Cable Television Vs. Satellite Dish Service

Cable Television vs. Satellite Dish Service

Prepared for

Candy Burke

Television service shopper

Prepared by

James W. McCarver

Customer service representative

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations iv

Abstract v

Introduction vi

Cable Television 1

Description 1

Initial Cost 1

Picture Quality 2

Programming Packages 2

Available Services 3

Satellite Dish Services 4

Description 4

DirecTV 7

Dish NETWORK 8

Package Variations 9

Programming Options 10

Available Services 11

Recommendations 12

Works Cited 13

Appendix 14

Cable Television Brochure 14

DirecTV Brochure 18

Dish NETWORK Brochure 19

List of Illustrations

Figure 1. Single LNB satellite dish arrangement 6

Figure 2. Dual LNB satellite dish arrangement 7

Figure 3. DirecTV vs. Cable Television 9

Figure 4. DirecTV vs. Dish Network 10

Abstract

Technology has brought television watching into a different perspective. Programming can be brought to you through an off air antenna, cable television, or satellite dish service. Determining which one of these services is best suited to you can be a difficult decision to make. As a customer service representative for a local satellite dish company, I have customers that are confused about the differences between cable television and satellite dish service. I take my job seriously and make it my moral obligation to each consumer to make sure that they are thoroughly informed by the time they leave. The information in my report is based on each individual service and what services and options they contain. I will conclude the report with any recommendations that are for or against each option when selecting how television services are viewed.

Introduction

The report "Cable Television vs. Satellite Dish Service" presents the differences between cable television and satellite dish service in a residential environment. It is presented from a satellite provider's point of view. The information enclosed is intended to explain and inform consumers of their options when choosing between both services. The report is broken into two major sections. Topics covered will be cable television and the satellite dish services provided by DirecTVв and DISH Network.

CABLE TELEVISION

In a society where television is almost a necessity, we are required to make a decision on what kind of television programming we are going to watch and where we are going to get it from. Cable television is a service that is brought to you from your local cable television company. In Albemarle Time Warner Cable is our only choice of cable television.

Description

Cable television, as its name implies, is provided through a wire that is installed at your residence. You may already have cable installed at your home, but require the services and converter box to provide you with the programming. Reception is uninterrupted by trees, buildings and other surface obstacles. The programs that cable television provide are transmitted to communication satellites that orbit the earth at a fixed position 22,300 miles above the earth. These television programs are brought to your home via hundreds of miles of cable, either strung on the same poles that carry your telephone or electric service, or buried underground.

Initial Cost

In the Albemarle area you can generally expect to pay anywhere from $21.50 to restart or reconnect a residential installation to $39.95 or higher for an unwired residential installation depending on how much needs to be done at the time of installation. In addition to the installation costs, you are charged monthly for the converter with optional service, the remote control, the digital converter, and the digital remote (see Appendix page 15). A charge for upgrading or downgrading your programming at any time is also tacked onto the bill. The type of service and the length of time that requires a trip for the technician to come out to your home will determine how much the service cost will be. As the cost for cable television keeps increasing more subscribers are looking into other alternatives. Over the last several years the cost for cable television has risen at an average of six percent annually.

Picture Quality

The picture quality provided by your local satellite company is generally better than off-air reception of broadcast television, since television signals travel to your home by cable rather than through the air. The picture quality can only be as good as the transmission from the satellite you local cable company utilizes. I have found, from previous experience, that in the Albemarle area the picture is generally snowy and blurry.

Programming Packages

Cable television services are brought to you in several different package options. The minimal service that may be purchased is the basic service. Basic service may be purchased alone or with any optional service(s). All programming package contents are determinate of where you reside