Satellite vs Cable

Satellite vs Cable - Location

Apartment? Or a single-family/duplex home? A clear line of sight from a dish antenna to the southern sky is necessary to receive a direct signal from the satellite. Nearly 98 % of all residences are able to have a dish antenna. When you compare satellite vs cable, satellite always come out on top.

Satellite vs Cable - True Digital

Is the cable provider in your neighborhood offering analog-only, true digital, or a hybrid analog/digital service? Satellite signals are considered to be the highest quality as they are first generation (directly from the Broadcaster to you). Digital Cable cannot be considered "Truly Digital" as it is generally a fourth or fifth generation signal relayed from sub-station to sub-station before reaching your residence. The relay of Digital Cable diminishes the overall quality of your picture and sound. When you compare digital satellite vs cable Dish Network is the clear winner.

Programming Packages - Satellite vs Cable

Packages range from neighborhood to neighborhood, whereas satellite packages are the same across the nation. When you compare Satellite vs Cable, "Digital cable" offers nearly as many total video and audio channels as satellite but at a slightly more expensive price per channel. Savvy viewers need to think ahead about what channels or types of programming they want to see, and chose packages accordingly.

Leasing Option

Leasing vs. cash up-front vs. normal "free" offers are typically provided by the satellite providers. The cable operators typically offer a "lease" model whereby consumers pay a small percentage of their monthly bills to "lease" the set top box. These need to be investigated and compared more closely when you compare satellite vs cable.

Interactive Features
Not much interactivity is available at this stage from cable providers, except for electronic programming guides (EPGs) made to look like satellite guides. When you compare satellite vs cable, satellite offers EPGs and a new line of services from DISH Network and DirecTV. DirecTV offers TiVo, for recording, but at an upfront cost of around $400 to buy the receiver. Satellite vs Cable - While, DISH Network today offers its 508 series set-top box, with free basic personal video recorder functionality at a cost of $49 at time of activation. This has also been supplemented by DISH Network's 721 series, allowing consumers to simultaneously record one program and watch another. These interactive TV services offer personal video recorders - which pause, record and rewind live broadcasts -- plus enhanced broadcasting are only offered on Satellite vs cable.

Internet Connection
This is one area where the true advantage goes to cable. Satellite vs Cable - 2-way satellite offerings do exist, however, at soonest, satellite is still several years away from a price, speed and quality that readily competes with cable's. Yet, cable internet connections are only available in select areas, whereas Satellite connections can be established anywhere the United States, Canada and Mexico.

HDTV - Satellite vs Cable
Cable still is facing problems delivering HDTV. Both DISH Network and DirecTV offer HDTV programming. DirecTV, with its single LNB (the receiving end on the Satellite Dish) will experience bandwidth problems as programming increasingly switches to HDTV. DISH Network has planned ahead and has launched innumerable programs to ensure unlimited bandwidth capabilities.

Bundled Packages
Satellite vs cable - Again, advantage cable. Some larger cable systems offer telephone, Internet and video services all bundled together. Satellite does not. And why would they want to? Satellite companies stick to what they do best-offer the best TV packages at the best prices.

How many TV's
Satellite vs cable - Previously, Cable's almost nationwide "lease" model allowed the maximum number of set-top boxes to be served at the lowest cost-per-set compared to satellite operators. Nonetheless, satellite (DISH Network in particular) has recently catching up here, and new "additional box" plans of up to 4 receivers are being offered to the consumer at a better price than cable.