Down time entertainment: cable or satellite?

[Echos13]

I am considering what direction to take on television. After a week of study I am rather cross eyed at what these outfits are offering. So. What do you all have or prefer in regards to it? What are your rants? The pros and cons you have dealt with in the system you have.

[OccamsRazor]

I am considering what direction to take on television. After a week of study I am rather cross eyed at what these outfits are offering. So. What do you all have or prefer in regards to it? What are your rants? The pros and cons you have dealt with in the system you have.

Personally, neither. I haven't watched more than about 8 hours a month of TV since 2002.

My wife and son, on the other hand, watch about 2 hours a day each. Wife says satellite sucked when we had it in California, it sucked in Alaska, and she's pretty sure it would suck here.

We have cable and she's content enough with that.

[flashlightcop509]

My $ .02?

Go with cable...

Reason I say this, when my Wife and I were renting an apt. in town, we had cable TV with really only a minimalistic number of channels, somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 something....

When we bought our house, we were now on the outskirts of town by about 3/4 mile; meaning, the cable co. doesn't come out this far, so we went with Dish Network. Stay with me here...

We had the minimum package to start, but after a time, I wanted to get the upgrade only because I wanted the 80's music channel... Well, you can't get that without getting 15 channels of NBA basketball which I don't watch, 13 channels of NHL hockey whick I don't watch, 6 Soccer channels which I don't watch, 10 home shopping channels I don't watch, about 300 channels in Espanol and other languages that I don't need....

Sooo, each month I'm paying for all these hundreds of channels, and out of them all, I maybe watch 15 of them regularly....

[CAPTAIN KOOLAID]

Down time entertainment: cable or satellite?

Hmmm satellite you have bring in dish for hurricane. But once it's over you set up the dish and have TV . With cable once lines get knocked out you have wait awhile get them repaired.

[Hank1]

I currently have satellite television. It's great, until it rains and the picture is lost for several minutes up to a hour! When the weather is clear, the picture is great.

[HotelSecurity]

I have cable because I got a deal on the 3 services. Cable TV, high speed internet & telephone service for about $100.00 a month.

[craig333]

Had em both. I'm currently with Satellite only because I got seriously pissed off at the cable company. Both work fine. Never had an issue with the picture on sat and storms. Luckily hurricanes aren't an issue here.

[UtahProtectionForce]

my dad had cable thunder storms would interfer with the signal live in california and had to affix to a sat, over texas ....... always moved every 3-4 months had to readjust the dish...

but he live where it was rabbits ears or sat or no tv. no cable where he lives..

[Craig S]

I currently have satellite television. It's great, until it rains and the picture is lost for several minutes up to a hour! When the weather is clear, the picture is great.

I live in Largo (Tampa Bay) and I know this must be a PITA during the rainy season. I feel your pain!

I have cable with 2 DVR's (1 for the wife and 1 for me). Service is dependable and the price is ok because I have the 3 in 1 deal and a teacher discount for my wife.

[integrator97]

Hmmm satellite you have bring in dish for hurricane. But once it's over you set up the dish and have TV . With cable once lines get knocked out you have wait awhile get them repaired.

Now that's a good point.

I currently have satellite television. It's great, until it rains and the picture is lost for several minutes up to a hour! When the weather is clear, the picture is great.

Your dish isn't aligned well. On my directv, there is a signal meter in setup. On a nice day you can get a great picture at 60 or so. But the clouds might mess that up, and rain, well, forget it. And 60 or 70 is good enough for the contractor paid a flat rate for your free install.

But I can aim mine up to 95 to 105 or so depending on which sat band (there are 3 and you do all 3). It has to come down in buckets, a drenching downpour, to knock mine out. Maybe a couple times a year at most, for a short time. I've only had it go out twice it 4 years, but I don't watch 24/7. And I've seen problems like that with my cable, when someone knocks down a pole or box, so.....

[Hank1]

Had em both. I'm currently with Satellite only because I got seriously pissed off at the cable company. Both work fine. Never had an issue with the picture on sat and storms. Luckily hurricanes aren't an issue here.

Luckily, eathquakes aren't a issue for us! They aren't fun either!

[integrator97]

Luckily, eathquakes aren't a issue for us! They aren't fun either!

I lived in CA for 9 years and went through several, including the '89 in San Francisco. I was stationed at Concord Naval Weapons Station across the bay and on base when it happened.

My office is next to a rock quarry, so we feel "earthquakes" at least several times a week. It is exactly the same when you're that close. Scares the bejeezus out of most people the first time they feel it.

[craig333]

Its all what you're used to. Tornadoes sound much scarier to me than an earthquake. Scariest thing I"ve been in is the floods.

[HotelSecurity]

For those who thinkCable service is more reliable. Where do you think the cable companies get the signals from?

Any one have experience with the microwave system. There is one in Montreal called Look. Apparently your receiver dish? has to have an unobstructed straight view of the transmitter. It would have been good for my old house that was along the canal with a direct view of the mountain. Would be harder in the dense part of the city I live in now.

[Alaska Security]

For Satellite, I'd have to build a RF-transparent enclosure to deal with snow.

With cable I have a HD-DVR from the company... rarely if ever watch live tv, the wife and I have similar show genre interests so we just record them and watch them together when I am home from work. No commercials, because we fast forward through them