DirecTV or Dish? Where to Go When You’re Tired of Cable

Sponsored Review Ramya Santhosh

Advancements in technology have given us amazing tools that people just a hundred of years ago could never even imagine. Technology has brought the world cars, prosthetic’s, entertainment, cell phones, video chat, etc. There is no doubt how much technology has aided the well-being of human life, but it does come at a price.

People love entertainment, and it seems like cable providers recognize they have the market cornered. They can charge obnoxiously high rates for a basic cable plan because each cable provider monopolizes a certain area.

Television
Image Source: www.nvnacs.com

With cable, there is rarely a choice of what channels are included in the package. As long as cable is going to charge an arm and a leg, shouldn’t people at least have a say in what channels they are watching? Not according to most cable companies.

Instead of being stuck with cable, there are other options to consider such as DirecTV and Dish. Both are good answers to the cable problem, but let’s find out which is the best.

DirecTV

DirecTV satellite packages provide a lot of bang for a little buck. With 6 different package options as well as personal preferences that can be added to each, there is bound to be one that fits everyone’s need in the household. These packages range from basic, which is a far cry better than cable’s basic option, to premier which provides more than 30 premium movie channels and 35 specialty sports options.

Additionally, because DirecTV offers a personalization feature, each package becomes unique to the customer.

  • Package 1: DirecTV Select—130 channels from movies, to news, to favorite channels.
  • Package 2: DirecTV Entertainment: 140+ channels which offers sports, movies, news, music, and local channels.
  • Package 3: DirecTV Choice: 150+ channels of local, news, movies, and all of the favorites.
  • Package 4: DirecTV Extra: More than 205 channels from local to late night cooking shows to everything in between.
  • Package 5: DirecTV Ultimate: 225+ channels including 11 premium movie networks that are commercial free. There are premium sports event broadcasts as well as plenty of music channels.
  • Package 6: DirecTV Premier: 285+ channels with all blacked out sports games on more than 35 sports networks and over 30 movie channels.

And, each package can be customized with additional channels.

DirecTV prices are reasonable for how much they offer, and DirecTV is available in many areas where cable will not provide.

Dish

While similar to DirecTV, Dish has 4 packages instead of 6.

  • Package 1: America’s Top 20 has 190+ channels including USA, CNN, CMT, Disney, and ESPN.
  • Package 2: America’s Top 120 Plus has 190+ channels including regional sports networks.
  • Package 3: America’s Top 200 has 240+ channels including NFL Network, MLB Network, Disney XD, Bravo, and Nick Jr..
  • Package 4: America’s Top 250 has 290+ channels including The Movie Channel, DIY Network, and Nicktoons.

Dish has marginally better prices for the number of channels offered, however the channels Dish offers seem to be less popular than DirecTV channels. Thus, when it comes down to selecting the right satellite provider, DirecTV wins because it combines price and quality for a completely satisfactory experience.

Guest Author Bio:

Jessica Socheski is a freelance writer and tech enthusiast who edits at The Teaching Box. You can find her on Google+.