Comparing Satellite TV and Cable – Important Consumer Info

Various studies estimate that the average American spends between 5 and 8 hours a day watching television. That is between 35 and 56 hours per week, which is more time than many people with full-time jobs spend at work – in other words, a lot of time. And this number keeps going up every year. Because home entertainment has become such an important part of everyday life, cable and satellite TV companies are now working harder than ever to deliver service that accommodates people's growing demands. Regardless of whether or not you personally strive to make a career out of watching television, you will most likely want to get the best home entertainment deal possible. This means one that fits your habits, preferences, and budget. The following information will help you decide which service is right for you, assuming that both satellite and cable are realistic options where you live (because of its wired infrastructure, cable access is not available in some rural and remote communities around the country).

The first thing that you will want to consider is how much it costs to use each service. There are a number of different cable companies that provide service in the United States and their specific rates will vary from one to the other. Prices can also fluctuate depending on where exactly you live. However, the most popular cable companies offer basic packages with rates that start at around 30 dollars a month. When you start adding special features and premium channels to your service plan, prices will increase – for more exclusive packages, you could end up paying over a hundred dollars a month. On top of this, you will also have to pay one-time equipment installation fees. These average out to about 40 dollars per room. Satellite TV tends to be a bit cheaper. This is for the most part due to the fact that the technology used by satellite providers is more cost-effective than that used by cable providers. In addition to rates as low as 20 dollars a month, satellite companies can also offer free equipment and installation.

The next factor that you should think about is programming variety. The cheapest cable packages come with access to about 40 channels, while the most expensive packages allow you to watch about 150. The most bare-bones satellite packages, on the other hand, have over 120 channels to choose from, and the higher-end plans come with close to 300. Keep in mind that, if you think back to pricing, this means that you pay much less per channel for satellite TV than for cable. Not only that; all satellite channels are automatically broadcast in digital format, while in order to be able to watch digital programming through cable service you have to pay extra for a special receiver. This can add another 10 dollars or so to your monthly bill. Some satellite providers even offer free HD receivers that allow you to watch many shows in top-of-the-line high def format.

Based on the above information, choosing satellite seems to be somewhat of a no-brainer. However, there are certain limitations to this service that you ought to be aware of before signing up. For one thing, if you live in a dense city with a lot of large buildings, you may have trouble getting a clear reception. This is because you need to have a clear view of the southern sky in order for your satellite TV dish to properly receive signals. In such areas, cable may be the easier option.

In almost any direct TV cable comparison, satellite will come out ahead. Satellite TV offers many benefits that for the most part cabletelevision simply cannot compete with.