Dish Network Review

Many people have found that satellite television is the right kind of service for their home needs. It’s not uncommon for bars and hotels to have satellite TV’s playing the days sports games, as satellite TV subscribers have access to some of the best sports programming available. We’ve come to love Dish Network in particular, and though we’d love to rant and rave about why you should sign up, we’ve decided to simply list off all of the reasons why we feel that Dish Network is the number one television provider in America, be it Satellite or Cable.

1. The price is right – With pricing starting at under $30, Dish Network offers great value to their customers. Their typical program is $29.99 a month, and it includes 100 of America’s top channels as well as 30 HD channels. If you’ve got a high definition TV there’s never been a better reason to enjoy it.

   Basic cable (if you are even in cables access area) is $20 a month in itself, and that’s for fewer than 30 channels. $30 for 100 channels is an amazing price.

2. The hardware is capable – We love the idea of being able to incorporate a DVR to our home theater setup. In fact, if you are with Dish Network, you can obtain a DVR for a surprisingly low cost ($200 by itself, or free on an 18-month contract). The DVR that comes with the contractual commitment is capable of storing over 100 hours of television programming, sending an audio/video signal to more than one television, and can actually act on two separate TV’s.

   Upgraded DVR options allow for HD recording, HD playback, larger hard drives (for more television storage), and more overall functionality. We have yet to see another major competitor come along and match the effectiveness of Dish Network’s DVR solutions.

3. High-def aplenty – The base package offered by Dish Network offers 30 high definition channels, and the expanded packages offer as much as 34. Keep in mind that these high definition channels are not including the high definition pay-per-view channels where you can rent high definition movies.

   With the latest LCD and plasma TV’s offering unreal image quality, having to restrict your high definition enjoyment to Blu-Ray or HDVD movies is unreasonable. There is no other network that can compete with the high-definition content available from Dish Network.

4. Fantastic package selection – Subscribers have the ability to configure just about every aspect of their programming package. In general, there are six main types of packages available:

   DishFamily – Dish Network provides 40 channels, including popular sports, movie, and news channels, for just $19.99 a month. Users can also opt to include specialized or local channels for a small monthly premium.
   
   America’s Top 100 – Over 100 channels are included for $29.99 a month, including the Disney channel and the Discovery Channel. As well, America’s Top 100 offers 30 high definition channels for you to enjoy on your high definition television.
   
   America’s Top 100 Plus – The same amazing value offered by the America’s Top 100 package is expanded on with regional news stations and sports channels. The pricing remains just $34.99 a month, including 30 high definition channels.
   
   America’s Top 200 – Just as the name implies, America’s Top 200 includes 200 of the top channels in America. You’ll find a huge selection of premium channels, movies, specialty channels, and commercial-free music channels. Pricing is just $47.99 a month with local channels.
   
   America’s Top 250 – Over 250 channels, including premium services like the Speed Channel and the Golf Channel, high-quality streaming music, and all of your favorites. This package, along with local channels and high definition content, is just $57.99 a month.
   
   America’s Everything Pak – This package features over 280 channels, including 31 movie channels offered by Showtime. This package has everything that’s worth watching, including local channels, and is only $94.99 a month.
   

5. Excellent customer service – Every problem that we’ve ever had with Dish Networks has been resolved quickly and professionally. We’ve always felt like valued customers, and we know that they’ll extend you the same courtesy.

Finding a satellite solution that adequately meets your needs is never an easy task, and we’re glad to see that Dish Network has taken an active approach by offering tons of content, as well as the option to purchase international content. There is the capability to have a satellite TV equipped with over 600 channels if you include local and international channels. With that much content, the real question is “how much TV can you actually watch?”