Friday, November 29, 2013

Satellite TV Vs Cable TV - And The Winner Is ...

By Brian Stevens


Cable Has Pretty Much Caught Up To Satellite Television With Regards To Quality, Customer Care, And Cost, However There Are A Few Differences Between The Two You'll Want To Be Aware If You're Considering Paying For Cable Or Satellite Television. Here They Are In A Nutshell .

Cable TV vs Satellite TV Price

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

As an illustration, in my area cable costs $57 monthly for 142 satellite television channels, while I get Dish Network service for $24.99 a month for 190 channels, and also three months of HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz.

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

System Comparison

With cable television you get a receiver which receives a television signal from a cable TV provider through an underground coaxial or fiber optic cable. The cable box receiver decodes the incoming TV signal and sends it to your TV.

Satellite TV companies supply you with a satellite television dish that captures the TV signal from the company's satellite, and a receiver that decodes that signal and sends it to your TV.

With cable TV you will need to pay anywhere from $3 to $5 per month for each cable box receiver you want connected to your TVs. With Dish Network and DirecTV your recievers are free of charge.

Digital Video Recorders

Digital video recorders, or DVRs, allow you to record your favorite shows. They also allow you to pause the show that you are viewing so you could get a snack, answer the telephone, or whatever else you need to do, then continue viewing your show when you are ready.

Using the standard cable TV DVRs it's possible to record 2 different shows at once, and record up to 100 hours of programming. The drawback with this is when you have 3 shows that come on simultaneously you can view one show and record one, record two shows, however, you won't be able to see the third show.`

Dish Network, however, allows you to record 6 different TV shows at once, and you are able to record as many as 2,000 hours of programming, so you will not miss out on your favorite shows. With DirecTV you'll be able to record 4 different television shows and movies simultaneously, and record as many as 1,000 hours of programming.

Each of their DVRs let you see a television show in one room, and finish seeing it in another room.

Installation

Thanks to the competition between satellite and cable TV providers, equipment installation for either one is provided for free. To be sure you will not have equipment breakdowns down the road, you'll want to make certain the company who sets up your components employs authorized installers.

Dependability

DirecTV and Dish Network blackouts average just 1%. Cable TV blackouts, conversely, are from 3% to 5% - up to 5 times more than cable TV.

Consumer Ratings

The ASCI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) ranks Dish Network and DirecTV as number one and number two among all satellite TV and cable providers for customer experience, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and overall value.

Customer Service

The two satellite TV companies give you 24/7 customer service so that you will not be left hanging in the event that something should go wrong with your satellite TV system and you need help.

Conclusion

There's no doubt about it. Satellite television is the ultimate winner with regards to value, variety of programming, number of channels, recording time, as well as customer satisfaction.

Watch this video to see a comparison of cable TV vs. satellite TV to find out which one delivers the best service.





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