If you had a choice:Satellite or Cable

[PILMAN]

Just wondering about this. Obviously there are many places you just can't get Cable, some seem to choose satellite over cable due to price, some choose satellite due to portability. But if you had a choice what would you pick? I have choices for both so I picked satellite just because I like the content they provide.

 

[boy921]

Satellite for me. Our local cable has room for lots of improvement. They do have high speed modem.

 

[chaddux]

I have a choice and I'd chose satellite over cable any day.

 

[jrrdy1380]

I also had a choice between satellite and cable and satellite wins! Our cable provider, Charter, is the fourth cable provider that has provided service in my area (other three times old service was bought out by new provider or company changed names).

Picture quality is alot better with satellite than the digital package cable provides, customer service in both areas is fair to good depending when you contact them, neither provider offers DSL/high speed internet service, but overall, I love satellite.

My dad was at first not that enthused with satellite but over time having to watch programming on the cable and satellite side, he would not go back to cable again. That is saying something because my dad does not like to change things at all unless he is forced to.

 

[korsjs]

i will probably be one of the few to say this, but cable wins in my area right now. if satellite would add some more HD and a more stable HDDVR, then i would go back to satellite. verizon is also going to get a look when it come out in a little while.

 

[dodge]

cable or satellite

Satellite all they way
Had dish network since March of 1997

HAD ONLY OFF AIR ANALOG BEFORE THAT

Started out with a 1000 and single lnb dish 300

Now That I have HD Echostar Kicks A@#

My local cable company Mediacom has no hd or Distant nets ( I have NY and LA and all the superstaions.)

Although the cables high speed internet still kicks Direcway and Starbrokes A@#.

 

[cdru]

I hope your survey isn't a scientific one. It's like going into a Linux forum and asking which is better, Windows or Linux? Or a Ford dealership asking if Chevy is better then Ford.

 

[PILMAN]

I just want peoples person preference, nothing more. I know plenty of people that only have satellite because it's all they can get in there area but I'm just wondering if cable was an option how many would actually switch as in (do you have satellite because you have no choice or because you like satellite better than cable?)

 

[GaryPen]

In my area, it appears that cable may be the winner. I've already scheduled my Dish cancellation and Comcast installation. I really won't be able to compare my experiences until then. But, I can compare cost and value now for a 2-room system w/ HD DVR:
Dish:
AT180 w/locals $53
HBO $14
HD Pack $10
DVR Fee $5
DHPP (warranty)$6
Total $88
Upfront cost: $250 for the priviledge of leasing a 942

Digital Silver (similar to AT180, but with more channels, plus locals and HBO) $73
HD DVR $10 (includes DVR fee, HD Pack fee, and add'l receiver fee)
Warranty $0 (They replace defective equipment free, either delivered with installation, or carry-in instant exchange.)
Sub-Total: $83
Special Dish Winback Promo -$25 for 16 months
Total: $58 for first 16 months, $83 thereafter
Upfront cost: $0 (Nada. Zip. Zilch.)

In addition, Comcast has my four local networks, local PBS, a local independant, the local regional sports nets, and NFL net, all in HD. They also offer HBO, SHO, MAX, and STARZ HD for subscribers of those services. Plus, they have the standard DISC-HD, ESPN-HD, and INHD1 and INHD2. Unfortunately, they do not have TNT-HD or Universal-HD.

Dish has DISC, ESPN, HDNet, HDNet Movies, and TNT-HD. They only offer HBO and SHO HD. And, only a pitiful single broadcast network in HD. And, that's only oif you live in certain areas.

On paper, Comcast wins hands down. In practice, I'll know in a few weeks. You can be sure I will post my findings.

 

[mdonnelly]

Cable doesn't work for me. Cox here doesn't carry the FOX digital feed, because of a dispute with Sinclair Broadcasting. So, no NFL in HD, or anything in HD on FOX.

No PBS-HD. NO UPN or WB digital. Cox's STB doesn't do OTA like the 811.

No new HD content since October 2003.

No money incentives for dropping DBS. Starts at $69/month for digital cable with HBO or Showtime.

 

[KE4EST]

I have both choices here too, but satellite wins. The basic cable here is 38.99 month. With less channels than say Dishnetwork for 31.99. And I get locals from the west coast feed(at least for now) and I live in NC, that the cable don't have. Plus the cable here has very poor PQ even though Satellite compresses a lot, still way better PQ and price.

 

[OoTLink]

The reason we got dish network in the first place was because we thought we were paying too much for our analog regular plain jane cable, it was "extended" as in it had more than just local channels, but the lineup was about as good as the top 60 with locals.

ANALOG Comcast cost: $48 with tax and all their crap
Dishnet cost: $37 with tax and all that too.

 

[one028]

if i could get local hd channels without an antenna, i would get dish. but for now, cable works for me and i dont have to mess with an antenna.

 

[earth station]

Cable vs Satellite has always struck me funny. They are one in the same. (except the internet)

 

[justdaved]

I have dish but regional sports nets in HD is looking more and more tempting

 

[SimpleSimon]

Cable vs Satellite has always struck me funny. They are one in the same. (except the internet)

Gotta disagree - BIG-Time.

Huge number of differences.

 

[earth station]

I'm not talking about the individual technologies of DTH and Cable. I only mean they are along the same lines as far as the signal aquisition method. Networks send signal to satellite - cable companies receive from satellite. networks send signal to satellite - satellite companies receive from satellite. that is all i mean!

The technologies/frequencies/etc... between the two are obviously different, but I didn't think I would have to clarify on this forum by god.

 

[mboy]

i will probably be one of the few to say this, but cable wins in my area right now. if satellite would add some more HD and a more stable HDDVR, then i would go back to satellite. verizon is also going to get a look when it come out in a little while.

Ditto!

 

[Geeke19]

cause I live in a rural area I have to go with satellite only thing sucks is cant get dsl or cable. Waiting on wildblue to come in the next 4 months cant wait . Dont think I am going to leave dish network anytime soon.

 

[Chris Freeland]

My wife and I are living in 2 houses at this time, she has Comcast Digital+ Cable because of line of site problems she could not get E* at her home(too many trees ), since she also has Comcast Internest with the bundling discount, the TV portion comes out to about the same as what I pay for AT180 and locals. I have have had a lot of opportunities to compare services, Comcast keeps adding new channels so they now have all the ones that I watch and if I could not get satellite I could still be content, however I still prefer satellite. I feel the pq is still a little better then the Comcast analog channels and about equal to the digital ones. Comcast here recently improved their epg and it is much better then when my wife first got cable and you can view farther into the future then with a standard E* receiver, however I still prefer the look and feel of the E* epg and browse.