One of the concerns of people who order satellite TV service is reliability.  Horror stories abound on the internet and elsewhere of signal being knocked out by poor weather conditions.  Cable companies have also targeted satellite television, airing misleading commercials where the customer supposedly loses service because of a passing rainstorm.   Should you be concerned about losing service if you have a satellite dish installed?  In this article we will consider whether DISH Network is reliable, and what you can do if you are experiencing an outage.

DISH Network and DIRECTV rely on satellites in orbit about 22,000 miles above the earth.  These stationary satellites can send signal to a wide geographic area on earth, provided you have the right equipment to receive and display the signal transmitted.  With these facts in mind, its easy to see how something could go wrong – but DISH Network boasts an signal reliablity of 99.9%, and DIRECTV is just as reliable.  Thus, when looking at how often you will lose signal it will be about 1 hour for every 1,000 you watch TV.  Not bad at all when compared to cable TV outages.

What factors though could contribute to poor DISH Network reliability?  Are there things to consider beforehand if you are thinking of signing up for DISH or DIRECTV?

Weather can and always will be a factor when looking at satellite service.  You will probably lose service during extremely heavy rainstorms.  Generally this means a thunderstorm, which are fast moving and allow the restoration of signal to your DISH Network receiver once they pass.

Snowstorms can also affect service, but this is usually when snow accumulates on the satellite dish itself.  Brushing the snow off will usually restore signal immediately, but if you live in an area where there are frequent and heavy snowstorms you may want to guide your satellite installer.   If there is any way to have the satellite dish installed closer to the ground, rather than on the roof, you will have a much easier time with this possible problem.

Trees can be another factor in whether DISH Network works consistently and correctly.  DISH Network installers are trained to mount the dish in an area with a clear line of sight, avoiding any blockage from vegetation.  If your trees have grown significantly from the time of installation, you may want to call DISH customer service to get help in evaluating your options.

But what if your DISH Network signal isn’t very reliable?  There is a good chance that your dish was not aligned properly at the time of installation, or that it has become misaligned since the time service was installed.  If you are losing signal during light rain or snow, your satellite dish needs to be adjusted.  Several forum discussions online can help you do this yourself, but always be safe.  If your satellite dish is not easily accessible, your best bet is to call DISH Network directly and have a technician come out to realign everything in a safe manner.

DISH Network and Charter cable compete for customers in 25 states across the country.  DISH is of course a national company, as you can get service from them as long as you can place a satellite dish on your property.  Charter Communications is a bit more limited, as they currently serve more than 5 million residential and business customers, mainly in midwestern markets, as well as California, Texas, and the Northwest.  If you are in an area served by this communications company,  its a good idea to compare DISH Network vs Charter cable to make sure you are getting the products and services you want at the right price.

One thing to consider initially is whether you are in a position to sign a contract with either Charter or DISH Network.  With the satellite TV option, you have to agree to  a 24 month contract, while with Charter cable, you will be able to take advantage of some of the better promotional offers if you agree to a contract.  If a contract is not something you are willing to sign, then Charter offers month to month on high speed internet, cable TV, and telephone service.

DISH Network is going to be the lower priced option when comparing the two providers.  The America’s Top 120 package runs just $44.99 a month, with a $15 discount on service during the first year – bringing your rate down to $30 a month or so.  You will pay for additional receivers after the first one, but this is typical of all satellite and cable television providers.

Charter cable offers a basic package for $49.99 a month for six months, or Charter TV in HD for $5 a month more.  Both of these packages include free Charter on Demand service, which gives subscribers access to thousands of programs via their remote control.  DISH Network does not yet offer true video on demand service, though pay per view movies are available for $5 to $7 each.  Charter also offers pay per view options on demand, but their regular video on demand service beats DISH Network easily.

As mentioned, the Charter TV with HD is $5 more each month, but most will find the high definition channel selection a bit thin.  Currently, Charter only offers 39 HD channels in all markets, with another 48 offered in limited markets.  If you are in an area served by Charter, its a good idea to call them up to find out exactly how many HD channels they have in your neighborhood, as it can vary quite a bit.  DISH Network beats Charter in this area, as they have 111 HD channels across the country no matter where you live.  Keep in mind that with either provider, you won’t get all of the stated HD channels unless you subscribe to a premium, all-inclusive package like the DISH America’s Everything package.

One advantage Charter does have over DISH is their ability to offer multiple services through one line to the home.  The Charter triple play bundle can get you not only your cable TV service, but also Charter internet and home phone calling as well.  As mentioned earlier, the best deals on this kind of package are offered to those sign a two year contract.   Current Charter bundles offer TV in HD, internet plus service, and the Charter phone for $99.97 during the first year.  The second year price is  $119.97, and then regular rates apply after that.  This Charter cable deal also offers a $200 bill credit incentive, meaning you will basically get two months of free service.   An early termination fee of $200 will apply if you fail to keep both internet and cable TV service for the full two year term, but overall this kind of triple play is a good value for the money.

While DISH Network has mainly been a video provider, they recently announced that they are partnering with ViaSat to offer broadband service.  The new DISH Network internet product starts at $49.99 a month, but does have usage caps in place that make things difficult if you want to stream movies at home.

If you are comparing the channel lineups between DISH and Charter, you probably won’t see much of a difference.  Both companies carry local channels in all areas, as well as the major cable channels like CNN, ESPN, and Fox News.   If you are looking for flexibility, then the DISH Network package options are going to offer you more choice.  If you are looking to see what channels are available with the cable option, use the Charter channel guide to find exactly how things line up in your area.

A final consideration revolves around your personal situation – meaning whether you live in a house, condo, or apartment.  DISH Network customers must have a small satellite dish mounted on the back, top, or side of your home.  The dish also has to have a clear view of the southern sky.   If you are a homeowner, generally the DISH installer won’t have to much a problem getting you up and running.  If you live in a condo or apartment, you may have a problem as you generally need to have your own private balcony area to set up the satellite dish.  In cases like this, you may be stuck with Charter cable whether you want them or not.

There are of course pros and cons with both DISH Network and Charter cable.   Researching both the satellite and cable television options beforehand will insure that you are happy with your provider for years to come.

DISH Network has been hampered for years in that they haven’t been able to offer a true high speed internet product like their cable competitors.  That will soon change, as a new DISH Network internet product was announced at this years Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  The new DISH Network broadband option will offer amazing speeds when compared to prior satellite internet products.

The partnership between DISH Network and ViaSat will target the nearly 10 million rural American households that cannot currently get high speed internet through either DSL or cable connections.  These potential customers have been limited to satellite internet, which has only recently topped the 1 Mbps barrier when looking at download speeds (uploads are even slower).   The new DISH Network internet service will offer downloads up to 12 Mbps, and upload speeds of 3 Mbps, on par with most mid tier DSL and cable internet speeds.

The product, named Exede by ViaSat will start at $49.99 a month and will be offered to the public starting January 16th.  DISH Network will package the Exede broadband product with their various video bundles, which will start at $79.98 a month at the lowest price point.

While the new DISH/Exede internet plan sounds good, customers will want to be sure that they read the fine print.  The first possible issue for many will be usage caps placed on the various Exede plans.  A quick review of the Exede website revealed that the $49.99 a month plan comes with a 7.5 GB monthly usage cap.  If you want more monthly capacity, a 15 GB monthly plan will cost you $79.99 a month.   To give you an idea of how much that is, consider that streaming a two hour video will use 2.14 GB of data, so this new DISH internet service plan probably won’t work for those wanting to hook up to a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu.    A final DISH/Exede plan offering 25 GB of data monthly is available for $129.99 monthly.

The new service will offer an alternative to DIRECTV internet packages, which are generally tied to cable and telco partners like CenturyLink, Verizon, and AT&T.   With these plans, customers are still tied to the last mile network of the telephone company, unlike the new DISH internet plans which use a second satellite receiver at the subscribers home.

DISH Network is making news at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, announcing a new  DVR service called Hopper.  The DISH Network Hopper HD DVR features multi-room capability, something the satellite provider has been sorely lacking as they compete with the DIRECTV Whole Home DVR which has been out for more than six months.  The new DISH DVR was introduced prior to the official CES open in Las Vegas, as the leading technology trade show runs from January 10th to the 13th.

So what can customers expect from the new DISH Hopper DVR?  A huge hard drive, multi-room functionality, and leading DVR technology are all part of the package.  The “Hopper” DVR will be a 2 terabyte unit (unit XiP 813), which will act as a server.  Up to three additional units can then be added in other parts of the home, and will be named “Joeys” (unit XiP 810).   These set-top DISH extender units will be able to access all content on the DVR, allowing subscribers to pick up shows in another room if desired.

The massive hard drive in the new Hopper DVR will allow customers to save up to 250 hours of HD content, or up to 1,000 hours of SD content.   DISH will not give customers access to all of the space on the DVR for their own use however, but additional Blockbuster at Home on-demand options will be available for a $10 monthly fee.    The size and features of the new DISH DVR compare favorably with the new HR-34 Home Media center DVR, introduced in late December.

DISH Network also introduced a new Primetime Anytime feature with the Hopper DVR device, which will capture content from the major networks and keep it there for customers for a week or so.  This feature will record programming on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC during primetime hours (8pm-11pm Eastern) and allow DISH subscribers to watch it on their own schedule.  No word on whether customers will be able to zip through all of the commercials like they can when recording their own shows.

The HD Hopper DVR will also feature three satellite TV tuners, allowing viewing of different channels in various rooms.  Additionally, the Hopper will record up to six channels at any given time, though the customer will only have control over two selections.  The six recording number is based on adding the PrimeTime Anytime content to the two customer selected recordings.

Pricing on the new digital video recorder was not included in the DISH Network press release.  Generally, newer models offered by DISH Network and DIRECTV are heavily discounted to lure new subscribers, while existing subscribers pay the regular retail price.

If you are looking for an alternative to cable TV, a DISH Network or DIRECTV package is usually the first thing to investigate.  Satellite TV prices are usually lower than cable when speaking in general terms, and with money being tight there is good reason to check into the discounts on DISH Network and DIRECTV.  How do DISH Network discounts compare with those offered by cable TV providers? What about the DIRECTV discounts offered to new customers?

Right now, new customers are going to get the best discount offers from DISH Network.  That is because new subscribers are very valuable to DISH, and they are willing to advertise lower rates in order to entice people to switch over.  How much of a discount can you expect as a new DISH Network customer?  That all depends on the level of service selected when you order your package.

The DISHFamily package is back, and offers an introductory price of $19.99 a month, which is a $5 discount from the regular rate.  This is good for one year, then the regular price of $24.99 a month applies for this 55-channel package.

Most customers want more programming, so the next three packages will be of interest.  The America’s Top 120, Top 200, and Top 250 all offer reduced rates for the first year as well.   With the Top 120 package, you can select regional sports packages for $5 a month, or go without and just get the standard 120 channel lineup.  Either way, you will receive a $15 discount each month for one year, or $180 off of your normal programming fee for the year.

The Top 200 package gets a $20 DISH Network discount for one year, so overall you will save $240, with the normal price being $59.99 monthly.  The Top 250 package is reduced by $25 a month, then the regular price of $69.99 a month kicks in.  Another option is to select one of these higher tier packages for the first year, then downgrade after that – though you will pay a $5 fee to move to a lower priced package.

Finally, the all inclusive America’s Everything package is offered at $79.99 a month, a $25 discount over the regular rate of $104.99 each month.  So with this package and the America’s Top 250 you will realize annual savings of $300.

So how do these reduced rate offers compare with the current DIRECTV discounts available, or those offered by various cable TV companies?  DIRECTV currently gives new customers a $31 reduction on all packages except the Family bundle, or around $360 total during the first year.  Though you will save more, their package pricing is a bit higher overall.  Most DIRECTV packages also offer more channels when compared to their DISH Network counterparts, so you may have to look through the channel lineups to get a better idea on what will work better for your situation.  Most cable TV discounts are offered for one year as well, and are usually tied in with triple play bundles.  Again, its wise to see how much of a discount you get and how long it lasts before making a commitment.

Several additional discounts are offered to new DISH customers who are willing to sign a two year agreement.  If you are willing to sign up for automatic payment and paperless billing, then you can get free HD channels.  The number of high definition channels depends on the package selected, but it can be more than 100 if you go for the top package.  This deal saves you $10 a month over the regular DISH fee for HD.

Additionally, new customers don’t have to pay anything up front for HD equipment.  One free HD DVR and two free HD receivers are included, though you do pay a monthly DVR service charge of $6 and a monthly charge for each receiver.

A final DISH Network discount is the free Blockbuster service that is offered for three months.  DISH Network bought the assets of Blockbuster in bankruptcy court earlier this year, and they are planning on a streaming rollout soon which will compete against Netflix.  In the meantime, you can enjoy the DVD service through their brick and mortar stores and through the mail until streaming becomes available through DISH Network.

If you are a sports fan, satellite TV providers like DISH Network and DIRECTV are your best bet for the most live action.  While DIRECTV has a bit of an advantage in that they are the exclusive provider of NFL Sunday Ticket, DISH Network matches up well in several other areas.  One of the recent additions to the programming lineups of cable and satellite providers is the sports tier package, which adds some secondary channels to the well known networks like ESPN.  DIRECTV offers the Sports Pack, and the Multi-Sport pack is the name of the sports tier offered by DISH Network.  What channels do you get with this addition?  How much will you pay for the DISH Network Multi-Sport pack?  Lets take a closer look at this bundle of sports channels.

The main selling point of this package is currently the NFL version of the Red Zone channel, which is only broadcast on Sundays during the season.  This channel is a nice alternative to the expensive Sunday Ticket package, though you won’t be able to watch your favorite team from start to finish.  Instead, the network cuts from game to game as teams are inside the “Red Zone”, usually the 20-yard line.  DISH Network offers this channel, as do many cable providers like Xfinity TV, but you cannot get the NFL version of Red Zone channel on DIRECTV.

Several 24 hour a day sports channels from various leagues are also part of the Multi-sport pack.  These include the MLB Channel, NHL Network, NBA TV, and the NFL Network.  As the names imply, each of these networks are dedicated to providing in-depth coverage of the league all year long.  Some live games are also carried on each network.  All of these channels are already included in the America’s Top 200 and higher, so it would only make sense to add the DISH Multi-Sport pack to the America’s Top 120 if you just want additional sports programming and not the other channels.

Several additional channels are also included in the Multi-sport pack including the Big Ten Network, Fox Soccer channel, and FUEL TV.   Some of these are also available in higher-tier DISH packages, so you may already have them if you are a DISH subscriber.

A final consideration if you are a big sports fan is whether the Multi-sport package will give you the out of region content you want via the regional sports networks that are included.  The package includes 25 regional  networks like Fox Sports Net (FSN), Root Sports, Comcast Sportsnet, and NESN.  These channels though won’t help you out when it comes to live games if you live out of the regional sports market.  If you want to see your hometown team play live, you will have to get the premium sports package such as NHL Center Ice or NBA League Pass.

Finally, you might be wondering how much the DISH Network Multi-sport pack costs.  Right now, DISH charges $7 a month for the package, which beats DIRECTV by $6 on their sports package which is currently $12.99.   Some have gotten in the habit of adding the Multi-sports pack for the Red Zone channel alone, but be aware that you may be charged a $5 downgrade fee if and when you remove it after football season ends.

DISH Network and Xfinity are two titans when it comes to providing pay television service in America today.  With nearly 40 million subscribers between the two companies, there is a good chance that if you don’t already have Xfinity or DISH Network, you may at some point in the future.  In this article, we will review a few of the pros and cons of each provider – and try to give you an idea on which company might fit the bill as your cable or satellite provider.

Xfinity vs DISH Network 

The Xfinity TV name came into existence a little more than a year ago, as Comcast began to rebrand its service under the new name.  Several rumors floated through the internet about the name change – the most interesting being that Comcast simply wanted a new name out there to get people to forget about their poor service record.  Officially, Comcast stated that the Xfinity name was a reflection of choice.  A play on the word “infinity,”  Xfinity offers and infinite number of entertainment choices – at least that is the company line.  In reality, the Xfinity upgrade has brought faster internet speeds and more channels to many cable TV markets, including South Florida and Seattle among others.  So is Xfinity better than DISH Network?

While this network upgrade by Comcast has brought more choice to many customers, it comes at a high price.  Xfinity deals are great if you are a new customer, as you can oftentimes get a triple play package for around $99 a month.  But once the regular pricing kicks in don’t be surprised if you are paying anywhere from $150 to $175 a month for the same triple play bundle of voice, high speed internet, and Xfinity TV service.  By comparison, DISH Network remains one of the cheapest providers in America today, though you can only order video service with satellite TV.

So it is a bit of an apples to oranges comparison when you compare DISH Network to Xfinity.  Smart shoppers need to evaluate the video portion alone if at all possible to figure out what you are paying for just that service with Xfinity.  Or, you can take your DISH Network package and then add in what you pay for internet and voice service to your phone company and compare it to what Xfinity has to offer.  Putting pricing aside for a moment, lets review what each provider has to offer when it comes to the actual channel selection as well as features like DVR and video on demand service.

DISH Network is a clear leader when it comes to high definition channels as well as the equipment they offer to deliver the content to your home.  Right now, DISH Network offers 110 HD channels, if you subscribe to all of the premium movie channels.  While they do get ahead of themselves from time to time when it comes to marketing (last year’s 200 HD channel claim) DISH Network tops DIRECTV currently, and competes well against Xfinity when it comes to high definition channel availability.  If you are wondering about HD channels on Xfinity, here is what you can expect.

Many areas served by Comcast have been upgraded recently.  As they upgraded to full digital service, more HD channels became available, and at the same time the Xfinity brand name was rolled out in these markets.  This resulted in announcements like this one where 55 HD channels were all added at once, along with new Xfinity Spanish channels as well.  While this is certainly good news for customers living in the Xfinity footprint area, it also shows how far behind Comcast was in some areas when it comes to high definition channel content.  Overall, most areas now have right around 100 HD channels, along with 50 Spanish channels if that is of interest.

Cable and satellite have been competing over the last few years when it comes to technology, and two areas to look at when comparing DISH vs Xfinity are the digital video recorders and video on demand services offered by each company.  In each area, there is a clear winner with DISH Network offering superior DVRs and Xfinity dominating with their On-Demand content.

The DISH Network DVR has won awards from cnet and other rating services in the past few years. In 2008, the ViP722 HD DVR won the Editors Choice award from cnet where they recognized the device as one of the most fully featured and versatile HD DVRs on the market.  The ViP722 is a larger version of the well-received ViP622, and can hold up to 55 hours of high definition content.  DISH Network also now offers the ViP922 which is Sling-loaded, allowing you to watch your TV from any internet device worldwide provided you have a robust high speed connection.  Even better, DISH Network prices DVR service at just $7 a month, with their DVR having dual tuner capability (one HDTV and one standard definition TV).

While DISH Network does just about everything right with their DVR, Xfinity is finally getting into the game when it comes to storage capacity.  Past Comcast DVR models held just 20 hours of HD content, but newer Xfinity models can now record up to 60 hours of high definition programming.  Some markets offering the Xfinity DVR also now provide AnyRoom service, allowing customers to watch recorded content in different rooms in the house as long as you have a digital cable box in each location.  Unfortunately, you will pay a significant price for the Xfinity DVR, currently $15.95 a month for the high definition model or more than double what you will pay with a DISH Network model.

On the other hand, Xfinity dominates DISH Network when it comes to their On Demand library.  If you have a premium package with the cable provider, you can access as many as 20,000 titles each month with new options rolled out weekly.  This makes it easy to find something for the kids or catch up on a new series that you have just started watching.  Xfinity can provide On demand content over the internet as well, simply login and watch right on your computer.

DISH Network has a very limited library of pay per view movies On demand.  Because satellite TV services like DIRECTV and DISH do not have a physical network, their video on demand services pale in comparison to what cable companies like Time Warner and Comcast have to offer.

Finally, sports fans will want to look at both Xfinty and DISH Network closely before going with one or the other.  Both companies have battled the National Football League in the past over carriage of the NFL Network, but you can now find that 24-hour a day football channel with either provider.  Neither company though has the NFL Sunday Ticket package, which is exclusive to DIRECTV for at least the next three seasons.  The big difference between the two comes into play of you are a baseball fan.

DISH Network is embroiled in an ongoing battle with Major League Baseball over carriage of both the MLB Channel and the MLB Extra Innings package.  Basically, MLB wants more money than DISH is willing to pay, so unfortunately customers suffer in the carriage dispute.  Xfinity does provide access to both products, though the Extra Innings package will run you around $200 per season on your bill.

So there are a few things for you to consider if you are comparison shopping DISH Network versus Xfinity.  New customers generally get the best deals, so it may be worth it to you to switch providers to take advantage of what they have to offer.

Competition in the pay television industry continues to be intense.  Cable television companies had an advantage for years in offering triple play bundles, but now new telco options from Verizon and AT&T have reduced that long-time advantage.  Then there are satellite TV options from DIRECTV and DISH Network.  These companies offer incentives worth hundreds of dollars to new subscribers.  In this article, we will look at the Dish Network deals for new customers, and compare them to the current offers from DIRECTV.

DISH Network hit a rough spot a few years ago, losing subscribers for the first time in their history.  The last year has been much better however, as heavy advertising and low prices have brought in customers looking for an affordable option.  If you have cable TV, you will certainly save money during the first year of DISH Network service, as their discounted rates will beat just about any price out there from a cable television company.  In addition, DISH Network packages are prices lower than DIRECTV packages, although some have fewer channel choices when lined up side by side.  So what is offered to customers subscribing to DISH Network for the first time?

Discounted package rates are the main incentive, which are good for the first 12 months of service.  Depending on which DISH Network package you go with, you will be able to save anywhere from $10 to $20 a month for the first 12 months.  After that, remember as a new customer you must agree to a two year DISH Network contract, so of course you will have to pay regular prices for at least one additional year.

Most who are looking to switch away from another provider don’t want to spend a lot of money to do so.  DISH Network has you covered here as well, offering free installation and free equipment to get you up and running.  Current promotions can get you hooked up in up to six different rooms in your home, as long as there aren’t any extremely labor intensive or specialized installation requests.  If you have any questions, the best thing to do is review the entire installation with the DISH Network technician before the work is started.  The satellite dish is also provided at no cost and professionally installed to get you the best picture possible.

If you have purchased a 3D TV, plasma screen, or LCD, then DISH Network is one of the best providers for setting you up with state of the art equipment.  New customers can get the DuoDVR ViP 722 model at no charge, which will connect one HDTV and one standard definition TV in your house.   The ViP 922 which has Slingbox technology is also an option for new DISH Network subscribers, but you will have to call and get an exact quote on what they will charge you for this box, as it currently is not included for free with the current DISH Network deals.  You can, however, get up to three HD compatible receivers at no charge though you do pay additional receiver fees each month as part of the deal.

In conclusion, new customers with DISH Network are in the drivers seat when it comes to getting a great promotional rate.  Both satellite TV companies continue to face fierce competition from not only cable providers but also new players like U-verse by AT&T.  As long as these competitive forces remain, great deals will continue to be available to customers across the country.

DISH Network recently acquired the bankrupt Blockbuster franchise, leaving many to wonder what plans they had for the chain of video rental stores.  It didn’t take long for DISH  to come out with a new deal, with a free trial for new satellite TV subscribers.   If you are looking to switch away from cable TV, you might take a close look at the DISH Network Blockbuster deal and compare it with what DIRECTV offers.

The new deal gives subscribers a free three month trial to the Blockbuster by Mail service, with 100,000 movies to pick from.  The deal is currently scheduled to run through August 10th, 2011 but if things go well DISH Network will probably extend or renew the offer beyond that date.

The Blockbuster By Mail offer is the 1 disc at a time plan, which is currently offered at $11.99 per month.  Blockbuster also offers 2 and 3 disc plans, which are normally priced at $16.99 and $19.99 a month respectively.  At this time, the 2 and 3 disc plans are not available with the DISH Network offer.

The plan also offers Blu-ray rentals and selected video games, again with only one disc allowed at a time.  Customers can also choose to exchange in store five times per month, though that may be a bit more difficult for some as the number of Blockbuster retail stores continues to shrink.   DISH Network plans to operate around 1,700 brick and mortar stores once the dust finally settles, which is down from the nearly 9,100 retail locations Blockbuster once operated in 2004.

Blockbuster has faced increasing pressure from streaming services like Netflix, and video rental kiosks like Redbox, which offer movies for $1 a night and Blu-ray discs for slightly higher prices.  DISH-Blockbuster do have a slight advantage in that they have contractual deals to offer many new release movies for 28 days before Netflix and Redbox can compete.

DISH Network also changed the pricing structure at Blockbuster retail outfits last week, moving in line with Redbox for the most part.  New release movies are $2.99 on the first day, and $.99 a day thereafter, with older movies going for $1.99 on the first day.  Multi day rentals have been eliminated at the chain.

The new DISH Network deal gives movie fans another reason to select DISH satellite TV over DIRECTV or cable.  While sport fans have more choices with the competition, movie fans continue to find more selection with the nations second-largest satellite provider.

If you are looking for an affordable satellite TV package, then you know that DISH Network and DIRECTV are the two options in the United States. Both offer packages including hundreds of channels, and deals for new customers.  But you might be concerned about the price after any advertised specials are finished.  In this article we will review both the promotional and regular prices for DISH Network satellite TV service.

How much does DISH Network cost?

DISH Network advertisements mainly promote a package for $29.99 a month, which is the America’s Top 120 offer.  This package includes around 90 digital channels in video format, and an additional 30 commercial free movie channels.   The monthly DISH Network cost is dropped by $15 a month during the first 12 months of service, so in reality the package price is currently $44.99 per month.  This package does include your local channels in most areas, but it does not include regional sports network like Fox Sports.  If that is something you want then you will have to get the America’s Top 120 Plus package, which is $5 more per month.

Keep in mind though that this is a basic package without any add-ons.  While this price is rock-bottom, most people will have additional costs with their DISH Network service.  Here are a few other prices that come along with your satellite television service.

While DISH Network will give you a free DVR when you set up service, there is a monthly fee to make it work.  The current Dish DVR charge is $6 a month.  The DuoDVR series will give you access to a second feed, meaning you can have one HDTV hooked up in one room and a second standard definition TV connected somewhere else in the house.  This can save you a bit of money over DIRECTV and cable companies that charge for each box that is hooked up.

There will also be an additional cost each time you watch a pay per view movie with DISH Network .  Most titles range in price from $4.99 to $5.99 each, though adult pay per view titles are usually quite a bit more.  DISH Network also offers certain seasonal sports packages like the MLS Direct Kick.

Premium channels will also cost you an extra fee each month as a DISH Network subscriber.  While you can usually get three months free of HBO or Showtime as a new customer, you will be billed after that if you keep the premium service.  Currently, HBO is $16.00 a month, while Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax are $13.00 per month.  If you subscribe to multiple premium movie channels, you get a discount.  Those looking for an all inclusive package should consider the America’s Everything package, which offers all of the premium movie content plus a full basic cable lineup for around $105.00 per month.

Each situation is different, so you should fully evaluate what DISH Network costs based on your needs and desires.  Extra DISH Network receivers, DISH internationl programming, and pay per view options can significantly increase your monthly bill.  But compared to most cable companies, the prices offered by DISH Network on basic programming packages are among the lowest available today.