As it turns out, Dish Network is a much better deal for me, so I've canceled my DirecTV and will be going with Dish. Everything I've read leads me to believe that even with the newer software releases, the Dish 622/722 are superior to the HR20, and with Dish offering me the 722 for free and DirecTV only offering to knock $100 off the HR20 (making it cost me $199) it's really a no-brainer. Plus, Dish's monthly costs end up being less among comparable packages.

The DirecTV CSR threw every discount/deal she had available at me when I called to cancel, but in the end, Dish is beating them handily with their new customer offer. I thought there was a chance DirecTV would match it (I'd have stuck with them if they'd waived the $99 HD upgrade fee and the initial HD-DVR lease fee) but I guess with all the hype about their HD channels, they figure they're worth the cost. For some, they probably are, but when you factor in the quality of the HD-DVRs, I think Dish will come out ahead.

We'll see how I feel about this once I actually get the service installed, though...