I have dish tv four the last 4 months and I think I m ready to write a review. Ill also compare it with tata sky and the local cable stb(SCV).
Even though I dont have a tata sky one of my frnds has it and I envy the box.
Tata Sky -
Box Manufacturer: Thomson ( not confirmed though).
Quality of Video/Audio: Okay (better than dish)
Service-Installation: Great ( installed with a genset that the engineers brought along even with out power- bangalore).
Service-Troubleshooting: Good customer care.
Signal problems:Sometimes(not as bad as dish)
UI and ease of use:UI is bulky . Remote con is very handy.
Features: EPG horrible.
Dish TV-
Box Manufacturer: Zenega( other option is KAON but I have not reviewed it).
Quality of Video/Audio: Lot of movement problem in video(ghost images or macro blocking).
Service-Installation: Horrible read below for specific experience.
Service-Troubleshooting: What is dat???.
Signal problems:Poor quality LNB is creating a lot of problems
UI and ease of use:Great UI better than Tata Sky any day. Remote con is good not great though.
Features: EPG is great.
Active news is great.
SCV(Local cable STB)-
Box Manufacturer: Coship.
Quality of Video/Audio: Great absoultely wonderful video and audio.
Service-Installation: Depends on your cable operator
Service-Troubleshooting: What is dat???.
Signal problems:None if your cable quality is good.
UI and ease of use:Great UI its the best.
Features: No active features, EPG is only now and next.
Specific Issues I faced with dish....
First why I got a dish, I live in chennai and had a cable stb from SCV(local operators box suntv) but the problem was subscription there was no distributed collection system either online or through dealers or shop owners, I had to pay to the local cable guy n hope that he gives the amt to the office before my package expired :-0. Also since he didnt get a share of the subscription my cable qualtiy would go down and eventually I wud lose signal and I wud have to beg him to fix it.
So enter dishtv, why dish you ask ???( yes it was a blunder) but no other choice SUNTV is big in chennai and dish was the provider who was beaming sun.
The problem started right during the installation the "Engineer" (god help us if this is how engineers are produced in india) asked me a million times the direction to my house(so what you ask???) , but the worst part was that even standing outside my flats( I live in first floor) he asked me through the phone about which way the stairs was(then I knew that I was getting into something funny).
Total blunder started and they installed the overhead dish(LNB) in a just a couple of hours with mad drilling(i was the scorn of the association).
Came done connected da box and said bye to me, my sis asked if they wud be kind enough to show the output , they blundered more and after about 4 hrs could see some channels not all though (i had to do a manual install again to get star cricket the next day).
After that light drizzle or light clouds n off goes the signal ( so much for changing from cable to sat). I called the wonderfully sounding customer care in delhi/NCR ( who talk in hindi irrespective of wether you press 1 or 2 or n on the IVR). So much for tamil customer service(aiiie aiio jeeee )(no problem for me since I had 25 yrs of my life in the north so I can speak gud hindi). I explained I am not getting signal he said my dish had to be realined(to where probably jupiter???) and I had to shell out some 300 bucks I said it had been installed in the past week , but even then our frnd insisted that I get it realined. So I reallined it myself and saved 300 bucks.
Now comming to the worst part after 3 months of no signal during light clouds or winds, I was watching the diwali progs when suddenlly KAPUT!!! of go all the signal, 3 days of talking to the dish NCR , local dealer and dish care(???) absolutely nothing.
So dont be SANTHUSHT...