Satellite TV vs Cable TV, Who Has The Best?

Saturday, October 17, 2009

We all knew cables and satellites are the main paid TV services in United States. Dish Network and DirecTV are the major two players on the satellite TV side; while Time Warner, Comcast, Adelphia, Cable Vision, Charter Communication are some of the well known names on cables.

So how does satellite TV match up to cables? Is satellite TV better, or it’s the old school cables? Let’s check out some of the facts on satellite TV vs cable TV here.

Popularity

Although both Dish Network and DirecTV are growing their business fast, cable TV is still much popular than satellites at nowadays.

At the time of writing, DirecTV claims that they own up to 18 millions subscribers; while Dish Network 15 millions. On the other hand according to market survey, major cable TV provider Comcast cable TV take up over 20 million subscribers in many states; while Time Warner 10 millions, Adelphia 5 millions, Cable Vision 3 millions and Charter Communication 6 millions in United States.

Programming quality and variety

Cable uses TV cables; while satellite TV uses decoder and dish for the signal transmission. Cable programs normal come in analog or partly, digital signals – the picture quality are generally good, but not as good as satellite TV that offers 100% digital picture in their broadcast.

In most situation, cable TV offers up to 150 channels. In contrast, both main satellite TV providers (Dish and DirecTV) offer up to 255 programming choices. On top of that, DISH Network and DirecTV offer plenty of HDTV programming, which it’s hardly found on major conventional cables. What amazed me a lot is that Dish Network had just throw out another upgrading campaign that raises their HD channels to more than 30! (Compare to others who are less then 20).

Bundle services

Cable TV services normally come along with cable phone and cable broadband services – which is good for most new home buyers. With cable TV bundle package (Comcast for example), you’ll get entertainment, communication, and even high speed Internet services. The service provide much convenience to the users (imagine settling all your home bills with just one company) and also, they (the cable TV) are able to pull down the selling price (due to better mass selling), which in turns create a better value for cable user’s services.

Satellite TV on the other hand has less to offer. Satellite Internet was once offered along side with satellite TV deals. However the latency problem and constant disconnection during storms had fail satellite TV company in offering bundle services (satellite Internet) to their clients. Thus

Pricing

Satellite TV wins cables a lot when it comes to pricing.

Cable TV costs you $37.30 a month for 64 channels, plus $10.95 a month to add a few digital channels. Installation in one room is $39.95, plus $9.95 for each additional room. While Dish Network basic package starts at $19.99 and DirecTV package starts at $29.99, it is without doubt that satellite TV are much better bargains when compare with cable TV.

Conclusion

So Cable TV and satellite TV, who has the best? There is no absolute right answer.

Both services have their own weakness - Cable TV are a lot more expensive and poor programming quality/variety. Dish Network and DirecTV, on the other hand are just TV companies and cannot supply you good additional services (in general). Both services have their advantages – cable TV bundle services offer you great savings in overall home expenses; satellite TV offer better programming quality in a much cheaper price.

The best I can advise is that reviews both services carefully and decide the one that suits your needs the best.

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Cable Vs. DSL - Which is Better?

As broadband Internet becomes more mainstream, one of the most common questions we get is: which is better, cable or dsl?

The answer to that question is not so definite. Many factors come into play when deciding which high-speed connection to choose. Regardless of which you choose (DSL, Cable, or even Satellite) it’s going to be a ton better (and faster) than that ancient dialup modem you’ve been using. Not to mention, your Internet experience will be much more enjoyable.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

Just like your existing dialup modem, DSL uses your existing copper wire phone line to deliver data at high speed. To qualify for DSL, you need the following:

- a phone line

- a DSL modem (which normally comes with the service)

- an Ethernet card or an available USB port ( most DSL modems allow both connections, but Ethernet is recommended).

- a phone company (ISP) that is offering DSL service (e.g., Verizon)

One important factor that will influence your DSL connection is the distance between your home or office and the phone company’s central office. The farther away you are from the central office, the signal becomes weaker, thus a slower connection. With that said, DSL is not as available widespread compared to cable. You’ll need to contact your local phone provider to check availability.

Speed wise, depending on the package you choose, DSL can range from 128 kbps to 3 Mbps. Generally, the faster your connection the more expensive your service will be. You can expect to pay around $25-$30 a month for a 768 kbps connection, which is roughly 13 times faster than a 56k dialup modem.

::Pros::

- Relatively cheaper than cable

- Dedicated line, so speeds are almost guaranteed

- You can talk on the phone at the same time while surfing the net

::Cons::

- Slower speeds compared to cable

- Speeds drop the farther away your home/office is from the central office

- Not available in all areas

Cable Internet

Cable Internet gets our recommendation. Cable, which you can probably already tell, uses the coaxial cable that your television uses. To qualify for cable internet, you need the following:

- a cable modem ( which normally comes with the service)

- an Ethernet card or an available USB port (most cable modems allow both connections, but Ethernet is recommended)

- a cable company offering cable Internet (e.g., Adelphia)

Unlike DSL, cable Internet does not depend on the distance between your home or office and the central office. However, unlike DSL, cable connections are typically shared among your neighbors. Although, most cable companies provide pipelines with huge bandwidth that this rarely becomes an issue.

Speed wise, cable Internet typically ranges from 3 Mbps to 10 Mbps, up to 3-4 times faster than DSL. However, expect to pay more for the service - $40-$50 per month.

::Pros::

- Faster speeds than DSL

- More widespread than DSL

- Distance does not affect speed

::Cons::

- More expensive than DSL

- Line is shared with other users

With all that said, you need to think about what type of user you are. If you are a heavy Internet user and downloader, you would highly benefit from a broadband connection. For the light users who use the Internet just to check emails, are probably better off with a dialup. However, if you are willing to splurge some cash on a broadband connection, then by all means, upgrade!

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