If you are moving into your first home, you may finally have an additional choice when it comes to your cable provider. Generally, those who live in apartments have to obtain service from the local cable TV company, unless they have a private balcony where they can put a satellite dish. But when you move into your own home, you have the choice of getting either cable or satellite TV. In this article, we will review your options when it comes to comparing Dish Network vs cable TV.
Dish Network is of course one of the pioneers when it comes to challenging the old cable TV monopoly. After starting operations in the early 1990’s, Dish Network has grown to serve nearly 14 million customers in the United States today. The combination of low rates and high quality HD content makes Dish Network a company you should consider when looking at your satellite and cable TV options.
Cable television has its own advantages. Whether you are served by one of the large cable companies like Comcast or Time Warner, or one of the smaller cable operators, there is quite a bit to consider when considering what cable TV can offer. Most cable TV companies offer triple play bundles of service, allowing you to deal with one company for your voice, high speed internet, and video service. Oftentimes you can get is bundled discount when you have all of these services through your cable company. Cable TV companies also offer great On demand content, giving you literally hundreds of options when you sit down to watch a little TV. Alternatively, cable TV is generally more expensive than the satellite TV companies, Dish Network and DIRECTV.
Because channel lineups and content is fairly similar when comparing Dish Network vs. cable, lets first look at the pricing of these two options. Usually, if you are a new customer you can strike a good deal with either Dish TV or your local cable company. Because companies are always looking for ways to increase their subscriber base, they are willing to offer discounted rates, free premium channels, and free equipment in order to entice people to subscribe. This is true with satellite TV, as DIRECTV and Dish Network deals are always available to new subscribers.
The regular Dish Network prices are what you should consider if you plan on keeping satellite TV service for the long term. Packages like the Classic Bronze 100 are regularly priced at around $45 per month, while the Classic Gold 250 is about $63 a month. Add $10 per month if you want HD content and you have a starting point to compare Dish Network to cable TV in your area. Right now, the current DISH Network offer discounts the package you select by $15 for the first 12 months of service, so you can save $180 overall in programming costs.
Cable TV prices of course vary quite a bit depending on the area you live in and what other services you take from your local cable company. We have provided reviews on Charter cable and Cox Communications, but your best way to determine what rates prevail in your area is to call your local cable television company. Be sure to ask what the cable rates are after any promotional period, as they are often deeply discounted during the first year of service for new customers.
While cable TV is often more expensive than Dish Network when looking at video service, you can get a better deal with cable triple play offers. Usually, you will get a basic cable package, high speed cable service, and local phone service for around $100 per month. After a year though, the price usually goes up, so be aware of any deals like this when comparing the overall price against Dish TV.
Next, an important consideration when comparing cable TV vs. Dish Network is picture quality, and HD content. This has become even more important over the past year, as millions of Americans have gone out and purchased HDTV’s and want the best content for these expensive television sets. You probably won’t notice much of a difference when comparing cable TV against Dish Network when you are watching standard definition programming. Where most notice a difference is when it comes to HD content. In this area, Dish Network beats most cable providers in both the picture quality, and in the number of HD channels available.
Right now, Dish Network Turbo HD has more than 140 national HD channels, recently passing DIRECTV for the most HD content. Now you really won’t get that many HD channels depending on the package you select. For example, the Classic Gold 250 package actually has 80 HD channels. Where are the rest? Basically there are quite a few PPV channels in HD, and also premium movie channels in HD like the various Starz and HBO feeds.
On the other hand, you won’t find nearly as many HD channels with your local cable TV company. Only the Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse cable options are going to come close to the HD content offered by Dish Network. Most cable companies are still struggling to upgrade their networks to provide more HD content, so the number of HD channels available from area to area can vary quite a bit. Also, some cable companies like Time Warner have been better about HD deployment, while Charter cable has been one of the worst when it comes to providing subscribers with high definition.
When it comes to getting your local channels in HD, you will probably find that both Dish Network and your cable TV company are able to do this. Dish Network now covers more than 90% of U.S. households when it comes to local HD programming. Check with your local cable company and Dish Network if this is a high priority for you.
Going in a different direction, on-demand programming is an area that has grown significantly in the last few years. Cable TV companies have pioneered on demand access, setting up huge server farms in order to provide subscribers with 24/7 access to all kinds of programming. Most of the big companies like Cox, Comcast, Brighthouse, and Time Warner cable (TWC) offer On-demand at no extra charge. Usually you have to have a digital cable package or higher for free On-demand access.
With Dish Network, they have made a big push in promoting their Movies On Demand offer. While you can watch pay per view movies at any time, you still have the fees associated with VOD, usually $5-6 per movie. Dish TV does offer many of their titles in 1080p, which is the best video quality available today. When it comes to regular TV programming, there is not much at all with Dish Network compared to cable TV, as Dish Network has to push the content to your DVR and there is limited space available. A definite edge goes to cable TV if you use On-demand frequently.
Another consideration for many when comparing Dish Network vs. cable TV is the availability of sports programming. Here you will find things to be fairly similar between your local cable TV company and Dish Network TV. The major sports networks like ESPN, ESPN2, and your regional sports networks are usually there with either provider. On most of the higher tiers you will also find the NFL Network, Speed, and a few other sports networks. One network you won’t currently find on Dish Network though is the MLB Channel. They have yet to strike a deal with Major League Baseball to carry the network, and they also do not carry the MLB Extra Innings package, which is on DIRECTV and most cable TV carriers.
Dish Network does carry the NBA League Pass and the NHL Center Ice package, which usually run about $200 extra per year. Both of these packages are also on most cable TV carriers. Where cable television and Dish Network both come up short is when it comes to the NFL Sunday Ticket. This package remains an exclusive of DIRECTV, which recently extended their contract with the NFL for carriage through the year 2014. DIRECTV has stated that it will be making the Red Zone channel available to Dish TV and cable companies, but it is unclear if any other pay television companies will take DIRECTV up on the offer.
If customer service is a concern for you, then comparing Dish Network against cable TV on this subject is another important consideration. Last year, DIRECTV had the highest customer satisfaction rating, while Dish Network came in second place. Big cable companies fell far behind both satellite TV companies, including Comcast, Time Warner, and Charter cable, which posted the lowest score ever measured in the 2009 University of Michigan American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI). While these scores are of course averages and each customer experience is different, you probably will have fewer issues with Dish Network compared to cable.
If you have used a DVR, or digital video recorder, you know how handy these devices are in helping you watch TV. Both Dish Network and cable TV companies have adopted DVR technology today. While you won’t notice a huge difference when comparing the Dish DVR with cable TV DVR units, there are some advantages that go to the satellite TV provider. Dish Network offers their DuoDVR device which can connect one HDTV and one standard definition TV through the same box. DVR service with Dish Network runs about $6 per month, per DVR. Many cable companies charge extremely high rates on their DVR units, an example being Comcast cable which charges more than $15 per month for DVR service. Be sure to check out how much your cable company charges for DVR service before committing.
In conclusion, a side by side comparison of Dish Network vs cable TV is the smart thing to do before committing to one or the other. Closely evaluate your personal needs when it comes to a pay television provider, then see which company can meet those needs at a price you can live with.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Since I got my Sony Bravia Flat Panel TV I am after HD channels . Currently I have only the regular program and it is not justify the price for the high def tv.
I am thinking of using cable, because I want to have internet access too. cable offers both, but on the other hand I really don’t like to have everything from one company. From that angle sat tv is a better deal even. Dish network have a good and wide selection on HD content.
I have always been a fan of Dish Network. The programming is pretty much the same. The only significant difference is the cost. Dish is about 50% less expensive than most of the other service providers. That is the most important thing for me.