Cable TV has pretty much caught up with satellite TV when it comes to quality level, customer service, and cost, but there are several differences between the two that you’ll want to be aware of if you’re considering paying for satellite or cable. television. Here is a comparison of cable TV vs. satellite television.
cost
On average, cable television costs $10 to $25 more per month compared to satellite television due in part to the fact that cable television companies have to pay local fees and taxes that satellite television companies do not have to to pay.
Where I live in Arizona, if I had to order cable, it would cost me $57 a month for 140 TV channels. If I were to buy Dish Network satellite TV service, it would cost me $25 for 190 TV channels.
Another difference is the rate increase. Cable TV service has increased 40% since 1998, while satellite TV service has increased just 8% in that same time period.
Equipment evaluation
Cable television providers provide you with a cable receiver or box that receives a television signal through an underground cable. The receiver converts that signal and delivers it to your TV.
With satellite TV, you get a satellite dish that picks up the signal originating from a satellite, plus a receiver that translates the signal and sends it to your TV.
For both systems, you’ll need a receiver for each television in your home on which you’d like to view cable or satellite programming. With cable TV, you have to pay $3 to $5 per month for each and every cable box receiver you want to connect to your televisions. With Dish Network and DirecTV your receivers are free.
DVR
Digital video recorders, or DVRs, allow you to record your favorite shows. In addition to recording your shows, you can also pause, rewind, and fast-forward live TV shows, so you can answer your phone, watch part of the show you missed, or fast-forward through a commercial.
Using typical cable DVRs, you can record 2 TV shows simultaneously and record 100 hours of programming. The drawback to this is that if you have 3 shows airing at the same time, you can watch one show and record one, or record two shows, but you won’t be able to watch the third show.
Dish Network, on the other hand, allows you to record 6 different shows simultaneously, and you’ll be able to record up to 2,000 hours of programming, so you won’t miss your favorite TV shows. With DirecTV you can record 4 different television programs at the same time, in addition to recording up to 1,000 hours of programming.
Installation
Both satellite TV companies and most cable TV companies will install all the necessary equipment to receive your programming for free. To ensure that you don’t have equipment breakdowns in the future, you should make sure that the company that installs your system uses professional installers.
Trust
Cable TV blackouts average between 3% and 5% depending on the company you buy service from, while Dish Network and DirecTV blackouts average 1%.
Customer Classifications
Dish Network is ranked number one in consumer satisfaction according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index among major cable and satellite television companies, while DirecTV is ranked number two.
Consumer attention
Customer support for most cable and satellite TV providers is available 24/7, including holidays, and with most companies the service is very good.
Conclution
In terms of variety of programs, number of channels, recording capacity, reliability, price, and customer satisfaction, satellite television far outperforms cable television.
