Satellite No Longer Cost Effective?

[Bronxiniowa]

Is the bloom off the rose for satellite TV?

When I got satellite years ago, both services' programming was more diverse than what I could get from Mediacom, my cable company, they offered far better picture quality, and later, they offered HD and DVR service. But since, then, Mediacom has come roaring back. Except for the sports network channels (MLB, NBA and NHL), Mediacom offers pretty much the same programming and services. Plus, they bundle with phone and Internet. The result is I'm paying $50 less a month for cable/phone/internet with Mediacom than I'd pay for satellite TV with another phone service and Mediacom internet (there's no comparable internet service in Des Moines). Does that speak to the power of cable or the inability of satellite to compete?

 

[mdram]

well not everyone has access to cable
the only option i have is sat

 

[Stargazer]

Some cable company DVR hardware sucks big time.

 

[Bruce]

Some cable company DVR hardware sucks big time.

And some are really good like the X1 I get from Comcast.

As far as the price goes, I pay 116.99 a month to Comcast which includes all the cable channels, HBO, MAX, Showtime ( I get Starz also because Comcast made a mistake on my account),the X1 DVR, a HDMI DTA BOX, EXTREME 150 Broadband ( I have my own modem so no fee) and my price is good for 2 years (23 months now).

For about the same thing from DirecTV ( no broadband of course)-120.96 the first year
the second year-175.96

Dish Network about the same.

No way will I pay that for just TV, the cost of Extreme 150 here is $109, that is why I still have cable TV, another $8 a month because of bundling.

 

[Mr Tony]

Comcast here but only because I get it included in the rent. I use my Tivo because I couldnt get X1 and no way I was going to use their clunky box.

 

[Mr Tony]

Some cable company DVR hardware sucks big time.

agreed!
I know Mediacom here in the outer burbs of Minneapolis are using Tivo based software in their boxes now

 

[Bronxiniowa]

agreed!
I know Mediacom here in the outer burbs of Minneapolis are using Tivo based software in their boxes now

Yes, I have had TiVO on Medicom in Des Moines since I started last December. Very happy with the technology!

Mediacom also has all our local sub-channels, which DirecTV and Dish do not.

Also, Mediacom seems to have structured its programming tiers more intelligently. I was able to lop two tiers off, with channels my wife and I never watch, and save fifteen bucks off our bill. Both satellite services have the channels we want on the highest-price tiers, adding scores of dollars to programming.

I am not saying this to troll satellite -- all I am saying is that it appears that DIsh and DirecTV no longer have the extreme advantages they used to have regarding programming, technology, and especially price.

 

[long_time_DNC]

They have Comcast out here in this rural area, but when a big winter storm blows in and the power goes out, so does the cable TV/internet. I got Dish ~15-16 years ago and when the power goes out, the generator starts up and I still have TV. Granted I don't have internet, but DSL up here, while inexpensive, is also snail-slow. If an antenna would work up here, I'd put one up, but with tall hills in every direction but SSE, I'd have to put up a tower just to get the Seattle stations. What it boils down to for me is just having TV and in a storm, Dish still works...cable doesn't...

 

[harshness]

If you're willing to go to the whip every year to beat them down, cable is offering some awfully attractive bundles and usually a much better on demand offering.

That said, they are also bursting at the bandwidth seams with the addition of all these new channels and the PQ is oftentimes pretty poor. I watched the Superbowl on Comcast (I think KGW is a fiber feed) and the motion artifacting was nauseating. Fortunately, the fast-paced action was relatively limited. Hoops and the Olympics surely won't be so gentle in terms of dynamic content.

 

[Bronxiniowa]

The only channel that I seem to have motion artifacting here is NBCSN -- everything is else is pretty clear on action sports.

 

[harshness]

The only channel that I seem to have motion artifacting here is NBCSN -- everything is else is pretty clear on action sports.

It seems to vary widely from franchise to franchise and day to day. It isn't limited to NBC networks (or 1080i) either as ESPN sometimes looks awful. For those with smaller TVs or those that have very good motion processing, it probably isn't a huge deal but for large TVs and/or less than stellar processing, it can be quite uncomfortable. Auto racing and cycling can be a gut-wrenching experience.

 

[king3pj]

If you're willing to go to the whip every year to beat them down, cable is offering some awfully attractive bundles and usually a much better on demand offering.

That said, they are also bursting at the bandwidth seams with the addition of all these new channels and the PQ is oftentimes pretty poor. I watched the Superbowl on Comcast (I think KGW is a fiber feed) and the motion artifacting was nauseating. Fortunately, the fast-paced action was relatively limited. Hoops and the Olympics surely won't be so gentle in terms of dynamic content.

I thought Switched Digital Video basically solved the bandwidth problem on cable. It allowed them to continue adding HD channels by not sending every channel down the pipe at all times. The less popular channels are only sent to your house when someone in your neighborhood is actually watching them. From what I've read it works very similar to the way on demand works on cable systems.

I know that Charter in my area has more HD than Dish. I think every channel they carry is available in HD except for the few channels that haven't gone HD yet. I also have good picture quality most of the time but as people have pointed out that can vary from city to city.

My locals are definitely better than the same locals at my parents house through Dish. I've posted this before but our local ABC affiliate looks terrible on Dish when showing crowds during college football. When they wave towels around or confetti falls the compression can't keep up and the artifacting is crazy. It sometimes gets bad enough on these crowd shots that you can't even read the scoreboard. ESPN on Dish does not have this problem so it seems to be a case where our local spotbeam is overcrowded.

The same ABC affiliate does not have this problem through Charter at my house. It goes to show you that things can vary from market to market on satellite, at least in terms of local channels, just like they can on cable.

 

[harshness]

I thought Switched Digital Video basically solved the bandwidth problem on cable.

If SDV were used for much other than PPV, this would be a plus. Fortunately for those with TiVos, it isn't all that prevalent.

I know that Charter in my area has more HD than Dish.

They promised lots of HD in my area but it hasn't materialized yet. Most of the markets around here are relatively small (perhaps under 10,000 customers).

The same ABC affiliate does not have this problem through Charter at my house. It goes to show you that things can vary from market to market on satellite, at least in terms of local channels, just like they can on cable.

This is key. What plays well in one market may be awful in another. Even more important is what looks good on Monday may be garbage on Saturday. Direct hardwire feeds from the locals can make a difference but so can the overall bandwidth loading.

 

[king3pj]

SDV is used for more than PPV in my area. I've tested by unplugging the tuning adapter from my Tivo. I don't remember the exact channels that were affected but there were quite a few channels that were no longer available.

I was considering removing the tuning adapter to cut down on clutter in my entertainment center since I read it doesn't do much. In my case it is necessary to receive several channels in my package.

 

[harshness]

SDV is used for more than PPV in my area.

As you noted, it varies widely from area to area (and from provider to provider for that matter). Last I checked, my area (Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast) had no SDV (PPV or otherwise).

In the end, the only thing that is sure is that these technologies (tuning adapters) are likely coming to areas that don't have them (regardless of what the FCC's Wheeler thinks he can single-handedly ramrod).

 

[southsider]

We just switched from satellite to our local cable company for TV (had them already for internet). We're saving $75 a month, our DVR has one more tuner than the satellite's, there are many channels on cable that satellite didn't have, including our local subchannels. The few remaining SD channels on the system have much better PQ than the SD we got before. If there is a difference in HD PQ, I'm not seeing it, and even if I did, it's not worth paying $75 more per month for it.

 

[Bronxiniowa]

We just switched from satellite to our local cable company for TV (had them already for internet). We're saving $75 a month, our DVR has one more tuner than the satellite's, there are many channels on cable that satellite didn't have, including our local subchannels. The few remaining SD channels on the system have much better PQ than the SD we got before. If there is a difference in HD PQ, I'm not seeing it, and even if I did, it's not worth paying $75 more per month for it.

Who is your cable provider?

 

[southsider]

Who is your cable provider?

Time Warner of North Texas. We moved from DirecTV.

 

[harshness]

Time Warner of North Texas.

Beware my post #9. TWC pricing is for 12 months and after that, "retail rates apply". While the package rates may not change significantly, TWC has quite a complement of fees and charges, some of which are not in play during the honeymoon period.

We moved from DirecTV.

That was obvious from your comments (especially the SD PQ and number of tuners comments).

 

[Bronxiniowa]

Unfortunately, I think many cable systems continue to do that. But when you add the cost of the equipment when subscribing to satellite, the price climbs on an order of magnitude. Depending on the number and type of receivers you have, your equipment costs can easily be greater than that of the programming package.