With the US economy struggling to recover, millions of Americans continue to tighten their budgets. Entertainment spending is usually one of the first areas people cut, so if you are in this situation you may have already reduced the amount you spend on going out to eat or seeing new release movies. But what about your cable or satellite TV service? This is probably one service you don’t want to eliminate, as it provides you plenty of entertainment value at a low cost per day. But if you do have cable, you might want to investigate whether cheap satellite TV is a better option.
The cheap satellite television options today of course are DISH Network and DIRECTV. While they market their high priced satellite TV packages in hopes of making more money, there are some cheap satellite television options available that will certainly save you some money when compared to cable. With DISH Network, the DISH Family and the America’s Top 120 packages are probably the ones most will be looking at if they want a cheap satellite TV option. Unfortunately, the DISH Family option which was only about $20 a month was recently eliminated for new customer sign ups, though if you already have it you can continue with the package for as long as you wish.
That leaves the America’s Top 120 as the cheapest satellite option from DISH Network. For a new subscriber, you can get this bundle for just $24.99 a month, and also add in Free HD channels if you agree to the terms and conditions. The regular rate on this package is $39.99 a month. This bundle did not experience a price hike in 2010 compared to the 2009 pricing structure, so I would be surprised if it stays at this price during 2011. While high definition channel content is included, you will have an extra monthly charge if you opt for DVR service.
The low priced satellite TV option from DIRECTV includes the Family Package and the Choice package. The DIRECTV Family package is really the only cheap satellite TV option regularly priced at $30 for new customers. You won’t find a ton of channel content here, only about 50 stations in all, but you do get local programming along with some fairly popular networks for the kids like the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. There aren’t any discounts on this cheap DIRECTV package as a new customer, but the price remains level rather than going up like the Choice package.
With the DIRECTV Choice package, you get an introductory price of $29.99 a month for one year, but this reflects a hefty new customer discount. The price drop is $29 a month, so your cheap satellite television package goes away starting in month 13 as you will be paying $58.99 thereafter. Neither the Family or Choice packages include DVR service, so like DISH Network you will pay a bit more if you want this option.
With cable prices continuing to rise year after year, cheap satellite TV service may be the solution. A little comparison shopping before you commit though is the wise thing to do.
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