Netflix vs Direct TV

I have used many media center options over the years. I have subscribed to Netflix, Hulu plus, Cox, Qwest, and Direct TV. Also I have rented or bought videos on PS3 Network, Vudu, Red Box and Amazon Prime. The most common question I get from people is which is better Direct TV or Netflix.

I'm never sure how to answer it. I will attempt to weigh the Pros and Cons of both and come up with an answer for your style of entertainment. Then I will give my final verdict.

I loved having Netflix. I loved that it was on my PS3 and I didn't have mess with it, just click on the Netflix app and start watching shows/movies. Here are some big reasons I feel in Love.

Watching Instantly tons of Movies/Shows

Lots of TV Shows I wanted to watch that I have never seen

Lots of TV Shows I watched before but wanted to watch again(I watched every single episode of Star Trek the Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, and Enterprise)

Great Selection of Older Movies in plenty of Categories.

Documentaries on plenty of topics even some more conspiratorial film(I am a Conspiracy theorist)

Things I didn't like, but still used

Renting through the mail. Sometimes the waiting in the Que for a title I wanted seemed to take forever. When it was available I disliked having to wait 3-5 days for my video to get to my house, then if it didn't skip or need to be cleaned halfway through the movie I would send it back the next day and it would take 2-3 days for them to get it back and send a new one that took 3-5 days to get back to me. However; Since I had the streaming service I didn't mind. The titles I couldn't get streaming, I would send out for, and I didn't get to miffed at the wait because I still had plenty to watch.

The downfall of Netflix

Netflix made a fatal mistake back when they announced they were going to split the company in two. They decided they wanted to have one service for mailing discs to watch (Coined Quikster) and one service for streaming movies (Netflix). I understand why they did this. Hollywood in all its might and influence decided that this Netflix model was a threat and decided to charge more and more money for their titles to be leased to Netflix. Netflix had a problem, but they went about fixing it the wrong way. They should have just raised prices on their monthly subscription, people would have complained but ultimately keep the service. By splitting the company they alienated a lot of current subscribers and opened the door for some of their competitors.

The future of Netflix

The good news is they scrapped the Quikster idea and they still don't have a major competitor. The bad news? The company Starz stripped 800+ titles from Netflix and even though they get new content, the titles they get are still 2-6 years out from being brand new.

Direct TV.

Direct TV is national satellite company that has a lot of competition. It gives you your local TV channels, cable channels, movie channels, a DVR, and Video on demand.

Things I like about Direct TV

Their DVR. (I'm going to go into more detail on this later.)

3 months of free HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz

My cable news programs and my favorite channels such as SyFy, FX, AMC, and ESPN.

NFL Package (I love Football but this might not be important to you.)

All the NEWEST T.V. Shows. (If I don't get to see newest “The Walking Dead” Episode I get Cranky)

This I don't like, but sometimes use.

I don't like reality TV but when the in-laws come over it nice to have for them. (Which You can't get on Netflix)

Financial news. (I Use to like it before my 401k got cut in half.)

Channels I don't watch like Lifetime, ABC Family, and Cartoon network (Altho I've grown to love Adult Swim)

The DVR and Video On Demand.

This is what made Direct TV a must have for ME. Their video on demand channels are popular networks that keep a list of shows they air. You can download them onto your DVR to watch at anytime. So if you missed (God forbid) Dexter on showtime, and forgot to record it. Just flip to the Showtime on Demand channel and download (Or Stream) whatever episode you missed. I currently have all 7 seasons of Dexter downloaded and ready to watch. You can do with tons of shows. The channels that keep On Demand content? Syfy, USA, Showtime, HBO, Cinemax, Starz, TMC, IFC, Sony Movie Channel, Speed, Anime Network, FLIX, Encore, Nick at Nite, Science, Nat Geo, Animal Planet they even have a Karaoke Channel and more. This is FREE. You're not charged (The Premium channel are only available while you have them free otherwise you have to subscribe to them to use their On Demand stations.) So I stocked up on movies and shows I liked for my three months and I might decide to upgrade when I don't with all of the shows I recorded. But all your normal cable stations have an On Demand station that you can use free of charge.

The future of Direct TV

I'm not sure. I really like it. The only real draw back is the cost and contract. As with all cable companies they want you to bundle to “Save” which I personally think is a load of crap. Direct TV wants you to bundle with Century Link, which I hate. So if I were Direct TV I'd find someone else to partner with. I believe most major cable and satellite companies will have this video on demand service very soon, if not already. The reason I switched to Direct TV in the first place was because Cox 2 year contract ended and started charging me more for monthly service. Cox did not have the Video on Demand at the time, so I am glad I did.

So my verdict is Direct TV. I liked Netflix, and might subscribe to it again sometime, but not for a while. (I Do have a fondness for older TV shows you can't get easily on Cable.) Direct TV just has to much to offer me. The newest shows, the newer movies, and current event and opinion TV Shows like Fox News and CNBC. It is important to note that if you are on a tight budget, or really don't care to see all the newest stuff, Netflix is a great choice for you.