Sunday, October 20, 2013

Which One Is Better - Satellite Television Or Cable?

By Brian Stevens


The Actual Differences Between Cable Television And Satellite TV Aren't All That Great These Days. But There Are A Couple Of Differences You Need To Be Aware Of If You're Thinking Of Getting Cable TV Or Satellite TV Service. Here They Are In A Nutshell .

Cable TV vs Satellite TV Price

On average, cable costs $10 to $25 a month more when compared with satellite television due in part to the fact that cable television providers have to pay local fees and taxes which satellite TV companies don't have to pay.

Where I live in Arizona if I were to purchase cable TV it would cost me just about $60 per month for 140 program channels. If I were to buy Dish Network service it would cost me $24.99 for 190 program channels.

One other difference is the rate increases. Cable Television service has increased by around 40% since 1998, while satellite television service has increased by a mere 8% within that exact same period of time.

System Evaluation

Cable companies give you a receiver, or cable box, that gets a TV signal via an underground cable. This cable box receiver decodes the incoming TV signal and transmits it to your TV set.

With satellite television you get a dish that captures the signal from a satellite, plus a receiver which converts that signal and sends it to your TV.

For both systems you'll need a receiver for each television in your house that you would like to watch cable or satellite TV programming on. With cable television you need to pay between $3 to $5 per month for each cable box receiver you want hooked up to your TVs. With Dish Network and DirecTV your recievers cost nothing.

DVR Recorders

Digital video recorders, or DVRs, permit you to record your favorite shows. In addition to recording your shows you can also pause, rewind, and also fast forward live TV programs, so you can answer the phone, watch part of the program you missed, or fast forward through a commercial.

Using the standard cable DVRs you'll be able to record 2 different shows at once, and record 100 hours of programs. So in case you have 3 shows that come on simultaneously you will be able to record one and watch one, or record both shows, but you will miss the third show.`

DirecTV allows you to record as many as 4 television shows at once and record 1.000 hours of programs, and Dish Network allows you to record up to 6 shows at once and record up to 2,000 hours of programming.



Installation

Due to the rivalry involving satellite and cable television providers, equipment installation for either one is free. You want to ensure that you get a professional installation company and a professional installation technician, or else you may encounter equipment difficulties in the future.

Reliability

Cable TV blackouts average 3% to 5% depending on the company that sets up the actual cable television system, while Dish Network as well as DirecTV black outs average 1%.

Customer Satisfaction

The ASCI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) ranks Dish Network and DirecTV as number one and number two respectively among all the satellite TV and cable television companies for customer experience, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, plus total value.

Consumer Support

The two satellite TV companies deliver 24/7 customer support so you will not be left hanging in the event something goes wrong with your satellite television system and you require assistance.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to program variety, number of channels, recording capabilities, dependability, cost, and customer satisfaction, satellite television beats cable television hands down.

Check out this online video to see a review of cable TV vs. satellite TV to see which offers the better service.





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