As part of the recent name change on Dish Network packages, the Classic Gold 250 has gone by the wayside. In its place comes the America’s Top 250 package by Dish Network satellite TV. What can you expect if you are a new satellite subscriber and sign up for the America’s Top 250 bundle?

Not a lot has changed when compared to last year’s version of this package. The Classic Gold 250 bundle was the top package Dish Network offers with the exception of the America’s Everything package. The America’s Top 250 adopts the same channel lineup from the Classic Gold, and will offer you almost all of the basic cable channels, plus local programming in most of the United States. When compared to the America’s Top 200 package, the 250 adds in channels like Chiller, Fuel TV, the Tennis Channel, and the Hallmark Movie channel among others.

This Dish Network bundle will be priced at $62.99 a month for 2010, which is a very good price when compared to your typical digital cable lineup. With Comcast or Time Warner, you will pay in the area of $75 to $80 a month for a comparable channel lineup. If you are comparing to DIRECTV, then the Choice Xtra package is probably what you will want to compare to, and that is priced at $63.99 a month in 2010, but does not have as many channels.

If you are switching over to satellite TV from cable or some other provider, you can also get some discounts and freebies as a new customer. Dish TV offers a $15 savings per month for one year, meaning you will save $180 total on the America’s Top 250. There is a 24 month commitment, so you will be locked into regular prices for the second year, but can leave without penalty after that time. Additional incentives offered with this package include free Showtime and HBO for three months, as well as free installation and activation.

While this package does include quite a bit of content, one thing to keep in mind is that there aren’t any many premium movie channels included. There are a few Encore channels but not any Showtime, Starz or HBO channels unless you want to add them on as premiums. If you are interested in adding movie channels to the Top 250 package, the prices are as follows. HBO is $15.99 a month, Starz is $12.99, Cinemax is $12.99, Showtime is $12.99, and the Playboy channel is $15.99 a month. If you order multiple channels, you get a discount on more than one premium, with all 5 premiums offered for $50 a month.

Other charges you can expect with the Dish Network America’s Top 250 include $10 for access to 80 HD channels, and a $6 a month DVR fee if you have either a DVR or an HD DVR.

If you are in the market for a new pay television provider in 2010, then you may want to take a close look at the DISH Network bundles that are available to you.  With DISH Network, you can enjoy all of the local and national networks that you get from your local cable TV company, and in most cases at a lower price overall.

DISH Network Bundles

If you are currently subscribing to basic cable, you are probably paying at least $60 a month.  For digital or premium cable through a provider like Comcast, the bill moves into the $80 to $150 a month range depending on how many premium channels you have.  While a DIRECTV bundle may save you some over cable TV, their overall pricing structure is a bit more than with DISH Network.  With a DISH Network bundle, you can start with a package as low as $19.99 a month for the Dish Family package, but since very few subscribe to this package, we will start off with the Dish Classic Bronze bundle, and consider how it compares to cable.

The DISH Network Classic Bronze bundle is a great choice if you are currently a basic cable customer. Depending on your cable company, you probably pay anywhere from $50 to $75 a month for basic cable, and for that you probably get around 100 channels.  With the Classic Bronze bundle, you will get 120 channels total, of which around 25 are music stations.   Current pricing is $24.99 a month, which is a $15 discount from the regular price during the first year.  After that you are looking at $40 a month.  DVR service is another $6 per month, but even at the regular price this bundle compares well against basic cable.

The Classic Silver bundle is next up from DISH Network.  With more than 200 all digital channels, this package matches up well against digital cable or the DIRECTV Choice Xtra bundle.  This package is priced at $37.99 a month when considering the $15 first year discount.  Regular pricing is $52.99, which again compares well with something like your typical digital cable bundle.

The DISH Network Classic Gold bundle is next on the list, and comes in at $47.99 a month, or $62.99 a month if you are considering the price once the promotional period is over.   Here you will find over 260 all-digital channels when you count both audio and video.  Quite a few of these are Sirius satellite radio stations, so if those are not high on your list, the Silver 200 bundle may be a better choice.

Finally, the America’s Everything Bundle is the all inclusive choice available from DISH Network.  Everything in the Classic Gold package is included, plus more than 30 premium movie channels like HBO and Showtime are included.  This Dish bundle is just under $100 a month, and is also eligible for the new customer discount for 12 months.

A few additional factors to consider when looking at a DISH Network bundle.  All of the above packages include local channels where available.  DISH Network reaches more than 95% of the country with local channel programming, so this shouldn’t be much of an issue.  If you want high definition content with your DISH Network package, then you will be paying an additional $10 a month.   The number of HD channels you get depends on the bundle you pick, obviously the bundles with more channels overall also offer more HD channels.

Finally, none of the DISH Network bundles include the monthly fee for DVR service.  Right now, DISH Network charges $6 a month per DVR, though there are rumors circulating that Dish may be raising rates on their HD DVR service.  This does compare well with cable TV providers, some of whom charge upwards of $15 a month for DVR service.

Today there are thousands of Arabic speaking individuals living in the United States.  If you speak Arabic, how can you keep up with the latest news and entertainment from the Middle East?  Cable television is probably not your best bet, as the Arabic channel selection is limited, or non-existent.  Your best option is going with satellite, either DIRECTV Arabic or as we will discuss in the article – DISH Network Arabic packages.

DISH Network is the leader in Arabic programming and packages.  There are three different Arabic packages with DISH Network, and there are also a la carte choices along with an Arabic Music pack with Dish TV.  Which Arabic package is right for you?  Let’s review the DISH Network specials and see how they stack up compared to DIRECTV Arabic packages.

The most comprehensive Arabic package available in the United States today is offered by DISH Network, and it is called the Arabic Elite Super Pack.  Priced at $49.99 per month, or $494.89 if paid on an annual basis, this Arabic TV bundle offers more than you will find with DIRECTV or any cable TV company.   Here you will find Arabic language dramas, movies, sports, and 24-news from Al Jazeera.  Also included are talk shows, Egyptian league soccer, and mini-series.  Here is the channel lineup for the Arabic Elite Super pack:

ABU DHABI    767
AL ARABIYA    772
AL JAZEERA    645
AL ZIKR    665
ART AMERICA    642
ART MOVIES    643
ART MUSIC    669
ART SPORTS    601
BBC ARABIC    606
DUBAI SATELLITE CHANNEL    649
DUBAI SPORTS    659
Dream 2    769
ESC-1    646
EuroNews    784
FUTURE TV    648
HEKAYAT    777
LBC    760
MBC    670
NBN    770
NEW TV    774
NILE DRAMA    647

Next up on the DISH Network Arabic TV list is the Elite Pack. This particular Arabic package is priced at $34.99 per month, or $384.89 if paid for on an annual basis. Here you will find 12 Arabic language channels, including the 24 hour a day news channel Al Jazeera.  Here is the channel lineup:

AL ARABIYA
AL JAZEERA
AL ZIKR
ART AMERICA
ART MOVIES
ART MUSIC
DUBAI SATELLITE CHANNEL
ESC-1
FUTURE TV
LBC
MBC
NILE DRAMA

Finally, the lowest priced DISH Network Arabic package is the Enhanced Pack. This bundle, priced at $29.99 per month offers nine different channels. The Arabic Enhanced Pack from Dish TV gives the customer a nice balance of news, entertainment, and sports from the Middle East and around the world.
Here are the channels in the Arabic Enhanced pack.

AL ARABIYA
AL JAZEERA
AL ZIKR
ART AMERICA
ART MOVIES
ART MUSIC
ESC-1
LBC
MBC

So what is the best way to get a good deal on a DISH Network Arabic package? Going directly to the source, DISH Network, assures you of finding the best promotions out there. Currently, there are great offers available in order to get you set up with Arabic TV at little to no cost.

There are a couple of ways you can configure your new DISH Network Arabic TV system. First, if you decide you want to go with either the Arabic Elite Super Pack or the Arabic Elite Pack these can be bought as stand alone packages. So if you don’t want or need an English language package like the Classic Gold 250 along with your Arabic bundle, you can stay with just the foreign language package. If you do for the lower priced Arabic Elite package, you do have to add local channels to the mix for $9.99 per month.

Now if you want the third Arabic TV option, the Arabic Enhanced package, you will have to start with a base DISH Network package in English, with the lowest priced option being the DishFamily bundle.

Of course if you want an English DISH Network package as well, any bundle can be added to the Arabic TV options. This is a good idea if you have children in the home and want them to be able to enjoy quality entertainment in both English and Arabic. So what all is included when you sign up as a new DISH Network customer?

DISH Network deals change from time to time, so you may want to visit the Dish website for the most current offer. Currently though, DISH Network offers free standard professional installation in up to four rooms. There is no equipment to buy, as a DVR upgrade is also standard for new customers. Do be aware that there is a $5.98 per month DVR fee for Dish customers. Currently, new customers can also get 15 free premium movie channels free for three months, those being the HBO and Showtime movie networks.

Overall, when comparing DISH Network Arabic programming against the DIRECTV Arabic option, you will find much more flexibility and greater programming choice with DISH Network.

Two of the big companies that compete head to head for your business are DISH Network and Time Warner cable. While Time Warner is the second biggest regional cable company, DISH Network is a national satellite TV provider. If you have access to both of these companies, you should line up and compare DISH Network vs. Time Warner cable before signing up for cable TV service.

With people looking for the most bang for their buck, cable and satellite TV companies are being scrutinized closely to see exactly how much they are charging. That is the case with both Time Warner and DISH Network, just like all other providers. Which should you choose if price is your number one consideration?

It depends on what you want from your satellite or cable provider. Many cable companies are offering triple play bundles of service, where you not only get your cable TV, but also your high speed internet service and home phone line. Time Warner cable, or TWC, is no different than Comcast or Cox cable in this regard, as they of course would rather make money off of their subscribers with three different services rather than one. If you want all of these services, you can usually get a good deal on a Time Warner triple play bundle.

On the other hand, many do not want a home phone because they use cell phones. Or they don’t have a computer so they don’t want internet service. They are just looking for a high quality cable TV service at an affordable price. If this is the situation you are in, then DISH Network satellite TV is probably the better choice rather than TWC.

Now if you are just comparing DISH Network prices vs. Time Warner cable pricing, you probably won’t find a big difference overall. Lets take a brief look at what each company offers so you can make the right decision when comparing TWC vs satellite TV service.

With DISH Network, pricing is fairly straightforward, and it is easy to figure out the package rates no matter where you live. Dish TV offers the Classic Bronze 100, the Classic Silver 200, the Classic Gold 250, and the America’s everything package. As you can probably figure, the number listed with each DISH Network package corresponds to the approximate number of channels in the package. If you are mainly interested in movies, then the America’s Everything is the way to go, with more than 30 commercial free movie channels.

DISH Network pricing starts at $39.99 for the Classic Bronze 100 and moves all the way up to $102.98 for the America’s Everything package.  Right now, the current DISH Network offer gives new subscribers a $15 discount for the first year of service.  While these packages do include your local channels, they do not include HD channels, which cost an additional $10 per month.  Another extra is the DISH Network DVR, which is another $6 per month up and above the base package price.

Now with Time Warner cable, the price can vary a bit from area to area.  Time Warner cable reaches across the country and is in several areas including New York, Ohio, California and Texas.  Major cites served by TWC include Los Angeles, San Diego, Cleveland, San Antonio and Austin.  In each area served by Time Warner, the company has to obtain a cable franchise and set rates with the approval of local authorities.  So while the price differences are minor, you won’t find them uniform in the different areas.

To give you an idea of the rates charged by Time Warner, we pulled up some of the pricing in the North Carolina area served by TWC.   Here you will get Digital cable including one digital box, one premium digital tier, as well as basic and broadcast cable for $71.95 a month.  Local channels are included, but DVR service is not, that will cost you another $10.95 per month.  Time Warner does offer Free HD, but the number of HD channels can vary quite a bit, especially in areas that have not been upgraded yet.

If you aren’t interested in Digital cable and the On-demand features that come with that service, you can get basic cable from Time Warner.  Pricing on that is listed from $34.83 a month up to $56.66, so you will probably want to call TWC directly to get an accurate quote.  Several add on bundles are available as well.  The Time Warner Spanish package is called Nuestra Tele, which can be added for $24.95 a month, or $34.95 a month if you want Spanish HBO programming.  The Family Choice offer gives subscribers a package of 15 family themed channels for an additional $12.99 a month.  If you are looking for Spanish channels, a better way to go would be the DishLATINO package on satellite.

Additional receivers are another consideration when comparing Dish TV and Time Warner service.  Each additional Time Warner cable Box will cost $7.23 per month, so keep that in mind when counting up all of your television sets.  An alternative is using the CableCard option for $2.50 a month.  Each DISH Network DVR and receiver is capable of delivering signal to one HDTV and one standard definition TV.  If you are hooking up more than two sets, you will pay $7 per month for each additional receiver, and another $5.98 per DVR.

Now pricing isn’t everything when comparing TWC to DISH Network, so lets look at a few additional considerations.  Finding your favorite channel is of course important when you are looking at selecting a cable or satellite TV company.   Both DISH Network and Time Warner carry all of the regular cable television channels you are used to including CNN, Fox News, ESPN, and Discovery.  Where you may find some issues is when you look into some of the second tier sports channels out there.

In particular, if you are a big NFL fan you probably won’t be to happy with the hard line Time Warner cable has taken when it comes to carrying the NFL Network and the new RedZone channel.  The NFL and Time Warner cable have been battling for years over carriage of the network over the cable system, and it looks like there will not be a resolution for the 2009 season.  The NFL also rolled out a new channel airing just on Sundays called the RedZone channel, and while it has been picked up by DISH Network on their Multi-sport tier, it has not been picked up by Time Warner yet.  Neither company has access to the NFL Sunday Ticket package, which is locked up with DIRECTV through the year 2014.

Other out of market packages are fairly even when looking at TWC against DISH Network.  Both carry the NBA League Pass and the NHL Center Ice packages which usually run about $200 per season.  DISH Network does not carry the MLB Extra Innings or the MLB channel, while Time Warner does, so that may be a factor in your decision if you are a big baseball fan.

Now when it comes to high definition, both Time Warner HD and DISH Network have been working hard to roll out as many  channels as possible.  DISH Network is considered the national HD leader, offering access to more than 140 channels currently.  While Time Warner’s channel count is a bit lower in most areas, they are doing better than most cable TV companies.   Time Warner expanded to about 100 HD channels in the New York City area in February, 2009 mainly in response to all of the high def being offered by Verizon FiOS.  While this is great for some served by TWC, others continue to wait for the cable company to upgrade their network so more HD content can be added.  Call your local Time Warner office to find out exactly how many HD channels are in your area when comparing services against DISH Network.

One area where Time Warner beats DISH Network is in the on-demand programming available.  Similar to other cable companies like Comcast and Cox, Time Warner has upgraded their cable TV network so that there are nearly 10,000 on demand programs available at any given time.  Now many of these are just short clips, and who can really watch 10,000 shows?  But it is a feature that becomes fairly addictive in that there is always something on, and you can watch episodes of your favorite shows that you may have missed in the past.  DISH Network does offer Pay per view movie on demand, but not much more than that.  The alternative is to record your favorite content on the Dish DVR so you can watch it at your convenience.

Speaking of DVR devices, which is better?  The DISH Network DVR vs Time Warner’s DVR.  When it comes to capacity, the DISH Network DVR wins hands down.  The Dish TV DVR holds 55 hours of HD content, or up to 350 hours of standard definition content.  The current Time Warner cable DVR’s hold 35 hours of HD, or up to 80 hours of standard def content.  While Time Warner DVR’s will do the trick when it comes to recording and playing back programming, the Dish Duo ViP 722 has been praised by CNET and others for its functionality.

A final consideration when comparing Time Warner against DISH Network is the other services available with cable TV that aren’t with satellite.  Bundles include your choice of digital cable TV, TWC digital phone, and Road Runner high speed internet service.   Usually the best Time Warner deals come into play when you are a new customer signing up for all three services.  Depending on the level of service you want, you can get all three services for around $100 per month for the first year.  Be sure to confirm with Time Warner what the price is after the deal is over so you know what to expect as far as regular pricing goes.

So there are a few of the factors to consider when looking at Dish vs Time Warner.  Hopefully you will find the package that fits your needs at a great price.

For many years, people who wanted cable TV only had one source, the old cable television company. In the mid 90’s, satellite TV companies Dish Network and DIRECTV were finally able to break the cable monopoly. Now in many areas, consumers have a third option, as Verizon and AT&T have rolled out new technology allowing cable TV service to be delivered through the phone network. In this article, we will compare two of these relative newcomers:

Dish Network vs. AT&T U-verse

Dish Network and AT&T have a bit of history, as in the past they used to be business partners.  AT&T used to sell Dish Network satellite TV until early 2009.  So you might wonder, why did AT&T sell Dish Network and now DIRECTV service when they have their video service?

The reason for this is because U-verse is still in the early stages of deployment. AT&T cable packages are introduced slowly as the needed technology is deployed from city to city. Plenty of red tape must be overcome by AT&T in applying for a cable TV franchise for every area they intend to serve with U-verse.

This of course is the first major difference when comparing U-verse vs Dish Network. AT&T uses their existing network of copper lines to deliver U-verse, while DISH Network of course installs a small satellite dish unit to deliver content. AT&T does have fiber optic lines going to the neighborhoods it that have U-verse, then the signal travels the rest of the way to each hope on copper pairs.  Many are under the impression that U-verse uses a satellite dish, but this is not the case.

If you are concerned about reliability, you should be fine with both U-verse and Dish Network.  Satellite TV has been around now for more than 15 years, and usually only goes out during very intense storms.  With AT&T U-verse, the issues usually only come up during installation.  Once the U-verse installer has you up and running, you shouldn’t have any significant downtime.

So how do Dish Network and U-verse compare when it comes to pricing and programming options?   Of course AT&T wants you to buy more than one product when you are buying their U-verse TV option, so if you are in the market for high speed internet or home phone service it is a good idea to price out the U-verse bundle options.  AT&T U-verse now offers a triple play package which also combines U-verse voice along with your cable  TV and internet service, so you don’t have to have a home phone line if you don’t need or want it.

There was a small U-verse price increase in February 2009, so these prices reflect the current pricing for just U-verse TV service with one receiver.

The U-verse Family and the U100 packages are both quoted at $49 per month.  This is a $5 increase over the price in 2008 which was $44 per month.  The U-verse family package has 70 channels, and the U100 has 130 channels, so why you would select the U-family package at the same price is quite a mystery.  The U-100 package is comparable to the Dish Network Classic Bronze 100 package, which has around a hundred channels total, and regularly priced at $39.99 per month.

The AT&T U-200 package is next up, and has up to 230 channels of programming depending on your area.  Currently priced at $64 per month, the U-200 increased $5 from last years price of $59 per month.  Here you will find all of the major cable channels, but no premium movie networks.  There is also a U-200 Latino package which adds quite a bit of Spanish language programming for an extra $10 per month.  The comparable Dish Network package would be the Classic Silver 200, which has in the area of 200 all digital video and audio channels.  The Classic Silver 200 is regularly priced at $52.99 per month.

The next offer from U-verse is the AT&T U-300 bundle for $79 per month.  Here you will basically find the U-200 package with the AT&T Movie package added on to bring the channel count up to nearly 300 networks.  The movie package contains 31 commercial free feeds from Starz, Showtime, Encore and Flix.  You won’t get HBO or Cinemax channels here though.  The closest comparision to this from Dish Network is probably the Classic Gold 250 package which is offered at $62.99 per month, though is does not contain the premium movie channels like the U-300.  With Dish Network, you can add on premium movie channel feeds and get discounts based on the number of channels you want.  For example, you can get two premiums for $22 a month, or three premiums for $31 per month.

Finally, we come to the all inclusive packages offered by U-verse and Dish Network.  The U-450 offers nearly 400 channels for $109 per month on a stand alone basis.  In addition to all of the channels in the U300 package, the U-450 adds several HBO and Cinemax channels.  It also adds the Sports pack, which carries dozens of regional sports networks from around the country.  The U-450 compares to the Dish Network America’s Everything Pack, which has over 280 channels of service for $102.98 per month.  This Dish Network package does include several feeds of the premium movie channels like HBO and Showtime.

Now if you are a big sports fan, there may be some things to factor in when comparing Dish TV vs U-verse.  While both Dish Network and U-verse carry the main sports channels like ESPN and Fox Sports, they aren’t equal when it comes to premium sports packages.  Both are locked out of the NFL Sunday Ticket package which is only on DIRECTV.  But when it comes to the NBA League Pass or the NHL Center Ice packages, you won’t find them on U-verse yet.   Dish Network does offer both of these packages, which currently run in the area of $200 per season.   ESPN Gameplan is available through both Dish Network and Uverse.

Now when it comes to promotional deals, you should closely compare Dish Network vs AT&T U-verse and see what they are willing to offer you.  Currently, both Dish Network and U-verse offer free installation, so you don’t have to worry about having a big upfront cost with either service.  They also will throw in equipment such as the U-verse Total Home DVR or the Dish Network ViP 722 DVR.   These advanced DVR devices allow you to watch and record television programming on your terms, and save you plenty of time as you can skip through commercials on programs already recorded.  Keep in mind, you do have to pay additional monthly service fees for DVR service with Dish Network, which is about $6 per month.  AT&T includes DVR service for the first unit in the package price.

U-verse and Dish Network do offer other deals though to entice you to subscribe.  AT&T has been big on their “cash back” offers with U-verse, which can net you anywhere from $50 to $250 back when you subscribe as a new customer.  One thing U-verse has been pushing is the online ordering process, so if you decide to go with U-verse, you can usually get a bigger check back in the mail by ordering U-verse service online.  Dish Network deals currently offer a monthly discount on programming during the first year of service, which is $15 off of any programming package except for the DishFamily package.  So basically you will save $180 during the first year with Dish Network, while you will get a nice check within a few months if you go with AT&T U-verse.

If you are looking for lots of high definition content, you really can’t go wrong with either Dish Network or AT&T U-verse.  Right now, Dish Network offers 140 national HD channels, though they do count pay per view HD in there so it is a bit inflated.  AT&T HD currently offers more than 110 channels in almost all areas that have U-verse.  One thing you will find is that if you are a premium movie channel fan, U-verse has quite a few movie channels in HD than are not yet deployed by Dish Network HD.  As far as cost goes, right now Dish Network and U-verse charge a $10 fee for access to HD channel content.  The only exception to this is the U-450 package, which currently includes HD access in the package price.  Dish Network Turbo HD used to be an option for those who only wanted HD content, but it looks like this has been eliminated for new customers.

Both U-verse and Dish Network offer DVR service, though depending on your situation you may want to go with one company over another.  AT&T U-verse offers a fairly unique device called the Total Home DVR.  Basically, the unit allows you to move from room to room and still watch the content saved on your DVR device.  The AT&T DVR also allows you to record up to four shows at one time, while with Dish Network you can only save two shows at a time on the ViP 722 DVR.  Dish Network’s DVR does offer Duo DVR service, which allow you to save and watch content on two different TV’s in your home.  As far as storage capacity goes, the AT&T DVR can hold up to 133 hours of SD content or 37 hours of HD programming.  The Dish Network ViP 722 holds 350 hours of SD or 55 hours of HD content.  U-verse does have an offer for their higher end customers that promises a DVR with larger capacity.  Customers subscribing to the U450 can get 233 hours SD/65 hours high definition DVR device from AT&T.

Remember when considering Dish Network vs U-verse your personal situation.  Research each company and get a price quote based on the number of HDTV’s and regular TV’s you want hooked up.  Additional charges will apply based on the number of receivers needed, so keep that in mind when reviewing the prices here. For addition information, we invite you to read our AT&T U-verse review, and our collection of Dish Network articles.

If you are moving into your first home, you may finally have an additional choice when it comes to your cable provider. Generally, those who live in apartments have to obtain service from the local cable TV company, unless they have a private balcony where they can put a satellite dish. But when you move into your own home, you have the choice of getting either cable or satellite TV. In this article, we will review your options when it comes to comparing pay television providers.

DISH Network vs Cable

DISH Network is of course one of the pioneers when it comes to challenging the old cable TV monopoly. After starting operations in the early 1990’s, DISH Network has grown to serve nearly 14 million customers in the United States today. The combination of low rates and high quality HD content makes DISH Network a company you should consider when looking at your satellite and cable TV options.

Cable television has its own advantages. Whether you are served by one of the large cable companies like Comcast or Time Warner, or one of the smaller cable operators, there is quite a bit to consider when considering what cable TV can offer. Most cable TV companies offer triple play bundles of service, allowing you to deal with one company for your voice, high speed internet, and video service. Oftentimes you can get is bundled discount when you have all of these services through your cable company. Cable TV companies also offer great On demand content, giving you literally hundreds of options when you sit down to watch a little TV. Alternatively, cable TV is generally more expensive than the satellite TV companies, DISH Network and DIRECTV.

Because channel lineups and content is fairly similar when comparing DISH Network vs. cable, lets first look at the pricing of these two options. Usually, if you are a new customer you can strike a good deal with either Dish TV or your local cable company. Because companies are always looking for ways to increase their subscriber base, they are willing to offer discounted rates, free premium channels, and free equipment in order to entice people to subscribe. This is true with satellite TV, as DIRECTV and DISH Network deals are always available to new subscribers.

The regular DISH Network prices are what you should consider if you plan on keeping satellite TV service for the long term. Packages like the Classic Bronze 100 are regularly priced at around $45 per month, while the Classic Gold 250 is about $63 a month. Add $10 per month if you want HD content and you have a starting point to compare DISH Network to cable TV in your area. Right now, the current DISH Network offer discounts the package you select by $15 for the first 12 months of service, so you can save $180 overall in programming costs.

Cable TV prices of course vary quite a bit depending on the area you live in and what other services you take from your local cable company. We have provided reviews on Charter cable and Cox Communications, but your best way to determine what rates prevail in your area is to call your local cable television company. Be sure to ask what the cable rates are after any promotional period, as they are often deeply discounted during the first year of service for new customers.

While cable TV is often more expensive than DISH Network when looking at video service, you can get a better deal with cable triple play offers. Usually, you will get a basic cable package, high speed cable service, and local phone service for around $100 per month. After a year though, the price usually goes up, so be aware of any deals like this when comparing the overall price against Dish TV.

Next, an important consideration when comparing cable TV vs. DISH Network is picture quality, and HD content. This has become even more important over the past year, as millions of Americans have gone out and purchased HDTV’s and want the best content for these expensive television sets. You probably won’t notice much of a difference when comparing cable TV against DISH Network when you are watching standard definition programming. Where most notice a difference is when it comes to HD content. In this area, DISH Network beats most cable providers in both the picture quality, and in the number of HD channels available.

Right now, DISH Network Turbo HD has more than 140 national HD channels, recently passing DIRECTV for the most HD content. Now you really won’t get that many HD channels depending on the package you select. For example, the Classic Gold 250 package actually has 80 HD channels. Where are the rest? Basically there are quite a few PPV channels in HD, and also premium movie channels in HD like the various Starz and HBO feeds.

On the other hand, you won’t find nearly as many HD channels with your local cable TV company. Only the Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse cable options are going to come close to the HD content offered by DISH Network. Most cable companies are still struggling to upgrade their networks to provide more HD content, so the number of HD channels available from area to area can vary quite a bit. Also, some cable companies like Time Warner have been better about HD deployment, while Charter cable has been one of the worst when it comes to providing subscribers with high definition.

When it comes to getting your local channels in HD, you will probably find that both DISH Network and your cable TV company are able to do this. DISH Network now covers more than 90% of U.S. households when it comes to local HD programming. Check with your local cable company and DISH Network if this is a high priority for you.

Going in a different direction, on-demand programming is an area that has grown significantly in the last few years. Cable TV companies have pioneered on demand access, setting up huge server farms in order to provide subscribers with 24/7 access to all kinds of programming. Most of the big companies like Cox, Comcast, Brighthouse, and Time Warner cable (TWC) offer On-demand at no extra charge. Usually you have to have a digital cable package or higher for free On-demand access.

With DISH Network, they have made a big push in promoting their Movies On Demand offer. While you can watch pay per view movies at any time, you still have the fees associated with VOD, usually $5-6 per movie. Dish TV does offer many of their titles in 1080p, which is the best video quality available today. When it comes to regular TV programming, there is not much at all with DISH Network compared to cable TV, as DISH Network has to push the content to your DVR and there is limited space available. A definite edge goes to cable TV if you use On-demand frequently.

Another consideration for many when comparing DISH Network vs. cable TV is the availability of sports programming. Here you will find things to be fairly similar between your local cable TV company and DISH Network TV. The major sports networks like ESPN, ESPN2, and your regional sports networks are usually there with either provider. On most of the higher tiers you will also find the NFL Network, Speed, and a few other sports networks. One network you won’t currently find on DISH Network though is the MLB Channel. They have yet to strike a deal with Major League Baseball to carry the network, and they also do not carry the MLB Extra Innings package, which is on DIRECTV and most cable TV carriers.

DISH Network does carry the NBA League Pass and the NHL Center Ice package, which usually run about $200 extra per year. Both of these packages are also on most cable TV carriers. Where cable television and DISH Network both come up short is when it comes to the NFL Sunday Ticket. This package remains an exclusive of DIRECTV, which recently extended their contract with the NFL for carriage through the year 2014. DIRECTV has stated that it will be making the Red Zone channel available to Dish TV and cable companies, but it is unclear if any other pay television companies will take DIRECTV up on the offer.

If customer service is a concern for you, then comparing DISH Network against cable TV on this subject is another important consideration. Last year, DIRECTV had the highest customer satisfaction rating, while DISH Network came in second place. Big cable companies fell far behind both satellite TV companies, including Comcast, Time Warner, and Charter cable, which posted the lowest score ever measured in the 2009 University of Michigan American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI). While these scores are of course averages and each customer experience is different, you probably will have fewer issues with DISH Network customer service compared to cable.

If you have used a DVR, or digital video recorder, you know how handy these devices are in helping you watch TV. Both DISH Network and cable TV companies have adopted DVR technology today. While you won’t notice a huge difference when comparing the Dish DVR with cable TV DVR units, there are some advantages that go to the satellite TV provider. DISH Network offers their DuoDVR device which can connect one HDTV and one standard definition TV through the same box. DVR service with DISH Network runs about $6 per month, per DVR.   Many cable companies charge extremely high rates on their DVR units, an example being Comcast cable which charges more than $15 per month for DVR service. Be sure to check out how much your cable company charges for DVR service before committing.

In conclusion, a side by side comparison of DISH Network vs cable TV is the smart thing to do before committing to one or the other. Closely evaluate your personal needs when it comes to a pay television provider, then see which company can meet those needs at a price you can live with.

DISH Network has rolled out their latest special in response to the new NFL Sunday Ticket offer from DIRECTV. So what can you get as a new subscriber to the latest DISH Network offer?

First, lets look at the monthly price discounts. The new DISH Network offer gives the customer a $15 dollar per month discount for the first 12 months of service. This is a bit of an improvement over the last DISH Network deal, which offered a $25 discount during the first six months of service. So basically you will save $180 total instead of $150 on programming costs during your first year of DISH Network service.

The DISH Network offer applies to all packages except the Dish Family bundle. So you are looking at a price of $24.99 per month for the Classic Bronze 100 package or $29.99 for the Classic Bronze 100+ bundle. The Bronze 100+ adds your regional sports programming to the regular Bronze package. As mentioned, this DISH Network offer locks in these prices for one full year.

If you are looking for a medium tier package with DISH Network, the offer provides new subscribers with the DISH Network Classic Silver 200 package at a reduced price of $37.99 a month. This special offer includes all of the Bronze 100 channels, plus channels like Speed, Animal Planet and Bravo. Also included are dozens of Sirius Music stations in addition.

The next DISH Network offer is the Classic Gold 250 package. For this package, new customers will be looking at a monthly rate of $47.99 for the first year. After that, the price goes up to the regular rate of $62.99 per month. Additional channels here beyond the Silver 200 package are the Tennis channel, Fuel TV, ESPNU, and the Fox Soccer channel.

The final DISH Network discounted offer is the America’s Everything package. This bundle includes every cable network you can imagine, including dozens of commercial free movie channels like HBO. This package is priced at $87.98 for one year, then moves up to $102.98 after one year.

Now another consideration for most folks is high definition, or HD content. All of the above packages do not include HD channels, but they can be added for $10 per month. The number of HD channels your receive depends on the package. For example, the HD add on for the Bronze package includes 55 channels, while the add-on for the Gold package includes 80 HD channels.

If you are looking at the prices for the new DISH Network deal and they look a little higher than prior offers, you are right. It looks as if DISH Network packages are now including the local channels in the price, when in the past they were a bit lower and you would have to add on the local channels for $5 per month.

DISH Network has also eliminated the DishDVR advantage bundle from their lineup. Instead, you can now order the Bronze, Silver, or Gold packages and add a “With DVR” bundle. This charge of $5.98 per month will cover one HDTV and one standard definition TV for the same monthly charge. Unfortunately if you have 2 or more HDTV’s, you will have to pay extra monthly receiver fees for the HD receiver.

Finally, the new DISH Network special provides a few extra goodies for new customers. One extra is free HBO and Starz for three months. If you don’t call to cancel, these premium movie networks will continue at the regular price after three months. Another nice addition is the 3 for free promotion. With this offer you can get HD receivers for up to three of your HDTV’s with no initial equipment cost. Note there is a $7 per month charge for each additional receive after the first one.

Overall, the latest DISH Network offer is an affordable TV package for non-sports fans out there. DIRECTV certainly is the way to go for big time NFL fans, while DISH Network is making a strong play for HD and movie fans.

Update: Classic Gold 250 has been re-titled Americas Top 250

Picking a satellite TV package can be a difficult decision.  Between channel counts, HD access and  DVR devices, the customer sometimes doesn’t know what is true when claims are being made by satellite and cable television companies.  That is why we provide you comprehensive reviews of different packages, such as the DIRECTV Premier package and the Turbo HD Gold offer from DISH Network.  In this article, we will review the Classic Gold 250 package which is also a DISH Network offering.

The DISH Network Classic Gold 250 was formerly the America’s Top 250 package before DISH Network renamed their programming packages last year.  As the name implies, it contains 250 plus audio and video networks.  When you subscribe to a package like this from Dish TV, you can expect 100% digital and audio quality, free installation in up to four different areas of your home, and access to one of the best DVR units out there today, the Dish ViP722 device.

Now if you are either a cable TV or DIRECTV customer and are thinking of switching over to DISH Network, you might wonder where the Classic Gold 250 package falls as far as comparing it to your current provider.   When comparing this with DIRECTV, it probably falls closest to the Choice Xtra package.  That package offers 200+ channels and the regular price is $60.99 a month, while the Classic Gold 250 package is $57.99 per month.   When comparing it to your cable company, it is probably comparable to a Premium Digital cable package, though what is offered in these can vary depending on providers.  For example, the Comcast Digitial Preferred runs $72.94 per month in the Denver, Colorado area and includes 150 audio and video channels.  It also includes Comcast HD, which is not included in the Classic Gold 250 and will cost you an additional $10 per month.

Now the Dish Classic Gold 250 currently runs $57.99 per month.  But because Dish TV prices things on an a la carte basis, you should be aware of the extras that will bring you bill up a bit.  Local channels like CBS, NBC and ABC in addition to this package will cost an extra $5.00 per month.  As mentioned earlier, to receive the DISH Network HD feeds that are available will also cost another $10 per month.

Another monthly charge to be aware of is for the DVR that is provided when your DISH Network satellite service is installed.  While DishNetwork will provide you with a new, top of the line ViP 722 DVR when you set up service, you do have to pay monthly for the DVR to be operational.  Current pricing is $5.98 per month for each DVR that you have in use in your home.

So what can you expect when it comes to programming content with the Dish Classic Gold package?  Of course all of the major cable network are to be found here like ESPN, CNN, TBS and TNT.  Quite a few movie channels are also in this package, such as the Encore lineup, and the Lifetime Movie Network and Turner Classic Movies.

Unfortunately, you won’t find any premium movie channels beyond the Encore channels in this bundle.  To get these, you will either have to go with the America’s Everything package, or add on the premiums that you want individually.   Here is a listing of the channels in the Classic Gold package up and above the DISH Network Classic Silver 200 package.   Channels in the Silver Package can be viewed here.

Biography Channel
Bloomberg Television
Boomerang
CNBC World
Discovery Home
Discovery Kids
Discovery Times
DIY
Encore (West)
Encore Action
Encore Drama
Encore Love
Encore Mystery
Encore WAM
Encore Westerns
ESPNU
Fine Living
Fox Movie Channel
Fox Reality
Fox Soccer
The Golf Channel
GolTV
Great American Country
Hallmark Channel
History International
Lifetime Movie Network
LIME
Military Channel
Mun2
National Geographic
Nickelodeon Games & Sports
Nicktoons Network
The Outdoor Channel
The Science Channel
Sleuth
Style
The Tennis Channel
The Movie Channel (West)
TMC xtra (West)
Versus

So now that you know all the channels available in the Classic Gold 250 package, what kind of DISH Network deals are out there on this bundle.  Promotions are always changing, so its a good idea to check with both satellite TV companies to find out what they are offering.   Currently, the Classic Gold deal gives you a $25 dollar discount on the monthly rate for 6 months, bringing the price down from $57.99 to $32.99 per month.  In addition, you can also get free access to the Turbo HD Gold channels.  As mentioned earlier, free professional installation and one HD DVR box is also included to you can watch everything in crystal clear HD.

Of course with the NFL season starting soon, the  DISH Network Classic 250 may not fit your needs as there is no NFL Sunday Ticket availability here.  Our recommended alternative if you are looking to try out the Sunday Ticket package is the Choice Xtra package or the DIRECTV Plus HD DVR offer with a $21 discount for the first year.

Update: DISH Network 2011 price increase

DISH Network is greeting their customer base this February with a hefty price increase which may have customers looking to DIRECTV or other cable TV providers. The Dish TV price increase takes effect today, though the news first broke back in December of last year.

So how will you be affected by DISH Network raising rates? Lets take a look at how DISH Network has arranged its pricing for 2009.

First, DISH Network has eliminated the package names that have been around for years, such as the Americas Top 100, or AT100 as it is often referred to. Gone as well are the America’s Top 200, America’s Top 250, and the America’s Everything Pack. DISH Network has renamed these packages to match the Turbo HD names that came out last summer. Here is how the DISH Network packages transition.

America’s Top 100 is now the DISH Network Classic Bronze 100. This package is moving up from $32.99 to $34.99. With local service it moves from $34.99 to $39.99. Price increase of $2.00 a month. Add $10 per month for the Turbo HD Bronze addition.

America’s Top 200 is now the DISH Network Classic Silver 200. This bundle is increasing in price from $44.99 to $47.99 per month. With local channels, it increased from $49.99 to $52.99 per month. Overall an increase of $3.00 over 2008 prices. Add $10 for the Turbo HD Silver package.

America’s Top 250 is now the DISH Network Classic Gold 250. The base package increases from $54.99 to $57.99 per month. With locals, the price of $59.99 goes up to $62.99 per month. Overall, prices increase $3 a month for the 250 channel lineup. Add $10 for the Turbo HD Gold package.

Lastly, the all inclusive DISH Network America’s Everything Pak is renamed the Classic Everything Pak. This was $94.98 last year, and will be $97.98 in 2009. With local channels, the price increases from $99.98 to $102.98. Overall, a $3 per month increase here. Again, the Turbo HD Gold addition can be had for another $10 per month.

One area where DISH Network is making up some lost ground is on their DishDVR Advantage packages. Last year, DISH Network made a big deal over the fact that they were freezing prices on several of their packages. In actuality, they only held the line on the DishDVR Advantage packages, and the Dish Family package. But DISH Network is making up for that with this year’s price increase.

The DishDVR Advantage Classic Bronze will move from $39.99 a month up to $44.99 a month, a $5 increase. DishDVR Classic Silver will increase from $49.99 up to $57.99 a month. Finally, the DishDVR Classic Gold 250 will increase from $59.99 up to $67.99 a month. Thus the Silver and Gold DishDVR packages will both increase $8 per month. So DISH Network customers may have enjoyed lower prices in 2008, they are basically being hit with a double increase in 2009 to make up for DISH Network’s lost revenue, and to bring prices more in line with DIRECTV and cable television.

If you are one of the new subscribers to the DISH Network Turbo HD only packages, you will also encounter a price increase. Turbo HD Bronze is jumping $5 per month, from $24.99 up to $29.99 a month. Turbo HD Silver customers will see their prices move up from $32.99 to $39.99, an increase of $7 a month. Finally the Turbo HD Gold package will increase a whopping $10 per month, from $39.99 up to $49.99 a month. Turbo HD came into the market last summer with extremely low prices for the all high definition channel lineups, but those low prices are quickly disappearing. Rumors of new HD channels have been floating across message boards, but nothing has come of yet for the new Turbo HD packages.

As far as good news, while there isn’t much, current DishLATINO customers won’t feel as much pain. Several Dish Latino packages including the DishLatino Plus, DishLatino Dos, and DishLatino Max will actually decrease slightly if you already have local channels, but will slightly increase without local channels. The pricing is actually the same with or without locals for most DishLATINO packages, so customers may as well sign up for them.

Premium movie channels also remain fairly stable with the latest DISH Network price increase, with HBO going up a buck, and no change to Cinemax, Starz, and Showtime.

Overall, the price increases look to be standard for the course, as Comcast, Time Warner, and DIRECTV all are doing the same. 2009 will certainly be difficult for both satellite TV companies, as DISH Network and DIRECTV fight to maintain and grow their respective subscriber bases. The one disappointment for DishDVR and Turbo HD customers is that their great 2008 rates have basically been thrown out the window.