[Logic n' Reason]

I've had both (as have some other commenters). Cable seems on the whole to have less "outage" than does Direct. I believe Direct has a better line up "for the buck". But in this industry, prices are anything but stable...and they always rise.

Question: do you have a digital HDTV? If so, you might want to check out this website: www.antennaweb.org. Click on the button labeled "choose an antenna" and follow the simple directions.

If it indicates you can use an indoor antenna, pick up a $29 Philipps model over at Sears and give it a try. If it works, you can get up to 15 or so HD channels for nothing!! If it doesn't, or you don't get enough channels, you can return the device to Sears, no questions asked.

So - and if it works - you now have free HDTV for the sum total of $29! And no monthly cable or Dish bill to worry about.

[Sans-Culotte]

I've had both (as have some other commenters). Cable seems on the whole to have less "outage" than does Direct. I believe Direct has a better line up "for the buck". But in this industry, prices are anything but stable...and they always rise.

I've had both cable and DISH. I have had Dish for, like 10 years. I actually had more outages with cable. If a storm blew through, my cable reception would be poor, and I'd have to wait until they "send out a technician". This would take several days or a week, and I'd have to take a day off as well. However, if I get dense enough cloud cover to knock out my DISH signal, I know it will always come back with no tech help needed. (Now that it no longer rains here in the Houston area, I have no outages at all).

Don't believe all the hype about Netflix. they are still a ways away from offering everything for streaming. I stream Netflix via an internet connected Blu-ray player. It's worth having; but they do not have everything.