Here's the good news for satellite TV customers: there are no storms, wayward earth movers or landscapers in SPACE! The cold, hard truth is that cable tv viewers experience MORE service problems, not fewer (contrary to what those finger-pointing cable industry advertisements say) than their satellite viewing counterparts. If you're not convinced, just poll ten of your friends or neighbors with cable TV, and then another ten with satellite and see how many reception and "interruptions of service" problems they report. I promise you the satellite customers are far less concerned about "the weather" than their cable watching neighbors. You're also going to get more for less with satellite, hands down. Most satellite providers offer DVRs (along with free satellite installation for multiple rooms) as standard equipment, where most cable companies treat DVR as an upgrade to nickel and dime you with (along with a list of other fees the cable industry will get you with) .
Lets first talk about where they both compete evenly. Both cable and satellite offer lots and lots of programming-including local channels. Oops. that apparently is where the similarity ends.
Free Satellite TV or Cable: Does it Really Matter? By Paul M. Nelson (765 words) As the big shots of the satellite TV industry do on-air battle with the giants of cable tv, you may have already found yourself wondering. does it really matter? I mean, aren't we talking about different techno-roads to the same place here? Six of one, half dozen of another? For Pete's sake, I just want to watch the game!!
I'm going to let the cat out of the bag right away here - I've actually found an unequivocal answer to this very important TV question: satellite is beating the snot out of cable every day of the week. Ok, so now that I've let you in on my subtle bias, let me lay out for you why satellite is eating cable's lunch and sending the cable guys into boardroom frenzies. (For additional technical info on the differences between the two technologies/services, send me an email with "sat vs. cable" in the subject line to: pm_nels@yahoo.com and I'll send you the links you'll need).
How do they compare in regard to technology and delivery?
With satellite TV, your favorite shows come straight from the satellite (out in peaceful, quiet space) to your dish/TV. Pretty simple. The cable company, on the other hand, has to first acquire the signal from a satellite themselves (surprise!), then they must snake it through miles of fragile 'cable' until it arrives at your TV. Here's my point: storms, wayward construction crews, landscapers, and car accidents among other things, can all inadvertently knock out your cable. My local cable company has almost always got a nice disclaimer on their tech support hotline referring to some weather disaster resulting in 'interruption of service' to some portion of your region, and that they are working as fast as possible to correct the problem (and call hold times may be lengthy as a result-GREAT!).
All other factors being equal (and they really are), the TV battle boils down to technology delivery, and competition-period. And shrewd consumers are beginning to choose satellite over cable TV in big numbers, and you can expect to see this trend causing more and more panic in the cable industry in the coming years. So to all you cable watchers out there. is that a thunderstorm moving in on the horizon?...
Most people became aware of satellite TV years ago, when they began to notice the big metal satellite dishes springing up in peoples yards and on the roofs of buildings. In those early days satellite programming just really wasnt that popular and it was a certain TV viewing fringe element that went through the trouble and expense of acquiring it. In its very early days the only real programming available on satellite was NASA communications and some foreign language news broadcasts, so unless someone was into that type of thing there was nothing on there for them.
In nineteen-ninety-four, two satellite TV programming service companies made their debut and began to pioneer the concept of making satellite TV programming something that would appeal to a broader market of consumers. These two companies are Dish Network and DirecTV and they have become the unchallenged leaders in the business of providing great quality satellite TV programming, at an affordable price.
Smaller satellite dishes and more simplified, streamlined and user friendly satellite TV systems were developed. More and more people began to take notice and word began to spread that satellite service was just as easy and affordable as cable, if not cheaper and satellite TV programming from these two companies had so many more channels to choose from.
Millions of people have ditched there cable service and have turned to satellite TV programming over the years, but still some people stay with cable service by force of habit, or they dont want to bother changing systems. Dish Network and DirecTV developed the marketing trend of giving each new customer a free satellite TV system, so switching over from cable is now completely hassle free.
While cable companies charge for their installation so someone can receive their over priced inferior service. DirecTV and Dish Network introduced the policy of free installation in up to four rooms in your home or place of business. Dish Network and DirecTV were instrumental in the development of satellite receivers that can serve more than one TV at a time, making it possible for them to provide free receivers for up to four separate TVs in your home.
Cable companies are limited in the area of high definition because the cables themselves are an inferior means of transmitting high definition programming, so the two leading satellite service providers have taken the lead position in high definition TV programming, by offering far more channels of high definition programming.
Dish Network carries thirty-one channels of high definition programming for its TV viewing family members. While DirecTV has less that half that number of high definition channels, it has focused its resources on sports programming and caries exclusive sports channels that can only be had from them. DirecTV has a full twenty-five channels of standard definition sports programming, not including their exclusive channels.
The top two leading satellite programming service providers continue to develop new products and service that only make it easier and better to watch the great programming that they market. So look to them to bring you a better and more affordable product, now and into the future.
Article Source :
About Author
Both Nia Tanyang & Kaptain Dave are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Nia Tanyang has sinced written about articles on various topics from . For more information please visit the website: . Nia Tanyang's top article generates over 880 views. to your Favourites.
Kaptain Dave has sinced written about articles on various topics from Movie Reviews, Football and Nokia Phones. Written by David Johnson. Find more information on as well as. Kaptain Dave's top article generates over 1000000 views. to your Favourites.