The tug of war between satellite television and cable has waged for more than a decade. Industry experts estimated that nearly 33 million people in the US used satellite TV services as of March 2010. This is far fewer than those subscribing to cable services – more than 59 million viewers. So what are the major differences between the two service types?
- Satellite TV requires a satellite dish.
Essentially subscribers must have an unobstructed view that faces south. This enables the satellite dish to receive signals (programming) from satellites in orbit. An obstructed view can mean no signal reaches the dish. Satellite TV providers are usually willing to install and set up the subscriber’s dish as a part of their subscription bundle or package.
- Most homes/apartments are cable-ready.
Because cable has been available for so long, most residences are cable-ready, especially in cities and suburbs. Most places will have a jack (a specialized plug-in) in the wall used to attach a coaxial cable from the wall to the television. Once service is established with the cable company, cable is ready to watch. Installation is generally not as much of an issue as with a dish.
On the negative side, however, service may take several days to establish.
- Satellite TV offers more choices and higher quality viewing.
Satellite gives the subscriber a wide variety of programming choices, usually packaged in bundles of differing prices, tailored to meet the needs of the consumer. Channels are available from across the globe.
Additionally, the picture tends to be of a higher quality with satellite service than with cable. The same goes for audio.
- Cable can easily be used with multiple televisions.
Using satellite TV, multiple televisions require the subscribers to have multiple receivers. Since the user will need a separate receiver for each set, they will spend more money to have the service in more rooms, such as they living room and the bedroom. Typically, cable jacks are available in more than one room already. A nominal fee may apply for multiple televisions, but it will generally be cheaper than multiple satellite receivers.
- Both satellite and cable are affected by the weather.
Bad weather can cause either system to fail; however, a satellite can be permanently damaged by heavy winds, hail, debris, or lightning. With proper surge protection, cable is more resist to lasting damage and more easily restored.
- Cost
The cost of services varies considerably depending on choices of services and bundles; however, the initial cost of the satellite dish and receiver(s) can definitely outweigh the initial fees associated with cable. The monthly cost of cable can differ significantly between cable providers. Right now, only two major satellite TV services exist, so competition is fierce between them, keeping costs lower for the consumer, who should shop around for the best price, regardless of whether they choose cable or satellite services.