It’s been said more times than once that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For those who subscribe to satellite television, there is nothing more beautiful than the big, black, magical box in the corner of their living room that brings an imaginary world into their home. Those that subscribe to the Dish Network claim that it’s better than DirecTV. Those who subscribe to DirecTV have less than favorable opinions about the Dish. So what exactly is the verdict? Which satellite has the better deal, Dish Network or DirecTV? Basically, it depends on what you’re looking for in your personal, at-home television experience.

Let’s start off with sports channels. There’s a vast array of sports programming available to both DirecTV and Dish Network subscribers, but the options vary between the two satellites. For example, DirecTV offers the highly sought after NFL Sunday Ticket, in which this programmer offers viewing of every single professional football game played, no matter the region of the US in which the subscriber resides. Both satellite subscribers offer NHL Center Ice for hockey fans and NBA League Pass for lovers of basketball. For college fans, DirecTV and Dish Network have relatively similar packages focusing on multi-region college sports.

If you’ve got a flair for the international, it might interest you to know that Dish Network offers 30 such channels from all over the world. DirecTV’s lineup has just 10 and most of them are Spanish.

For those with a more general interest, Dish Network is constantly adding new channels to the general genre. DirecTV offers similar programming types and adds to it as well, but it may not add it to all packages. Again, it all depends on your personal favorites.

In the category of HDTV, there is no comparison between the two satellites, as The Dish Network is the clear choice. DirecTV offers just 9 Hi-Def channels for its viewers while Dish is at its 29th and counting. Favorites such as the Monster Channel in Hi-Def makes its followers both laugh as the cheesy effects of old, sci-fi thrillers and shriek in horror at the timeless classics. Of course, if you don’t have any interest in HDTV, this feature simply shouldn’t affect your decision.

Couch potatoes will be happy to know that Pay-Per-View movie channels are rich in quantity with both satellite television providers, with the Dish Network’s 60 channels and DirecTV’s 55. Again, if you don’t have any interest, your decision isn’t affected.

When it comes to the average monthly cost, Dish Network has a slight edge over DirecTV. The average package price for 60-channels of satellite television is $31.00 for Dish and $33.00 for DirecTV. Of course, the basic channels will differ between the two providers, so be sure to check the lineups of both satellites before agreeing to anything. One of your favorite channels may be in the basic service of one satellite and be in the upgraded service for the other.