DISH vs DirecTV

If you’re looking for a satellite TV provider, there aren’t too many available in the market. Although DISH and DirecTV may look similar, they each provide unique values and have distinct differences that will make it easy for you to choose the best satellite TV provider for you.

DISH is the best DVR option and the best price in the long term, but it doesn’t have HBO. It has a smaller channel selection with easy package choices and a powerful Hopper 3 DVD which is great if you’re looking for the best TV provider. DirecTV is also a great option if you love sports because it has a great NFL Sunday ticket channel, other sports programs, great DVR and good channel selection, but its prices are higher after the first year of your 2 year contract.

When to use DISH network

If you don’t want to commit yourself to a specific satellite TV provider, DISH is your best option. It gives you 2 options of either signing a 2 year contract that you’ll be able to save $10-$15 a month, or opt not to sign any contract which will allow you to cancel your service at any time, but you don’t save the $10-$15 a month.

When to use DirecTV

If you’re a sports fan, this is the best satellite provider you can subscribe to. It’s the exclusive provider of NFL Sunday ticket which is a sports package that provides you access to every live game every Sunday,200 live HD channels and 4K movies and shows with a 4K UHD to provide the best picture quality.

 How to evaluate DISH and DirecTV 

To gain credibility, its important to come up with a way to rate these two satellite TV providers. You can choose the best satellite provider for you using this criteria:

Contract options. This will give you a bit of flexibility when depending on whether you want to make a long term commitment or not.

Packages. The last thing you want to do is subscribe to a package that doesn’t contain the channels you want.

Simultaneous show recordings. This way you don’t have to miss any of your favorite shows when you’re not at home.

DISH vs DirecTV – A comparison review

DISH network

DISH is a satellite TV provider that offers channel variety at a decent price. It has sports channels with all your major sports games, all the premium channels for your movie selection, and a basic package with all your family’s favorite channels including Disney and HGTV. The best thing about DISH is that the prices don’t hike on the second year, so you pay the same monthly prices throughout your contract. This means you’ll save some cash in the long term.

You have to sign a contract to get the best deal with DISH and a 2-year contract will help you save $10-15 a month. You also have the option of not signing a contract so you can cancel your service at any time if you don’t want a long term commitment, but you’ll have to pay $10-15 more every month.

Pros

• Lots of sports coverage
• Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility
• Consistent plan pricing

Cons

• Doesn’t have HBO and Cinemax channels

DirecTV 

This is also a satellite TV service that provides all the channels you want including the NFL Sunday ticket and other premium channels like Showtime and HBO. It offers 6 TV packages, 330 channels with no installation or equipment fees for your first 2 rooms. You’ll have to sign a 2-year contract with second year price hikes. If you want to get out of your contract early, you’ll have to pay an early termination fee of up to $20 for every month left on your contract.

DirecTV is the exclusive provider of NFL Sunday ticket which is a sports package that provides you access to every live game every Sunday, 200 live HD channels and 4K movies and shows with a 4K UHD picture quality. You also get HD and 4K programming with all its packages, but the HD channels vary with the package.

Pros

• NFL Sunday ticket
• Loads of channels

Cons

• Price hike after the first year

Differences between DISH and DirecTV 

Packages and pricing

DirecTV has a slight advantage over DISH because it offers 5 channel packages while DISH offers 4. However DISH has an affordable and streamlined selection with a lot of value and although DirecTV offers packages with similar price points, the process go higher after 12 months. Both TV providers offer add-on packages for the premium channels, international channels, and sports packages. DISH has a simple and affordable entry-level plan, mid-tier, and a top-tier plans with goodies and a 2-year price guarantee which is a big contrast to DirecTV’s significant price hike after the first year.

Installation

When you sign a contract with DISH, the service will include the cost of a standard installation by a DISH professional so you don’t have any additional expenses to start watching your TV. It also has a technician-tracker tool that helps you to monitor the technician’s location, know your technician, and view your scheduled appointment time. Although DirecTV doesn’t charge extra for a standard installation, there’s an activation fee of $35 and it doesn’t have a technician tracking tool.

Contract

Unless you don’t want a long term commitment, you’ll sign a contract with your TV provider. With DirecTV you’ll have to sign a 2 year contract, but DISH gives you an option of not signing a contract or a 2 year contract. If you don’t sign a contract with DISH, you’ll pay an extra $10-15 every month. However, DirecTV will raise your plan’s monthly prices after the first year.

Conclusion

DISH offers a better monthly value with more sports channels than DirecTV and consistent pricing throughout your contract which is affordable in the long term. However, if you’re a sports fan, DirecTV is a better option.

FAQ

Is Netflix free with DISH or DirecTV?

No, its not included in either services, but you can access your Netflix account from your DVR using the Hopper 3 from DISH.

How many days do you have to cancel DISH network?

You have 30 days after the receipt of your planto write a notice to the admin and you will receive a full refund if no claims have been made.