Satellite or Cable...

Grimster74

Here is a little poll that I'm interested to see what the outcome will be like. I've been a Directv subscriber for going on 10 years now and for the first time in 10 years I'm thinking of cancelling it and going with Adelphia cable. I already have the cable modem through Adelphia but the wife and I figured it would just be cheaper (only by $10) to get rid of Directv and go all cable services. Not only that, but I'll also get my locals in HD. With Directv, the only way I can get the locals in HD is to put a ugly a$$ OTA antenna on my house. So, what that said, I want to see what everyone else does for entertainment. I'd love to hear the negatives/positives of either or also.

Willow

we use dig cable

fireshoes

Cables is alright if you can deal with the miserable picture quality on the analog channels.....no thanks.

dkinlaw

Don't go with Adelphia cable, get the Square Shooter by Winegard for off air stations you will not beleive the picture from this HDTV Antenna www.winegard.com

Dana

fireshoes

Oh yeah, and Directv is supposed at 500 local HD channels next summer and another 1000 two years after that. Also if your local CBS, NBC, and *soon) Fox affiliate is owned by the network itself, you can get HD for them over Directv now, without needing waivers.

Grimster74

Fireshoes, thats the problem, I'm just out of reach to receive them without the OTA antenna.

danger boy

Originally posted by fireshoes
Oh yeah, and Directv is supposed at 500 local HD channels next summer and another 1000 two years after that. Also if your local CBS, NBC, and *soon) Fox affiliate is owned by the network itself, you can get HD for them over Directv now, without needing waivers.

I'll be very surprised if they acually meet this number of HDTV channels. i'd say.. it will more likey be closer to 50 HD channels by next summer. and 100 to 200 two years later. there aren't that many HD broadcasters yet... and they are slow to come online.

nebborjk

DirecTV with Radio Shack combo antenna in the attic for OTA HD.

bknauss

Go to www.avsforum.com, go to the forums, and find the HD forum for your local area. They would know best. Its usually a jumbled talk of DirecTV and cable.

simm

When I got an HDTV set last December I went with the HD pack from Time Warner Cable thinking if I didn't like it I could cancel and go with satellite but I have no complaints with the HD channels I get and the price I pay. I had to get the digital tier for like an additional $10 or so and of course rent the box but for the number of HD channels I get and the ease of use I will stick with cable for now, although if price skyrocketed or something I would have no problem making a switch.

LittleCar_w/12s

Well, considering if I got d.cable I'd get a rebate off my $50 A MONTH internet (enraged slur removed) I might have to say cable. That, and My parents here in Houston have DirecTV at their house and it cuts out a great deal with storms... As long as the channels are digital I don't mind. I won't go with analog because of the crappy job a lot of installers do. Too bad cable companies have subcontractor-based workers in most cases. At least with digital I can call up and say the internet is crappy, and the line gets fixed (additional removed slur about $50).

Besides, it takes me long enough on this forum, I only need the internet......

edit: But wait a minute... I could just replace the sat dish with a re-designed 3-footer... hmmmmm (gears whirr) off to the workbench! Who cares about storms...hehehe.

Toxis

Never have been a fan of either Sat company personally. I'm cable all the way.

danger boy

I like Sat (dish network) with OTA HD local channels.

with cable. it has to run thru so much cable just to get to your house from.. where?? a sat. this way. the dish on my house and it only has to run through about 60 feet of coax. and it's much better picture quality.

Bonham

To start with... I've got cable (digi/HD and soon to have a DVR with it). Too many trees here, some wind, a decent amount of clouds and rain about 7-8months of the year, I want cable internet, and I hate most salesmen (and there's typically more trickery when it comes to being sold satalite). Of couse I work for Comcast so I get it all for free anyhow. If I didn't work for them and lived someplace that didn't have cable then I'd consider satalite... but so long as they both work the way they are supposed to they are both decent products.

At the best performance they are both going to work just great. Each has some pluses and negatives... and they leap frog each other every few years as far as the 'newest' stuff. But in the end it really comes down to some simple things:

If you want lots of foreign languages, right now it's satalite. Cable has some, but usually around 25-50% of the amount satalite does.

If you want Video On Demand, it's cable.

If you want DVR it's currently Satalite whre I am, but that's about to change in a month or so around here.

If you have lots of trees, hills, or even a mountain in your way.... it's cable you want.

If you live in B.F.E. farm country with no cable providers and have a clear view to the east... it's satalite you want.

If you live somewhere with lots of weather effects (rain, fog, snow, wind) it's probably cable you want.

If you want high speed internet and you, again, live in B.F.E. it's satalite you want (good luck doing anything 'real-time' online though).

If you live anywhere you can get cable internet and don't mind paying a bit more then DSL, it's cable you want.

If you want channels from another part of the country, it's probably satalite you want.

If you want your local channels without a hassle or extra charge and/or equipment, and especially if you want then in HD, it's cable currently.

If you want the NFL sports package, it's DirectTV specifically that you want. (They have a lock on this until 2010 and will probably continue to - although cable companies are coming up with ways to combat this finally).

If you don't want to have to deal with: Am I leasing this stuff? Do I own it? Do I own it after a year? Or two? When I cancel are they going to tell me I own it, then tell me to send it back cause I don't when I cancel? Am I in a contract? Do I want to get signed up on a new one or suddenly be put into one whenever I make a change? There are so many ways to rope in a satalite user it's pathetic. Cable you typically just pay the same charges you would for using your satalite equipment (even if you own it you usually pay the satalite company for the 'access' charge) and I don't think any of the cable companies make you sign up for any length of time on anything. You can also upgrade and replace stuff at will since you are technically leasing it.

Basically, what it comes down to is you get the one that YOU feel has the best mix of features for the cost you want to pay (and you need to get documentation on the packages, because they are not really comparible side-by-side most the time)... and if it doesn't work as expected, try the other.

danger boy

rain in Seattle? i've never heard that b4.

Bonham

Oh, by the way, I really doubt the distance signals run through causes much trouble. It's not like the signal is coming from one central souce in the US. How do you think cable gets that feed of TV5 (french)? Satalite. As a matter of fact, we bounce the signal for everything to the islands around here from satalite to the islands, so there isn't much cable for it to run through out there at all. And cable doesn't degrade in the manner or rate that DSL does due to distances. If you are getting a crappy cable signal it probably has little to nothing to do with distance... it's probably the actual quality of the lines. If you use small, old, or low grade lines to run your audio signal a long ways it's gonna suck compaired to new, thicker, better technology lines (a la fiber optic lines that cable companies are now replacing old lines with).

A good amount of the problem with analog cable is that the cables in a lot of houses are original. That means a lot of the cables out there are as old as 30 or more years old... and the people don't want new cables run. Those lines are old, often have bad/worn splits and connects, etc, etc. People that only want basic analog cable don't spend money on their television habits. Also condo's and apartment complexes sometimes don't want to be bothered with upgrading. Often even people with a big home theater system with awesome equipment balk at running new lines. It's the "The cable company is trying to rip me off!" paranoia. And as home theater/music system fans, you all know how fast technologies can improve.

The major difference is cables 2-99 are analog. The drawback? More potential for noticable quality loss. The benefit? You don't have to have any equipment what-so-ever. And you'd be amazed how many people out there **** about "I don't want any boxes or equipment!". Often makes me want to ask "Do you have a VCR? That's bigger. Do you have a DVD player? That's about the same size." Then there's the uneducated customers to go blow $3000 on a widescreen high-def tv and only want to order local channels (2-29 or so) for $15 or less a month. Often they won't even pay a little more then $5 a month to get the HD digi box without any extra packing or channels (usually means they got suckered by a salesman).

Tour2ma

But, how do you really feel, Bonham???

Cable for years and still am on it for internet, but just switched to Direct TV for viewing... Why?

NFL Sunday Ticket, bay-bee...

So far I am well pleased with the Satellite PQ and no storm issues to report...

TheReaper

Originally posted by Bonham
... It's the "The cable company is trying to rip me off!" paranoia.... cables 2-99 are analog. The drawback? More potential for noticable quality loss...

When you pay a premium for digital cable, and channels 2->99 are still analog. That isn't paranoia, that is being ripped off.

I get a better picture on 2->99 using the analog cable into my TV (noise reduction circuitry kicks in), than through the digital box.

Bonham

When you pay a premium for digital cable, and channels 2->99 are still analog. That isn't paranoia, that is being ripped off.

I get a better picture on 2->99 using the analog cable into my TV (noise reduction circuitry kicks in), than through the digital box.

On point #1. If you really think you're being ripped off, get a satalite and leave whoever your cable company is. Like I said, a lot of people want the analog channels and given the amount of customers out there who don't want digital... it's actually a small majority. That'll change a lot in the next couple/few years however, especially with the new cable cards that are just starting to replace the box. Additionally, the cable companies would prefer to put those channels out in digi only instead given that you can broadcast 8x more channels in digital form then you can in analog. Of course, I believe the cable companies are also legally bound to providing basic service by the government at this point (I know this for a fact for the local 2-29 channels), so it doesn't matter a whole lot until that changes too.

One point #2... I'm not so sure I believe it - no offence (which you'll probably take anyhow) but the "the company is ripping me off" just cause someone doesn't like something that usually makes sense just makes me take the customers opinions/statements with a grain of salt (I've been on both sides of the fence in both the industries I've worked in and it gives you a perspective a lot of people lack or choose to ignore). I am kinda curious why your noise reduction circuitry would suddenly not work when you hook up a cable or satalite box. But given it's true and there's nothing wrong with your box... split your outlet if it gives you a better picture without running through the box. If you get an HDTV and an HD cable box you will likely see a noticable improvement in the analog channels.

madmax

I've been trying to decide whether I want Adelphia cable and modem or Voom and standard dial up modem. Can't help you.
madmax

mantis

I have had DSS for 5 years. I used to have cable and hated it.

Today I feel Comcast is doing a better job. They have DVR and HDTV receivers that are really nice. I would switch to cabe is I didn't have 2 TiVo DSS receivers.

For Internet I use cable modem over dsl simply for speed. I can save a good deal of money going with DSL but it's really slow compared as I had both at the same time.

I think Cable is better then DSS for HDTV. You get local channels and more premium channels. DSS is doing a nice job but having a dish on your house, having to run all those wires from the DSS to a multiswitch.

now since Comcast has DVR receivers in our area , I'm seriously considering switching. I think I can save a few bucks by doing so. Shame as all y DSS gear is only a year old now. I bought all new gear when we moved in here.

I you where to ask which service would you get if you didn't have service, I would say go cable. As long as you have good signal strength to your home, your golden.

Dan

reeltrouble1

Well, down these parts Adelphia is just horrible to put it nicely, very very poor picture, no HD, the cable goes out all the time, awful. I switched to Sat about two years ago and have been very happy, for 2 bucks or so each I get the HD NY and LA feeds of cbs and nbc, they are adding fox and I have the World Series on right now on Fox in HD.