What is Dish Network and Direct TV?

Instead of being massive eye sores, satellite dishes are now smaller and can be placed on just about any part of the home. As consumers have begun to be more open to the idea of owning a satellite dish, figuring out which company best suits a consumer's needs is always top priority among potential customers.

The two companies that have helped to pioneer the revolution of the home satellite dish are Direct TV and Dish Network. Lynn Jenkins is the president of Satellite Country. In six years of business, it has been voted a top 10 company the last two years. Jenkins has dealt with each company personally and said that the difference between them can be identified simply by what each customer is looking for.

"There are only two digital satellite providers out there today and that's Dish Network and Direct TV," Jenkins said. "The main difference between the two companies is that Direct TV is the only company in the nation that carries the NFL ticket. Dish Network is the only company in the nation offering dual tuners, so you don't have to pay for a second TV. With Direct TV, you would have to pay for your second TV connection. Other than that, you get all the same channels with each."

Direct TV is basically more or less the type of satellite provider you would want to choose if the NFL was your big thing. But in addition to the NFL, Direct TV also features other major sports such as college football and basketball, the NBA, the NHL and Major League Baseball. Again, the only difference between the two when it comes to sports is that Direct TV is the only satellite provider that offers the NFL ticket. Dish Network does not have the NFL ticket, but does have an option that keeps hackers from stealing their service.

"Direct TV has a pretty big problem with hackers," Jenkins said. "Dish Network's card is internal so it's not accessible."

"Stealing satellite service is a federal crime that carries large penalties up to imprisonment," Jenkins added. "As a consumer who pays for satellite television, being hacked doesn't affect your bill. You can't tell it is happening. It only affects the hacker if he gets caught."

"Satellite TV is a service that you receive via satellite," he added. "It's a way of cutting out the cable provider and middleman fee, so you get your signal directly from the satellite as the cable companies do. Dish Network is a form of receiving video for your television. You receive the signal via a satellite with small satellite dish on your house."