Cable TV vs. Satellite...make an informed decision!
Written: Nov 16 '00 (Updated Dec 13 '06)
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Pros: Value, Slightly better picture and sound quality than cable TV
Cons: Slow channel surfing, Long channel numbers to remember, Local channels extra $
The Bottom Line: Picture quality should be about equal between cable and satelite, therefore the decision should be based on the service reputation in your area when choosing.
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| dongeeL's Full Review: Hughes Networks D1131 Single LNB DIRECTV System |
Updated #1 (see bottom)
We recently moved to a new home. While unpacking boxes, and arranging furniture in the house, we had almost three weeks to think about how we wanted watch TV. I called a local cable company, visited a DishNet dealer, and read every brochure on DirecTV before making my final decision to go with a DirecTV satellite system.
It seemed I get the best value from the DirecTV system especially when considering the special deals such as free installation plus free one-year video rentals from Blockbuster Video. Besides, I liked the idea of getting the signal directly from the satellite! It probably pays to visit all your local electronic shops for comparison-shopping, as there are different deals floating around. For example, Radio Shack had a rebate deal that you would end up paying nothing but your monthly subscription fee. I just thought the Blockbuster’s deal consisting of a year’s worth of free video rental was worth the extra $50.
Once ordering the system, I was given a date for installation a week away. However, the technician did not show up during the promised time frame on the day of installation. To make the long story short, I asked the technician who showed up at 7PM, to reschedule so the work could be done during daylight hours. DirecTV gave me a $20 credit for this inconvenience. It turned out to be a good decision on my part as the first technician had a complicated idea how the system was going to be installed. He explained the system must use the same grounding rod that the entire house is tied to. This makes the dish to be mounted directly opposite side of the house from where my TV is located, not to mention the enormous length of cable that was required to make the final connection. I thought about getting a refund and stick with a cable TV just to avoid this complicated situation, but not to.
It turned out that the system could be grounded anywhere. Another technician showed up the next day and installed the system on the south side in less than an hour. He did have a helper who I think was essential person to have. The satellite dish was mounted on a pole that was installed directly on the ground with a bag of quickcrete (rapid curing cement mix). Then he simply drilled a small hole at the baseboard from inside to outside to run cable. Once cable was connected, he monitored on-screen TV signal while his helper adjusted the dish for optimum dish angle. A phone jack is required if you plan to order any pay-per-view programs. That was all. He quickly explained the basics, then called a DirecTV representative for me to sign up for a particular package. A credit card was necessary for direct billing.
Now the main point; How do I like it? I like the picture & sound qualities although not as good as I was lead to believe...still better than cable TV. The package I bought gives me about 80 video plus 20 audio channels at $32 per month. Local channels are $4-5 extra. My problem with DirectTV (and I assume all other satellite system) is that the channel numbers are too long to remember... starts with 200 and it goes to 300, 500 in all randomly selected channels. Yes, you get a detailed guide with each tuning, but this is also annoying as it stays on screen for about a second each time you change channel to a new one. There must be a way to delete this function, but I have not found it yet. Therefore, you get some 80 channels to watch but with slow “surfing” speed. Channel guides show not only the channels available with your package, but all other channels that you are not subscribing to, so simply tuning to “next channel” will show a blank screen with the instruction that you don’t have that channel. The “Turbo” selection allows you to program 9 channels for instant tuning. But otherwise, it is needed to organize and study channel listing to view what you want. Browsing through the on-screen guide would take too long when you have more than 2-300 lines to read through. There are variety of options to make channel selection easier, but it's like studying for Computer Programming 101 when reading through instruction manual. Likewise, I find myself reading a paper program guide and punching in three corresponding digits every time changing channels! TV Guide of some sorts might be an essential item if you are looking for certain programs.
Here are my lessons-learned. (1) Request for two technicians when installing the system. Looking at how it was done, there is no way one person could set it up...you become his helper if he doesn’t have a helper. (2) You must caulk around cable entry as it is not part of their contract according to my installers. (3) The system could be located anywhere as long as there’s nothing in between the dish and southern sky. (4) Phone jack is required near the cable connection.
Recommendation: If you could live with the slow channel surfing and 3 digit channel numbers, DirecTV brings you the value. Otherwise, I would recommend a regular cable TV if one is available in your area. Knowing what I know now, I believe cable TV has better reliability (for example, adverse weather has an affect on satellite reception, etc). Unfortunately I am stuck with the satellite system for a while, so I am going to force myself to enjoy the “endless” channels it bring to my TV plus one free video rental per week for the whole year! Seriously, if you are a highly technical person DirecTV might bring more entertainment. If you rather simply turn on TV and watch, then Cable TV might be a better choice. I reluctantly remain neutral based on its pros and cons.
UPDATE #1 (Sept 06) - As with many businesses, there are rise and fall cycle. Cable TV had been under attack for their poor services, and satellite TV started to take over. Now there are more satellite TV customers than cable TV. So, it's no surprise seeing DirecTV follow the down cycle. It seems there are more down time during bad weather now. Not sure if this has to do with more bad weather, or some sort of glitches in the system. Monthly subscription fee is steadily increasing especially when a channel is added (cannot just add one, so you are forced to take packages). Service calls are often answered politely, but try to avoid night calls as they seemed to use less knowledgeable people. Wait time is about 5-10 minutes per call
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
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Epinions.com ID:
dongeeL
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Member: Dongee Lee
Reviews written: 68
Trusted by: 10 members
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