Time to move on --- ditch your cable, fall in love with the dish.

No! No! Please do not misconstrue the title of my article. I am not here to simply profess the advantages of satellite television over the cable. I intend to probe and find out if indeed it makes sense to switch over or not.

To begin with I would like to broadly outline both the cable and the satellite dish TV.

Cable TV

By the  beginning of 1990s, cable television had touched the lives of 50% of the Americans.Cable TV  provides television, FM radio programming and now also other services like broadband to viewers through radio frequency signals. These signals are transmitted directly to people’s televisions via fixed optical fibers or coaxial cables. Cable TV is better suited to build up areas as it is not economically viable to lay cables in sparsely populated regions.

Cable TV subscribers are offered various packages of channels one can subscribe to. The cost of each package depends on the type of channels offered (basic vs. premium) and the quantity.

Satellite TV

Satellite TV are ideal for people living in remote areas or in fringe habitats where laying a cable does not provide economies of quantity. Like terrestrial TV, in satellite TV as well line of sight with the satellite is important. Satellite TV requires an unobstructed view of the southern sky to receive a signal.
Satellite TV comes in two forms, as a part of a subscription package based system or custom built by the user.

Comparative Analysis

Prices

On a monthly expenditure basis Satellite TV works out to be less expensive than your cable connection. No doubt you have purchase the dish and the VCR-size black box that decodes the signals, at prices starting around $100 and going as high as $400. However the direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service providers like the Dish Network and DirecTV every now and then float attractive promotional schemes to waive off fully or partially your equipment and installation charges upon payment of 1 year’s subscription fees upfront.

As far as the base packages are concerned cable companies offer at cheaper prices. But then the number of channels offered in these packages is much less than the base packages provided by satellite TV.

Earlier it was argued that satellite companies charge fees per room receiving the signal, which may not be case with your cable guy. However the latest offer of Dish Network provides additional TV connection in the same house for FREE!!

Channels

Cable TV broadcast is in analog format. If you want digital reception you'll have to pay an additional fee. Even with an upgrade to Digital Cable the basic services remain analog because of bandwidth limitations.

Satellite TV broadcasts only digital reception and in addition to it a number of HDTV (high definition TV) programming channels as well. Thus your dish provides you 100% digital-quality picture and sound on all channels, including your local network channels. This is not true with your cable connection.

Also the maximum number of channels available via satellite is much more than the cable TV.

Satellite TV and Cable TV both come in two forms, as a part of a subscription package based system or custom built by the user. While these packages are more or less similar in Satellite broadcast you can explore free-to –air channels provided on a number of satellites. Thus making viewing of international channels possible. In many cases, cable companies don't have the available bandwidth to provide this level of service.

Satellite offers both east and west coast feeds and alternate sports programming for channels like ESPN and Fox Sports. Sometimes sports stations televise games based on regional interest. Their alternate feed allows the satellite viewer the choice of either game. Of course, accessibility to some of the alternate feeds might require an additional price.

Before the last year, local TV broadcasts were not available via satellite TV unless you could establish you couldn't get a watch able signal with your conventional antenna. But then the Congress passed legislation enabling the satellite companies to retransmit local channels.

There are twice as many Pay-per-View stations via satellite TV and also the sports coverage is much more complete offering a wider range of choice.

Thus your dish provides you 100% digital-quality picture and sound on all channels, including your local network channels. This is not true with your cable connection.

Equipment

For an analog cable connection all you need is your TV and no additional equipment. For digital cable broadcast you will require a converter box, remote, and compatible television.

With satellite TV you need a satellite TV dish and TV receivers. Both Dish Network and DirecTV offer that equipment, plus installation, for free. Dish Network will give you a DVR (digital video recording) receiver or an HDTV receiver at no charge, while DirecTV charges $49.99 for DVR receivers and $299 for HDTV receivers. Also you can move and reinstall your satellite TV equipment as and when the need be.

TV Outages

Cable TV outages average 3% to 5% per year. Cable services ranking as per J.D. Powers and Associates are between good to poor in customer satisfaction.

Satellite TV outages average about 1%. For Dish Network and DirecTV J.D. Power and Associates ranking is higher in customer satisfaction than any of the cable TV companies for the last five years.

Accessibility

All that a satellite service requires is a south-facing surface on which to mount the dish. People living in sparsely populated remote areas do not have access to cable connections. For that type of viewer ship Satellite TV is the only option as it is feasible to lay cable only in built up areas.

HDTV and DVR

Regarding high definition television reception and digital video recorders, both cable and satellite provide the same facilities on somewhat different conditions. For example some satellite companies like provide the DVR and HD equipment free, some on upfront payment and some cable companies on lease on payment of a monthly charge. We recommend purchasing a receiver is beneficial over time as monthly charges add up.

One thing to keep in mind is that High Definition programming is always available on satellite television and is not dependent on location and company like it is with cable. High definition broadcasting on Cable TV and off air stations is limited.

I started writing this article as a learner trying to figure out what is a better choice for me. Having broadly outlined the basic features of both the cable TV and satellite TV, I have made up my mind as to what the future of television industry and most certainly my cable connection is? You being a vigilant customer can very well realize where your money’s worth lies.