cable vs satellite TV

sugarpop · 02-03-2009, 08:46 PM

Who here has cable, and who has satellite? We have comcast, but it's so damn expensive. Also, the freaking cable box is always pixelating (sp), and the sound goes out. It's really annoying. For the price, it really should work better. I've already switched the box out once, and have an appointment to switch it out again. Does satellite have these problems?

SteveDallas · 02-03-2009, 09:06 PM

We had Dish Network for 4 years I think, and DirecTV for 6.

My advice is to shop for the programming you want and see how the pricing looks. We have a DirecTV Tivo box, and it works great. The picture will go out in a big storm, but it's usually fine in your average rain or snow. But, our cable went out much more often when we had it. I'd say with the satellite we have maybe 2-3 weather related outages in a typical year.

Aliantha · 02-03-2009, 10:25 PM

We have satellite here at the moment and had cable before that. There's not much difference from what I can tell with our two. We get a bit of pixelation every now and then, but nothing I worry too much about.

xoxoxoBruce · 02-03-2009, 10:46 PM

Comcast sucks.

Kitsune · 02-03-2009, 11:15 PM

Got so fed up with cable we dropped it and picked up NetFlix. Final straw was when I realized that we were only genuinely watching (as in "intently, not just for background noise", etc) four shows and three of them only had new episodes for several weeks out of the year. The rest of the time the TV was being turned on and what was being aired was just... crap.

Living without TV is a mixed blessing. Blah.

jbt · 02-04-2009, 01:39 AM

I would probably drop cable and just get broadcast TV, but I wouldn't get any TV because of the mountains in my area. I would need to get a BIG outdoor antenna to get any channels. The only thing I like about cable is that I don't have a contract, which is good because I am renting right now.

glatt · 02-04-2009, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarpop

Who here has cable, and who has satellite? We have comcast, but it's so damn expensive. Also, the freaking cable box is always pixelating (sp), and the sound goes out. It's really annoying. For the price, it really should work better. I've already switched the box out once, and have an appointment to switch it out again. Does satellite have these problems?

Do you have FIOS as an option there? I didn't get their tv package when I got the phone and internet, but it was an option and priced very competitively with cable. Supposed to be good quality too.

TheMercenary · 02-04-2009, 09:01 AM

I have Comcast, mostly for the high speed internet. 4 boxes and more TV's. We have not had that much problem with it. Any problems that we have had are usually fixed within a few days. I can't complain that much.

sweetwater · 02-04-2009, 09:05 AM

We have satellite, now. If we kill all the power than it takes it a minute or so to find its satellites again, and it goes out in bad storms - which is exactly when I'd love to know what's happening out there. I bought a weather radio so my biggest issue is solved. Get the best price for the programming provider you don't want, then use it to twist the tail of the other to get it beat. Might work!

sugarpop · 02-04-2009, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Comcast sucks.

Yes, it does. I HATE comcast.

Thanks for the input. I really wish someone would come out with a plan where you only buy the channels you want. We watch about, maybe, 10 or 12 channels, but we are paying for all of them. I asked if I could just buy HBO, but they said no. I hate paying for all those channels we never use.

Undertoad · 02-04-2009, 10:01 AM

FIOS TV is simply outstanding... ly expensive. No I kid, it is, but the high-def content is truly high-def (not compressed into a crappy signal, as the cable and dish people do).

wolf · 02-04-2009, 10:02 AM

Comcast.

Strangely, I do not hate them. I despise the amount of money that I pay them, but I do not hate them.

My signal quality is good, no pixelations, and more importantly, no outages.

chrisinhouston · 02-04-2009, 10:20 AM

We have cable, a smaller company called Sudden Link which sure is a stupid name for a company in the communications business. That being said they are pretty good. We have one of their sub region offices right in our neighborhood and if you call in with a problem they usually get right out and check try to fix it. We get Cable TV and HS internet through them.

The thing we hate as most consumers do is having to pay for hundreds of cable stations you have no interest in watching. And half the time when I do some channel surfing I can't find a damn thing that's worth watching. Mostly we watch DVDs when it comes to movies as we have a pretty big collection.

SteveDallas · 02-04-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

FIOS TV is simply outstanding... ly expensive. No I kid, it is, but the high-def content is truly high-def (not compressed into a crappy signal, as the cable and dish people do).

Have you seen the Comcast HD picture to compare it? We're holding on to our SD DirecTV Tivo box for the moment. We're waiting until we see what Fios has to offer, not to mention the reported appearance of an HD-capable Tivo on DirecTV, before we commit to anything.

Clodfobble · 02-04-2009, 10:53 AM

I once saw a price breakdown that indicated that if everyone could shop for just the channels they wanted, a huge number of the specialized channels would have to cost so much that you'd be paying the same amount for your 10-12 channels anyway.

02-03-2009, 08:46 PM	#1
sugarpop Professor Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: the edge of the abyss Posts: 1,947	cable vs satellite TV Who here has cable, and who has satellite? We have comcast, but it's so damn expensive. Also, the freaking cable box is always pixelating (sp), and the sound goes out. It's really annoying. For the price, it really should work better. I've already switched the box out once, and have an appointment to switch it out again. Does satellite have these problems?

02-03-2009, 10:25 PM	#3
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	We have satellite here at the moment and had cable before that. There's not much difference from what I can tell with our two. We get a bit of pixelation every now and then, but nothing I worry too much about. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber Last edited by Aliantha; 02-03-2009 at 11:06 PM.

02-03-2009, 10:46 PM	#4
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Comcast sucks. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

02-04-2009, 09:01 AM	#8
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	I have Comcast, mostly for the high speed internet. 4 boxes and more TV's. We have not had that much problem with it. Any problems that we have had are usually fixed within a few days. I can't complain that much. __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

02-04-2009, 09:05 AM	#9
sweetwater lives inside a Mobius strip Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,120	We have satellite, now. If we kill all the power than it takes it a minute or so to find its satellites again, and it goes out in bad storms - which is exactly when I'd love to know what's happening out there. I bought a weather radio so my biggest issue is solved. Get the best price for the programming provider you don't want, then use it to twist the tail of the other to get it beat. Might work! __________________ I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque! - Bugs Bunny

02-03-2009, 09:06 PM	#2
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	We had Dish Network for 4 years I think, and DirecTV for 6. My advice is to shop for the programming you want and see how the pricing looks. We have a DirecTV Tivo box, and it works great. The picture will go out in a big storm, but it's usually fine in your average rain or snow. But, our cable went out much more often when we had it. I'd say with the satellite we have maybe 2-3 weather related outages in a typical year.

02-03-2009, 11:15 PM	#5
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	Got so fed up with cable we dropped it and picked up NetFlix. Final straw was when I realized that we were only genuinely watching (as in "intently, not just for background noise", etc) four shows and three of them only had new episodes for several weeks out of the year. The rest of the time the TV was being turned on and what was being aired was just... crap. Living without TV is a mixed blessing. Blah.

02-04-2009, 01:39 AM	#6
jbt Resident-in-Training Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 7	I would probably drop cable and just get broadcast TV, but I wouldn't get any TV because of the mountains in my area. I would need to get a BIG outdoor antenna to get any channels. The only thing I like about cable is that I don't have a contract, which is good because I am renting right now.

02-04-2009, 10:01 AM	#11
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	FIOS TV is simply outstanding... ly expensive. No I kid, it is, but the high-def content is truly high-def (not compressed into a crappy signal, as the cable and dish people do).

02-04-2009, 10:02 AM	#12
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Comcast. Strangely, I do not hate them. I despise the amount of money that I pay them, but I do not hate them. My signal quality is good, no pixelations, and more importantly, no outages. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

02-04-2009, 10:20 AM	#13
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	We have cable, a smaller company called Sudden Link which sure is a stupid name for a company in the communications business. That being said they are pretty good. We have one of their sub region offices right in our neighborhood and if you call in with a problem they usually get right out and check try to fix it. We get Cable TV and HS internet through them. The thing we hate as most consumers do is having to pay for hundreds of cable stations you have no interest in watching. And half the time when I do some channel surfing I can't find a damn thing that's worth watching. Mostly we watch DVDs when it comes to movies as we have a pretty big collection.

02-04-2009, 10:53 AM	#15
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	I once saw a price breakdown that indicated that if everyone could shop for just the channels they wanted, a huge number of the specialized channels would have to cost so much that you'd be paying the same amount for your 10-12 channels anyway. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

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