Guys,

The TV industry, has for years, had incredible debate between the satallite dish companies and the cable TV companies. With digital cable, the competition is fiercer than ever. Which service do you prefer and why? I like digital cable better because:

1. You get local customer service/support...When the warrenty on your dish goes out, you have to pay for service calls

2. If the weather is bad with a dish or if your area is obstructed by trees, good luck getting a good picture with a dish

3. You have to pay 100's of dollars to buy a dish and receiver and installation. A rented cable converter and installation will run about $50 + the monthly cost of services

4. You can't get local channels in most cases, if you do, you have to pay extra for them. Cable always includes local channels

5. You get more channels on digital cable than dish with a more advanced program guide

6. Cable updates as technology changes, if you buy a dish and it gets obsolete in a year--your stuck with it

7. You have to commit to a 1-year program package with almost all dish companies. If your not happy with digital cable, you can get a refund within 30 days...unconditional

8. I-Control interactive programming. (The ability to have VCR like functionality on digital cable without a VCR for programs is now avaliable on several digital systems) Dish doesn't have this capability

Here is a link with some other interesting cons about Dish TV:

http://www.b4-u-buy.com/12c35543.htm

Jack

I have Digital Cable I had AT&T Broadband but they merged with Comcast. I've never had a dish.

i have digital cable in orangeville canada with rogers cable and interactive internet on the digital cable box channel 100 its cheaper.

I prefer cable. Dishes are more trouble than they're worth IMO.

I am a very loyal dish owner and will NEVER go back to cable of any kind unless forced. Why:

1. The only time it ever goes out is during heavy rain storms, but it comes back 100x quicker than cable ever did.

2. The info button!! I can get info on the show I'm watching- never could with cable.

3. The picture is a hell of a lot better.

4. I can get way more channels for less $$ than I ever could with cable.

5. The people are less rude. Quick answers on their website.

6. Interactive weather.

7. Despite what people say, the "clucky hardware" isn't that clucky. The receivers are getting smaller, the dish we didn't even have to put up ourselves.

8. Many companies are giving huge sales where you can get the receivers cheap if not free.

9. We always get updated when new things are added. The CEO of Dish Network even has a TV show. And new channels get added MUCH quicker than with the damn cable company.

10. No more split/shared channels.

11. Did I mention the picture is awesome??

12. Sure, you have to pay for locals- if you get them. We have an antenna, and with the exception on ABC, the channels are clear on that. And despite what they make you think, cable makes you pay for locals too, it's just hidden. Your affiliates don't work for free, ya know.

Oh what??? I always thought Satellite was better? So I should get Digital Cable instead?

I Ummm...Have Regular Cable :blush:

Originally posted by Chad Doody
I Ummm...Have Regular Cable :blush:

Nothing to be ashamed of, so do I!

Originally posted by *GoodMorningCalgary*


Nothing to be ashamed of, so do I!

Funny thing is, Heres Digital Only costs a few dollars more a month...I Honestly have no idea why i havnt converted to it yet.

I have a satellite dish, and I'm okay with it. I dont live where you can get cable anyway, or at least I dont think we can.

Originally posted by Chad Doody


Funny thing is, Heres Digital Only costs a few dollars more a month...I Honestly have no idea why i havnt converted to it yet.

Yeah here I think if you get they're most Basic Digital Cable Package then its an extra 10 dollars a month but my dad won't let us get it cause then he said we would watch wayyy too much TV, but if you can Then go for it! I know I would!

Digital satalite is better because -

* There are much, much more channels available
* Interactive services on digital satalite allow you to email, play games, shop and talk to other people all via your television
* The on-screen TV guide lets you see what's on every channel for the next 7 days
* You can get instant information about any show on any channel just by presing a button
* You can use the on-screen TV guide to set reminders for the shows you want to watch so you'll never miss anything
* The picture quailty is flawless and glitches only occur in severe weather conditions
* Sound quality is faultless too and most movie channels are in 5.1 surround sound

Actually, a correction to Jack's post. More channels are offered on Satellite then on Digital Cable. But I guess that could vary in certain states.

My digital cable offers hardly anything except music channels. That's why I have satellite. I pay 40 bucks a month for hundreds of channels. The picture is clear, crystal clear btw, the installation was free, the dish I bought only cost 40 bucks at Wal-Mart, not "100s of dollars"

I'd always prefer satellite. I agree with what everyone posted about satellite, they are correct.

Satellites picture blows cables away for one. Ive had my dish since 97 and havent had any problems. It does go out maybe 5 times a year for a toal of 30 minutes if that. I also have TW cable and it has gotten better over the years, at least in terms of going out, but when it was TCI it was out all the time. Satellites services are cheaper, but here you can't get local channels on it. I can get ABC and FOX from NY/LA. I thought about dropping my satellite for digital cable mainly for the local HD content, but I can't see giving up on the picture quality on the basic channels. So at the moment I have basic cable and Directv. Also the DirecTivo keeps me with Directv too, I can't live without that!!:)

I have digital cable, and I don't get what the big deal is. Yes, I get more channels, and the picture is a bit clearer- but that's it.

Like MandieR1980 I had AT&T Broadband, but they merged with Comcast. I like this new change because they are beginning to add more channels without extra cost. Hopefully they will add The Hallmark Channel soon- that's the only 'good' channel I am missing.

I have Digital Cable but only because I'm not allowed to have Satellite where I live. If I ever get to move and I WILL someday, I WILL have a satellite again. I had one before I lived where I do and I dearly miss it.

Originally posted by Mossopp
Digital satalite is better because -

* There are much, much more channels available
* Interactive services on digital satalite allow you to email, play games, shop and talk to other people all via your television
* The on-screen TV guide lets you see what's on every channel for the next 7 days
* You can get instant information about any show on any channel just by presing a button
* You can use the on-screen TV guide to set reminders for the shows you want to watch so you'll never miss anything
* The picture quailty is flawless and glitches only occur in severe weather conditions
* Sound quality is faultless too and most movie channels are in 5.1 surround sound

In the states with our digital cable we can get anywhere from 200-250 channels and they keep adding new ones which is cool

We also have the 7 day guide, the info buttons and the ability to set reminder/VCR timers and order PPV/I-Control through the digital remote.

Jack

Originally posted by Jack1000

In the states with our digital cable we can get anywhere from 200-250 channels and they keep adding new ones which is cool


I've never done an exact count of how many channels I have cos they keep adding new ones all the time (I pay full price to get the top channel package so I get every channel available).
I know I have more than 700 channels although most of them aren't worth watching - a vast majority of them are either foreign channels, shopping channels or porn channels that you have to pay extra for if you wanna watch 'em after 10pm.
Still, at least they're there if I want 'em! ;)

Originally posted by Mossopp
I know I have more than 700 channels although most of them aren't worth watching - a vast majority of them are either foreign channels, shopping channels or porn channels that you have to pay extra for if you wanna watch 'em after 10pm.
Still, at least they're there if I want 'em! ;)

:lol: Yeah, nothing like reading a description of a porno movie- funnier than many sitcoms.

I forgot to say, I live in Iowa and get channels from LA, NY, and Denver- my cable company wouldn't do that...no way. I watch KTLA news more than my local.

When I had both I preferred DirecTV as it looked better (More bandwidth I guess)

And I remember the cable guy over here one day and I was talking to him about it and even he said "Thats the one advantage they have over us" (I mentioned it looked a little better)