I want to get satellite tv, but I don't know much about these two. They seem to be comparably priced according to their websites. Which is the best deal? Thanks for your help.

If HDTV is what you are looking for then Dish is the better choice by far. They offer a lot more channels and are rolling out the locals in HDTV for the major markets right now. I think Dish is a little cheaper too. I know they have the family pack and it is pretty good and only $20.

Good info here: http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=302788

I'm a DirecTV subscriber, basically because of my DirecTiVo. I'll never give it up.

Just wondering; why do u prefer satellite over cable tv? I had Dishnet for 3 years and then I switched to Comcast in 2004. I've had a pretty good deal ever since, and aside from the proprietary HD channels on Dish (ie. VOOM HD), I get every other channel offered on Dish. So anyway, all I'm saying is talk to your Comcast rep to try to get a better deal. They gave me Digital Platinum (everything + 3 premium channels) for $63/month + $20/month for net. Not a bad deal IMO.

The picture quality is better on satellite, as it's all digital. Where as with cable just the channels above 100 are digital (at least in all the markets I've lived in).

You're right on price if you call and threaten to leave they'll knock the cable price down. That's what I do as I couldn't get DirecTV when I moved to my new apartment. But otherwise, I'd opt for satellite and pay the cheaper price without having to call and hassle to get it knocked down. Plus it's a way to reward the company offering the product at a reasonable price.

WRT to the lower channels, I couldn't really say as I only really watch the HD channels for big networks. I like Dish for the most part, but they are very rigid about their price structure; and do not give any discounts to long-time customers like Cable does. Throw in cheap internet and u can't beat that deal. If comcast ever gets Tivo and some decent international channels, I would never leave.

I've had Dish for about three years now. I don't know how it works w/ Directv but I have never experienced any...ANY...kind of problems with my satellite working when it is pouring rain, or cloudy or anything. Not one time. That is my experience. Each time I've dealt with customer service they are always polite and helpful, and give good information. About a month ago, I upgraded to the HD package and I love it. I'm in the Dallas area and am waiting for the locals to go to HD. I get a pretty good deal, but I also have my phone, DSL, and satellite all rolled into one package through SBC. I pay around 150.00 a month for all three so it works for me.

Dish Network all the way. I had Directv for awhile, switched to Dish and never looked back.

Good point. No HD here (nor plans or money to get one anytime soon) so that's not a consideration for me. Though it still probably wouldn't be as I could probably get the networks over the air in HD where I live.

BTW, Tivo is coming to Comcast later this year.

The internet is the kicker. They charge and arm and a leg for stand alone cable internet, and Verizon DSL is the only other option for me and has absolutely sucked donkey balls at the two addresses I've tried it at.

I'm honestly tempted to drop cable and just pay for the internet as I don't watch much non-network TV other than the ESPNs (and I only need them during college football and basketball season).

U could get the basic cable (like 15 channels) and be eligible for the lower rate too. It's what I did when I had satellite.

The last few times I had cable, the service was just terrible. I would have channels go out for days at a time. There were many times when the sound would be out-of-sync with the picture. And there were times when I could get a clearer picture with the old rabbit ears than I could on the cable. It's a night-and-day difference having satellite.

Here that comes out to about the same (a little more actually I think) than just paying the inflated standalone cable internet option, as the cheapest cable plan is a little more than the $15 or so they tack on for standalone internet.

At anyrate, a moot point for me at this address as we can't have satellites here (no patios, balconies etc. to mount them on).

Just out of curiosity, where do u live and what service provider? I hear this a lot about cable going out for days at a time and just wonder if I've been lucky all this time or its an issue of providers.

I lived in various suburbs of Dallas. The providers were either AT&T Cable (which is now Comcast) or a company called Advantex. My service in Amarillo through Cox Cable was often just as bad in terms of reception (though I can only recall total service outages with Cox, lasting up to a couple of days).

The Cox service was especially maddening because I had internet service with them, as well, and the internet service would go out at least once a day, usually for periods of about 15-20 minutes, but sometimes as long as several hours.

I think it can be a crap shoot as to what part of town you live in, even. I had Cox (or with the previous companies that owned that system) service in other places in Amarillo prior to that last time, and it worked perfectly fine (didn't have cable internet at that point, though).

Advantex has always sucked for me, though, but they're a strange case (they had a deal with my apartment complexes to provide cable service to the residents, even though the surrounding neighborhoods were all served by Comcast. Despite it being 2001-2005, Advantex offered no digital cable. No cable internet. Just bad cable service. You'd call to complain about the service, and they'd schedule an appointment and not show up, etc., etc.)

Verizon is offering FIOS TV in my new neighborhood (moved here last summer), so even if I weren't happy with the Dish, I would have another option besides cable now.