Cable TV has pretty much caught up to satellite television when it comes to level of quality, customer service, and cost, but there are several differences between the two you’ll want to bear in mind if you’re considering paying for satellite or cable television. Here is a comparison of cable TV vs. satellite TV.
Cost
On average, cable TV costs $10 to $25 a month more as compared to satellite television due in part to the fact that cable TV companies have to pay local area fees and taxes which satellite TV companies don’t have to pay for.
Where I reside in Arizona if I were to order cable it would cost me $57 a month for 140 TV channels. If I were to purchase Dish Network satellite TV service it would cost me $25 for 190 TV channels.
One other difference is the rate increases. Cable Television service has increased by 40% since 1998, while satellite TV service has increased by a mere 8% within that same time frame.
Equipment Evaluation
Cable TV providers supply you with a receiver, or cable box, that receives a TV signal via an underground cable. The receiver converts that signal and delivers it to your TV set.
With satellite TV you receive a satellite dish which captures the signal originating from a satellite, plus a receiver which translates the signal and sends it to your TV.
For both systems you’ll need a receiver for every television in your house that you’d like to view cable or satellite TV programming on. With cable TV you must pay between $3 to $5 per month for each and every cable box receiver you’d like connected to your TVs. With Dish Network and DirecTV your receivers are free of charge.
DVR
Digital video recorders, or DVRs, allow you to record your favorite shows. In addition to recording your shows you can also pause, rewind, and fast forward live television programs, so that you can answer your phone, view part of the program you missed, or fast forward through a commercial.
Using the typical cable DVRs you are able to record 2 TV shows simultaneously, and record 100 hours of programming. The drawback with this is that if you have 3 shows that come on at the same time, you can watch one show and record one or record two shows, but you won’t be able to see the third show.`
Dish Network, on the other hand, lets you record 6 different shows simultaneously, and you’ll be able to record up to 2,000 hours of programming, so you won’t miss of your favorite television shows. With DirecTV you’re able to record 4 different television shows at once, plus record up to 1,000 hours of programming.
Installation
Both satellite television companies, as well as most cable television companies, will install all of the equipment required to receive their programming for free. To make sure you do not have any equipment breakdowns down the line, you need to ensure the company who installs your system uses professional installers.
Dependability
Cable television outages average 3% to 5% depending on the company you purchase your service from, while Dish Network and DirecTV blackouts average 1%.
Customer Rankings
Dish Network is ranked number one in consumer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index among the leading cable and satellite TV companies, while DirecTV is ranked number two.
Consumer Support
Customer support for most satellite television and cable TV providers is available round the clock, 7 days a week including holidays, and with almost all companies the service is very good.
Conclusion
As far as program variety, number of channels, recording capacity, reliability, price, and customer satisfaction, satellite TV beats cable TV hands down.