Comparison of Satellite and Cable

written by: Mitchell Crew; article published: year 2010, month 01;

In: Root » Electronics and communication » Satellite

  Share  
|
  PL  |  NL  |  FR  |  ES  |  PT  |  IT  |  DE  |  DK  |  NO  |  SE  |  FI  |  GR  |  JP  |  CN  |  KR  |  RU  |  AE


Satellite and cable differences emerge as soon as you examine their infrastructure. You cable provider relays signal to your home using a vast network of underground coaxial and fiber optic wires. Satellite works a little differently. Geostationary satellites situated about 22,300 miles over the equator broadcast signal to dishes mounted to the roofs of subscriber homes on earth. Overall, the process is more complicated, but that's a basic overview. The following provides additional info on how cable and satellite compare.

Choose satellite or cable and you'll receive all digital programming. Because digital signal operates at a higher bandwidth than analog ever did, TV viewers can enjoy access to better picture and sound quality, plus a much wider pool of channels and programming options. If you've just begun cable or satellite service, you'll notice a huge uptick in overall performance. So, who offers better picture quality? That depends on the programming and equipment you choose. Ultimately, this is a question about HDTV. With HD sets dropping price, it makes sense to purchase one and enjoy HD programming in conjunction with any core programming plan. Fortunately, your satellite provider and, usually, your local cable company provide a wide mix of channels at comfortable rates. If you feel strongly about HDTV, know that only a satellite can offer full 1080 p picture. At the present, no cable TV broadcasts HD at a resolution higher than 720.

On the matter of signal reliability, independent research from organizations like J.D. Power reveal a preference towards satellite. Compared to analog, both cable and satellite, for the most part, provide consistent service day in and day out. Old annoyances like hazy picture and distorted sound common during the analog era have been eliminated thanks to cable and satellite technology. Still outages do happen, but they're more common and last longer with cable. In a given year, cable subscribers stand to average twenty-plus hours of downtime. Satellite users face an annual average of a mere 15 minutes of downtime.

Picture quality and reliability represent paramount concerns for TV watchers, so does price. Who offers a better deal? It depends on the programming you choose, plus any optional features you include. Dollar for dollar, satellite offers more. For example, DishNetwork currently offers 120-plus channels for just a little more than $20 a month to all new subscribers during their first year of service. A number of cable companies may offer basic packages costing less. At cable prices, that typically spells a meager pool of channels. Furthermore, cable providers have known tendencies to hike prices at least once a year. Satellite providers, on the other hand, have done an amazing job of maintaining rates for multiple years.

Bio: Mitchell Crew is a technology content writer who covers the satellite and cable industry.

Share

Disclaimer

1) E-articles is not responsible for the information contained by this article as well for any and all copyright infringements by authors and writers. E-articles is a free information resource. If you suspect this article for any copyright infringement, please read the terms of service and contact us or use the "Report this article" button on this page to investigate the problem.
2) E-articles is not responsible for inaccuracies, falsehoods, or any other types of misinformation this article may contain and will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by a user through the user's reliance on the information gained here.