Coaxial Cable vs. Satellite Services – Packages & Pricing
One thing we do regularly here at InternetLion.com is compare coaxial cable vs. satellite services. And this is for good reason too, considering how few cable companies are willing to broach the topic. Of course, it would be nice if we didn’t have to publish multiple articles with topics like “Coaxial Cable vs. Satellite Services.” But the fact remains that, if we didn’t, people searching for keywords like “difference between cable and satellite TV” and “coaxial cable vs. satellite” wouldn’t have as much access to this important comparative information as those searching for keywords like “cable satellite servcies.”
The only thing we can do in response to this situation, then, is explain the differences between cable and satellite TV in multiple articles using different search terms and, by doing so, hope it sets the record straight. What follows, as a result, is another InternetLion.com article aimed at keeping you in the know when it comes to the differences between cable and satellite TV packages and pricing so that next time you’re in the market for subscription TV service you’ll know to check out the DISH Network® deals featured on our site first.
The Difference Between Cable and Satellite TV
There are a few things we always point out when comparing coaxial cable vs. satellite services. And among those are costs relative to the number of channels each TV subscription type offers. If we consider Cox Communications HD service compared to DISH Network HD service for instance, the two are seemingly similar. Both offer HD channels for free as part of their regular SD service package and both companies’ lineups offer many of the same channels.
But the main difference between cable and satellite TV service in this example is apparent when we consider how much packages cost compared to how many channels are offered. In Cleveland, OH, for instance, Cox Communications HD offers 72 channels as part of a $73.23 per month package whose price does not include receiver costs of $7.25 per month per HD receiver and $17.24 per month per HD DVR.
What’s more, for each additional TV outlet above and beyond the first TV that a customer in Cleveland wants Cox to activate, there is an additional one-time charge of $39.99. And this isn’t counting Cox’s $4.95 per month fee in Cleveland for its optional “Service Assurance Plan” – a program you need to subscribe to if you don’t want to pay an exorbitant cost to have a Cox technician fix a faulty system.
Now, to be fair, Cox does offer a promotional rate of $63.23 per month for this package. But this special price only remains for six months before it jumps back up to $73.23 per month. As a result, a Cox communications subscription in our sample region will cost a Clevelander who only connects one HD TV and no other TVs—and doesn’t order the technical-assistance subscription or DVR service—a total of $1,871.52 over two years. And since SD channels don’t show up well on HD TVs, our example subscriber would basically be paying $1.08 per channel per month for Cox Communications HD service.
The DISH Network Difference
In contrast, let’s look at what DISH Network has to offer: For $24.99 per month the first year and $44.99 per month the second year, a new DISH Network subscriber who commits to a 24 Month Agreement with AutoPay and Paperless Billing, will receive over 105 HD channels (in addition to over 120 SD channels). This is DISH Network’s “America’s Top 120” package which includes your HD channels Free for Life. You can also get up to three free DISH Network HD receivers (a $7/mo. service fee applies, except for the first four months when the service fee is waived as part of this promotion).
What’s more, qualifying customers also receive free standard installation, which is a $99 value. So, the total cost for a DISH Network subscription of this type is only $1,007.76 over two years – over $800 less than the Cox Communications package. Not only are you paying less with DISH Network, but you’re also receiving more HD channels! And, Cox isn’t even offering its HD channels free for life. So, really looking at how cable stacks up to satellite TV packages and pricing, it’s easy to see that satellite offers way more value in the long run.
Click here to learn more about the DISH Network Top 120 package and the DISH Network promotions mentioned in this article. Switch to DISH Network and start saving today!
Disclaimer: Please note that this article was written when the satellite TV provider DISH was branded as DISH Network. As of 2/1/2012 DISH Network has changed their branding name to DISH. Article post date: 02/10/2011.
