Is Satellite TV Better than Cable?
Question: Is Satellite TV, Such as Dish Network, Really Better
Than Cable?
As the war in video entertainment continues, one thing is for
sure: satellite television is here to stay.
When the satellite distributors first began marketing to
consumers, the cable industry didn't give their new opponent
much thought. Dishes were expensive, they were bulky and their
program offerings weren't all that impressive. Cable on the
other hand had been around for more than a decade and offered a
familiar and reliable solution to home entertainment.
But oh how things have changed.
The satellite industry quickly replaced those bulky dishes with
sleeker, smaller systems that could be mounted just about
anywhere. Prices dropped, programming grew and pretty soon,
switching from cable to satellite TV wasn't such a far-fetched
idea after all.
Today, the Satellite TV industry and providers, such as Dish
Network, enjoy a steady and continued growth in subscribers and
services, gradually closing the gap in video entertainment
market share. Where the cable industry has reported an annual
growth between 10 to 15 percent, top satellite companies, such
as Direct TV, boast a market share increase of just under 30%
according to a study from The Media Audit.
So is satellite and providers such as Dish Network really better
than cable?
Satellite TV customers seem to think so. Studies show that
satellite customers pay an average of $10 less per month than
their cable counterparts. Satellite programming is also
all-digital, meaning the reception and picture quality is much
better than that of traditional analog cable. Cable subscribers
do have the option of upgrading to digital but this incurs an
additional monthly cost and doesn't guarantee all the channels
will be included in the upgrade. And, with the healthy dose of
competition in the satellite industry, consumers can be assured
of continued competitive pricing. Your cable provider doesn't
have any competition. Do you suppose that affects your rate
increases?
Satellite TV subscribers also tout a higher satisfaction rating
with customer service issues, one of the primary reasons cited
for making the move from cable.
For details, visit dish-network-sate
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