Satellite TV, also known as Very Small Aperture Television (VSAT), is an effective technology for folks who live in areas where a ground-based cable distribution infrastructure is not available. Satellite systems incorporate a small satellite dish, requisite cabling, plus a receiver (also known as an set-top). In the U.S. satellite TV market, there are two main competitors, Dish Network (formerly known as EchoStar), and DirecTV. Together, those companies manage nearly 70 percent of all the satellite subscribers in the United States.
Programming
Dish Network (or simply "Dish") and DirecTV (or "Direc") offer similar programming superficially; however, there are also some significant differences between the two. Dish tends to focus on sales and operational interactivity between the users and its network, whereas Direc focuses its efforts on additional special programming, specifically pay per-view events. Both networks offer high-definition tiers, specifically oriented to customers who have committed to having big-screen, home-theater systems.
Price And Installation
Both broadcasters offer various tiers of programming. As of 2009, Dish offers content ranging from 55 general-interest channels for $24.99 per month, to a premium tier offering more than 290 channels, at a monthly cost of $87.98 per month. DirecTV in turn offers its basic 50-plus channel version at a price of $29.99 per month all the way up to its premier tier that offers 200-plus channels at a price of $54.99 per month. Both companies have local dealers/distributors who handle installation and customer service. Therefore, depending on the particular dealer/distributor, installation of a new system could be free, or it could cost well above $100 for a simple system setup.
Broadcast Signal
In general, VSAT broadcasting quality is good; however, there are a couple of "gotchas" that a customer should be aware of prior to committing to either service. "Small aperture" means a small dish. Integrated within the dish component are additional active systems called switches that "see" the broadcast signal, then converts, amplifies, and delivers it to the receiver, which is connected to the television set. The quality of the image is directly proportional to the gain of that signal. So, if the terrain physically constrains the dish's ability to see the "ground footprint" clearly, such as clusters of high trees, or if your house is below a ridge line that obstructs line-of-sight, signal gain will be negatively impacted. Second, if you live in a rainy region such as the Pacific Northwest, you will probably not enjoy satellite TV because "rain fade" can regularly limit, or block the signal entirely.
Receiver/DVR
Both Dish Network and DirecTV offer non-recording set-tops as well as Digital Video Recorder (DVR) versions. Because so many customers today probably spend most of their time out of the home, utilizing a DVR can create a way to record and save interesting programming to be viewed later. Both companies leverage DVRs as a sales perk of their services, so you may or may not have to pay extra for one of those units.
Customer Service
Customer service for both Dish and Direc involves a never-ending trek through various product offers, before a subscriber can get hold of someone who can help with a problem. In general, the most efficient way to deal with an issue is to send an email, but if your system suddenly goes dark for some reason, the typical customer service response will be neither fast, nor satisfying.
Satellitte Internet
In the last 10 years Dish and Direc have both launched "Satellite Internet" products. This capability is based on the same signal-to-receiver (or router) constraints, in terms of line-of-sight connectivity. Additionally, the data components typically require a separate dish. Data speeds for satellite Internet are typical of other competitive wireless systems, and each company offers tiered packages. For example, Dish offers upload/download speeds of 128 kbps/512 kbps at $49.95 per month, 200 kbps/1.0 Mbps at $69.95, and 256 kbps/ 1.5 Mbps at $79.95, while Direc's speed/cost ratios are about the same.
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