Here’s a rundown on the programming, equipment,and services provided by

DISH Network and DIRECTV

so you can decide for yourself which satellite TV provider is the best one for you.

Programming

Programming Packages

* DISH Network programming packages start at $19.99 for 40 channels and go up to $74.99 for 350 channels.

*

DIRECTV programming packages start at $41.99 for 155 channels and go up to $96.99 for 250 channels.

Local Channels

*

DISH Network charges $5 a month to add local channels.

*

DIRECTV charges $3 per month to add local channels.

Music Channels

* DISH Network offers 52 commercial-free music channels and 60 Sirius radio channels.

* DIRECTV: Offers 67 commercial-free XM radio channels.

Pay-Per-View

* DISH Network charges $3.99 per movie, while sports and special event prices vary with each event.

* DIRECTV: Movies cost $3.99 per movie, sports and special event prices vary.

Sports Packages

* DISH Network offers 7 sports packages including NFL, MLB, NBA, and MLS packages.

* DIRECTV offers 9 sports packages including NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS and NFL Sunday Ticket.

International Programming

* DISH Network offers 21 international channels, including Asian, Chinese, and Spanish programming.

* DIRECTV Network offers 7 international channels, including Asian, Chinese, and Spanish programming.

Service Commitment

* DISH Network requires a one year service commitment and charges a fee for early cancellation.

* DIRECTV requires a one year commitment and charges a fee for early cancellation.

Equipment

Satellite TV System

* DISH Network gives you a free satellite dish, up to four free receivers, and free installation when you sign up for their service.

* DIRECTV gives you a free satellite dish, up to four free receivers, and free installation (shipping and handling for the system is $19.95).

DVR (digital video recorder)

* DISH Network will give you a free DVR.

* DIRECTV will give you a free DVR after a $99 mail-in rebate.

HD (high definition) Receiver

* DISH Network offers a free HD receiver.

* DIRECTV offers a free HD receiver after a $99 mail-in rebate.

Protection Plan

* DISH Network has a free 18 month protection plan.

* DIRECTV’s protection plan is $5.99 per month.

Conclusion

If you want the most satellite TV channels for the least amount of money, the biggest variety of programming, the most international channels, the most pay-per-view movies, and the most commercial-free music channels, then Dish Network is the obvious choice.

If you’re looking for the most sports packages and don’t mind paying the extra money for programming, then DIRECTV is what you’re looking for.
The brutal truth: all the free TV shows in the world Dish Network Or Directv (including the news, specials, the sports and awards events, in fact, every show there is) have their precious existence dependent on only one factor – ratings.

What are ratings? And why does it wield such power?

Basically, ratings are simply an audience measurement system used by both the Dish Network Or Directv TV and advertising industries. Through a survey, it measures the size and other particulars of the audience of television shows.

In turn, these results will serve as guide for advertisers where to place their advertisements to reach the greatest number of people at the least cost and all the other pertinent statistics. These survey results can mean the continued existence or the merciless death of a television program onDish Network Or Directv .

Just how reliable are these ratings in measuring how many are watching a particular free TV show? Are the data correct and verifiable? Do the results truly reflect the real nature of the TV audience on Dish Network Or Directv ?

Nielsen ratings

The business of audience measurement was developed for radio by Nielsen Media Research founded by Arthur Nielsen. In 1950, his business moved to television. Over the years, his method had become the standard in TV audience measurement all over the world.

The methods of gathering television ratings are done two ways:

1) Viewer “diaries” or records of viewing or listening habits of the target audience which is self-recorded. The demographics are varied, thereby rendering a good statistical distribution of the audience.

2) Set meters which are small counting devices of sort that are connected to the TV sets in selected houses. These meters records the viewing habits of the homeowner and sends the data every night through the phone line.

The meters also measure the viewing habits of the user down to the exact times when channels are changed or when the set is turned on or off. The added People Meters also produced other useful viewing information about the user.

Going with the times, Nielsen also started to measure the use of digital video recordings (like TiVO) for people who record their favorite shows for later viewing. Initial findings show that time-shifted viewing does alter TV ratings.

Data

The Nielsen results use two measurements, ratings point and share.

In September 2008, there are 114.5 million television households in the U.S. The single national ratings point represents 1% of this number or 1,145,000 households.

Share is the number of TV sets opened during the survey. If the Nielsen reports a show as having a 10/25 figure, it means that 10% of households were watching the program (ratings point) while only 25% of all TV sets were open during that time (share).

Ratings mean the percentage of the total number of TV sets tuned in to the show. Share is the percentage of TV sets actually opened and in use. Every year, Nielsen re-estimates the number of households with TV sets in preparation for every survey season.

Through the years, the advertising industry has placed classifications to certain demographic statistics. The viewers in the 18-49 age groups are regarded more important than the total number of viewers. Other products specify younger viewers, and still others prefer older audiences, or are females as the case maybe.

Criticisms

There had been criticisms on the methods used by the Nielsen ratings. One is the response bias of those involved in the survey. Counts are sometimes higher in self-reporting diaries than those gathered by electronic meters.

One other important critique is that these surveys are not really random. Only a small part of the population and only those that accept are used as the sample size.

Other criticisms include the lack of measuring TV audiences in large environments of TV watching like college dorms, transport terminals, bars and other public places. Included too is the growing number of Internet viewers that had not been counted.

For its part, Nielsen promised to introduce new ways to measure TV audiences, and they will include these non-traditional viewing places as well. New, sophisticated measuring devices will be used in the coming days, mostly those that don’t rely on human intervention.

For free TV show fans everywhere, do these ratings matter? Or does it matter if your favorite show is cancelled allegedly for lack of viewers? Stay tuned for more of this topic Dish Network Or Directv.

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