights months ahead of time and get all of the major details squared away in advance. And while this is certainly the smartest way to travel, it sometimes pays to be a little less diplomatic.