In many states served by Verizon communications, homeowners are having to consider another option when it comes to their cable TV. Rather than just looking at either satellite TV or the local cable company, there is a third option. This comes in the form of Verizon Fios TV, which offers not only voice and internet service, but also crystal clear TV content through their new fiber optic network. So what should you look at if you’re are comparing Verizon Fios vs satellite TV?

One of the first things to remember is that Verizon Fios service is the latest technological advancement. While satellite TV had an advantage over old cable networks when it was first deployed, Fios enjoys a similar advantage over satellite TV today in that the signal is delivered over a 100% fiber optic network.

Now that is not to say that Verizon Fios picture quality is automatically better than the HD channels offered by both DIRECTV and Dish Network. Most reviews comparing Fios HD against satellite TV rate the picture quality about the same. On the other hand, Verizon Fios has deployed more HD channel content then satellite, even though Dish and DIRECTV are always bragging in their commercials about the number of HD channels they have. In reality, Fios has over 115 total HD channels not counting pay per view HD, while satellite TV companies top out around 100 real HD channels.

The big problem for most is the availability of Verizon Fios. While it was technically introduced about five years ago, getting the service is wholly dependent on if the Telco has upgraded your particular area. On the other hand, satellite TV is available to virtually anyone who can see the southern sky. Only those in high rise apartments are usually locked out from satellite TV service.

Bundled packages is another factor if you are shopping Fios vs satellite TV service. Verizon of course wants you to subscribe to the whole package if you are getting Fios, with high speed internet and voice service rounding out your home communications package. This can get expensive, but it is nice if you want all of these services to only deal with one company. Satellite TV is usually sold on a stand alone basis, and the prices are very low, especially during your first year with Dish Network and DIRECTV deals. If Fios isn’t available in your area yet, you may be able to bundle other Verizon services with DIRECTV satellite as they companies have a reseller agreement.

A final factor to consider when comparing satellite TV vs Verizon Fios is the possibility of being locked into a contract. Both satellite companies require a 24 month commitment in order to hook you up. Fios TV has also has contract commitments, and fees to terminate those contracts were increased in 2010. Be sure you understand your end of the bargain with either Fios or satellite TV service.

If you are contemplating a switch to satellite TV from your cable television company, you need to have an accurate picture of what the DISH Network normal prices are. The reason for this is that both DISH Network and DIRECTV offer promotional pricing to new customers. During the first year of service, you get a lower rate as an incentive to switch over to these companies. After the first year, you are then charged the DISH Network regular price, and you don’t want to have sticker shock when this happens.

The good thing for 2010 is that DISH Network has kept their 2009 pricing structure intact in most areas. They have renamed their packages, and there are some higher charges for additional DVR devices, but if you only have one HD DVR then the pricing shouldn’t be much different then last year. For those looking at their cable bill and comparing it to Dish TV, then here is an overview of the normal pricing for satellite.

First up is the DISH Network America’s Top 120 package, which is normally priced at $39.99 a month. An additional option is the America’s Top 120 Plus, which adds in the regional sports networks in your area. For this option add another $5 a month, which brings your normal price to $44.99 a month. Local channels are also included in the normal price.

The America’s Top 200, which was formerly called the Classic Silver 200 package, will cost you an additional $13 per month. That brings the Top 200 regular price to $52.99 for more than 150 video channels plus around 50 CD-quality digital audio channels.

The America’s Top 250 was the Classic Gold 250 in 2009. This year’s version comes in at a regular price of $62.99 a month. Pretty much all of your basic cable channels are found here, plus a few Encore movie channels. If you are interested in commercial free movie channels, then the top-level DISH Network package is your best choice.

The America’s Everything package retains the same name for 2010, and sports a slightly lower price. This package is priced at $99.99 for everything in the America’s Top 250, plus more than 30 premium commercial-free movie channels. While the price dropped a bit from last year, it no longer includes DISH Network DVR service which will cost you another $6 a month.  By comparison, the top DIRECTV package will cost about $115 this year, so DISH Network holds a nice price advantage over the competition if you are interested in an all inclusive TV bundle.

What other pricing considerations should be factored in if you are considering DISH Network?  If you want access to HD content, there is an additional $10 a month charge. Most cable TV companies do not charge for HD, but their HD channel selection is usually less than Dish TV.  As mentioned already, there is a $6 monthly fee for DVR service, and there are additional charges for each receiver or additional DVR device you have.  Overall, Dish TV  is still the low cost provider of satellite TV service when compared to DIRECTV.  They area also usually  lower than cable TV companies when comparing the DISH Network regular pricing against regular cable rates.

Dish Network and Verizon are large pay TV companies that provide television service via satellite or cable. With so many offers available from so many companies, it can be very difficult to make a decision regarding which service to use, which service provides the best value for money. In this article we will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision regarding which service to go with.

DISH Network vs Verizon Fios

Verizon is the first communications service provider to offer fiber optic connections directly into your home. While AT&T U-verse offers fiber to the node, Verizon is running fiber to every location it serves.  Generally, fiber optic connections are used only up to the network backbone, with a copper or coax infrastructure for the end-user. At present, 12.7 million households have Fios access, and Verizon is rapidly expanding their FiOS service to many new areas.

Verizon Fios has of course tons of HD, extremely fast upload speeds and great features, delivered to your home on a 100% fiber optic line. Fios also offers a home media multi-room DVR unit that can record up to 80 hours of SD programming and 20 hours of HD. It allows you to record in one room and watch in any room of the house, thus reducing the cost of having multiple DVR units in your home. The unit comes with a media manager software that lets you play music and slideshows from your PC on your TV.

If you’re a sports fan, then Fios is ideal for you, because every Sunday afternoon, you can see all the touchdowns, and most exciting sports moments in HD on NFL RedZone.  Fios also has TV widgets that are small applications that run on the Fios TV set-top box, which for example, will alert you on your TV when a team enters the RedZone, and you can switch directly to the game. It also provides football scores, schedules and standings in real time. There are also a Twitter and Facebook widgets, so you can tweet, while you’re right in the action.

Verizon also offers an excellent feature if you want to record a show but are away from home. You have three options, namely to logon directly onto the website, download a special application for your mobile phone, or use your mobile phone to navigate to a special webpage from where you can view listings, browse movies, change your subscription, manage your account and schedule recordings for your DVR.

The fact that Verizon uses fiber-optic technology to deliver the best quality HD directly into your home means that the service is more reliable and less affected by weather, plus performance can be monitored at all times and repairs conducted, even before the customer is aware of a problem. Another advantage of this technology is that it offers a number of uses such as interactive content, home shopping, telecommuting and audio video-on-demand. The interactive media guide allows you to search for shows and movies by title, actor, director and genre, plus it offers you the ability to manage your own photos, videos and music.

Verizon Fios offers over 115 HD channels, 320 overall channels, 16,000 video-on-demand titles and pay-per-view. As with other providers, Verizon has taken advantage of its existing customer base and added to its service portfolio both an Internet service as well as a phone service.

Verizon claims its service will be available in all Verizon territories all over the United States, but some areas will not be able to receive TV and phone services due to various franchise agreements.

Verizon offers two Internet services, the first one, which includes a fiber optics connection right to your home with the fastest speed available, is known as Fios Internet, and the second is a dedicated high-speed connection which is far better than cable. Verizon provides 24 / 7 phone support as well as excellent online support for your Internet service. You’ll also receive personal web space, e-mail features and premium installation, provided by experienced technicians, who will install all the equipment and make sure everything is running smoothly.

Verizon’s landline phone services are highly reliable, with over 1 billion calls made every day with a 99.9% network reliability, secure lines, which work even during emergencies and power failures, good quality sound and great value for money, because you have unlimited calling.

Verizon has a variety of packages to suit any household, as well as various price ranges to fit in any budget. Verizon has plenty of offers all the time so should check out their website to see what discounts and package deals are available.

Dish Network prides itself on offering the best quality at excellent prices, providing real value for money. As Verizon, Dish Networks offers HD content, but it has the largest selection of HD channels with 140 available. The main difference when comparing FiOS vs Dish Network, is that Dish Network’s delivery system is via satellite dish and Verizon uses fiber optic lines. Dish Network also offers video on demand, premium movie channels and DVR receivers. DVR receivers, also known as dish DVR’s, offer all the advantages of digital video recording combined with powerful satellite receivers. Your DVR unit will allow you to record all your favorite shows, so that you can watch them when you have free time.

Another important difference between the two companies, which could be a decisive factor for you, is the number of HD channels offered by both companies, in which case Dish Network ranks first, with over 140 channels available. It also offers a variety of packages, premium content, sports and international programming. You can also contact your DVR receiver via your mobile phone or a network computer station, which will give you access to the web, and set your unit to record even in your absence, so that you don’t miss any of your favorite shows. There are also special HDTV receivers available, which help in promoting the quality of the signal, as well as standard definition receivers.

Dish Network also offers you the possibility to expand your HD DVR storage by using an external hard drive, which is a service that requires a onetime $ 39.99 activation fee.

Dish Network provides both English as well as Spanish TV packages like the Dish Latino lineup.  Other options like the Dish Family that provides more than 55 channels of sports, news, children’s programs and more, at $24.99 per month. The most popular package is Classic Silver 200, which includes over 220 channels at $37.99 a month, and for only an extra $10 every month you can add over 70 HD channels.  This price is the current Dish Network offer, which discounts the price $15 for the first year.

When comparing Dish Network versus Verizon Fios, choosing one or the other is based on your own subjective view, on what you require in entertainment as well as related services. Both companies offer various excellent packages, at various prices, although price should not be the only factor in determining which operator you prefer. You should carefully check the level of Verizon services in your area, because in some areas, Internet speed is not as fast as it should be.

One advantage Dish Network has over Verizon is that a satellite will permit those who do not have access to cable television, to receive excellent entertainment via the satellite dish that is mounted. Although, Dish Network has a drawback like DIRECTV in that the position of the satellite must be such that it has exposure to the southern sky, which means that some apartments, or other households that have large trees or buildings blocking the way, will not have access to this service. In this case, Verizon may be your only choice, because it uses a fiber-optic ground cable.

In terms of pricing strategy, Fios TV essentials in the Verizon package with over 250 channels available and up to 14 HD channels, is priced at $47.99 per month, while Fios TV extreme HD offers over 320 channels with up to 65 of them being HD, at $57.99 per month. Of course there are always bundle offers, for example, if you subscribe to phone, Internet and TV services you get $150 back.

Dish Network’s price ranges start at $24.99 and go up to $87.98, thus having an added advantage over Verizon in terms of the number of packages available and their flexibility. To be able to adequately compare, Classic Silver 200 is the closest in terms of available channels to the Verizon offer, with over 220 channels available at $37.99 a month and you can get over 70 HD channels for an extra $10 every month.

In the case of both companies, the DVR service is available for an extra charge. Dish Network offers their Classic Silver 200 package bundled with a DVR service at $57.99 a month, again with the option of adding over 70 HD channels for an extra $10 per month.

If both services are available in your area, choosing Dish Network vs Verizon Fios is based mostly on what you and your family prefer in terms of entertainment, since one company may have a package that suits your lifestyle better, or a better price for the same package.  If you are wondering about how Fios stacks up against the other big satellite company, review our DIRECTV vs Verizon FiOS article.  They are both excellent services, but again it’s up to your personal preferences, which service you choose and what delivery method you prefer, be it fiber optics or a satellite service.

Another Comcast price increase will be hitting subscribers in October, making satellite TV options like Dish Network and DIRECTV look a bit more attractive.

News of the latest price increase began to leak last week as current Comcast customers began to see notices of the hike in the mail. Prices vary a bit in in each area Comcast serves, so it may affect some customers more than others. Comcast is not raising prices on broadband service, but is raising the price on leased modems.

Currently $3 per month, a 66% increase of $2 will hit those who have not purchased their own modem. Comcast high speed internet customers may want to consider buying their own cable modem, which can be had for under $100 on Amazon or for even less on Ebay. There will also be a $2 increase for the Comcast Digital Voice modem, though customers who have both services through one modem will only see one increase.

So how much more will Comcast customers have to pay? In Washington state, the Comcast Digital starter package will jump $1.70 a month from $55.75 to $57.45. This is the entry level digital cable package from Comcast, and is required if customers want advanced features like On-demand programming. In California, customers will see a greater increase for the digital starter package.

Current pricing in the Sacramento area for Comcast Digital cable is $55.35, and that will go up $3.64 to $58.99 per month. Comcast customers in Marin, California which is north of the Bay area will experience a 3.4% increase on the same package, which jumps from $59.95 to $61.99. So will the Comcast price hike drive customers out the door?

Its hard to see that happening. While customers often complain about high cable TV prices, more often than not the hassle of switching providers outweighs the price being paid. Oftentimes, customers are driven to switch based on content available through other companies, a huge factor for DIRECTV with the NFL Sunday Ticket package. Comcast could face increasing defections to Verizon Fios and AT&T U-verse though, as both of these companies are continuing to expand their networks in order to offer their own triple-play bundles.

Satellite TV companies generally match the price hikes that Comcast and other cable companies put through to their customers. Comcast raised rates a bit earlier than they have in the past. Dish Network prices went up in February 2009, while DIRECTV prices last went up in April.

Verizon FiOS became the latest pay television provider to add the NFL RedZone channel, which makes its debut on September 13th.  Verizion follows Dish Network and Comcast in offering the new NFL channel which will only be broadcast on NFL Sundays this year.

Unlike Dish Network and Comcast, Verizon will offer the channel on a stand alone basis, rather than on a sports tier.  Verizon FiOS also will be charging quite a bit more than Dish Network and Comcast, offering the channel for $49.99 for the 17 week NFL season.  Dish TV is offering the NFL RedZone channel on the Multi-Sport tier for $5.99 per month, which would only be about $30 for the full season if you kept the package for five months.

Verizion FiOS, the third major distributor of the NFL Red Zone channel has more than 1 million subscribers, and is now available to more than 10 million homes.  Verizon will position the standard definition version of the NFL Red Zone on channel 335 and RedZone HD on channel 835.  At this time, Verizon has no plans to offer the channel for either a weekly or monthly fee, it is the whole season or nothing.

The news brings some solace to those who love Verizon FiOS service, but have been locked out of the NFL Sunday Ticket package, and the Superfan add-on which carries the original Red Zone channel.  DIRECTV will continue to have a stranglehold on the full NFL package until at least 2014, as an extension of the current Sunday Ticket contract was inked over the summer.

The new NFL RedZone channel is separate from the DIRECTV Red Zone channel offered in the Superfan package.   The DIRECTV version has quickly become a fan favorite with its commercial free coverage of the latest NFL action.  While rumor has it that the NFL version will be commercial free, nothing is stated either way on the NFL RedZone site as to whether commercials will be a part of the network.

There is still no word from major cable companies Cox and Time Warner Cable or from AT&T U-verse on whether they will pick up the new NFL channel for the 2009 season.

For many years, people who wanted cable TV only had one source, the old cable television company. In the mid 90’s, satellite TV companies Dish Network and DIRECTV were finally able to break the cable monopoly. Now in many areas, consumers have a third option, as Verizon and AT&T have rolled out new technology allowing cable TV service to be delivered through the phone network. In this article, we will compare two of these relative newcomers:

Dish Network vs. AT&T U-verse

Dish Network and AT&T have a bit of history, as in the past they used to be business partners.  AT&T used to sell Dish Network satellite TV until early 2009.  So you might wonder, why did AT&T sell Dish Network and now DIRECTV service when they have their video service?

The reason for this is because U-verse is still in the early stages of deployment. AT&T cable packages are introduced slowly as the needed technology is deployed from city to city. Plenty of red tape must be overcome by AT&T in applying for a cable TV franchise for every area they intend to serve with U-verse.

This of course is the first major difference when comparing U-verse vs Dish Network. AT&T uses their existing network of copper lines to deliver U-verse, while DISH Network of course installs a small satellite dish unit to deliver content. AT&T does have fiber optic lines going to the neighborhoods it that have U-verse, then the signal travels the rest of the way to each hope on copper pairs.  Many are under the impression that U-verse uses a satellite dish, but this is not the case.

If you are concerned about reliability, you should be fine with both U-verse and Dish Network.  Satellite TV has been around now for more than 15 years, and usually only goes out during very intense storms.  With AT&T U-verse, the issues usually only come up during installation.  Once the U-verse installer has you up and running, you shouldn’t have any significant downtime.

So how do Dish Network and U-verse compare when it comes to pricing and programming options?   Of course AT&T wants you to buy more than one product when you are buying their U-verse TV option, so if you are in the market for high speed internet or home phone service it is a good idea to price out the U-verse bundle options.  AT&T U-verse now offers a triple play package which also combines U-verse voice along with your cable  TV and internet service, so you don’t have to have a home phone line if you don’t need or want it.

There was a small U-verse price increase in February 2009, so these prices reflect the current pricing for just U-verse TV service with one receiver.

The U-verse Family and the U100 packages are both quoted at $49 per month.  This is a $5 increase over the price in 2008 which was $44 per month.  The U-verse family package has 70 channels, and the U100 has 130 channels, so why you would select the U-family package at the same price is quite a mystery.  The U-100 package is comparable to the Dish Network Classic Bronze 100 package, which has around a hundred channels total, and regularly priced at $39.99 per month.

The AT&T U-200 package is next up, and has up to 230 channels of programming depending on your area.  Currently priced at $64 per month, the U-200 increased $5 from last years price of $59 per month.  Here you will find all of the major cable channels, but no premium movie networks.  There is also a U-200 Latino package which adds quite a bit of Spanish language programming for an extra $10 per month.  The comparable Dish Network package would be the Classic Silver 200, which has in the area of 200 all digital video and audio channels.  The Classic Silver 200 is regularly priced at $52.99 per month.

The next offer from U-verse is the AT&T U-300 bundle for $79 per month.  Here you will basically find the U-200 package with the AT&T Movie package added on to bring the channel count up to nearly 300 networks.  The movie package contains 31 commercial free feeds from Starz, Showtime, Encore and Flix.  You won’t get HBO or Cinemax channels here though.  The closest comparision to this from Dish Network is probably the Classic Gold 250 package which is offered at $62.99 per month, though is does not contain the premium movie channels like the U-300.  With Dish Network, you can add on premium movie channel feeds and get discounts based on the number of channels you want.  For example, you can get two premiums for $22 a month, or three premiums for $31 per month.

Finally, we come to the all inclusive packages offered by U-verse and Dish Network.  The U-450 offers nearly 400 channels for $109 per month on a stand alone basis.  In addition to all of the channels in the U300 package, the U-450 adds several HBO and Cinemax channels.  It also adds the Sports pack, which carries dozens of regional sports networks from around the country.  The U-450 compares to the Dish Network America’s Everything Pack, which has over 280 channels of service for $102.98 per month.  This Dish Network package does include several feeds of the premium movie channels like HBO and Showtime.

Now if you are a big sports fan, there may be some things to factor in when comparing Dish TV vs U-verse.  While both Dish Network and U-verse carry the main sports channels like ESPN and Fox Sports, they aren’t equal when it comes to premium sports packages.  Both are locked out of the NFL Sunday Ticket package which is only on DIRECTV.  But when it comes to the NBA League Pass or the NHL Center Ice packages, you won’t find them on U-verse yet.   Dish Network does offer both of these packages, which currently run in the area of $200 per season.   ESPN Gameplan is available through both Dish Network and Uverse.

Now when it comes to promotional deals, you should closely compare Dish Network vs AT&T U-verse and see what they are willing to offer you.  Currently, both Dish Network and U-verse offer free installation, so you don’t have to worry about having a big upfront cost with either service.  They also will throw in equipment such as the U-verse Total Home DVR or the Dish Network ViP 722 DVR.   These advanced DVR devices allow you to watch and record television programming on your terms, and save you plenty of time as you can skip through commercials on programs already recorded.  Keep in mind, you do have to pay additional monthly service fees for DVR service with Dish Network, which is about $6 per month.  AT&T includes DVR service for the first unit in the package price.

U-verse and Dish Network do offer other deals though to entice you to subscribe.  AT&T has been big on their “cash back” offers with U-verse, which can net you anywhere from $50 to $250 back when you subscribe as a new customer.  One thing U-verse has been pushing is the online ordering process, so if you decide to go with U-verse, you can usually get a bigger check back in the mail by ordering U-verse service online.  Dish Network deals currently offer a monthly discount on programming during the first year of service, which is $15 off of any programming package except for the DishFamily package.  So basically you will save $180 during the first year with Dish Network, while you will get a nice check within a few months if you go with AT&T U-verse.

If you are looking for lots of high definition content, you really can’t go wrong with either Dish Network or AT&T U-verse.  Right now, Dish Network offers 140 national HD channels, though they do count pay per view HD in there so it is a bit inflated.  AT&T HD currently offers more than 110 channels in almost all areas that have U-verse.  One thing you will find is that if you are a premium movie channel fan, U-verse has quite a few movie channels in HD than are not yet deployed by Dish Network HD.  As far as cost goes, right now Dish Network and U-verse charge a $10 fee for access to HD channel content.  The only exception to this is the U-450 package, which currently includes HD access in the package price.  Dish Network Turbo HD used to be an option for those who only wanted HD content, but it looks like this has been eliminated for new customers.

Both U-verse and Dish Network offer DVR service, though depending on your situation you may want to go with one company over another.  AT&T U-verse offers a fairly unique device called the Total Home DVR.  Basically, the unit allows you to move from room to room and still watch the content saved on your DVR device.  The AT&T DVR also allows you to record up to four shows at one time, while with Dish Network you can only save two shows at a time on the ViP 722 DVR.  Dish Network’s DVR does offer Duo DVR service, which allow you to save and watch content on two different TV’s in your home.  As far as storage capacity goes, the AT&T DVR can hold up to 133 hours of SD content or 37 hours of HD programming.  The Dish Network ViP 722 holds 350 hours of SD or 55 hours of HD content.  U-verse does have an offer for their higher end customers that promises a DVR with larger capacity.  Customers subscribing to the U450 can get 233 hours SD/65 hours high definition DVR device from AT&T.

Remember when considering Dish Network vs U-verse your personal situation.  Research each company and get a price quote based on the number of HDTV’s and regular TV’s you want hooked up.  Additional charges will apply based on the number of receivers needed, so keep that in mind when reviewing the prices here. For addition information, we invite you to read our AT&T U-verse review, and our collection of Dish Network articles.

The NFL RedZone channel will be available for hard core NFL fans this year, and it won’t cost an arm and a leg like the NFL Sunday Ticket package.  Even better, the NFL RedZone channel will be available to nearly 40 million households, as Comcast and DISH Network have jumped on board with the NFL and signed up to carry the new channel.

The NFL originally planned to start its Red Zone channel in 2012, but deals struck with FOX and CBS to extend the current contracts made the network a reality this year.  That is good news for Comcast and DISH Network subscribers, who have balked at switching over to DIRECTV for access the the Sunday Ticket and Superfan packages.  Other cable companies may also be picking up the NFL RedZone channel in the weeks ahead, though they would also have to agree to carry the NFL Network.

The NFL RedZone channel will be completely different then the DIRECTV Red Zone channel that is part of the Superfan package.  The Red Zone channel quickly became a fan favorite as it cut from game to game when teams were threatening to score.  Fantasy football fans and those who had money on NFL games especially enjoyed the non stop action found on DIRECTV’s version of the Red Zone channel, which is hosted by Andrew Siciliano.

While the exact format of the NFL RedZone channel has not been widely publicized, it will probably closely follow the DIRECTV model.  The channel will be produced by the NFL Network, and will be hosted by Scott Hanson who already works for the network.  With deals in place with DIRECTV, FOX, and CBS for coverage, the NFL Red Zone comes to air 3 years earlier than expected.

Both DISH Network and Comcast will offer the NFL RedZone as part of premium sports tier packages.  DISH Network offers a Multi Sport package of regional sports channels for $5.99 per month.   If you subscribe to the Classic Silver 200 or higher and HD access, you will be able to get the NFL RedZone HD channel as well as the standard definition version.

Comcast is also offering the NFL RedZone channel on its Sports Entertainment Package Tier, which also costs customers a few extra bucks each month.  Expect many customers of both DISH Network and Comcast to add the sports tier when the NFL season starts in September, and drop it when the regular season ends in December.

While only Comcast and DISH Network have picked up the NFL RedZone channel so far, expect other cable companies to finally sit down at the bargaining table with the NFL.  Three other big cable companies – Time Warner, Cox, and Cablevision have resisted the leagues asking price for the NFL Network.  Although the NFL RedZone channel will only be on the air for about 8 hours during football season, the product it delivers will have customers calling their cable companies asking for it.  Holdout cable companies would be wise to strike a deal for both networks, thus preventing a mass exit for satellite TV service from Dish or DIRECTV.

If you are moving into your first home, you may finally have an additional choice when it comes to your cable provider. Generally, those who live in apartments have to obtain service from the local cable TV company, unless they have a private balcony where they can put a satellite dish. But when you move into your own home, you have the choice of getting either cable or satellite TV. In this article, we will review your options when it comes to comparing pay television providers.

DISH Network vs Cable

DISH Network is of course one of the pioneers when it comes to challenging the old cable TV monopoly. After starting operations in the early 1990’s, DISH Network has grown to serve nearly 14 million customers in the United States today. The combination of low rates and high quality HD content makes DISH Network a company you should consider when looking at your satellite and cable TV options.

Cable television has its own advantages. Whether you are served by one of the large cable companies like Comcast or Time Warner, or one of the smaller cable operators, there is quite a bit to consider when considering what cable TV can offer. Most cable TV companies offer triple play bundles of service, allowing you to deal with one company for your voice, high speed internet, and video service. Oftentimes you can get is bundled discount when you have all of these services through your cable company. Cable TV companies also offer great On demand content, giving you literally hundreds of options when you sit down to watch a little TV. Alternatively, cable TV is generally more expensive than the satellite TV companies, DISH Network and DIRECTV.

Because channel lineups and content is fairly similar when comparing DISH Network vs. cable, lets first look at the pricing of these two options. Usually, if you are a new customer you can strike a good deal with either Dish TV or your local cable company. Because companies are always looking for ways to increase their subscriber base, they are willing to offer discounted rates, free premium channels, and free equipment in order to entice people to subscribe. This is true with satellite TV, as DIRECTV and DISH Network deals are always available to new subscribers.

The regular DISH Network prices are what you should consider if you plan on keeping satellite TV service for the long term. Packages like the Classic Bronze 100 are regularly priced at around $45 per month, while the Classic Gold 250 is about $63 a month. Add $10 per month if you want HD content and you have a starting point to compare DISH Network to cable TV in your area. Right now, the current DISH Network offer discounts the package you select by $15 for the first 12 months of service, so you can save $180 overall in programming costs.

Cable TV prices of course vary quite a bit depending on the area you live in and what other services you take from your local cable company. We have provided reviews on Charter cable and Cox Communications, but your best way to determine what rates prevail in your area is to call your local cable television company. Be sure to ask what the cable rates are after any promotional period, as they are often deeply discounted during the first year of service for new customers.

While cable TV is often more expensive than DISH Network when looking at video service, you can get a better deal with cable triple play offers. Usually, you will get a basic cable package, high speed cable service, and local phone service for around $100 per month. After a year though, the price usually goes up, so be aware of any deals like this when comparing the overall price against Dish TV.

Next, an important consideration when comparing cable TV vs. DISH Network is picture quality, and HD content. This has become even more important over the past year, as millions of Americans have gone out and purchased HDTV’s and want the best content for these expensive television sets. You probably won’t notice much of a difference when comparing cable TV against DISH Network when you are watching standard definition programming. Where most notice a difference is when it comes to HD content. In this area, DISH Network beats most cable providers in both the picture quality, and in the number of HD channels available.

Right now, DISH Network Turbo HD has more than 140 national HD channels, recently passing DIRECTV for the most HD content. Now you really won’t get that many HD channels depending on the package you select. For example, the Classic Gold 250 package actually has 80 HD channels. Where are the rest? Basically there are quite a few PPV channels in HD, and also premium movie channels in HD like the various Starz and HBO feeds.

On the other hand, you won’t find nearly as many HD channels with your local cable TV company. Only the Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse cable options are going to come close to the HD content offered by DISH Network. Most cable companies are still struggling to upgrade their networks to provide more HD content, so the number of HD channels available from area to area can vary quite a bit. Also, some cable companies like Time Warner have been better about HD deployment, while Charter cable has been one of the worst when it comes to providing subscribers with high definition.

When it comes to getting your local channels in HD, you will probably find that both DISH Network and your cable TV company are able to do this. DISH Network now covers more than 90% of U.S. households when it comes to local HD programming. Check with your local cable company and DISH Network if this is a high priority for you.

Going in a different direction, on-demand programming is an area that has grown significantly in the last few years. Cable TV companies have pioneered on demand access, setting up huge server farms in order to provide subscribers with 24/7 access to all kinds of programming. Most of the big companies like Cox, Comcast, Brighthouse, and Time Warner cable (TWC) offer On-demand at no extra charge. Usually you have to have a digital cable package or higher for free On-demand access.

With DISH Network, they have made a big push in promoting their Movies On Demand offer. While you can watch pay per view movies at any time, you still have the fees associated with VOD, usually $5-6 per movie. Dish TV does offer many of their titles in 1080p, which is the best video quality available today. When it comes to regular TV programming, there is not much at all with DISH Network compared to cable TV, as DISH Network has to push the content to your DVR and there is limited space available. A definite edge goes to cable TV if you use On-demand frequently.

Another consideration for many when comparing DISH Network vs. cable TV is the availability of sports programming. Here you will find things to be fairly similar between your local cable TV company and DISH Network TV. The major sports networks like ESPN, ESPN2, and your regional sports networks are usually there with either provider. On most of the higher tiers you will also find the NFL Network, Speed, and a few other sports networks. One network you won’t currently find on DISH Network though is the MLB Channel. They have yet to strike a deal with Major League Baseball to carry the network, and they also do not carry the MLB Extra Innings package, which is on DIRECTV and most cable TV carriers.

DISH Network does carry the NBA League Pass and the NHL Center Ice package, which usually run about $200 extra per year. Both of these packages are also on most cable TV carriers. Where cable television and DISH Network both come up short is when it comes to the NFL Sunday Ticket. This package remains an exclusive of DIRECTV, which recently extended their contract with the NFL for carriage through the year 2014. DIRECTV has stated that it will be making the Red Zone channel available to Dish TV and cable companies, but it is unclear if any other pay television companies will take DIRECTV up on the offer.

If customer service is a concern for you, then comparing DISH Network against cable TV on this subject is another important consideration. Last year, DIRECTV had the highest customer satisfaction rating, while DISH Network came in second place. Big cable companies fell far behind both satellite TV companies, including Comcast, Time Warner, and Charter cable, which posted the lowest score ever measured in the 2009 University of Michigan American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI). While these scores are of course averages and each customer experience is different, you probably will have fewer issues with DISH Network customer service compared to cable.

If you have used a DVR, or digital video recorder, you know how handy these devices are in helping you watch TV. Both DISH Network and cable TV companies have adopted DVR technology today. While you won’t notice a huge difference when comparing the Dish DVR with cable TV DVR units, there are some advantages that go to the satellite TV provider. DISH Network offers their DuoDVR device which can connect one HDTV and one standard definition TV through the same box. DVR service with DISH Network runs about $6 per month, per DVR.   Many cable companies charge extremely high rates on their DVR units, an example being Comcast cable which charges more than $15 per month for DVR service. Be sure to check out how much your cable company charges for DVR service before committing.

In conclusion, a side by side comparison of DISH Network vs cable TV is the smart thing to do before committing to one or the other. Closely evaluate your personal needs when it comes to a pay television provider, then see which company can meet those needs at a price you can live with.

DISH Network has rolled out their latest special in response to the new NFL Sunday Ticket offer from DIRECTV. So what can you get as a new subscriber to the latest DISH Network offer?

First, lets look at the monthly price discounts. The new DISH Network offer gives the customer a $15 dollar per month discount for the first 12 months of service. This is a bit of an improvement over the last DISH Network deal, which offered a $25 discount during the first six months of service. So basically you will save $180 total instead of $150 on programming costs during your first year of DISH Network service.

The DISH Network offer applies to all packages except the Dish Family bundle. So you are looking at a price of $24.99 per month for the Classic Bronze 100 package or $29.99 for the Classic Bronze 100+ bundle. The Bronze 100+ adds your regional sports programming to the regular Bronze package. As mentioned, this DISH Network offer locks in these prices for one full year.

If you are looking for a medium tier package with DISH Network, the offer provides new subscribers with the DISH Network Classic Silver 200 package at a reduced price of $37.99 a month. This special offer includes all of the Bronze 100 channels, plus channels like Speed, Animal Planet and Bravo. Also included are dozens of Sirius Music stations in addition.

The next DISH Network offer is the Classic Gold 250 package. For this package, new customers will be looking at a monthly rate of $47.99 for the first year. After that, the price goes up to the regular rate of $62.99 per month. Additional channels here beyond the Silver 200 package are the Tennis channel, Fuel TV, ESPNU, and the Fox Soccer channel.

The final DISH Network discounted offer is the America’s Everything package. This bundle includes every cable network you can imagine, including dozens of commercial free movie channels like HBO. This package is priced at $87.98 for one year, then moves up to $102.98 after one year.

Now another consideration for most folks is high definition, or HD content. All of the above packages do not include HD channels, but they can be added for $10 per month. The number of HD channels your receive depends on the package. For example, the HD add on for the Bronze package includes 55 channels, while the add-on for the Gold package includes 80 HD channels.

If you are looking at the prices for the new DISH Network deal and they look a little higher than prior offers, you are right. It looks as if DISH Network packages are now including the local channels in the price, when in the past they were a bit lower and you would have to add on the local channels for $5 per month.

DISH Network has also eliminated the DishDVR advantage bundle from their lineup. Instead, you can now order the Bronze, Silver, or Gold packages and add a “With DVR” bundle. This charge of $5.98 per month will cover one HDTV and one standard definition TV for the same monthly charge. Unfortunately if you have 2 or more HDTV’s, you will have to pay extra monthly receiver fees for the HD receiver.

Finally, the new DISH Network special provides a few extra goodies for new customers. One extra is free HBO and Starz for three months. If you don’t call to cancel, these premium movie networks will continue at the regular price after three months. Another nice addition is the 3 for free promotion. With this offer you can get HD receivers for up to three of your HDTV’s with no initial equipment cost. Note there is a $7 per month charge for each additional receive after the first one.

Overall, the latest DISH Network offer is an affordable TV package for non-sports fans out there. DIRECTV certainly is the way to go for big time NFL fans, while DISH Network is making a strong play for HD and movie fans.

DIRECTV is once again offering extra viewing options for golf fans, this time with expanded coverage of the US Open Championship. This year’s tournament will return to 7,426 yard Bethpage Black course in Farmingdale, New York. The event will begin on Thursday, June 18th and continue through Sunday, June 21st, 2009.

Following up on their Masters coverage in April, the largest satellite television company will again offer “Mix Channel” coverage of the tournament. This unique offering allows viewers to watch multiple channels at once, then switch to any of the channels to get an up close view of action that interests them. Even better, coverage will be in HD for the entirety of the tournament.

The Mix channel can be found on DIRECTV channel 701. Four views will be offered here, the first being the main network feed which will be from ESPN on Thursday and Friday. Coverage from NBC will continue on Saturday and Sunday on the first Mix channel, which can be viewed full-screen on DIRECTV channel 702.

Three additional Mix channels will also be offered on channels 703-705. One channel will be featuring coverage of a specific group of players. Don’t be surprised if to see coverage of Tiger Woods’ group on this channel. Another Mix channel will focus on a particular hole being played at BethPage. Finally, the last Mix channel will cover the US Open Championship in-depth, with player features, interviews and highlights.

Another great feature that DIRECTV customers can use when watching the tournament is the ScoreGuide button. By using the red button on your remote control, you can easily access information on leaders, find hole-by-hole scoring on any golfer, and play US Open trivia. Viewers can also quickly switch to the Mix channel of their choice through the red ScoreGuide button.

DIRECTV will cover all four majors this year with interactive coverage, following up with coverage of the British Open and the PGA Championship later this year. In addition, DIRECTV will once again be offering interactive coverage with their Wimbledon Mix channel starting next Monday, June 22nd.