Weighing Your Options: Satellite versus Cable TV

Overall, cable TV is the most popular and widespread choice when it comes to home etertainment in the United States, but satellite users are increasing rapidly, with one in four U.S. homes currently using this medium. When it comes to making the decision to switch from cable to satellite TV, a smart consumer should consider certain factors like cost, picture quality, program choices, and customer satisfaction.

Cable service, the price of which includes local franchise fees and local broadcasting, is often the more expensive option. Satellite packages generally cost less per channel than cable and require no extra charge to add digital channels as cable packages do, since all satellite channels are digital. Cable equipment is fairly simple, requiring only cable boxes that connect the incoming cable line to your televisions, as well as one receiver per TV if you want digital programming. The cable boxes usually come free with the service, but the digital receivers cost extra. Satellite equipment can be more complicated and expensive, including a satellite dish or set of dishes, which must be set up outside and oriented so that they have a clear view of the southern sky. Additionally, a box is required for each TV. Though cable equipment can be more convenient and cheaper than the cumbersome satellite TV equipment, satellite providers usually offer free equipment and installation in up to four rooms to subscribers who sign up for at least a 12-month commitment. Some satellite providers will also include a DVR receiver or HD receiver at no charge, while others charge a fee for these devices.

When it comes to reception quality, cable comes with both analog and digital channels. Analog signals are less strong than digital signals and tend to result in lower quality reception. All satellite channels, on the other hand, are broadcast in crystal clear digital format for a higher quality picture and sound. However, satellite reception is much more dependent on favorable weather conditions than cable.

Cable tends to offer more local channels and a higher amount of pay-per-view movies than satellite TV. Additionally, many cable providers now offer video-on-demand, which stores a selection of movies and TV shows that can be viewed at the user's convenience. Satellite, on the other hand, offers more overall channels and more programming variety. Whether it's sports, news, movies, or shows, there are also more high-definition options available through satellite than cable.

Other features to take into consideration are the interactive control options available through each medium. In addition to its on-demand services, cable also offers an electronic program guide. Satellite also comes with an electronic program guide, as well as pay-per-view options and DVR functionality, which enables users to record programs and rewind, fast forward, and pause them during viewing.

Satellite seems to be more reliable than cable, with a lower percentage of outages per year. Accordingly, customer satisfaction ratings have been consistently better for satellite than cable companies, according to J.D. Power and Associates. And as far as pricing, programming variety, picture quality, and reliability go, satellite TV appears to be the better choice, with its main drawback being less local coverage than cable (though satellite providers have been improving in this area, as well).

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