2. CHOOSE A PROVIDER

Just as the 1980s were dominated by the "cola war" between Coke and Pepsi (oh, and there was this "Cold War" thing around too), there's now a new battle being waged in America. This time it's between the two major DBS providers: DIRECTV and DISH NETWORK.

The two providers are eerily consistent in almost every facet, and all these similarities may have you wondering why there are two companies at all. Although these two companies don't differ by much, they're not completely identical. Here's the scoop:

  • DIRECTV: In this corner of the ring, we have DIRECTV, which has been around longer than DISH NETWORK, and thus it has more customers; however, this is not to say that it's a better system. One exclusive feature of DIRECTV is the bone-crunching amount of sports it offers. For the fanatical face painting sports fans, DIRECTV's NFL Ticket, NBA League Pass, MLB Extra Innings, and NHL Center Ice are all features that broadcast practically every game of the respective sport. Prices are steep though, and each sports package costs $150 for the entire season.

  • DISH NETWORK: In the other corner is DISH NETWORK. One advantage of this service is that it has the greatest number of satellite bandwidth allocations, which means that they have the potential to eventually broadcast close to 500 channels. So if you're planning for (or eagerly anticipating) a nuclear holocaust that will wipe everything out except you and your TV, DISH NETWORK may be the choice for you. One drawback, however, is that DISH NETWORK does not offer the seasonal sports packages. However, DISH NETWORK is touted as having better customer services.

Picking your company for DBS is a tough decision because both systems have an expansive range of comparable options. The most sensible tie-breaker would be to use the cost of the service, but your bill will depend on which package (that is, channel options) you choose (which we'll talk about next). So our best piece of advice is to think about what features interest you and get the provider that will meet all or most of your needs.