I've had both, and currently have DirecTV.
I thought the service and signal were very similar for the two companies.
I've had problems with service interruption during rainstorms.
Remember that if your box goes out they will ALWAYS blame it on a lightning strike. Even if there was no bad weather in the area.
If your box goes out on one they will try to charge you 100 bucks to come out and repair it. Just tell them you want to be transferred to the business offices so you can cancel your service because the other company is currently offering incentives. This will prompt them to repair your system for free.
