With all of the stories about rising cable television prices and the rumors of satellite TV and weather related problems and outages, just who are you supposed to believe? I mean, really- there’s almost as much opponent bashing here as in a presidential election! Fortunately for consumers, a bit of research combined with a dash of history is all that’s needed for making the right decision.
First, let’s compare the monthly cost of the two. An average analog, 64-channel cable bill runs about per month. If you want a digital picture and sound, add another . Additional televisions on your plan will cost between and per month, depending on if you have the digital plan or not. Of course, all local channels are included.
A typical, 60-channel satellite bill is about , including additional televisions hooked up.
Digital programming is included, as that’s all that satellites do. Local channels may be included, depending on your provider, or may cost a nominal monthly fee.
Satellite is the clear winner in cost.
Customer satisfaction is again in favor of satellite, with a 1% outage average, while cable runs about 3-5% in outages. With satellite again in the lead, Direct TV and Dish Network have best overall satisfaction rating according J.D. Power & Associates.
Comparing the Top 2- Dish Network and DirecTV