| When it comes to their television watching, | | | | of outages while its cable counterparts averaged |
| Americans are not known to idly sit by when | | | | much higher at three to five percent. |
| choosing a service provider. Television is an | | | | *Digital and DVR extra - By default, cable is |
| American pastime, right up there next to football | | | | broadcast in analog, so if you want digital cable, |
| and celebrity gossip, so making a choice between | | | | you will need to pay anywhere up to $15 or $20 |
| satellite and cable is akin to deciding what car to | | | | to upgrade. The same goes for digital video |
| buy right down to the nitty gritty details. While | | | | recording (DVR). Should you wish to utilize this |
| this might not require being at a dealership for ten | | | | feature, you will need to not only upgrade to |
| hours going back and forth between the salesman | | | | digital television, but you will also be paying a $5 to |
| and the elusive finance guy, it may necessitate | | | | $15 monthly fee on top of that for the use of |
| staying on the phone for hours at a time making | | | | one DVR in your home. |
| sure the college football package is secured with | | | | Satellite Pros |
| two DVRs to record it by. | | | | *Affordability - In general, a consumer's dollar will |
| Simply ask any group of average Americans | | | | go a longer way with satellite than it will with |
| which provider they use in their own homes, | | | | cable. While cable packages usually start around |
| satellite or cable, and you might as well be asking | | | | $40 a month without the digital upgrade, an |
| their stance on the war in Iraq with the diverse | | | | equivalent satellite package (all digital) could start |
| types of reactions you get. Some will answer | | | | as low as $20 a month. In addition, many satellite |
| they would rather have no television at all than | | | | companies offer a free DVR as part of their initial |
| put an unsightly satellite on their roof while others | | | | setup package, so the consumer is not left to |
| will denounce cable for its lack of digital channels. | | | | pay any extra monthly DVR fees on top of their |
| With this in mind, let us explore cable television | | | | normal bill. |
| first. | | | | *Channels galore - With cable television, there is |
| Cable Television Pros | | | | usually a standard lineup of channels based on |
| *Bundling of services - In our modern world | | | | which package you pick. On the other hand, with |
| where we love to consolidate loans and bills and | | | | satellite providers, there are several extra |
| pay online rather than sending checks every | | | | packages you can add to your lineup from sports |
| month, bundling the three major services of digital | | | | packages to movie packages to international |
| television, phone service and high-speed internet | | | | channel packages. |
| into one bill has become increasingly attractive. | | | | *Goes where cable does not - When my parents |
| Cable television has spearheaded this concept and | | | | moved out to the boonies a few years ago, |
| some have even started to throw cell phone | | | | there was no cable provider where they lived; |
| service into the mix. Satellite providers have | | | | their only choice was to go with a satellite |
| quickly followed suit, but as of now this is more | | | | provider. Anywhere you choose to go on earth, if |
| often the norm with cable television providers. | | | | you desire, you can bring your satellite television |
| *Localized - Cable television provides local stations | | | | with you. |
| as standard, unlike many satellite providers which | | | | *Simple start-up - With satellite, there is the |
| often require a small fee for adding local stations | | | | option of purchasing the equipment and setting it |
| into the lineup. | | | | up yourself without having to wait for days or |
| *No satellite - You might be thinking, duh, of | | | | even weeks for the cable guy to come set it up |
| course there is no satellite with a cable provider, | | | | for you. |
| so why is this a strength? One reason it counts | | | | *HDTV - Satellite is known to offer more |
| as a pro is that many apartment management | | | | high-definition television stations than its cable |
| companies do not allow their tenants to hook up | | | | counterparts. |
| satellites on their balconies, thereby making cable | | | | Satellite Cons |
| the only alternative. Also, in general, there are | | | | *Local stations extra - Local stations are not |
| many consumers who would rather not install a | | | | usually standard with satellite service. If you |
| satellite on their roof for fear it may look tacky. | | | | choose to add the local station bundle to your |
| On a personal note, when my husband and I | | | | standard lineup, you can expect to pay about $5 |
| opted for a satellite provider in our neighborhood, | | | | extra a month. |
| our homeowner's association had very strict | | | | *Satellite dish may pose problem - As mentioned |
| guidelines as to where we could actually install our | | | | earlier, many homeowner associations and |
| satellite so that it would not appear unsightly to | | | | apartment companies have issues with installing a |
| neighbors and passersby. | | | | satellite dish that can be seen by others which is |
| *On demand programming - Cable providers and | | | | not a problem you will face with choosing a cable |
| customers love the on-demand feature which | | | | providers. |
| allows customers to watch, for instance, an entire | | | | In the end, the decision to go with satellite or |
| season of a television show they might have | | | | cable is a big one that must be researched |
| missed when they choose to do so. | | | | extensively. Largely, which provider you choose |
| Cable Television Cons | | | | depends on the type of television watcher you |
| *Reliability - Those consumers who opt for cable | | | | are. Make a list of channels you wish to watch on |
| love to talk about how unreliable satellite service is | | | | a regular basis and underline those channels you |
| when, say, a storm hits. The reality is that | | | | cannot live without. Explore your options |
| according to one respected rating company, one | | | | thoroughly and choose wisely. |
| satellite provider averaged less than one percent | | | | |