Last year DIRECTV added many more channels and touted they would have 100 by the end of the year (2007). I don’t know what happened with that goal, but as of now, I believe they still have 85 channels.

Dish Network is now making the push for more HD channels. DISH Network this week said it will increase its national HDTV channel count from 76 to 100 in 2008.

DISH also said it plans to add local HD channels in 65 new markets this year, bringing its HD local market total to 100.

The company’s decision to offer more high-def programming is an obvious effort to keep up with satellite rival DIRECTV.

DIRECTV has said it will expand to nearly 150 HD channels in 2008.

When you are looking to make the switch to a satellite television provider, get ready for a show-down between the top two providers in the nation: Dish Network and DirecTV. Both offer amazing package deals and top-notch customer service that surpasses that of any cable provider. You can check out any mailed advertisement or log onto their websites for the promotions they are currently running to find out what your approximate out-of-pocket costs will be for the package your family desires. What about the features each provider offers? From the receivers to the programming lineup packages to the parental controls, how does each of these satellite providers measure up?

HD/DVR Receivers

Both Dish Network and DirecTV offer the latest in technology HD/DVR receivers. Dish Network offers the HD Receiver for 1 or 2 TVs as well as a dual HD DVR receiver for 1 or 2 TVs. Their latest dual HD/DVR receiver, called the ViP722 DVR, is capable of supporting two televisions (one HDTV and one SDTV). It can record up to 350 hours (that’s almost 15 days) of SDTV programming or 55 hours of HDTV. The satellite tuner can be viewed either in single-mode with picture-in-picture or in dual mode where a customer can record shows on two televisions as well as view a pre-recorded program simultaneously. The Dish Network program guide has easy-to-use search options. Also, a customer can choose to have caller ID shown on their screens, as long as they have subscribed to this feature with their phone company.

DirecTV’s latest dual HD/DVR receiver (DirecTV Plus HD DVR) allows customers to record 200 hours (over 8 days) of SDTV and 50 hours of HDTV. Their Series Link feature allows customers to record their favorite show for the entire season. If the date or time changes from week to week, the HD/DVR receiver will adjust for that. This receiver also touts a Media Share feature which allows users to view their photos and listen to their favorite tunes saved on an Intel Viiv processor personal computer. The DirecTV guide allows customers to view the schedule for upcoming shows and movies up to two weeks in advance. Like Dish Network, caller ID can also be displayed on the screen.

Sports Packages

Dish Network offers an extensive line of soccer, football, basketball and hockey packages. Customers have the option of purchasing individual games, 4-game packages or half-seasons or entire seasons. DirecTV is known for its sports subscriptions offering the same options as Dish Network, but going one step further with NASCAR, rugby and cricket.

Exclusive Programs & Music

Dish Network has their own exclusive interactive television channel (100) where customers can do anything from play games, check the local weather or a daily horoscope, read up on celebrity gossip, check local movie listings, get live scores for various sports events and even shop on the Home Shopping Network using their remotes. Dish Network has also teamed up with SIRIUS Music to provide over 60 channels of commercial-free music that are available with several Dish packages.

DirecTV also offers their own exclusive programming through channel 101. This channel offers music and live events as well as exclusive shows. Channel 103 is devoted to faith-based programming and family inspirational events. DirecTV also offers over 70 channels of XM Radio with selected packages.

Parental Locks

Both Dish Network and DirecTV offer parental controls and locks for no additional monthly cost as these features are built directly into the systems. Dish Network and DirecTV allow parents the option to lock certain movies based on their Motion Picture Association of America rating. In addition, Dish Network allows expanded ratings including nudity, language and violence to be taken into account and selected to offer extra protection for children. Both Dish Network and DirecTV allow parents to lock certain channels, including Pay-Per-View channels. DirecTV also authorizes parents to enforce spending limits on Pay-Per-View channels.

Dish Network and DirecTV offer tremendous packages and state-of-the-art technology to meet any family’s television needs. These listed features along with your family’s desired programming lineup and pocketbook will all need to be taken into consideration to choose the satellite television provider that is best suited for you.

Steven M. Bornstein recently issues a press release talking about how they work hard to deliver to their fans.

Football fans around the country watched a historic game on the last Saturday of the 2007 NFL season as the New England Patriots became the first team in 35 years to go undefeated in the regular season.

There were a few large cable companies that apparently tried to capitalize on the opportunity and blocked millions of fans from watching the game.

If some of the cable companies had their way, however, millions of fans would have missed this game. A few large cable companies tried to punish football fans by refusing to air the NFL Network and the game on reasonable terms.

Fortunately neither DIRECTV nor Dish Network were named as “bad guys”.

NFL Network had the exclusive right to telecast the game. More than 240 cable companies like Cox, along with satellite providers like DirecTV and Dish, and telephone company video providers like AT&T U-Verse and Verizon FiOS, had already reached agreements with NFL Network to carry our programming in its entirety.

It seems the HDTV battle is raging.

Comcast and DirecTV have settled a lawsuit regarding Comcast HDTV advertisements that DirecTV considered to be misleading.

I would be curious to know what the terms where. How was this settled?

Though terms of the deal will remain private, Comcast will be allowed to continue citing a study it commissioned from Frank N. Magid Associates that said most viewers preferred Comcast HDTV to DirecTV.

At least Comcast was pleased with the outcome. Where was the DIRECTV spokesman, er, spokeswoman?

“We’re pleased to have settled the outstanding litigation on a basis that’s mutually satisfactory,” a Comcast spokeswoman said in a statement.

65 percent eh? It doesn’t sound that overwhelming. Seems more like, uh, that one looks best I guess…

The Magid study, which Comcast released in May, found that 65 percent of those polled favored Comcast picture quality over DirecTV. Participants were asked to look at HDTV content on three identical TV sets, and select which one had the highest quality. One set displayed a picture from Comcast, while the others had content from DirecTV and Dish Network.

So I wonder where Dish Networked ranked. No lawsuit from them?

Following the study’s release, Comcast took out full-page newspaper ads in 15 markets that touted its HD picture quality as superior to DirecTV and Dish. DirecTV subsequently filed suit, claiming the ad campaign was false and misleading.

Oh, here’s the DIRECTV spokesman. Sure they are pleased…

“The parties are pleased that they have settled the outstanding litigation on a basis mutually satisfactory,” a DirecTV spokesman said in a statement. “The specific terms are confidential.”

Wow, HDTV is hot right now.

The announcement follows several HDTV-related lawsuits for DirecTV of late. In August, the satellite provider settled a lawsuit with Time Warner Cable over DirecTV ads that said DirecTV was superior to cable offerings. DirecTV also reportedly settled a case with Cox Communications over Cox ads that cited the Comcast study.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2239365,00.asp

When it comes to their television watching, Americans are not known to idly sit by when choosing a service provider. Television is an American pastime, right up there next to football and celebrity gossip, so making a choice between satellite and cable is akin to deciding what car to buy right down to the nitty gritty details. While this might not require being at a dealership for ten hours going back and forth between the salesman and the elusive finance guy, it may necessitate staying on the phone for hours at a time making sure the college football package is secured with two DVRs to record it by

Simply ask any group of average Americans which provider they use in their own homes, satellite or cable, and you might as well be asking their stance on the war in Iraq with the diverse types of reactions you get. Some will answer they would rather have no television at all than put an unsightly satellite on their roof while others will denounce cable for its lack of digital channels. With this in mind, let us explore cable television first

Cable Television Pros

*Bundling of services – In our modern world where we love to consolidate loans and bills and pay online rather than sending checks every month, bundling the three major services of digital television, phone service and high-speed internet into one bill has become increasingly attractive. Cable television has spearheaded this concept and some have even started to throw cell phone service into the mix. Satellite providers have quickly followed suit, but as of now this is more often the norm with cable television providers

*Localized – Cable television provides local stations as standard, unlike many satellite providers which often require a small fee for adding local stations into the lineup.

*No satellite – You might be thinking, duh, of course there is no satellite with a cable provider, so why is this a strength? One reason it counts as a pro is that many apartment management companies do not allow their tenants to hook up satellites on their balconies, thereby making cable the only alternative. Also, in general, there are many consumers who would rather not install a satellite on their roof for fear it may look tacky. On a personal note, when my husband and I opted for a satellite provider in our neighborhood, our homeowner’s association had very strict guidelines as to where we could actually install our satellite so that it would not appear unsightly to neighbors and passersby.

*On demand programming – Cable providers and customers love the on-demand feature which allows customers to watch, for instance, an entire season of a television show they might have missed when they choose to do so.

Cable Television Cons

*Reliability – Those consumers who opt for cable love to talk about how unreliable satellite service is when, say, a storm hits. The reality is that according to one respected rating company, one satellite provider averaged less than one percent of outages while its cable counterparts averaged much higher at three to five percent.

*Digital and DVR extra – By default, cable is broadcast in analog, so if you want digital cable, you will need to pay anywhere up to $15 or $20 to upgrade. The same goes for digital video recording (DVR). Should you wish to utilize this feature, you will need to not only upgrade to digital television, but you will also be paying a $5 to $15 monthly fee on top of that for the use of one DVR in your home.

Satellite Pros

*Affordability – In general, a consumer’s dollar will go a longer way with satellite than it will with cable. While cable packages usually start around $40 a month without the digital upgrade, an equivalent satellite package (all digital) could start as low as $20 a month. In addition, many satellite companies offer a free DVR as part of their initial setup package, so the consumer is not left to pay any extra monthly DVR fees on top of their normal bill.

*Channels galore – With cable television, there is usually a standard lineup of channels based on which package you pick. On the other hand, with satellite providers, there are several extra packages you can add to your lineup from sports packages to movie packages to international channel packages.

*Goes where cable does not – When my parents moved out to the boonies a few years ago, there was no cable provider where they lived; their only choice was to go with a satellite provider. Anywhere you choose to go on earth, if you desire, you can bring your satellite television with you.

*Simple start-up – With satellite, there is the option of purchasing the equipment and setting it up yourself without having to wait for days or even weeks for the cable guy to come set it up for you.

*HDTV – Satellite is known to offer more high-definition television stations than its cable counterparts.

Satellite Cons

*Local stations extra – Local stations are not usually standard with satellite service. If you choose to add the local station bundle to your standard lineup, you can expect to pay about $5 extra a month.

*Satellite dish may pose problem – As mentioned earlier, many homeowner associations and apartment companies have issues with installing a satellite dish that can be seen by others which is not a problem you will face with choosing a cable providers.

In the end, the decision to go with satellite or cable is a big one that must be researched extensively. Largely, which provider you choose depends on the type of television watcher you are. Make a list of channels you wish to watch on a regular basis and underline those channels you cannot live without. Explore your options thoroughly and choose wisely.

Ever forgotten to give your child batteries with their new toys? What a bummer! Well, there is a new survey that has found that many will receive a new HDTV for Christmas, yet not have the service to make the most of it.

PR Newswire reports:

The survey showed that one in four consumers has a high-definition television (HDTV) on their holiday wish lists or shopping lists. However, 88 percent of the gift-givers are not thinking about including the HD service that these sets require as part of the gift. As a result, HDTV recipients over the holidays may not experience the full benefit of high-definition picture and sound. In addition, 72 percent of survey respondents with a preference responded that receiving HD service along with an HDTV would increase the value of the holiday gift.

I figured this would be the case. It seems registrations are down this month for both DIRECTV and Dish Network. I expect them to pick up in January though as people will be wanting to make the most of their new toys!

Next time you grab your mail, take a look at the advertisements you usually chuck before you reach your front door. More times than not, there will be an ad touting one of the two major satellite providers, Dish Network and DirecTV. As satellite providers push to secure the lead in the battle against cable providers, promotions are aplenty. Depending on the specific deal being advertised, a customer could enjoy free installation, free upgraded movie packages for three months or free digital video recorders (DVR). With all these promotions on the table, which satellite provider will offer the best value for your family?

Dish Network

Dish Network has over 13 million subscribers under its belt and proudly proclaims to be the fastest growing satellite television provider. If you simply want to start up service for the least amount of money possible, Dish Network has monthly plans that start at $19.99, making them the lesser expensive option of the two providers on a monthly basis. Their promotions usually include free installation (sometimes within one day), free DVR upgrade ($5.98/month for DVR service fee) which allows the customers to record 100 hours of their favorite movies and television shows to watch at a more convenient time, free HDTV upgrade (over 70 HD channels) and three months free of selected premium movie channels. If you have multiple televisions, Dish Network will install the service in up to 4 rooms free of charge with no added monthly fee.

For families wishing to save some money but still watch the television shows they love, Dish Network offers the DISH Family package ($19.99) which offers over 40 channels for the whole family, including children’s networks, sports, news and family-oriented programming. For ten dollars more a month, you can upgrade to America’s Top 100 which offers the 100 most popular channels, or you can simply get it all with America’s “Everything” Pack which features over 280 channels, including the 31 premium movie channels, for only $89.99 a month. If you choose to add local programming channels to your lineup, the cost is $5.99 a month. Should you want to upgrade to high definition channels, you can do this with Dish Network as well for $20/month (first 6 months free with some offers). Pay-Per-View movies will run you $3.99 each and if you are interested in international programming, you can order packages for as low as $9.99 a month. These international bundles range from Armenian to Korean to Russian, so there is something for everyone.

DirecTV

On the flipside of the same coin is the oldest satellite television provider, DirecTV that boasts the largest number of satellite subscribers in the industry. Their satellite packages start at $29.99 a month; this includes local channels which are extra with Dish Network. Like Dish Network, DirecTV usually promotes free installation in up to four rooms, two free premium movie channels for three months, and a free DVR or HD receiver.

While Dish Network once lead the industry in the number of HD channels offered, DirecTV now offers 85 HD channels and is promising to have over 100 by the year’s end. They also offer more sport channels in HD which causes most dedicated sports fans (from football to NASCAR) to opt for DirecTV. To subscribe to HD programming with DirecTV will cost $9.99 a month compared to Dish Network’s $20 a month (keep in mind, however, that Dish Network offers free DishHD programming for 6 months when a customer signs an 18-month commitment). For a family wishing to get the bare minimum, the $29.99 a month plan (The Family Package) offers over 45 channels (local channels included). Right now, DirecTV has an online offer that allows customers to save $20 a month for one year. What this means is that their Choice Package that includes over 150 channels which is normally valued at $49.99 a month is now only $29.99 a month. If you wish to get as many channels as you can, you can sign up for the Premier Package which includes over 265 channels, 30 movie channels and 30 sports networks. This package is normally valued at $99.99 but would be only $79.99 a month for one year with the special online offer. DirecTV also offers DVR service for $5.99 a month. If you wish to add international channels, you can add packages for as low as $9.99 a month and these include packages from Brazil to Italy to the Ukraine.

Which of these two satellite television providers you choose to select depends on many factors including how much television you watch, what stations you and your family enjoy, how much you can afford to spend per month, what promotions are currently being offered and what packages you cannot live without (i.e. sports packages or HD packages). Both Dish Network and DirecTV offer unsurpassed customer service ranking #1 and #2 respectively by J.D. Power and Associates. Research your options thoroughly and be sure to check your mail as well as online for any updated promotions these providers may be running before making your final decision.

I was looking at the specs of the VIP722 DVR this morning. You might say I got DVR envy. I’m in the shopping mood right now. For the last 3 months I’ve been using Comcast. I know what you’re thinking, “what is a guy who runs a DIRECTV versus Dish Network site doing on cable?” Well, truth is, I told DIRECTV to stick it during the BYU football season, because I wanted the Mountain and both DIRECTV and Dish Network still do not carry that channel. Besides, I’d fulfilled my 2 year contract and figured it was time to switch anyway. I prefer to switch every two years to get the latest goods and check out the competition.

So when I first heard about the DVR that shows on two TVs at once I thought, dumb, I’d rather just have two DVRs. Well, I think I’ve changed my mind, and here’s why:

1. We have our main TV in the family room downstairs, but we also have a TV in our bedroom upstairs. Sometimes we want to catch up on CSI after the kids have gone to bed. But are kids just don’t go to bed on a normal night. We have to continually put them back in bed as they wander out wanting this or that. So having one DVR where we can store all our shows, we can watch the our shows in either location.
2. They thought of the obvious. My first concern was what kind of gadget will you need to get the distant remote control to work. Simple enough, the remotes are different. Number one is your standard infrared remote, number two is a radio frequency remote, meaning it works between walls, much like your cordless phone does.
3. It still has the two satellite inputs so you can watch different channels on either TV.

Here are some other cool feature I found on their brochure:

• Record up to 350 hours of standard-definition (SD), up to 55 hours of high-definition (HD) entertainment or a combination of the two
• Enjoy expanded storage capacity with the addition of an external hard drive (EHD)
• View and record HD over the air digital broadcasts on TV1
• Convenient On-Screen Caller ID with history
• DishHOME Interactive TV for watching six screens at once and on-demand entertainment, games, shopping, news, sports, weather and customer service

I think I will definitely be switching to Dish Network soon - just after BYU plays in a bowl game

Click here to order Dish Network, or call 1-800-315-0788 (promo code 27239)

I ran across the following comment on another site:

Second, Dish Network may be cheaper on some packages, but honestly after I did the research on what I wanted to get, Dish and DirecTV were not even.

While the comment doesn’t seem to make sense at first (you’re expecting a bit more after the word “even”), I think I know what this person is talking about.

If you are trying to decide between Dish and Directv, the first place I would start is on paper. Write the channels you *must* have. For example, for me it would include TBS to watch Braves games, ESPN, and local channels. My wife on the other had would require that we get Food Network, HGTV, TLC & Fox News.

The second step would be to determine what features you want to have. For us, DVR is now essential. Since we have 3 small children, we don’t really watch much live TV. If we do, then it is common to be interrupted often. DVR allows us to pause and rewind live TV, and record shows to watch at our convenience. We’re still sporting our 25″ TV we bought when we were married over 7 years ago so HD is not yet a feature we *need*.

The next step would be to see what packages include you required channels and features. You might also have a list of channels that would be nice to have, but are not require if you want to keep the price down. This could help you decide to choose one package over another.

As far as cost, remember that DIRECTV include “free” local channels while Dish Network is an additional $5.99 per month.

OK, I must admit, my first impression after reading the following press release was, “What, only 42 inches?!”

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Nov. 16, 2007 — Congratulating NASA on the completion of a successful shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and the recent unveiling of a new living space aboard the orbital laboratory, DIRECTV is offering the ISS a complete HD makeover — including its industry-leading line-up of national HD channels, the most advanced HD DVR on the market, a 42″ flat screen HDTV and a sturdy velcro-wrapped remote control.

With the solar array repaired and the Harmony module — the ISS’s first new living space in six years — successfully bolted into its permanent location, DIRECTV is ready to offer the DIRECTV HD experience to the ISS crew, allowing them to catch up on current events or enjoy the best HD whenever their leisure time allows. If NASA accepts DIRECTV’s offer, the nations #1 satellite TV company is prepared to offer its top engineer to assist in the installation of the familiar satellite dish on the roof of the new module.

“Sure, there’s the awe-inspiring view of planet earth from more than 200 miles up, but what do you do for an encore after you’ve entered your 180th day in space?” said Jon Gieselman, senior vice president, marketing for DIRECTV, Inc. “But on a more serious note, we truly applaud both the shuttle and ISS crew for their incredible accomplishments and are honored to offer an HD experience worthy of the International Space Station. As a satellite TV service we obviously have a vested interest in space exploration and we’ve certainly benefited from NASA’s many technical and scientific achievements over the years. This is one way we can give a little something back.”

DIRECTV began its unprecedented HD expansion rollout last month and plans to offer up to 100 national HD channels by the end of the year. The full DIRECTV HD programming lineup, including the new channels, and details on receiving equipment needed for the new HD services, are available at [Expert Satellite or by calling 1-866-296-1516].

The DIRECTV 11 satellite will be launched early next year to support further HD expansion. Combining DIRECTV 11 with existing satellite capacity, DIRECTV will have the ability to deliver 150 national HD channels and 1,500 local HD and digital channels in addition to new advanced programming services for customers.