Talk to the people above you. See if you can mount it to their balcony or if the landlord allows it, have the sat company put the dish on a pole.
As far as which is better, I’d say its a toss up. Similar technology. Direct has NFL Sunday Ticket, but Dish has more HD channels (although half of them are garbage.)
They both offer similar deals with similar equipment at similar pricing.
From what I’ve heard, Dish has faster service in regards to getting techs out if equipment is malfunctioning. Tech support is a toss up too. It all depends on the CSR. Some are just jackasses.