DIRECTV Plus HD DVR Receivers vs. DISH Network HD DVRs
Browsing through DIRECTV®’s website, you’ve probably come across DIRECTV’s eye-catching “Technology” page, with its sleek picture of two well-posed DIRECTV Plus HD DVR receivers. Probably, too, you’ve also come across the DIRECTV free HD DVR offer on its “English Packages” page.
But if DIRECTV Plus HD receivers are so good why aren’t they sporting awards from both PC Magazine and CNET like, say, DISH Network®’s HD receivers? There must be something about DIRECTV Plus HD DVR receivers that just isn’t passing muster. And since it’s our job here at InternetLion.com to explain where you can find the best deals on satellite TV, we’ve decided to put together the following article explaining the major faults with DIRECTV Plus HD receivers as compared to the DVRs available with DISH Network deals.
The DIRECTV Free HD DVRs Offer vs. DISH Network Offers
The first major problem with DIRECTV Plus HD DVR receivers is the DIRECTV Free HD DVR spiel. You see, DIRECTV Plus HD receivers are only “free” if you subscribe to specific packages, meaning the CHOICE Xtra package or above and pay for Whole Home DVR Service. With others like the Choice package, you’ll have to pay an additional fee for HD and DVR service respectively, meaning that DIRECTV Plus HD receivers actually have two hidden costs for subscribers of these packages.
To be fair, of course, DIRECTV is following the dictates of most major corporations by making sure there’s no free lunch on its dime. But DISH Network, DIRECTV’s major competitor, does quite the opposite. Consider: Leasing a DIRECTV Plus HD receiver and getting HD service as part of the DIRECTV Choice package will cost you $17 per month on top of the package’s basic monthly subscription fee of $29.99 per month.
DISH Network, however, offers new subscribers an upgrade to a DISH Network HD DVR for free (a $6/mo. DVR service fee applies), with 24-Mo. Agreement, even if they order the company’s “America’s Top 120” package which is also priced at $29.99 per month. Subscribers can also receive HD Free for Life with this starter package, with 24-Mo. Agreement and AutoPay with Paperless Billing. That means a saving of more than $11 per month for comparable service if you decide to go with DISH Network instead of DIRECTV.
However, remember that when we say ‘comparable’ service, the pricing is comparable but DISH Network subscribers will receive over 60 more HD channels than DIRECTV customers, for the same money. DIRECTV Choice package customers receive 40+ HD channels when they subscribe to HD service, whereas DISH Network subscribers receive 105+ HD channels.
DIRECTV Remote Recordings vs. DISH Network
Another major selling point anyone who looks at DIRECTV is likely to spot is that there’s a DIRECTV remote recording system on DIRECTV Plus HD DVR receivers. Now, this is awfully convenient, we’ll admit. After all, it allows DIRECTV subscribers to set their DVRs wherever they may roam. And yet, there is one fact about DIRECTV remote recording that doesn’t appear on the DIRECTV website: DISH Network’s ViP922 HD DVR/receiver offers the same service, plus it allows users to actually watch their DISH Network programming on their PC, laptop or smart phones – from anywhere.
The only thing close to this from DIRECTV is its “NFL Sunday Ticket To-Go” service, which allows subscribers to watch football games on their smart phones. But there’s a big difference between watching just football games and watching everything in your satellite TV package. And, besides this, DIRECTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket costs an additional $334.95 per year on top of subscribers’ regular monthly payments. And the “NFL Sunday Ticket To-Go” service for smart phones costs $49.95, according to the DIRECTV website. If they’d only ordered one of the DISH Network deals featured on our site these folks could be enjoying all their satellite TV channels for no more than their regular monthly subscription payment.
So, honestly, we don’t know. You could be wowed by DIRECTV’s flashy website and pay extra for a satellite HD DVR that doesn’t offer as much. Or you could go with DISH Network and get the best HD DVR on the market for less and have many more HD channels to watch, to boot. Naturally, it’s up to you. But we here at InternetLion.com would like to think you’re ready to make the best choice for you.
With DISH Network you get the highest quality HD picture and the most HD channels available – more than DIRECTV or any cable company in America. And, it's easy to connect to DISH Network satellite TV. Click here to learn more about the benefits of switching to DISH Network today.
