Since the early nineties, technology has been on a growth rampage, particularly in the venue of personal entertainment items such as television. Most people over the age of thirty remember when you needed a good set of "rabbit ears" on top of the set just to get the local networks' signals.
Now, however, hundreds of channels are available to anyone just about anywhere and there is more than one way to get those signals. Today, consumers have a choice between conventional cable, digital cable, and all-digital satellite television. But how do you know which one is best for you? Below is a breakdown of each system and how they compare to each other. Conventional cable is by far the least advanced and offers the fewest features. But most cable companies, in an attempt to compete with satellite television providers, have made a strong push to get their customers on their digital systems. Digital cable television has many advantages over conventional cable. Through digital cable signals, consumers are able to get high-speed internet access and video on demand, as well as hundreds of cable channel choices. Also, because of the land lines necessary to deliver and receive the cable signal, there is a strong, well-established infrastructure to support the cable system. The presence of a cable line is absolutely necessary to receive a signal. Therefore, those who live in less populated areas may not have access or have only a limited number of channels available.
The Best Dish Network and Direct TV offers at the moment are:
Dishpronto - (Dish Network) - connect up to 4 rooms with free installation with no equipment to buy.
VMC Satellite - (Dish Network)This company will install a system for free in 4 rooms, with one months free programming. They are the largest online retailer of satellite TV systems.
Satellite TV for PC - Get over 3000 Stations for a small one-time fee! Plus Get Channels from 78 Countries Around the World.
Satellite television offers many of the same features that digital cable does. For example, the major dish networks offer their own version of high-speed internet through broadband. DirecTV has DirecWay , and Dish Network has partnered with EarthLink to bring high-speed internet to their customers. The dish networks are a little way behind cable TV in terms of high speed internet technology, but they are gaining quickly. For more information read about satellite Internet
Satellite providers also have electronic program guides, parental controls, and automated timers (For more information on what each network offers, visit the Direct TV overview and Dish Network overview pages). More advanced systems offer a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) which allows programs to be recorded without videotape, and High Definition Television, which allows access to programming with exceptional video quality.
Although these same features are often offered by cable companies, availability to the consumer is dependant upon the local provider. The picture quality is better with satellite vs. cable, especially since many of the signals offered through digital cable are still analog in origin. And with satellite, there is no limitation on the availability of a signal, other than needing a clear view of the southern sky. Rural areas have just as much access as big cities. Plus, the providers are national, as opposed to local, so there are no limitations on programming due to the make up of the local population.
However, although satellite television offers many unique channels like SoapNet and the Golf Channel, and special packages like NFL Sunday which gives access to all games all over the country, a distinct disadvantage for satellite is the inability to offer local network stations without a fee. In fact, in some areas, they are not available at all (for more information visit the Direct TV programming and Dish Network programming sections of the website).
So how do the two options fair when placed head to head on these and other issues? The table below breaks it down quite well (if you can't find the information you are looking for here, try the FAQ sections Dish Network FAQ - Direct TV FAQ):
| |
CABLE TV |
Satellite TV |
| Availability |
Requires a service technician to install. Available in most cities. Unavailable in many rural or sparsely populated areas. |
Available anywhere in the contiguous United States, as well as Hawaii and Alaska. It is recommended that a qualified technician install the dish, but can be done by consumer. Tall buildings or trees may hinder signal. |
| Programming |
Offers hundreds of top-rated channels, including all networks such as NBC, UPN, Fox, etc. |
Offers hundreds of top-rated channels. Local networks can be added in many areas for a small fee. Programming includes many channels not available through cable such as the HD channels and specialty channels. |
| Services |
Historically cable has had problems with outages. This is offset by the fact that a fleet of service technicians are kept on duty 24/7. |
Very little maintenance required. If installed properly, a satellite will continue to receive the signal even during strong wind and rain. |
| Cost |
21% increase in rates over previous three years. Due to an aggressive effort to get digital cable to all areas, costs will continue to rise in the near future. The most popular packages average around $50 per month. Economy, or Basic packages offer very few programming choices but may be around $16 to $20 per month. |
Prices have remained stable over the life of the satellite age. Consumers can get affordable programming packages averaging around $30 per month and choose to purchase extras if desired. Such extras might include pay per view programming and sports packages like NFL Sunday. |
It is easy to take advantage of these free and legal offers as well as many other offers from Dish Network.
< Back
|
