Cable Or Dish - The Great Debate Revisited

When I was a kid, before the advent of cable, you got three channels, the big three networks, and as comedian Jeff Foxworthy reminds us, if the President was on your night was shot. Even when cable started to become available, it only provided a couple of additional channels. Ah, the good old days.

Flash forward 35 years and we now have cable, digital cable, satellite TV, digital internet, digital music channels, about a thousand HBOs and at least a couple hundred Showtimes, all delivered to your home courtesy of some in-yo-face Hi Def signals.

So now, instead of having to decide if I want to watch some 50’s B-movie on channel 36 or a more recent feature on a snowy HBO signal, the choice basically boils down to whether I’m going to consume my viewing diet via cable or satellite. And the choice isn’t always easy.

If you are trying to make the decision, then your do have some things to consider.

Technology: Digital satellite signals provide exceptional picture and sound quality, but the signal may be fairly easily interrupted, sometimes for long periods, in the event of bad weather. Cable is less affected by weather, however the sound and picture quality may be slightly less impressive than its dish counterpart.

Installation: Satellite dishes may be installed anywhere in the country through their use of a dish and set top box. Cable requires the presence of a local cable provider and broadcast center, meaning that it is still possible to find areas in the country where cable is not available. Satellite providers also offer a wider range of available channels than cable.

Features: Cable still offers more in the way of High Definition offerings than dish does, although that appears to be shifting. Not all areas have local programming available through dish networks. Satellite does offer much more in the way of On Demand programming than cable, but cable does not charge extra for High Definition programming like dish does. In addition, while DVR (Digital Video Recording) is available in both cable and dish formats, cable systems often lack much of the advanced functionality of the TiVo service as offered by Direct TV.

Cost: Oddly enough, dish services are often less expensive than cable subscriptions. Cable provides more services, but the setup cost is often more, resulting in higher subscription costs.

So the verdict is that there is no verdict....no definitive answer. Both formats have their advantages and drawbacks. In the end, it simply comes down to what appeals the most to you, the consumer.

Billy is the Director Of Content for LeadsByFone LLC, a lead generation company servicing the flood cleaning and water damage restoration industry.  He is based in Atlanta.