For the last several years, television companies have been waging an ongoing war: cable TV versus satellite. Which is better for the consumer? Many customers will swear by one provider or the other, insisting that their choice is the superior one, but since both sides have pros and cons, how does a customer choose?
If you've been struggling with advertisements and websites, trying to decide between cable and satellite, this article will help outline the pros and cons and allow you to choose the right one for your family. The decision really lies in what you like to watch on television, where you live, and how often you watch TV.
EQUIPMENT
Cable service comes with many different packages to choose from. Basic cable requires no extra equipment, though a technician will have to come out and install the connection. If you want to upgrade to the next available option, a cable box and interactive remote is required. The box and remote are lent from your cable provider to you, and must be returned when you cancel your service. Upgrades are usually free of charge.
Satellite requires a dish that is positioned on your roof near the place where your television is located. The dish feeds your channels to your television through a satellite, and is required to receive service. For HD channels (high definition) you will need a second, larger dish to receive premium channels.
The prices for installation are usually comparable, and since installation is a one-time fee, this should not be your deciding factor.
Who Wins: Draw
RECEPTION
With cable, you will rarely lose service, unless the entire system is out of order. Typically, cable is lost only for a period of an hour or so, and most providers will deduct time lost from your bill. Satellite, on the other hand, will be fuzzy or nonexistant during a storm because the satellite feed will be garbled by thunder and lightening.
Who Wins: Cable
If you've been struggling with advertisements and websites, trying to decide between cable and satellite, this article will help outline the pros and cons and allow you to choose the right one for your family. The decision really lies in what you like to watch on television, where you live, and how often you watch TV.
EQUIPMENT
Cable service comes with many different packages to choose from. Basic cable requires no extra equipment, though a technician will have to come out and install the connection. If you want to upgrade to the next available option, a cable box and interactive remote is required. The box and remote are lent from your cable provider to you, and must be returned when you cancel your service. Upgrades are usually free of charge.
Satellite requires a dish that is positioned on your roof near the place where your television is located. The dish feeds your channels to your television through a satellite, and is required to receive service. For HD channels (high definition) you will need a second, larger dish to receive premium channels.
The prices for installation are usually comparable, and since installation is a one-time fee, this should not be your deciding factor.
Who Wins: Draw
RECEPTION
With cable, you will rarely lose service, unless the entire system is out of order. Typically, cable is lost only for a period of an hour or so, and most providers will deduct time lost from your bill. Satellite, on the other hand, will be fuzzy or nonexistant during a storm because the satellite feed will be garbled by thunder and lightening.
Who Wins: Cable
- Satellite television is available more universally than cable.
- Cable television rarely requires a contract.
- Satellite television requires a dish, while cable needs only a box and remote.
Comments
tv Tuner
(Guest)
(Guest)
04/17/2009
The fact of the matter is it depends on what area you are in.
Half of the people talking on this forum are the typical tv watchers that don't know jack about where it comes from or how it gets there, as well as what system it's running on.
The cable company in this area does not have contracts, and instead, offer bundle deals that are good for years as kind of a 'lock in' price which is what direct TV advertises (which has contracts but are not always mandatory)
Your service quality will depend on what area you are in and the equipment they are using to provide that service. Sometimes the areas are not worth the money to upgrade just for a few hundred people, and those people may want to try to shop around and see what they like best before saying "cable sucks in all areas" or "dish is horrible"
Do some research instead of bad mouthing what you honestly don't know much about and turning people away from what may be the better choice for their area.
Dee
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/19/2008
Comcast does have contracts. I signed one for 24 months. And they are not really understand about hard times!!!!!!!!
denise continued
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/05/2008
sorry the service fee is free for the 1st 9 months with dish (not 3) and the price for the satellite is approx 60 per month including the 5.99 for encore plus all the bs fees. taxes etc... i only care about getting a lot of channel choices i dont really care about hd clarity... and i want to be able to have all my local channels for news etc... im not sure which way to go.. i dont really know anyone who has satellite at this time... and im tired of cox basically having a monopoly to charge what ever they feel like due to basically no other real competition to kee thier prices down... yeh there is time warner.. but not in my area of san diego and att doesnt have cable out this far east yet so atnts satellite is the only competition to cox... help me decide!
denise
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/05/2008
im still trying to decide which way to go i live in san diego and have cox communications... my monthly bill with them is at minimum 100 per month.. i dont have any pay channels but do have approx 300 channels.. once in a blue moon i do order pay per view and my bills will get as high as 120+ per month for cable (i have 4 tvs 3 have boxes ) i was going to bundle with atnt with a satellite but i am afraid of the 2 yr contract i have to sign.... and will only get 200 channels some local but hard to get a strait answer from att exactly which channels for local will i get.. i only care about 5 thru 10 for local .. also i had to pay an additional 5.99 for encore (approx 8 addtl channels) and 0 service fee for foirst 3 months after that an additional 5.99 for serivice fee in case something goes wrong with the dish.. i hear putting in the dish requires holes in walls? also i hear that satellite as cable will charge a lot of money for addt features in the future ? price for satellie approx 6
m.a.s
(Guest)
(Guest)
08/29/2008
yeh its about time werner cable
Tim
(Guest)
(Guest)
12/05/2007
Sorry, didn't realize it would cut me off. What I was saying at the end there was that Lilly you are a moron. Cable does offer contracts in some areas to get better deals and to call someone a liar based on the limited fact of your areas is stupid. Dish doesn't REQUIRE a contract. It is just required if you want the best deals. Many cable operators do the same thing. Check your facts before you call someone a liar.
Tim
(Guest)
(Guest)
12/05/2007
This article is clearly skewed in favor of Cable. I would like to know some of the background of this author and his "publisher". First he writes that cable's downtime is far less than Satellite and typically for just an hour. There are several articles (one from Consumer Reports) that report that Cable is down for a day or more 17% of the time compared to Satellite at about 11%. Where he gets this number is ridiculous. Second, I have had Time Warner twice and both times they were rude and indifferent. I have had Comcast. They too were very rude. I know my one case does not make a study but studies do bear out that customers are on average far more satisfied with Satellite. Lastly, he calls the HD signal a draw? It is well known that Cable suffers from compression and conversion issues that are far less of a problem with Satellite. Typically, the signal you get from Cable for HD is not true HD and has far less audio clarity. As for the contract issue. Lilly, you are a moro
ray
(Guest)
(Guest)
10/29/2007
I have had Time-Warner cable since 1/2007, prior to that I had DishNetwork for about 6 years. The cable has been down 5 times more in 9 months than the dish was in 6 years. If DishNetwork had had local channels in high def when I switched to cable, I never would have switched. I am going Direct TV in a couple of days. I think it offers more now than DishNetwork. Cable sucks.
Mary
(Guest)
(Guest)
10/13/2007
I did not sign a contract with what I have which is dig Voice .. high speed internet, and cable T.v so far I have had to call out help and I have learned how to get my picture back when it goes out.. and also even though it was frustrating... the techs on the phone and the ones who came out have been very polite and good some know more that others.. but they have also been pretty much ontime.. the charge for the three items I have are more than I care for so may not be able to keep very long.. I am 73 years old and some days I feel anger but hopefully, I won't get that upset!
JoJo
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/03/2007
I just bought a HD TV and do not have any cable because I do not watch much TV. I just want a Clear picture and receive a signal. I am fine with my local channels only. I bought a 50db Antenna without results. Do I have to have cable to see the picture on the HD TV?
I called DirectTV and the want to charge me $14.99 extra for the receivers and $9.00 extra for the HD receiver.
Any Advice?
Comments 1 - 10 (of 18)
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