Compared between Satellite TV and Cable: Which is the Best?
When it comes to choosing pay-TV services, consumers are left with two options and these are cable and satellite services. Both provide a vast amount of programming with hundreds of channels ranging from news and sports to movies and other specialty programs. However, the two have their differences which are important to consider when comparing the two to determine which is more appropriate for households.
Frequency and Hedgehog of Channels
This can be considered as one of the fundamental aspects of satellite and cable formats, namely the variety of channels. Other features observed include Satellite TV packages that offer more channel options than Cable TV in all the tiers of service. While the top satellite packages offer approximately 300 channels, the initial levels of the main satellite companies supply over 150 channels, although the cable provides between 70 and 100 channels at the basic level.
Satellite also offers more premium and more overseas channels even in its basic packages. Therefore if one wants more stations and diversification in the number of available stations rather than sticking with the big four networks, satellite could be the way to go. But the precise list of channels may differ depending on the geographical location, it is better to know what it is in your region.
Sports and Premium Channels
Yet again, satellite wins the battle for sports lovers because of offerings like NFL Sunday Ticket which are specialty packages. National broadcasts do not show some of the league-specific bundles that cable can offer you access to games. Therefore if the consideration of following a favorite team is paramount then satellite is the clear winner.
The same goes for additional channels, such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz, which are typically available at a higher price. This is something that satellite providers often will provide with a premium at little or indeed no additional cost. On cable, for instance, you always need to subscribe for other extra services or products that you will have to pay extra monthly charges for.
Equipment and Installation
It is however important to note that cable has an upper hand over its rival, satellite in issues to do with equipment and installation. Cable TV simply involves connecting a box to the existing cables and in some cases, one can self-install. Satellite, on the other hand, involves the installation of a small satellite dish both on or adjacent to your residence and interior wiring- often quite costly and can only be done by a technician.
This means that setting up a satellite-based system will be going to cost much more than setting up a terrestrial system. You may need to pay $100 or more just to be able to have a satellite, meanwhile, cable has no initial charges for installation or activation. And if you decide to get your equipment from the provider instead of purchasing the device, satellite dishes are more costly when it comes to monthly rentals than cable boxes.
Picture and Sound Quality
Previously, satellite TV had sound and picture quality that cable counterparts could not match because of less compression of HD signals. But cable operators have come up with better HD offerings in the recent past, This is the case because. Now ‘satellite’ and ‘cable’ deliver most of their channels using ‘1080i’ signals and that makes both ‘HD’ pictures equivalent.
Although, satellite sound is slightly better and more consistent in proportion to Inteligentni’s sound. Because of the nature of satellite transmission, there are fewer concerns for either level and sync which occasionally may fluctuate as in a cable. However, for the remaining customers, the audio quality is quite indiscernible, daily, when deciding between Netflix and Hulu.
Billing and Contracts
Many people switch to pay TV service providers to express their dissatisfaction with the numerous complaints from their customers, including complex and packed bills that contain hidden charges and auto-increased rates after the first few months or years of subscription. Surprisingly, both satellite and cable companies use this strategy, offering a customer attractive pricing at the beginning of a subscription with the understanding that the price will rise after a while.
Other providers also tie customers into longer contracts which last for 12 to 24 months to ensure that the consumer only switches to another provider when they are ready to pay the higher renewed tariffs. Contract violations allow early terminations to cost $200-$300 per month.
It appears that contracts and surprise fees are areas in which satellite and cable are in a dead heat, desperately struggling to outdo each other. Thus, it is advisable to read all the conditions very thoroughly and insist on receiving promised promotional prices in any case, regardless of the chosen service.
Weather and Outages
Satellite signals work on the principle that they do not require any cables or wires for signals to get to us from the satellite; therefore, weather affects satellite programs much more than cable TV. Strong floods, rain, snow, or excessive cloud coverage affects signals hence causing jerky videos or audio. Wind can also affect the position of the dish slightly and the transmission is also not continuous all the time.
Of course, cable has its outages as well, but they are not caused by weather circumstances; they are a result of wiring hitches or destroyed cables. Due to the position of cables being buried in the ground rather than being mounted on towers, it is considerably less exposed to weather conditions. Weather is a problem in most situations, but satellite dishes that incorporate heaters can help some, although in this aspect cable does appear to be more reliable.
Availability and Options
A drawback that can be associated with satellite TV is geographical inaccessibility since satellite signals require a clear view of the sky with limited obstructions, which can be an issue in densely populated areas. To obtain satellite signals, which is the primary field of view used in GPS systems, several obstructions such as buildings, trees, and other structures may hinder one’s view to acquire a line of sight on the satellite. Because of this, cable ends up being the only available option in the city environments where satellite dishes cannot acquire signals.
On the other side, cable infrastructure is not available to every part of the rural areas in America. But satellite comes off as the overall winner in delivering service to more marginal areas. Newspapers and magazines are normally read by 61% of suburban and exurban residents, while 81% have cable, and 68% have satellite, making it a consumer’s choice. However, those in the country or living downtown find themselves having to settle for only one option.
Bundles With Internet
The best value is to subscribe to TV with the Internet since it is cheaper than subscribing to the Internet individually. That is where bundled Internet is now that more homes have been cutting cable TV subscriptions. The two major satellite providers, Dish and DirecTV, both also provide bundled TV and Internet services.
One must understand that the type of Internet service is different. Satellite Internet is different from cable in the way it provides its service by sending data up to orbiting satellites and back instead of through an underground fiber optic array. This has resulted in an even slower speed of connection and more rigid policies on the usage of data where satellite Internet is used.
In addition, satellite TV can be done along with the Internet but it is a cable that is preferred for getting a good high-speed broadband connection. It means that going with a cable TV bundle guarantees you in getting the fastest internet than what satellite offers.
The Verdict
However, satellite TV when comparing satellite TV vs cable has some obvious advantages such as more amount of channels and special programs for sports. It also brings disadvantages such as higher initial costs and occasional disruptions due to weather conditions. Indeed cable TV has managed to subdue the losses through stable services, availability, and even better offers on Internet services.
All in all, the two plans are nearly even in the battle for supremacy, and it is hard to tell which one is the better of the two. The satellite will appeal to some audiences such as sports lovers, movie lovers, and those who are not fully satisfied with cable services. That said, for consistent quality and relative simplicity in terms of hardware needs, cable holds up well assuming it is an option in your region. One way of doing this is to compare the channels, pricing, and packages that are available in your region to arrive at an informed decision on which is the most appropriate for one to use.
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