When I went searching for satellite service 6 months ago, the decision came down to two: Dish Network and Directv. After speaking to many friends with Directv and comparing the two services, I went with Dish. It has been the best decision I ever made concerning TV.

First, make sure you buy the hardware - don't rent from a service like Primestar. The hardware cost a total of $55 on uBid, and a buddy and I spent the afternoon (see two hours) putting it on the roof. Anyone with basic skills can do this, but they'll also install for aroun $100, which is good for those not willing to climb to the roof on their own. Also note that if you're going to do it yourself, make sure you have two things:
1. A friend
2. A cell phone

Adjustments need to be made to the positioning of the dish when one person is on the roof, and these changes can only be noticed by a guide on the TV screen. The cell phone saved us alot of trouble.

The service: Dish has been great. It NEVER goes out, even today - we had a foot of snow here and the picture is crystal clear. You get around 100 channel, and now my wife is addicted to shows like "A Baby Story", everything on TLC/AMC, and even the ridiculous "Crocodile Hunter" on Aminal Planet. WAY too many channels, but they're all clear and sound great.

Speaking of sound, whoever wrote that the sound is FM quality (another epinion on here) is dead wrong - they probably have it hooked to normal TV speakers. I ran an set of RCAs from the Dish Receiver box directly into my NAD surround sound processor, and the music is pure digital magic. Almost daily we put on one of the 30 nonstop digital music channels that come with the basic service, turn the TV off, and enjoy nonstop music (Classical, Jazz, Progressive, etc) throughout the house. No DJs, no commercials, just great tunes nonstop. I've even pared down my sound system, eliminating the 5 cd changer to a single, because it's just not needed anymore.

Overall, the service is great. There's no taxes on the service, so $28.99 a month is $28.99 a month, period. Never had a problem, and ordering pay per view ($2.99 per flick) is a one-button deal. I'd recommend Dish Network and the Top 100 to anyone - and I didn't even mention the 5-10 sports channels included, to get all the ball games all year round.

Great service, have yet to be disappointed. Everyone should own Dish. And one last thing: if you're still thinking of renting the hardware, just buy it. Dish will GIVE YOU a new one if you move, with the prospect of getting the new tenant to hook up the existing hardware for themselves. You just need to install the new one upon arrival - they pick up the hardware cost. Pretty cool.



Recommended: Yes