Satellite vs. Cable TV

Welcome back to the continuation of our in-depth look into the world of satellite television. In this post I will address a popular subject of controversy: who costs less, cable or satellite? We discussed the prices of DISH Network and DIRECTV in the last post and found that DISH Network's basic package at regular price is $39.99 per month and DIRECTV's cheapest package is $58.99 per month. I then went on to check out the local rate for Comcast digital cable TV in my area, and found that their cheapest package is $61.40 per month and offers far fewer channels in their basic package than either of the satellite TV providers. With that said, let's check out the rates for some of the other popular cable TV providers in the country. (Prices listed are for basic digital cable packages for one TV only calculated in random markets. Package prices do not necessarily include HD channels. Both satellite TV providers currently offer free HD for life.)

Time Warner Cable (Up to 200 channels) - $59.85 per month

Cox Communications (163+ channels) - $63.98 per month

Charter Communications (Number of channels varies by area) - $54.99 per month

Cablevision (165+ channels) - $62.45 per month

The Price is Right?

I suppose the first issue I would like to touch on here is price. After all, isn't that ultimately the bottom line? At least that's what I would think anyway. If you're gonna subscribe to a service, isn't cost one of the first thing you look at? The good part about this area of the debate is that the answer is pretty much cut and dry.

DISH Network is often quoted as saying that they offer "the lowest all-digital price in America", and they would be correct. Sure, both companies always have some type of special pricing deal going on, but those are only for a limited time. Once the promotion expires, DISH Network is generally the less expensive option. With that said, the budget-minded consumer would probably be best served by DISH Network, but DIRECTV also has an inexpensive basic package that wouldn't really break the bank.

I visited both of their websites last week and this is what I found: Regular price for DIRECTV's CHOICE Package (150+ Channels) = $58.99 per month, Regular price for DISH Network's America's Top 120 Package (120+ Channels) = $39.99 per month. With that said, let me also add that DISH Network's America's Top 200 Package (200+ Channels) is a mere $54.99 per month at regular price. So, while DISH Network's basic package offers fewer channels than DIRECTV's CHOICE Package at a much lower price, DISH Network's next package up offers far more channels than DIRECTV's basic package while still costing a little less.

I would also like to mention that the above package prices are calculated for one TV only and exclude any HD and DVR fees. Both providers are currently offering free HD channels for the life of your service. As of now, DIRECTV charges an additional $5.00 per month for each TV after the first and DISH Network gives you the first two TV's for the same price, but charges an additional $7.00 per month for each TV after the first two. Also, in my experience, DISH Network gives their customers more free HD and DVR equipment than DIRECTV. DISH Network charges $6.00 per month for DVR service, while DIRECTV charges $7.00 per month.

There you have it then! Plain and simple, DISH Network's regular rates are lower than DIRECTV's any way you slice it. In closing, I think it appropriate to note that both services offer all-digital picture and sound quality on every station. Meaning that neither service's entertainment value is superior to the other's. Hope you everyone found this post helpful. Stay tuned as the debate is just getting warmed up.