I've had both over the years and I actually worked for Directv or actually ATT. I still preferred Dish, faster set up and the DVR was better ever since the Hopper came out and it still is the best DVR. It took years for Directv to catch up to Dish on using the single coax feeds. Ever install three coax cables to your LNB and run that inside? Its a pain, glad those days are long gone. Dish also is not a monopoly still, nothing like ATT. ATT has the worst customer service I've experienced, I still get my wireless through them and I have to go to a store to get anything fixed on my account, phone help is painful. Dish has been okay, I get through to a real person fairly easily. I've had a few hardware repairs and storm damage, they fixed it, no drama. At least here in Alabama, my whole Family uses Dish.