Consumer Conundrums: Which is Better, Satellite TV or Cable?
Technology is constantly sifting lately, and it takes a special kind of consumer to know exactly how to keep up with all of the changes. Te Internet has gone from something that takes forever to navigate to a network available all over the world not just on computers, but on laptops and cell phones, too. It's possible to video conference from a handheld smartphone, and don't even get anyone started about all of the bells and whistles that come with new cars or the number of HD TVs that consumers now have to choose from, be they flat-screen or ceiling-mountable.
But one of the areas where technology has really taken off across the board is actually one of the areas where the progress is the least obvious. In the world of actual television broadcasting, as in the signals people choose from and not the different televisions they can choose, many changes have been afoot.
Until recently, it was still possible for a household to pick up a signal from the local networks with a pair of rabbit ears and any old analog television set. However, with the emergence of cable as a popular alternative, most families had already made the switch from rabbit ears to cable boxes. And once the different options for satellite TV came along, dishes started to replace the cable boxes, making rabbit ears a device of the past.
Well in the United States, rabbit ears finally became a piece of history and not a viable way to receive signal, as the United States government went ahead and passed a law switching all television broadcast signals to digital instead of analog. This meant that a lot of consumers who had never had to consider how to receive their television signal were suddenly forced to keep up with the times and to make a choice: would they be switching to cable, or would they be switching to satellite TV?
This isn't just a choice for those who are suddenly forced to make it. After all, there are a number of differences between cable and satellite, but many consumers don't actually know which is the best fit for them. Conventional wisdom said that cable was more reliable, when it's just as possible to lose the picture or signal with a cable box as it is with a dish on the ceiling. Everyone knows it is a lot more difficult to pick a package deal with cable that gives all the possible channels, since cable allows a lot less picking and choosing. And contrary to popular belief, both cable and satellite TV allow for local broadcasts to be just as accessible as 900 or more channels on a variety of activities and pastimes.
So for those considering making the switch, here are a few different things for savvy consumers to think about. First and foremost, what is the most important thing? Sports packages? The chance to pick and choose movie channels? That sort of flexibility just isn't found at cable. But if flexibility in contact is more important, then sometimes cable is a better option, as it's more difficult to make a short-term commitment with satellite. However, satellite rewards its customers by not having quite as many hidden clauses and stipulations should you want to change or cancel your service, and no changes re-up your subscription time.
But one of the areas where technology has really taken off across the board is actually one of the areas where the progress is the least obvious. In the world of actual television broadcasting, as in the signals people choose from and not the different televisions they can choose, many changes have been afoot.
Until recently, it was still possible for a household to pick up a signal from the local networks with a pair of rabbit ears and any old analog television set. However, with the emergence of cable as a popular alternative, most families had already made the switch from rabbit ears to cable boxes. And once the different options for satellite TV came along, dishes started to replace the cable boxes, making rabbit ears a device of the past.
Well in the United States, rabbit ears finally became a piece of history and not a viable way to receive signal, as the United States government went ahead and passed a law switching all television broadcast signals to digital instead of analog. This meant that a lot of consumers who had never had to consider how to receive their television signal were suddenly forced to keep up with the times and to make a choice: would they be switching to cable, or would they be switching to satellite TV?
This isn't just a choice for those who are suddenly forced to make it. After all, there are a number of differences between cable and satellite, but many consumers don't actually know which is the best fit for them. Conventional wisdom said that cable was more reliable, when it's just as possible to lose the picture or signal with a cable box as it is with a dish on the ceiling. Everyone knows it is a lot more difficult to pick a package deal with cable that gives all the possible channels, since cable allows a lot less picking and choosing. And contrary to popular belief, both cable and satellite TV allow for local broadcasts to be just as accessible as 900 or more channels on a variety of activities and pastimes.
So for those considering making the switch, here are a few different things for savvy consumers to think about. First and foremost, what is the most important thing? Sports packages? The chance to pick and choose movie channels? That sort of flexibility just isn't found at cable. But if flexibility in contact is more important, then sometimes cable is a better option, as it's more difficult to make a short-term commitment with satellite. However, satellite rewards its customers by not having quite as many hidden clauses and stipulations should you want to change or cancel your service, and no changes re-up your subscription time.
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