Help! I've got to get rid of my Time/Warner Cable...Which Sattelite dish

[KoKo]

will give me access to better news and Democratic discussion?

Awhile back DU'ers seemed to go for the one not owned by Ruppert Murcoch (I can't remember which one) yet lately it seems Murdoch's sattelite is the one preferred. :shrug: Is Murdoch's called Dish TV?

Anyway, I need more diversity than I'm getting with my Time/Warner where I can't watch anything but am paying all this money...

Are you happy with your sattelite connection and what do you watch that's gives you better political discussion?

[Roho]

1. check out this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=389257&mesg_id=389418

[liveoaktx]

2. NO, DirectTV is Murdoch-Personally, I prefer Dish

Dish has FSTV (Free Speech TV) and LinkTV. I think DirecTV might have LINK but I wouldn't give a dime to Murdoch.

[earthside]

3. Just know this ---

--- Rupert Murdoch owns Direct TV.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

6. I have had Dish Network for two years now. Love it.

Watch Democracy Now! every night with Amy Goodman, catch Sundance channel movies, etc.

The service is great, I haven't had any problems with my equipment, customer service or billing. I had Comcast and hated it. Since I've switched over Comcast calls and writes me each month offering me a bunch of money to come back. No Deal. I'll keep the Dish Network.

[I Have A Dream]

17. On thing that I will give DirectTV credit for is that they stopped...

advertising on the Glenn Beck radio show after he discussed killing Michael Moore on the air. They're the only one of his advertiser that did this.

I have Comcast, so I can't give any opinion otherwise.

[Warpy]

4. I've been happy with Dish Network during the past month

in Florida, and I'll be ordering it when I get home to NM at the end of next week.

Even their basic package has Free Speech TV----but not POX.

The connection was reliable but the boxes needed to be rebooted a couple of times, not a big deal, just hold the button for 10 seconds while they reset.

I guess my intent to order the service back in NM can be considered a recommendation. I've looked at the other packages and FSTV did it for me.

[Rosco T.]

5. DirectTV has better equipment.. DISH receivers are pretty buggy...

[johnaries]

9. I've never had any problems with my DISH receiver.

When DirecTV bought out PrimeStar, they pissed me off while they were trying to convert me over (long story). I went to DISH and I love it!

[politicat]

13. Never had a problem with my DISH, and we have a DVR with it.

I need to cancel showtime, but other than it's a pain to get to a live human being with their phone system (but that's industry standard....) They're great.

[Rosco T.]

16. I was with DISH for 9 years, had one of the DVR's go tit's up on me...

.. the would do NOTHING. Full price for a new receiver. I said "Well DirecTV will give me a TiVo receiver for free".

Their response, "that really nice of them".

That was 4 years ago and I went to DirecTV, have 2 regular and one HD Tivo and NEVER any equipment problems.

Plus I can do ALL programming changes ONLINE and NEVER have to talk to a human.

[politicat]

24. but then I'd have to give money to Murdoch more directly.

[NEDem]

7. I have had DirectTv for 7 years

I am very pleased with it.

[xkenx]

8. We researched and got Directv in December mainly because

their DVR (TIVO-like) enables you to record 2 prog. simultaneously, or record 1 and watch another channel. And 100 hours of recording time. Very easy to use. No problems.

[johnaries]

12. Excuse me, but DISH also has several DVR's that do the same.

http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/products/receivers/dvr/index.shtml

And if you haven't had problems with DirecTV yet, trust me, just wait.

[politicat]

14. That's the DVR I got with mine 2 years ago...

For free.

[cascadiance]

25. Some Costcos have the Dish HD PVR with 2 channel reception for cheap...

I have the regular PVR with two the two channels like you have, and have been happy with them. I love Free Speech TV and Link TV.

I switched from Direct TV many years ago when DirectTV was slow at getting UPN channels (No Star Trek then) and also had an "outage" for a while when the courts commanded them to pull their CBS and Fox affiliate broadcast for a while. Dish was ahead of them then at getting local channels in different areas instead of DirectTV's way of trying to broadcast only a couple of channels nationally for each network (which got them in trouble with the courts and the FCC). Switched then and have been happy ever since.

Roscoe, do you work for Murdoch or something? You were heavily selling us on switching from Sirius to XM Radio (also owned by Newscorp) earlier when Air America was talked into an exclusive deal to shut out Sirius. I switched bregudgingly. Sirius, unlike Dish Network was clueless on how to respond and keep us as customers, and seem to think that Howard Stern is the answer to all of their competitiveness issues. At this point, though XM gives me a better product, I don't trust either of those companies (XM or Sirius). Dish Network did get their dispute with Viacom resolved earlier by comparison and was able to keep that programming going. Though Dish doesn't have availability of hardware out there as prevalent as I would like, it still seems to be a better run company and one that cares about us as subscribers.

[phylny]

28. I have DirecTV, two DVRs, love it.

I found that their DVRs are not as easy to program as Time/Warner's, but it's costing us a whole lot less, we have two instead of one, and we're getting a free DVD player as well.

[fknobbit]

10. Had both

prefer dish network because movement through the menues is much faster and I am not charged a fee for my dp 501 PVR receiver and would have to pay fee for TIVO. Both hav almost identical programing.

[babylonsister]

11. I've had DirectTV for years and have had no major problems

except when strong storms are in the area. I get Link, Sundance, and IFC.
My DH installed it, too.

[mandyky]

15. Dish network

you get free speech and link TV
They also carry some sirius radio programming.

[tkmorris]

18. I have DishNetwork

I chose it primarily because it carried Link and FSTV, both very liberal channels. It also provides receivers which digitally record and playback (think TIVO) etc. If you are interested in HDTV you might like to know that Dish recently was approved to purchase the now unused VOOM satellite etc. Full details are not yet known but Dish is expected to add much more HD programming as a result.

[virgdem]

19. I would recommend DISH Network

Been with them since 1995 and quite satisfied with the service overall. The fact that it is not owned by Murdock should be an additional factor in your decision.

[radio4progressives]

20. dish network (echo star)

you get Link TV (9410) and Free Speech TV (9415) two very progressive stations, which also broadcasts Democracy Now!, Mosaic and Journal, along INN - and Dish gives all the other basics - when IWT goes on the air next year, you're going to want Dish Network because I bet it won't be available on cable at the beginning (could be wrong).

[KoKo]

31. Do "Link TV" and "Free Speech TV" broadcast all day? Like they would

compete with MSNBC/CNN/Fox?

And...if I choose to, can I still get the American Cables?

[otohara]

38. Yes

on Dish

[BlackVelvet04]

21. dish tv ......

I've had it for two years and got a free DVR. Initially the dish was put in a location where when spring came the leaves on the trees interrupted the transmission. They came promptly and moved it for us at no charge. We seldom have an outage and it's always been for very short periods of time due to very extreme weather. It's happened maybe twice in two years.

[SoCalDem]

22. Dish..love it.. make sure you get as many PVRs as you

can.. It's easier to get them when you sign up,.. After you are a customer it's harder to upgrade..

The PVR I have (only got one when I signed up) holds 100 hours of stored programming, and you cannot watch a different program if it's recording. the new ones allow you to watch a different show.

LOVE dish :)

be sure and request the local dish too. It;s free, but it requires a separate dish..

I get a bunch of university channels and about 6 PBS channles..and Link and FSTV :)

[BlackVelvet04]

23. We got the local dish for free as well,

we don't use it much but we have it if we want it.

[Greyhound]

26. I've had both Dish and Direct and I liked Dish better. Better Guide

and menus, My problem was there was nothing on 160 channels, so I decided to save the $45. BTW if you're considering a satellite internet connection, forget it.

[KoKo]

30. Is their Guide "free" or do you have to pay extra to get it like

Time/Warner Cable? :shrug:

[Greyhound]

35. OMG never heard of that before. Unfrikinbelievable. n/t

[magellan]

27. Dish Network

We've had it for 3 years and are happy with it. Dish just raised its price and is currently more expensive than Direct TV, but we'd lose obscure channels we enjoy if we switched.

Our neighbor has Direct; I've used it and don't like their programming guide.

One problem we had with Dish -- we ordered the free extra dish and no one ever showed up to install it.

The thing to remember with any satellite service is that it'll go out for a brief time during especially heavy rainstorms.

[otohara]

29. DishTV - Happy

Direct TV menu takes forever to load, hate all those bleeps

[KoKo]

32. Would I have to give up my NEW DVD/VHS Recorder I got for Xmas to

take what recording device the Statellites push on me?? :shrug:

[tkmorris]

36. No not at all

DVR's of the type being discussed here record things digitally on an internal hard drive, to be watched later. Also they allow you the ability to "pause" anything you are watching, whether recorded or live, and resume at will. I love to pause shows when they begin for about 10 minutes, then watch them. That way when a commercial starts I just fast-forward through them until the show returns. Anything recorded on DVR can be saved or just recorded over, as you see fit.

The DVD/VHS recorder you have is for creating more permanent recordings, and works alongside the DVR equipment just fine. Although you will not need to create tapes of things you wish to see that air at inconvenient times for you. Instead simply set the DVR to record it digitally and watch when you like, just as with a tape, but without needing to buy blank tapes.

Everyone I have talked to about these DVR devices says they will NEVER go back to the old way, the things are simply too useful to not have. I have installed satellite systems for years, as well as cable, surround sound, and all other manner of consumer home electronics and even I was surprised at just how much these devices change the television watching experience.

Gawd, I sound like a pitch man. I'm not but I really do like these things that much.

[apollo56]

33. have had dish and direct - dish is run by a repub in Colo

He is a Christian conservative and Dish has refused to put on several channels before they are not in line with their beliefs. I changed from Dish to Direct because of this and Direct's equipment is better! Also if you choose to your programming direct does not charge and Dish charges a fee. My bill dropped thirty dollars a month since I am using the HD signal.

[otohara]

40. Total BS on The Christian Conservative

remark on Dish. Charlie Ergen is no more a Christian conservative than I am.

Name the channels he does not carry based on his beliefs.

Do you know who he voted for? How do you explain he gave more money to Dems in 04?

[liberaltrucker]

34. Both DirecTV and Dish are owned by Rethugs

So choose your poison. Personally, as a rabid NFL fan,
I have DirecTV for the NFL Sunday Ticket.

[otohara]

37. You Don't Know That!

Dish gave more money to dems in 04. While they were trying to accuire DirectTV the money went to lots of thugs...not so much anymore.

I on the other hand do know something.

[tabasco]

39. DISH TV is very good. RUN AWAY from Direct TV(Murdoch).

Free Speech TV and Link TV and I only get the cheapest package - 60 channels.

[RebelOne]

41. I have Dish Network and the only thing I hate about it is that when

it rains, I lose the satellite reception. Really bugs me, so I fire off an e-mail to complain. Not much they can do about it, but it makes me feel better.