Dish Network vs Cable TV

By Scott Daugherty

Over the past few years, millions of Americans have switched from cable to Dish Network. Why, you may ask? A comparison of the two showed that the main reasons were (listed in order):

1. Cost

2. Picture Quality

3. Program Choices

4. Customer Satisfaction

Here are the main differences between Cable TV and Dish Network

What are the cost differences?

In 2007, the average for cable so far has been $42.76 per month. In some areas the cost are more or less but it consistently averages at $42.76 per month plus $10-$20 per month for digital channels. Also for HD you are looking at $15-$40 more per month. Installation costs vary by cable company but here it $49.99 initially and $10 per additional room.

Satellite costs from Dish Network start $19.99 for the basic package with over 60 channels. The average package that people choose runs $29.99 per month plus $5 per month for local channels. You get free equipment and free installation. This includes all digital programming. You can upgrade your package to HD and DVR with no extra cost on the equipment.

What are the differences in programming?

Cable offers most channels that satellite offers, however they are broadcast in over the air format. If you upgrade to digital picture and sound, you pay an additional fee for the service and equipment which averages to $10-$20 per month.

Satellite offers over 250 channels with more channels in High Definition. They also offer every channel in digital format from the beginning. No need to upgrade and pay more per month for digital television. What equipment do I have to have for each?

With cable you may not need anything, or if anything you will need cable boxes. The cable boxes are usually given to you at no additional cost to you depending on the cable company. If you want a dVR the standard fee is $10 per month.

With satellite, you need a satellite dish and receivers for your television. Dish Network offers the equipment and installation for free. Dish Network also will give you the DVR or HDTV receiver at no extra charge.

How reliable is cable and satellite?

J.D. Powers and Associates ranks cable companies as good to poor in customer satisfaction. Cable TV outages average 3% to 5% per year.

J.D. Power and Associates has ranked Dish Network higher in customer satisfaction than any of the cable TV companies for the last five years. Satellite outages average about 1%.

And if you should lose your satellite signal, it usually brief during extremely heavy rainfall. If cable goes out, you can expect an outage for as long as hours to weeks. The worse case scenario on a satellite is you may have to repoint your dish.

Can I get High Speed Internet?

The answer to that is yes, you can get high speed internet through satellite as well as cable. The main differences to satellite internet versus cable internet is, with the satellite internet you can connect anywhere. Even in areas where you could only dial-in, you can connect. All you need is a clear view of the southern sky.

Packages for satellite internet range from $49.99 to $129.99 depending on the package. Many businesses along the southern Atlantic coast and Gulf Coast are particularly buying satellite speed internet as a backup for their connections. In the unlikely event of a hurricane, you don't have to wait on cable and phone lines to be restored to get back online. You are online immediately.

The Bottom Line

If you don't watch television a lot and you live in an area where you can't pickup local television stations, you could choose satellite or cable for their minimum package(around $20-$25 per month.)

Scott Daugherty is an online entrepreneur who has made significant financial gain from website promotions, forex, and online stock trading.

In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar and recording music with his band.

If you want a large variety of television shows, movies, sports, and news for the least amount of money, plus free High Definition Equipment and DVR, you should have Dish Network.

Order Dish Network or Wildblue today

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