It depends on where you live and what companies you are dealing with. Here are the considerations:
- Accommodation: If you live in an apartment then it might be difficult for you to have a satellite dish and cable would be easier. But if you live in a house, then most houses are capable of having a satellite dish.
- Type of signals: Does your cable company give you analog signals or digital? Whatever it might be, it cannot be considered first generation signal as the cable signal is relayed from broadcaster to station to sub-station before you receive it. This affects the quality of picture. Satellite signals are truly first generation as they are direct broadcaster to consumer. Thus the quality of services is far better.
- Initial Cost: The initial cost of putting up a satellite system is high as there is a lot of equipment involved. With Cable Television, the initial cost usually involves just the subscription and maybe a set top box. So it is cheaper, initially. However, some cable providers charge a lot to install cable as well. So it depends on your area.
- Programs Available: Programs offered by cable vary from area to area whereas satellite gives you programs that are same everywhere. There are a lot more programs that you might be able to watch on satellite which can never be accessible through cable.
- Interactive Features: Cable offers you electronic program guides (EPG) made to seem like satellite guides. Satellite TV, in addition to EPG, also gives you DirecTV and TIVO which help you to watch one program and record another which may be on at the same time. Such interactive services are not generally available through cable.
- internet: This is one service that is much better in cable than in satellite. Although satellite TV does offer internet services, they are not as good in quality and speed as compared to cable internet services. However, again, it depends on what is available where you are.
- HDTV: HDTV is available through cable but it is not very efficient. Satellite TV has done their homework on this one and through careful planning is able to offer excellent HDTV services.
- Weather conditions. Satellite doesn't always work well during bad weather.
From the above we see that both have their respective pros and cons. So now you can be the judge of which is better for you.
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Yeah satellite maybe cheaper but does your dish provide you with both VOD (Video On Demand) and a DVR?
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I have owned both services, and even compared the two on identical televisions for the so called digital vs analog difference. Comparing apples to apples meaning high def HBO or ESPN on DirecTV to that of Comcast's high def equivalents, I dare anyone to see and note a difference in picture or sound quality. Cable is every bit just as clear and sharp.
It depends on the quality of the dish installation and the performance of the cable company. If cable has the programming you want and takes care of their system and customers I have found them just fine.
The same is true of satellites I make sure I get a good installation with a good view of the right part of sky and use a large enough dish for the strength signal you have you won't have the problems the cable companies advertise. The farther north you live the more critical the installation is as the weaker the signal gets. One can get a dish for satellite from as small as 10 inches and large as 40 inches. A 40 inch dish would have 5 times more signal strength at the antenna than an 18 inch one would and set you back about $250.00 more.
When I had Cox for a cable provider things worked well on both the TV and internet side. Cox sold/traded us to SuddenLink and all that was sudden was the decline in service. While the SuddenLink help desk was open 3 hours later until one AM there was very little help to be had from them as there was no one that could diagnose or fix a problem. Not even when I found the problem, wrote it up and found the fix.
Now I am out on the end of a DSL line far enough the speed is degraded 30% or 40% down to about 1/3 what I had on SuddenLink but throughput is twice what it was on Suddenlink as there are no dropped packets and many less retires. On the TV side of Suddenlink more and more programs are missing their scheduled times, being replace without notice or record a lousy quality.. The local channels are often recorded without sound or not recorded at all. The high dollar programing is slipping away and a lot more paid programing fills the night as the stuff that was there fills in for the stuff they toss in the trash as costing too much. It's been 3 years since they dropped 24 Hours and they dropped House for a year or two. They don't have the new Dr Who either.
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Related Questions
Does cable tv have a better signal than satellite tv?
As long as you have a direct line of sight to the satellite, it should be no better or worse than cable tv service.
Is satellite tv better than cable tv?
Satellite TV is better only in some cases. It is better in areas that have no cable service or have very limited cable selection. In some major areas with cable carrier competition, satellite is actually more expensive than cable. Satellite TV is a great choice for those in rural areas. This is because cable has a limited reach because of isntallition issues.
What is better direct tv dish or Time Warner cable?
Satellite TV is almost always better than cable.
For HD, is cable better than satellite, and which offers more channels?
Do you think cable tv is a better solution than satellite for HD? Which offers more channels in HD?
what is the difference between DirecTV and cable TV?
DIRECTV is a satellite company and cable TV is not. DIRECTV has more channels and clear reception. Also, DIRECTV is a good company and satellite is much better than cable TV.
Is satellite TV clearer than cable TV?
Yes, satellite TV is clearer than cable TV. It also has more channels and you can read more at www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/directv/competition Satellite isn't always clearer than cable. If you have a HD television and have HD cable services, the picture is very crisp! Satellite is easily knocked out in a thunderstorm.
Is cable tv better than satallite tv?
Cable TV and Satellite TV both have wonderful qualities. The following website compares and contrasts the two. http://www.moveutilities.com/cable_vs_satellite.html
Is a Satellite Receiver better quality than cable tv?
Cable can have a lesser quality than satellite tv. Most of the time the difference will not be noticable but other times, as you go up in quality like to HD the quality will start to diminish.
Is cable tv cheaper than satellite?
I have had both satellite tv and cable tv in the past. Both types of service ran around the same price.
Is Satellite TV a better deal than cable?
As per me , Setellite TV is the better choice than the Cable , Becase it has more choice of channle, and entertainment. Satellite TV is the cheaper way to go, UNLESS you happen to live in an area that is prone to severe weather such as icy winters or extreme windy conditions....
Is wireless TV better than cable?
That's a tough one. We've had `wireless TV' since the first TV broadcast transmitter went on the air. It was free and still is. Then came cable and it was followed by satellite systems. I've had both cable and satellite. My personal preferences are for one of the satellite providers over cable, but unless you can get a good `line of sight' to the satellite with your receiving dish, you may have no choice but to opt out for cable. NO, NAOL IS
Is satellite direct better than cable?
"Satellite TV offers better picture quality than cable TV. However, harsh weather conditions may affect the picture on the TV when using a satellite. There are also a wide variety of choices when using a satellite versus cable TV>" --------------------- If you are referring to ETV Corp's Satellite Direct, then the answer is 'No'. But if you are looking for the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to get access tons of live and on-demand channels via computer, then this software/service is one option to consider. You can find out more from a real user when going to Google and entering... satellite direct + "real user"
What is better cable or satellite TV?
when it comes to usability and affordability, satellite tv is still the better choice. you can go to the website provided to know more about satellite tv. Satellite TV is cheaper than cable TV in most cases, but the weather affects satellite way more than cable TV, it the wind blows, if it gets very cloudy or rainstorms satellite will go out, snow affects reception also. Your local cable provider has techs on standby in almost all cases of bad weather to fix whatever interrupts the service. Also most of the time your local cable franchise provider has techs that are highly trained and are not paid per job so they make sure the job is done to the customers satisfaction.
Should I get satellite television or regular cable TV?
If money isn't a big factor in your decision, you should get cable. It generally more reliable than satellite.
What advantages does cable TV have over satelite TV?
Cable tv costs a lot less for basic packages. You don't have to buy any special equipment, although sometimes you do have to rent boxes. Cable gets better reception than satellite in bad weather, as satellite often gets disrupted a little.
Do satellite tv providers offer more channels than cable tv?
The amount of channels you get from either a satellite tv or cable tv provider usually depends on your package. If you get a digital cable set top box it's usually around the same amount of channels as a satellite provider.
Do satellite dishes provide better reception than cable service?
I believe that satellite dishes do provide better reception than cable service. I believe this because satellite dishes are bigger and getting their signals from huge satellites in space. They have less interference factors that affect them than cable service does and they are less likely to go off air as often happens with cable service. Satellite dishes also offer all HD channels where as with cable you have to pay an extra fee for HD many times. I think that satellite dishes receive stronger signals and are better equipped to interpret those signals than cable service is. I also believe that the satellite signals are jumbled less often than cable tv and because of this you get a clearer picture and more channels.
Is satellite TV cheaper than cable TV?
Alot of people speculate this question, but in reality, yes, most of the time satellite is cheaper than cable. Obviously it depends on your service probably and where you are located on earth.
What are the advantages of having satellite tv?
One advantage of satellite television is that more channels are available than on regular cable. Some say that the picture is more clear and that it can be less expensive than digital cable.
Satellite TV is better than Cable TV because customers get more channels at a cheaper price.?
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Why is cable television better than satellite television?
There are only a few benefits to cable over satellite. Mainly that is that you won't lose your signal in heavy weather. After that Directv and Dish have either similiar or superior programming at what is usually a lower price. Of course if you have the benefit of competition between providers in your area then you can get much better deals than the rest of us.
Is satellite television better than cable?
Satellite TV offers a lot of advantages to cable, especially for those in remote rural areas without cable access. Plus, there is less service down-time with satellite technology, and you can get equipment to service multiple sets. There are advantages to both. Usually one can get more channels for the price with satellite, but reception can be spottier in bad weather. Contracts and fees tend to be more stringent with satellite.
Does a digital TV antenna give you better reception?
Yes. A digital TV antenna will give you better reception as compared to an analog TV antenna. But, a cable box or satellite dish will give you even better reception than a digital TV antenna.
Is cable television better than satellite?
Satellite tv has more channels and can be cheaper in the long run. The only bad side is you'll need someone to hook a dish up for you which can get a little spending. Satellite dishes also can be affected by the weather as well
Why is cable TV better than satellite?
Primarily because cable TV is more reliable. In many cases, very bad weather can knock out satellite coverage temporarily, while cable will generally stay alive. This isn't absolute, though. There was a massive windstorm in the midwest in September 2008, and my cable was still down for three days.
