| There are no shortage of choices that consumers | | | | wires that haven't been updated in quite some |
| have to make when it comes to picking out | | | | time. While cable companies have tried to branch |
| products that are somewhat similar yet markedly | | | | into different areas of service, including phone and |
| different: paper or plastic, Mac or PC, and of | | | | internet, the focus on improving their original, |
| course, cable or satellite are just some of the | | | | namesake product has all but disappeared. |
| choices there are to make. The only problem is, | | | | Additionally, cable is known for being less than |
| sometimes it is slightly difficult to tell if one good | | | | flexible when it comes to customers choosing the |
| actually has an edge over the other, or if both | | | | packages that they want. Getting the movie |
| exist for people with different needs and wants. | | | | channels you actually will watch usually requires |
| With technology growing at the rate that it has, | | | | paying a lot more money to get others that you |
| those who just want to kick back and watch | | | | simply haven't heard of or have no interest in |
| television now have even more choices than ever | | | | checking out. |
| before. Take, for instance, the different types of | | | | Satellite TV's programming is a lot more flexible |
| televisions that have flooded the market. Where | | | | than cable. It is possible to make your own |
| you used to just be choosing between a | | | | bundled packages if the ones being offered aren't |
| large-screen television and a smaller model, now | | | | doing it for you, and just like with cable, satellite |
| there are so many more options: you can have | | | | has its own On Demand programming, in case |
| your pick of different HD TVs, plasma or LCD | | | | you happened to miss your favorite show the |
| screen, and mount a flat-screen television on | | | | night before and would like to catch up with it the |
| practically any surface in a house. Likewise, there | | | | next evening. Satellite allows its viewers to add |
| are a dizzying amount of choices when it comes | | | | and drop both bundles and channels with more |
| to the type of television service that you can get, | | | | ease, without the problem of renewing a contract |
| but what it really boils down to is a choice | | | | indefinitely each time a change is made. |
| between cable and satellite. | | | | While cable might have a reputation for getting |
| Even though Americans are more technologically | | | | customers bound to more years of service if a |
| savvy than ever before, something about satellite | | | | package is changed, it is actually significantly |
| TV still manages to throw some of them for a | | | | easier, as of now, to get out of a commitment |
| loop. It might be the notion that it's more obvious | | | | to cable. The cost of the box rental is less than |
| with satellite that the images you receive in your | | | | the cost of a dish, too. But when cable offers |
| living room on a screen come from things that | | | | those special deals where you pay something |
| are orbiting the Earth very, very far away. | | | | small or not at all for three months, they will jack |
| However, the same is true for the service you | | | | the price up later when you cannot cancel the |
| receive from cable companies, so there's no point | | | | bundle or the program, while satellite tv offers a |
| in assuming that just because a dish is involved, | | | | more realistic depiction of what the final cost is |
| someone with satellite is going to have worse | | | | actually going to be. |
| service in a storm than someone with cable. | | | | Both satellite and cable now offer high-definition |
| After all, ultimately the same source is providing | | | | pictures, the option to catch programs and |
| signals to both different types of television | | | | movies On Demand, and the ability to surf |
| service providers. The bottom line is that satellite | | | | hundreds and hundreds of channels whenever you |
| is no more or less reliable than cable. | | | | want. Much like choosing between a Mac and a |
| In fact, cable might actually be less reliable in | | | | PC, the reasons to go with one over the other |
| coming years, unless companies spend a great | | | | are largely up to the consumer and his or her |
| deal of money to replace miles and miles of faulty | | | | personal taste. |