Satellite or Cable

The question of satellite or cable television in a home theater setting is almost as old as home theater itself, I seem to remember the term home theater being used even before DirecTV’s first satellite launched. Way back then it was generally accepted that satellite offered more for the big-screen watcher than cable but this was due to the fact that digital cable was still in its infancy, obviously we’re well past that stage.

Now that digital cable is commonplace, and well for that matter HD cable along with DVR’s, it’s easier to make an apples to apples comparison between HD cable and HD satellite for use in our home theaters. I suppose for me it’s not about image quality. I’ve seen really good and bad examples from both cable and satellite, and since DVR capabilities are available from both that isn’t really much of a decider either.

No, for me it really boils down to this. Yes, there are a few more channels on HD satellite than cable (at least in my area) and yes the image quality is good but cables cost of entry, i.e. what it takes to monetarily to get someone out to your house and get you up and running is generally still less with cable. Combine that low cost of entry with the fact that the cable company still (in most cases) has an advantage in being able to offer you blazing fast internet service, the choice for me is almost always cable.

That’s not to say I wouldn’t enjoy DirecTV or DISH as a secondary service, but not having to buy my DVR and getting really good internet service from the same provider is two checks in the pro column I can’t ignore. Of course, as with all these decisions what’s best for you is best for you, I was just hoping to throw out some considerations.

Share or Bookmark This Post: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.