The Great Debate: Cable Television or Satellite TV
It's no secret that technology is advancing very quickly, not just in the professional sector, but in everyday life. A lot more choices are now available for consumers, even those who don't particularly follow the tech news. Regular households all over the country are starting to make choices that are more along the lines of "which smartphone should I use?" or "what video game system is the most cost efficient?" than just deciding between different types of laundry detergent.
One of the biggest debates in terms of making the best decision as a consumer is the decision between choosing cable or choosing satellite TV. Now that the United States has decided to nix any analog signals, everyone who was holding out and not going digital is forced with this decision. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about the different services, so making an informed choice is a little bit harder.
A lot of the time, older consumers think that switching to satellite TV means that it will be impossible to get local programming, including cable access channels. The truth is, it is easy to pick up all of the local news and cable access channels on satellite, just like on cable. Another equally false myth is that cable is somehow more reliable, when the truth is that satellites actually are the the source for signals for both cable and satellite providers. A rough storm isn't more likely to cause trouble with a dish than with a cable connection. Furthermore, a lot of the cables that provide cable to houses haven't been repaired for awhile, so the connections are often in need of replacement and are known for going out just as much, if not more so, than a dish.
Aside from the technical aspects of cable and satellite TV, there are a number of practical consumer concerns to think about when making the choice to stay with what you have or to switch services. A lot of the time, satellite allows its customers to have more of a say about which channels are included in packages. Adding and subtracting different channels from different movie and sports packages will sometimes add months of membership commitment to the contract, but usually, the companies are significantly more flexible than cable.
While cable companies might not be as accommodating for adding and subtracting packages without charging a significant amount or extending a membership, it is true that it is easier to cancel your cable service without penalties. However, the overall cost of satellite for comparable packages is usually significant lower than a similar package being offered by a cable company.
For consumers who are not planning on needing to move or change their service, and who are looking for everything from local channels to the premium movie channels in easily-changable bundles, the overall advantage at this point in time is to go with satellite TV. However, with the pace that technology has been progressing, it would be no surprise to find out that it is anybody's guess which is going to be better in the next few years, so always be sure to check in with the competition and see what they're offering--you never know what the next big thing in technology, even television, is going to be.
One of the biggest debates in terms of making the best decision as a consumer is the decision between choosing cable or choosing satellite TV. Now that the United States has decided to nix any analog signals, everyone who was holding out and not going digital is forced with this decision. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about the different services, so making an informed choice is a little bit harder.
A lot of the time, older consumers think that switching to satellite TV means that it will be impossible to get local programming, including cable access channels. The truth is, it is easy to pick up all of the local news and cable access channels on satellite, just like on cable. Another equally false myth is that cable is somehow more reliable, when the truth is that satellites actually are the the source for signals for both cable and satellite providers. A rough storm isn't more likely to cause trouble with a dish than with a cable connection. Furthermore, a lot of the cables that provide cable to houses haven't been repaired for awhile, so the connections are often in need of replacement and are known for going out just as much, if not more so, than a dish.
Aside from the technical aspects of cable and satellite TV, there are a number of practical consumer concerns to think about when making the choice to stay with what you have or to switch services. A lot of the time, satellite allows its customers to have more of a say about which channels are included in packages. Adding and subtracting different channels from different movie and sports packages will sometimes add months of membership commitment to the contract, but usually, the companies are significantly more flexible than cable.
While cable companies might not be as accommodating for adding and subtracting packages without charging a significant amount or extending a membership, it is true that it is easier to cancel your cable service without penalties. However, the overall cost of satellite for comparable packages is usually significant lower than a similar package being offered by a cable company.
For consumers who are not planning on needing to move or change their service, and who are looking for everything from local channels to the premium movie channels in easily-changable bundles, the overall advantage at this point in time is to go with satellite TV. However, with the pace that technology has been progressing, it would be no surprise to find out that it is anybody's guess which is going to be better in the next few years, so always be sure to check in with the competition and see what they're offering--you never know what the next big thing in technology, even television, is going to be.