Programming: Sattelite or cable?

Question

Hi,

I'm looking at buying a 50" flat panel HDTV.

I use free TV signals.

I don't subscribe to satellite or cable.

I'm only interested in getting a good picture,

and maybe some sports and movies.

Which is the best value, Satellite (Dish) or Cable?

Answer 1

You can try this satellite tv review.It's really very good!

For more information:http://satellite-tv-reviews-jivy.blogspo...

Answer 2

I agree with the poster above regarding satellite over cable, but I disagree on which one.  Since you're looking to go HD you HAVE to go with DirectTV.  They have 95 channels and just launched a new satellite which will give them the capacity for 150 more by Fall.  DISH has 73, but  a lot are channels you never even heard of like Treasure HD, Family Room HD and the Kung Fu channel or something.  See the comparison here.  DirectTV is also the leader in Sports HD.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/con...

I admit the dual tuner receiver is cool, but give me the channels over the equipment any day.  Who cares about a dual tuner if there's nothing to watch?

weeder

Answer 3

Best value is by far satellite. I have had both dish network and directv and both were good. I ended up with dish network for two reasons. First reason is that dish net work packaging is less expensive. Second reason is that only dish net work carries a type of receiver that is called double tuner. Double tuner is one receiver that works on two TVs simultaneously.

The text below is off the consumer report website comparing cable and satellite:

Cable vs. satellite: Customers weigh in

TWO WAYS TO TV   Cable and satellite differ not only in delivery but also in cost, satisfaction, and other areas.

Illustration by Roy Scott

Satellite TV still earns higher scores from viewers than either type of cable, but digital cable has come on strong.

In our recent national survey of more than 1,750 cable and satellite television subscribers, satellite continued to lead the pack in overall satisfaction, followed by digital cable and then analog. Our 2005 survey also confirmed what we found two years ago, that digital cable has made significant strides, narrowing the gap in overall satisfaction between it and satellite from 13 points in 2001 to just 8 points in both 2003 and 2005.

We expect digital cable will gain further ground in the future, driven in part by two features in which it holds a clear advantage: reliable, high-speed Internet access and the ability to receive and record high-definition (HD) programs with a minimal investment in hardware.

One area where cable companies need to do some work, however, is customer service. Only 75 percent of digital-cable and 68 percent of analog-cable subscribers told us they received good or excellent service when they phoned their provider with a question or problem. In fact, both types of cable fell 10 percentage points on this measure since 2003, a disturbing trend in an otherwise largely positive picture. For the satellite subscribers, 81 percent rated service highly, a level that is unchanged from our 2003 survey.

Your choice of cable or satellite will be dictated to some extent by where you live. Satellite TV from the two major carriers, DirecTV and Dish Network, is available nationwide to households with an unobstructed view of the southern horizon. But you won’t be able to get service if tall buildings, trees, or mountains block the signals beamed by the satellites. Cable is available in most parts of the country, but about 30 percent of the satellite subscribers we surveyed, mostly living in rural areas, said cable wasn’t available to them. Where cable is offered, you can generally get it in either the digital or analog variety.

There is, of course, the venerable option of over-the-air (antenna) reception. These days there’s a new twist: With the right antenna and a digital tuner, many households can receive digital signals from local stations broadcasting digitally and can view their HD programming on an HDTV set. There’s no ongoing cost, but programs are limited to broadcast TV.

CR Quick Recommendations Cable vs. satellite

The Ratings, based on a nationally representative survey of more than 1,750 TV-service subscribers, show that satellite maintained its hold on first place, while digital cable typically scored higher than analog. If those factors were all that influenced the choice of TV service, we might recommend satellite for every household. Some homes, however, can’t get satellite service because of their location, and some services, such as video on demand, are available only on digital cable. Cable, both analog and digital, also provides more local programming.

If saving money is important. Look first to an antenna or basic analog cable. If the over-the-air digital signals are strong enough where you live, an antenna may give you superb quality with no ongoing fees and a low up-front investment. Expect to pay $100 and up for the antenna and a digital set-top box if your HDTV doesn’t have a built-in tuner. For more advice, go to www.antennaweb.org.

The lowest level of analog cable provides little more programming than the broadcast networks. Basic cable costs about $15 a month, although most of the people we surveyed chose optional services and paid more.

If you want more channels. Consider digital cable or satellite. Digital cable has more programming and better picture quality than analog, and the users we surveyed were more satisfied overall. If you choose satellite, you’ll have a close decision between DirecTV and Dish Network. Our survey turned up no major differences between the two in service or satisfaction. But DirecTV had more HD programming at the time we wrote this report. Note that today’s HD satellite dishes and receivers might not work with the new MPEG-4 transmission format being introduced very soon, so we suggest that you hold off on getting any HD equipment for at least a few months.