Now I Know Why Dish Network Satellite TV is a Better Buy than Cable

In compiling the Dish-Network-Directory, my main aim was to gather all the latest and up-to-date Dish Network Satellite TV information in one place. But I also found that I was able to find some interesting comparisons between Dish Network and Cable TV. Sometimes when making a comparison it's easy to come up with either technical reasons or financial reasons why one thing might be better than another, but in this case I found that Dish Network came out on top on both fronts.

It takes a long to time to research a market, particularly when there are many competing offers, but comparing Dish Network and Cable can be made easier by looking at long-term trends. These show firstly that Dish Network take-up is growing in terms of market share, whilst cable is falling. Secondly that the cost of cable is increasing whilst Dish Network prices are stable. I say stable, but in real terms they are falling because of the additional equipment you can get for the same cost. And it's not as if you have to buy the equipment either, you get the complete basic setup for free and additional features or duplicate equipment can be obtained at a nominal one-off fee.

So let's look at equipment first. The Dish Network equipment portfolio is increasing all the time. This is because of the proliferation of HD (High Definition) TV and the equipment to record it - HD DVR. This brings about our next comparison point; Dish Network provides a 100% digital service plus the availability of HDTV. Cable on the other hand provides only a percentage of digital services with more limited HDTV. This is an important difference since digital channels are what you need for quality reception, with the ability of the digital service to remove interference or bad quality before you see it on the screen. HDTV then goes one step further by giving the best possible picture quality - essential if you want to view on a large TV. Cable is three or four times more susceptible to breaks in transmission, an important factor that is often overlooked.

Now to look at programming, it doesn't take you long to notice that Dish Network Satellite TV provides more channels than cable, and the availability of channels is increasing all the time. The best deals from retailers usually include rebates on programming as well as some months of free movie reception- at least this means you can try before you buy.

Just as important as quality and variety of course is the cost. Well this is where Dish Network Satellite TV wins hands down. Dish Network channel packages are significantly cheaper - even before you factor in the initial rebates you get with most deals. When you buy Dish Network, you know that you are buying something that is forward-looking in regard to the HD channel availability and equipment. Basic Dish Network programming packages now come in at $19.99 per month against $50-plus for cable.

In summary then, cable can't compare with Dish Network, either in terms of cost or the quality and variety of equipment on offer.

James Taylor provides information on equipment and best deals to the Dish Network Directory. Dish-Network-Directory