Should I choose Dish or Direct TV?
Cable vs Dish
Let’s face it – hardly anyone today actually has a TV mounted antenna for reception.The choice definitely is between getting your own satellite dish and getting a direct-to-TV cable connection by a provider in your neighborhood. It is only the odd TV in the work shed that has its own antennae anymore, and that’s a reality all across America!
Direct TV
Whichever town you live in, in whatever neighborhood, you have a cable TV provider willing to give you a connection. Cable is not a bad option – you get quite a few TV channels, and you can get yourself a set-top converter to get some of the pay channels. When you get your connection, the provider will probably give you a couple of these pay channels for free, for a limited period like a kids channel, a sport channel, travel channel or cooking channel.
They sometimes even offer you a private movie channel, on a local network and apartment complexes encourage that. Additionally your cable provider could offer you an high speed broadband connection as well, which could make it worth your while to pay a regular fixed rental charge.
The objective is to coax you into getting a higher subscription of course, which may well be worth it mind you. Most providers will willingly give you connections in three or four rooms in your house. However, with cable TV you will have recurrent expenses in the form of monthly or quarterly payments.
And the truth is, if you live in a rented home, shifting a cable TV connection can be a pain. You would probably scrap that idea and go for a fresh cable connection where you are moving to.
Satellite TV
Thousands of homes today enjoy high quality HDTV reception with their own satellite antennae. The downside is it can be more expensive initially when compared to cable TV. But you will save money in the long run, as you do not have to pay a recurrent bill to any company.
At the end of the day you have your own satellite dish antenna with receiver, which you can move to a new home if you choose to shift premises. However, if you opt for a cheaper and smaller antenna you could get bad reception during stormy weather. So if you live in an area which often receives heavy rainfall you would do well to buy a large dish.
Satellite TV reception requires you to install the dish where it isn’t obstructed by other buildings etc, so mounting one on top of your house or in the middle of a large uncluttered field (where available!) is a good idea. However do consult with your neighbors, some people can get real finicky about aesthetics with their neighborhood looks! Generally a casual chat with the neighbors is enough to get you past this, but remember to do at least that. Installing a satellite dish antenna is a great past time for do-it-yourself electronics hobbyists as well!
You have seen the advantages and disadvantages of both options. Now the choice is yours!