Satellite dishes and cable boxes seem to be quite popular. The old traditional antenna is becoming obsolete. Data packets of information enter your television through the sky or from a network of cables. One question still remains, “which is better for me?”
Of course the answers is a resounding, “it depends.” Both have a high quality of picture and deliver on a number of options. However, here are a few tips that should help in making a decision between satellite or cable.
One of the first questions you should ask yourself is how many TV sets do you have in the house? If your answer is more than four, than you may want to go with cable because some satellite providers can only provide up to four receivers per home. In order to get HD programming both satellite and cable require an HD receiver, and you usually pay additional fees for HD receivers. Satellite has a starting cost around $30 per month, which includes local channels. Each additional receiver will carry a charge, plus a monthly fee of around $5. If you upgrade to HD then satellite usually charges around $10 per month, regardless of how many receivers you have. Cable typically has a higher starting cost than satellite, but averages out when adding additional receivers. Therefore, if you only want one or two receivers then satellite is probably the cheaper option.
Another thing to consider is pay-per-view. Each satellite receiver gives you the ability to buy additional movies and sporting events. I believe there are some that still use traditional cable with no receiver. This option does not allow HD or pay-per-view. If you are like me and want to keep track of your favorite football team, than you need the pay-per-view option!
A third thing to consider is high speed internet access. If you go with cable they usually give you a discount for high speed internet. Both cable television and internet run around $100, which is quite expensive. Most people that go with satellite end up getting DSL for high speed internet. The combination of satellite and DSL is around $75, which is less expensive than the cable options. Keep in mind that cable internet is a little faster with respect to latency (ping rate) than the basic DSL option. DSL is still very fast and provides a great service that is cost efficient.
One final thing to consider when choosing between cable or satellite is signal interruptions. Sometimes in severe weather the satellite reception can get brief signal interruptions that result in a garbled picture. The good thing about satellite interruptions is they only last for a few seconds in brief intervals. If the cable goes out it is usually because of a broken line in the network that can take several hours fix. So decide how you will react when watching your favorite show or sporting event; do you want a brief interval of static, or a smaller chance, but still possible, of missing the whole show?
If you are wondering what choice I made, it is satellite. I really like the HD DVR and it is a little cheaper than cable. I also like the satellite DVR software better than what cable offers.
I have Time Warner cable and I have 5 TVs; 3 are basic cable and 2 have HD DVR receivers. I also have high speed wireless internet. I don’t have any premium channels. The monthly cost is a little over $185 per month. We are looking for the same services plus some premium channels for a better price. Is this possible or will I be loosing out on some of the services that I have now?
$185 is a lot per month. I believe you could get it cheaper with the Dish Network. Here is my suggestion. You could go with two dual HD DVR’s which allow you to have 2 HD connections and 2 standard connections. You could record up to 4 different programs at a time or watch 4 different programs at a time (on seperate TVs). 2 Dual HD tuners with Dish would be less than $100 a month even with some premium channels. To get the 5th TV it would require another receiver which would run about $5 additional a month. The challenge is the startup costs. I think the first HD DVR would be free, but you may have to pay for the second HD DVR. Dish runs all sorts of promotions that may be better for your situation. Then you would have to get DSL or Cable internet for less than $85 a month which is very possible. Short summary; satellite is usually cheaper than cable.
I have a lot of tall trees around my house, will satellite be able to get good reception? Will leaves on trees effect reception? My cable provider does not offer HD or NFL package in this area now.
Trees branches and leaves can cause signal disruption for satellite reception. You want to place your satellite dish such that it has a clear line of sight to the satellite in the sky during all months of the year. Some make the mistake of having a clear line of sight in the summer, but not in the winter.
Looking at switching from Comcast Cable to DirecTV Satellite. Getting a bit of a run-around on a straight answer if our two Tivo HD, dual-tuner boxes will run off of the DirecTV system. Will they have to be hooked up directly to the whole-house DVR or any of the HD or SD boxes we’ll be getting for the other rooms?
You will have to get a DirecTV DVR receiver. One way you can make use of your existing Tivo boxes is to connect them to a standard (non DVR) receiver and then use the Tivo box to pause, rewind, and fast-forward from a non-DVR DirecTV. The only reason to get the whole-home DVR is to transfer content to any receiver in the house. I do not think you can directly communicate between the Tivo box and the DirecTV DVR.
My DirecTV satellite subscription expires in November. I am currently paying $110 month! That is way too high and I feel I am paying to much. I got into a 2 year contract at a reduced rate, but then after a year the rate increased. DirecTV would not make the adjustment and wouldn’t let me out of the contract. Therefore am looking for a more affordable company. I have 4 TV sets. Should I switch to cable?
There is more information I need to give an answer, but I can make a suggestion. I would go with Dish network as they offer a dual tuner DVR and the total cost should be around $65 a month (for 4 TV sets). The only downside is only two TV sets would have HD and the others would be standard reception.
What service offers a better picture, satellite or cable?
With the rise of HD programming both satellite and cable offer excellent picture quality. So it comes down to price and features for the final decision.