By Brian Stevens
Cable TV Has Pretty Much Caught Up To Satellite TV When It Comes To Quality, Customer Care, And Price, But There Are Differences Between The Two That You Need To Bear In Mind If You Are Considering Paying For Cable Or Satellite TV. Here They Are In A Nutshell .
cable TV vs satellite TV Price
Typically, cable television costs $10 to $25 a month more compared to satellite television due in part to the fact that cable TV companies must pay local area taxes and fees that satellite TV providers don't have to pay for.
As an example, in my area cable television costs $57 per month for satellite television channels, while I can get Dish Network for $24.99 a month for 190 channels, plus three months of HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz.
In terms of rate increases, cable TV service fees have increased by around 40% since 1998, while Dish Network and DirecTV's prices have risen by only 8% during the exact same time period.
Equipment
With cable television you get a receiver that gets a television signal from a cable TV company through an underground coaxial or fiber optic cable. This cable box receiver decodes the incoming TV signal and sends it to your TV.
Satellite TV companies provide you with a satellite TV dish that captures the signal from the company's satellite, and also a receiver that decodes that signal and sends it to your television.
For both systems you'll need a receiver for each television in your home that you would like to view satellite or cable TV programming on. With cable television you will need to pay anywhere from $3 to $5 a month for each and every cable box receiver you want hooked up to your TVs. With Dish Network and DirecTV your recievers are free.
DVR
Digital video recorders, or DVRs, permit you to record your favorite shows. They also make it possible for you to pause the show that you are viewing so you can get a snack, answer the phone, or whatever else you need to do, then continue watching your show when you are ready.
With the typical cable DVRs you can record 2 shows at once, and record up to 100 hours of programs. The problem with this is when you have got 3 shows that come on at the same time you can watch one show and record one, record two shows, but you won't be able to see the third show.`
Dish Network, on the other hand, allows you to record 6 different television shows at the same time, and you are able to record up to 2,000 hours of programming, so you will not miss your favorite television shows. With DirecTV you'll be able to record 4 different programs at the same time, plus record 1,000 hours of programming.
Equipment Installation
The two satellite TV providers, as well as nearly all cable providers, will install all the equipment needed to receive their programming for free. To be sure you do not have any equipment failures down the line, you'll want to be sure the company who installs your system employs certified installers.
Dependability
Cable TV outages average 3% to 5% depending on the company that sets up the particular cable television system, while Dish Network as well as DirecTV black outs average 1%.
Customer Satisfaction
Dish Network is ranked number one in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index among the major cable providers as well as satellite television providers, while DirecTV is ranked number two.
Customer Care
Customer support for most satellite TV and cable TV providers is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays, and with almost all providers the service is pretty good.
Conclusion
There's no doubt about it. Satellite television stands out as the ultimate winner with regards to value, variety of programming, number of channels, recording time, as well as customer satisfaction.
cable TV vs satellite TV Price
Typically, cable television costs $10 to $25 a month more compared to satellite television due in part to the fact that cable TV companies must pay local area taxes and fees that satellite TV providers don't have to pay for.
As an example, in my area cable television costs $57 per month for satellite television channels, while I can get Dish Network for $24.99 a month for 190 channels, plus three months of HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz.
In terms of rate increases, cable TV service fees have increased by around 40% since 1998, while Dish Network and DirecTV's prices have risen by only 8% during the exact same time period.
Equipment
With cable television you get a receiver that gets a television signal from a cable TV company through an underground coaxial or fiber optic cable. This cable box receiver decodes the incoming TV signal and sends it to your TV.
Satellite TV companies provide you with a satellite TV dish that captures the signal from the company's satellite, and also a receiver that decodes that signal and sends it to your television.
For both systems you'll need a receiver for each television in your home that you would like to view satellite or cable TV programming on. With cable television you will need to pay anywhere from $3 to $5 a month for each and every cable box receiver you want hooked up to your TVs. With Dish Network and DirecTV your recievers are free.
DVR
Digital video recorders, or DVRs, permit you to record your favorite shows. They also make it possible for you to pause the show that you are viewing so you can get a snack, answer the phone, or whatever else you need to do, then continue watching your show when you are ready.
With the typical cable DVRs you can record 2 shows at once, and record up to 100 hours of programs. The problem with this is when you have got 3 shows that come on at the same time you can watch one show and record one, record two shows, but you won't be able to see the third show.`
Dish Network, on the other hand, allows you to record 6 different television shows at the same time, and you are able to record up to 2,000 hours of programming, so you will not miss your favorite television shows. With DirecTV you'll be able to record 4 different programs at the same time, plus record 1,000 hours of programming.
Equipment Installation
The two satellite TV providers, as well as nearly all cable providers, will install all the equipment needed to receive their programming for free. To be sure you do not have any equipment failures down the line, you'll want to be sure the company who installs your system employs certified installers.
Dependability
Cable TV outages average 3% to 5% depending on the company that sets up the particular cable television system, while Dish Network as well as DirecTV black outs average 1%.
Customer Satisfaction
Dish Network is ranked number one in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index among the major cable providers as well as satellite television providers, while DirecTV is ranked number two.
Customer Care
Customer support for most satellite TV and cable TV providers is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays, and with almost all providers the service is pretty good.
Conclusion
There's no doubt about it. Satellite television stands out as the ultimate winner with regards to value, variety of programming, number of channels, recording time, as well as customer satisfaction.
Watch this video clip to see a comparison of cable TV vs. satellite TV to see which delivers the best service.
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Click on the link that follows to compare cable TV vs satellite TV and to learn where to get the best deal on satellite TV service. Click the following link to view a brief article which compares cable vs satellite TV.