The FX drama Damages will be moving to DIRECTV, saving the popular series from cancellation for at least two more years.

The series which has received critical acclaim but low ratings was set to ride off into the sunset as FX was not  going to commit to any further production costs.  Sony Production however shopped the show around and DIRECTV bit, meaning new episodes of Damages will hit the airwaves sometime in 2011.  DIRECTV also picked up the rights to air repeats of seasons 1 through 3 of the drama on its in house network, The 101.

DIRECTV struck a similar deal two years ago with NBC, securing the right to air first run episodes of Friday Night Lights.  The 101 Network has aired these in the fall, with NBC then airing episodes of the popular drama in the spring.  With Damages however, all episodes will be exclusively aired on DIRECTV.  The FX drama picked up five Emmy nominations in season three and has garnered 19 Emmy nominations total in three years.

Damages stars Glenn Close and Rose Byrne, and attracted a loyal but small audience.  While the American audience was lacking, overseas audiences have received the drama well, and producer Sony was intent on making more episodes for this reason.  For DIRECTV, it represents another way to build subscriptions as loyal fans may make the move over to satellite TV once they realize Damages will not be on cable any more.

Today in the United States there are two dominant satellite TV providers – Dish Network and DIRECTV. While the growth of satellite television services has been incredible over the past 20 years, every new technology has a saturation point. Are satellite TV companies beginning to suffer as the market matures? What factors should you consider if you are considering signing up with one of the satellite companies?  What should you know if you are going to compare satellite TV providers?

While both DIRECTV and Dish Network use similar technology, they certainly run their businesses differently. Dish Network continues to focus on price, with the lowest package costs overall. Most advertisements from Dish Network hit on their America’s Top 120 offer, which you can get for an entry level price point of $24.99 a month for one year. Of course this is a bare bones offering, with just a basic receiver. As soon as you add DVR service or need multiple boxes you will be paying more, not to mention this offer is discounted by $15 a month. A more realistic price for Dish Network’s service is probably between $50 and $60 a month once you factor in everything else.

Dish Network continues to be the provider willing to stand up and fight content providers tooth and nail. This probably comes from the fact that their founder and CEO Charlie Ergen is always willing to fight for a good deal when it comes to buying content for Dish Network. While some may call him “cheap” he won’t sign off on contracts he considers unfair. This is probably why some baseball related content like the YES Network, MLB Extra Innings, and the MLB Channel are not yet carried by this satellite television provider.

The other satellite provider, DIRECTV, focuses on the sports fan in much of their marketing. They continue to be the home of the NFL Sunday Ticket, which brings in millions of hard core football fans every season. While this package is a loss leader, costing DIRECTV around a billion dollars a year, it does a great job in insuring football fans both sign up and stay with DIRECTV year after year. DIRECTV is also the home of the NASCAR Hotpass package as well as the Mega March Madness bundle offered each spring. While your DIRECTV package price is probably going to cost you a bit more than a comparable Dish Network package, you will find all of your sports content here.

Both satellite TV providers have had to adopt to added competition in the market over the past few years.  This has come in the form of telecom companies beginning to offer their own cable TV packages. Verizon has rolled out FiOS to millions of customers, and the same is true of AT&T and their U-verse packages. These companies also have the advantage of being able to offer triple play bundles which make it easy for the customer to get high speed internet access and digital home phone services through one provider. How have satellite TV companies adapted to this challenge?

DIRECTV has adopted a “keep your enemies” close policy, by signing resale agreements with both AT&T and Verizon. If the technology is not available to the customer for either FiOS or U-verse, they can bundle DIRECTV service along with their home phone and high speed internet. DIRECTV also partners with Qwest in the Western United States, but has more success there as Qwest does not offer their own video product.

Dish Network currently navigates the pay television market on their own, relying on low prices and heavy advertising to battle the competition. Both companies have relied on their HD content offerings to bring in millions of customers.   Will the two big satellite TV providers merge at some point? It has been rumored that Dish and DIRECTV will get together at some point, but regulators in the United States government would have a hard time swallowing a deal like this. Many rural areas do not have any other choice when it comes to their pay television provider, so competition between Dish Network and DIRECTV remains a good thing for these individuals.

If you live in an area where AT&T provides the local phone service, you may be anticipating the deployment of U-verse service to your area. Maybe AT&T U-verse is already in your area and you are wondering how it compares to the alternative choice, satellite television. In this article we will briefly compare U-verse vs satellite TV and see how they match up.

AT&T and their U-verse product is of course the new kid on the block. Uverse offers an innovative DVR that can be hooked into multiple TV’s in your house, and allows you to watch recorded content where you please. Dish Network offers DuoDVRs, and DIRECTV is finally getting on board this year with multi-room DVR devices this year. If you have a big family or multiple TV sets and want maximum flexibility, then the Uverse option might be better for you.

Uverse also uses a hard line to your home, with is the existing copper twisted pair that has traditionally been used for landline service. AT&T uses IPTV technology to deliver the signal to your home, along with high speed internet access and home phone service if you wish.  The Uverse triple play option is something that you can’t get with Dish Network.   Satellite TV companies rely on a small dish mounted on the side of your home with the signal beamed to you from outer space. So while you many areas have to wait for AT&T to deploy Uverse, satellite service is of course widely available to just about everyone.

Now when you look at the pricing structure and compare satellite vs Uverse, things line up fairly close. A little legwork is required though in this area, as there are satellite TV bundles that are discounted for one year while AT&T has some deals that give you a reduced price for six months. There are also additional incentives from Uverse as they offer cash back to new customers. Current U-verse deals can net you up to $350 back in promotional AT&T Reward cards, while satellite TV discounts give you several hundred dollars in savings over the course of the first year of service. The important thing to do is review what the regular prices will be month in and month out once the promotional prices have ended, that way you will have an idea on exactly what you will be paying for your cable television channels.  That way you will be able to determine if you can live with the price on an ongoing basis.

Now when comparing the content offered by Uverse and satellite television providers, you won’t find many differences.  The basics like TBS, TNT, ESPN, and CNN can be found with both.  The local networks you enjoy are also on both satellite and Uverse.  The only area where you might be dissatisfied with AT&T is in the area of premium sports packages.  Uverse does not yet carry the NBA League Pass or the NHL Center Ice packages.  Both of these are available on both Dish Network and DIRECTV.  In addition, Uverse doesn’t have the NFL Sunday Ticket package, though they can’t really be blamed for that as it is a DIRECTV exclusive currently.  You also will miss out on the MLB Extra Innings package and the MLB channel on Uverse.  These baseball channels are on DIRECTV currently but not on Dish Network’s channel lineup.

For quite some time, cable television companies held a monopoly on the pay television market in the United States.  Sure you could get a dish TV system installed if you had a huge backyard with space for a six foot wide satellite.   For obvious reasons these were not very popular in cities or the suburbs, though if you lived in a rural area it was pretty much the only way to receive cable television channels.  When the size of the dish shrunk, the popularity of these TV systems took off and customers quickly accepted this new technology.

Today satellite TV remains an extremely popular option for both city dwellers and rural customers alike.  But how exactly do dish TV systems work?  What factors come into play for the homeowner or the apartment dweller when looking at this option as an alternative to cable service?  Lets consider what is involved in getting dish TV installed in your home or apartment, and what equipment is needed to make your system bring those channels into the home.

When looking at a dish system, it all starts with the satellite unit that is mounted outside of your home.  These small satellite dish units are really what powered the growth of satellite service in the 1990′s.  No longer did the customer have to pour a concrete pad in their backyard and have a massive satellite dish placed out there to receive signal, instead small units were deployed by Dish Network, DIRECTV, and PrimeStar.  Eventually Primestar was sold and became a part of DIRECTV.

Because of the location of the satellites in space, your satellite dish has to be placed facing south or southwest depending on your location.  This of course can present problems for some homeowners with large trees or those who have buildings that may interfere with your line of sight.  Those in apartments may also be locked out of the satellite game if they face north.  But if your home allows installation of a dish TV system, the next step is routing that signal into the home in to the viewing areas.

Traditional coaxial cables that are used by cable television now take over.  Depending on what is already in place, the dish system installer may run additional cable to areas where it is needed.  Most satellite TV packages include setup to one television in the home, but there are generally charges for additional receivers each month for your other TV sets.  Most today opt to have one of the new HD DVR receivers on their primary television, allowing them to record and playback content at their convenience rathter that always being locked into live TV broadcasts.  Dish Network has had an advantage over the past few years in that their DuoDVR series allows two different feeds with independent remote controls.  DIRECTV is though bringing out their own multi-room DVR in 2010.

Most dish television systems can be customized fairly closely to your needs.  While free installation in up to four rooms is generally included, if you have a special situation and need more rooms connected, either company will help you out.  Just be aware that a custom dish system like this will in all likelihood have up front installation charges and may also require a second satellite dish.

Dish TV packages continue to be popular in America, this despite intense competition from cable and telco TV companies.  Why do people continue signing up with this service despite certain limitations?  Why should you consider a dish television package instead of one of the triple play options that are offered by companies like Comcast or Verizon?

Your main choice when selection this kind of television package are going to be DIRECTV and Dish Network.  While the technology used by each of these companies is the same, you will certainly find some differences when it comes to the packages they offer.   The main disadvantage when getting a dish TV package is that you can only order video service, as they do not provide either high speed internet or voice service at this time.  That means you will have to either order DSL or cable internet service through the telephone or cable provider in your area.  Home phone service of course can also be ordered from these companies, though it is becoming more obsolete as individuals rely more and more on their wireless phone connection.  Cable triple plays continue to be popular options in the marketplace today, though their expense has turned aside many cost conscious consumers.

DIRECTV does have one advantage over Dish Network in one way.  They have partnered with all three major phone companies in America – AT&T, Verizon, and Qwest as resellers.  If these telecoms do not have video service – AT&T and Verizon have started offering their own products, they will offer to bundle DIRECTV along with other services like DSL.  Dish Network used to contract with AT&T in the past, but now they only have reseller agreements with a few of the smaller phone companies operating in America.

So what is the main advantage of a dish TV package?  Price continues to be the leading reason to select a satellite bundle over cable television service.  Dish Network is the lowest price option, and DIRECTV is still very competitive with Dish, although some of their premium options are quite expensive.  The NFL Ticket package is the primary example of this, as for the 2009 season it was priced at nearly $400 if you wanted to see the games in high definition.  Dish Network offers the lowest entry price at $24.99 a month for the first year of service, and DIRECTV has packages starting at $29.99 a month for one year.  Although these introductory prices on dish packages are quite low, you need to be aware of the regular pricing structure that kicks in after 12 months.

The regular price on the America’s Top 120 from Dish Network is $39.99 a month, and the Choice package from DIRECTV is $58.99 a month normally.  While these prices are of course quite a bit more than the introductory rate, they are still very competitive with the typical digital cable package you might find with Comcast or Time Warner cable.  In fact, if you take a look at your current cable TV pricing, you probably will save money even during the second year with a satellite TV bundle.

Other factors to consider when shopping for a dish TV package is the contract requirement.  New dish customer subscriptions require a 24 month agreement, so if you are moving anytime soon it may be better to get settled into your new location before ordering a satellite package.  While the satellite company is generally willing to move your service, the terms of the agreement may be restarted depending on what is needed to get you going at your new location.  The best thing to do is get in touch with whichever company you are  interested in getting service from before jumping into a new service contract.

If you are looking for something more inclusive with your  TV bundle, they are more than willing to accommodate you in that regard.  Dish Network offers an all inclusive package regularly priced at around $100 a month, and the DIRECTV Premier package offers similar content for about $115.   Both of these dish TV packages offer  hundreds of channels including premium commercial-free movie networks like HBO.

The 2010 MLB season is here, and for many die hard baseball fans it means that it is time to figure out if the MLB Extra Innings package is within their budget.  In this article, we will consider some of the details surrounding this package, and look at the various providers that carry the premium baseball package.

This year’s edition of MLB Extra Innings comes in at about $199 for the full season.  Most providers give you the option of paying for the package in four payments, which translates to $50 a month for four months.  For that, you will get access to around 80 out of market games each week.  Considering the baseball season lasts about 24 weeks you are looking at nearly 2,000 games, so if you are a fan this package is the best deal of any out of market sports package.

Now if you are interested in watching the games in HD, you mileage may vary depending on your provider.  DIRECTV is promising to carry at least 40 out of the 80 something games each week in high definition.   Depending on your cable television company, you may find anywhere from 10 to 50 games in HD each week.

So who will have MLB Extra Innings in 2010?  As mentioned DIRECTV is already on board, and they also will be carrying the MLB channel for the second straight year.  Most of the big cable TV companies are also set to carry the package, among them Comcast and Time Warner cable.  Other big providers that are carrying the baseball package include Cox cable, Cablevision, and Bright House networks.   Verizon is also offering Extra Innings as an add on to their FiOS package options.

Two big players are missing from the MLB Extra Innings lineup, those being Dish Network and AT&T U-verse.  Dish has been battling Major League Baseball for years over carriage terms, meaning you won’t find the MLB channel on Dish Network either.  Uverse also has not come to terms with MLB or the inDemand network for the package.

If you still aren’t sure if the package is right for you, be sure to check out the free MLB Extra Innings preview, which is running from April 5th through the 11th.   Channels vary depending on your cable or satellite provider, so check in directly with them to find out where the games are airing.

DIRECTV announced they will be carrying the new ESPN 3D channel from day one, and best of all it won’t cost you anything extra.  That is of course if you don’t count the substantial investment in buying a new 3DTV and the techno-goggles needed to watch 3D content at home.

The move signals that DIRECTV intends to be at the forefront of the 3D battle, as they have already announced they deployment of three other 3D channels.  The other three channels will be a pay per view option, a 3D on demand channel, and the newly named N3D, which will feature content from different providers.  While Comcast and Cox have announced that they will offer 3D coverage of the Masters Golf tournament, only DIRECTV has announced plans to air full time 3D channels in 2010.

ESPN 3D was officially announced in January, and will debut on June 11th at the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.  Current plans have up to 25 games being broadcast in 3D, and up to 85 events total in 2010.  ESPN is not planning to air their 3D channel full time once broadcasting begins.  Other events set to air on ESPN 3D include the 2011 BCS championship game.

While DIRECTV is not planning to charge subscribers for the 3D version of ESPN, that is where the good news ends.   The bad news is you will still have to find and purchase one of the new 3D TV sets, which are already a hot commodity.   Samsung is brining their 3DTV to market in May, with the lowest priced model starting at $1,700.  High end models from Samsung are running between $6,000 and $7,000.   Panasonic, Sony, and LG also have 3D television sets on their way to market.  Retailers are expecting models from manufacturers to arrive anywhere from May through August, and in limited supply.  That in itself will probably put a damper on both DIRECTV and ESPN as they begin broadcasting in 3D.

Time Warner cable (TWC) is one of the big players in the pay television marketplace. Only Comcast can boast more total cable TV subscribers, while Dish Network and DIRECTV both have more satellite TV customers. If you live in a Time Warner cable area, you probably are wondering if they are better than the satellite TV alternative. Their offers may be best for your situation depending on the Time Warner deals being offered at the time.

Current Time Warner deals offer the customer an incentive if they agree to stay with their service for two years, similar to the contracts that satellite TV providers have used for years. For example, in the Dallas/Fort Worth Market, Time Warner offers their triple play package with 7 Mbps Road Runner internet for $119.99 if you agree to stay with them for two years. If you accept the non contract offer, you get a lower price to start of $109.99, but then it goes to the regular rate during the second year. While the normal Time Warner rate is not quoted on the website, you can imagine it will be somewhere in the area of $150 a month or more when looking at comparable packages from other cable television providers. If you are seriously considering TWC, you may want to call your local office to get an exact rate quote, though the prices will be a little higher in all probability in a year.

By comparison, the Dish Network deals out there can get you started for as low as $34.99 for one year if you are looking at the America’s Top 120 with high definition. Time Warner’s digital cable package comes with more than 200 total audio and video channels, and they include HD in the price. Dish Network does not so you have to add $10 to the regular introductory price. The current Time Warner deal also includes a free trial of their DVR and HD Tier channels for three months. A Dish Network package that compares a little more closely is the America’s Top 200, which is $47.99 a month for the first year, then goes to $62.99 a month after that with HD channel access included in this price.

There are other Time Warner packages that are also available if you are on a budget, or just don’t need all of the features included in the top level offer. Again we will use the North Texas pricing for these examples, and pricing may vary a bit depending on which Time Warner franchise serves your area.

If you don’t need the 7 Mbps level of internet service, you can get the Time Warner bundle with 3 Mbps and save $20 a month. For $89.95 you still get the same Digital cable channels but a lower speed on your Road Runner internet. This package also includes unlimited long distance within Texas, but not nationwide. The lower lever tiers also do not have the 2-year price lock feature, so be aware that the deal they offer is good for one year only.

There is also the Time Warner Spanish package for those who are bilingual or speak Spanish as their primary language.  The Spanish package from TWC is El Paquetazo and blends channels from both English and Spanish.  Over 150 digital channels are included with around 50 in Spanish and 100 in English, with plenty of content for young ones as well.  Pricing one these Time Warner deals is similar to the previously discussed English packages.

Mediacom is a medium sized cable TV company serving customers in 22 states, and the 8th largest cable company in America. If they happen to be the company that serves your community, then you may be looking to compare Mediacom vs DIRECTV. With satellite service, you of course have to have a dish mounted somewhere at your home, while with a cable company like Mediacom, the coaxial cable used to deliver service is not as intrusive. But what about other factors such as price, bundling options, and HD channel selection.

DIRECTV vs Mediacom

Mediacom, like their larger cable television cousins like Comcast offers new customers the best deals. This is to entice people who already have satellite and people who have just moved into an area served by Mediacom. The current Mediacom deal is called the VIP pak, and offers three different services for $29.95 a month. Those services are Mediacom digital cable, Mediacom Online 12 Mbps, and Mediacom phone. A couple of things to consider if you are going with the Mediacom triple play.

One requirement is that you have to subscribe to all three services to get the $29.95 a month price on each service. Many today have cut off their home phone and just use their wireless phone, but with this particular Mediacom offer you do have to get all of the services. Another factor to consider at this price is good for one year, then it goes up to regular pricing. This can vary depending on where you live, so call Mediacom customer service to get an accurate quote on what the price will be after one year.

If you are comparing Mediacom vs DIRECTV when it comes to promotional deals, you will find a similar story with the satellite TV provider. DIRECTV offers are out there mainly to entice current cable TV customers and new movers to try out the service. Right now, DIRECTV will discount your package for 12 months by $29 a month. Other incentives include free HD equipment, both the HD DVR and HD receiver can be yours at no up front cost. Two year contracts are also a part of DIRECTV’s offer, so they are assured of getting at least one year of full monthly payments from their subscriber.

Sports fans will also want to compare Mediacom to DIRECTV as there are certain advantages with satellite television. The primary advantage is the NFL packages available on DIRECTV. NFL Sunday Ticket is of course only on DIRECTV, but also the NFL Network is not on Mediacom. Other premium sports packages found on DIRECTV but not Mediacom include the NBA League Pass and MLB Extra Innings. Mediacom does offer a sports pack for $3.95 a month, and also the Big 10 Network in states where those colleges have a presence.

Another consideration when comparing these companies is the amount of HD content available. While DIRECTV commercials are claiming they have the “capacity” for 200 HD channels, they actually have far fewer. DIRECTV’s HD count is at about 85 national channels including premiums, plus quite a few pay per view and regional sports networks. Mediacom covers about 45 HD channels in some areas. Not all areas will have the same amount of HD content with Mediacom due to network limitations. The nod goes to DIRECTV for more HD, though there is an additional $10 a month fee.

A final consideration when comparing DIRECTV vs Mediacom is access to On-demand programming. With Mediacom, you have access to 3,000 plus titles through their on demand platform. Like Comcast and Cox cable, the On-demand setup offered by cable television companies is superior to that offered by DIRECTV. You can get DIRECTV on demand, but you have to have a separate high speed internet connection from either your phone or cable company to access the content.

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament kicks off in just a few weeks, and satellite TV customers will certainly be tuning in to watch all of the action. Here we will briefly review the tournament action, and where you will be able to watch the games on DISH Network.

While DIRECTV still has the Mega March Madness package, DISH Network will still have plenty of action. Whether you are looking to watch the Conference Championships from around the country, or the actual NCAA Tournament, hundreds of games will be on Dish satellite TV over the next month and a half. The official start to March Madness is on the 16th of March, with the famous play-in game. I’m not sure why the NCAA still insists on matching team number 64 against team 65 for the right to go get slaughtered by a number 1 seed, but if your interested this game will be on ESPN.

ESPN is on DISH Network channel 140, and is also available in HD if you subscribe.

March Madness truly begins on the 18th of the March, and here opening round action will be televised on your local CBS station with DISH Network. NCAA Tournament games will kick off at Noon Eastern time, and continue until midnight. First round action will take place from New Orleans, Providence, San Jose, and Oklahoma City.

First round action continues on Friday, March 19th with another 16 games. Again tune into your DISH Network CBS affiliate to watch the games. Venues hosting Buffalo, Jacksonville, Spokane, and Milwaukee. The first two days of the March Madness tournament are the main reason many opt for DIRECTV where you can get the Mega March Madness package for about $70. While the CBS coverage on DISH Network will jump around from game to game, with the DIRECTV March Madness package you can watch the game of your choice, or even the Mix channel showing all of the games at the same time.

Weekend coverage of the 2nd round continues on March 20th and 21st. The same venues will host as the tournament field is cut down to the Sweet Sixteen. Saturday’s coverage begins at 1PM Eastern, and continues to 10PM. Sunday starts the same time but wraps up around 7PM Eastern.

The Sweet Sixteen kicks off on March 25th, with a double header from Syracuse and Salt Lake City. Action runs from 7PM til Midnight Eastern. The same schedule applies on Friday the 26th, with games being held in St. Louis and Houston. The Regional Finals on Saturday the 26th will run from 4:30 til 9PM Eastern, with the Sunday regional scheduled from 2PM til 7PM. Again, all of the action on DISH Network will be found on your local CBS station.

The Final Four on DISH Network will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana this year. Lucas Oil stadium will be able to hold 70,000 fans for this years event. The Final Four kicks off on Saturday, April 3rd at about 6PM Eastern, with a half hour break between the first and second game. March Madness culminates with the national title game on Monday, April 5th with a 9:15 Eastern start time.

When watching March Madness on DISH Network, the key to the tournament is your local CBS affiliate. DISH Network currently reaches 97% of America with local SD channels, and 93% of the United States with local HD coverage.