Why Satellite TV is better than Cable TV

Satellite TV is Making the Cable Companies Run Scared

Satellite TV holds a great advantage over the cable TV companies. Not only is the picture and sound quality superior, but there's more choice in what to watch. If you said to yourself 'there's nothing on TV', switch to satellite. The differences couldn't be more obvious.

Cable quality vs. Satellite quality

With the limited bandwidth that cable offers, it's no wonder the quality is poor. First, the cable wire comes from a hub transmission system somewhere near your home. At source, the signal is passable, but by the time it runs through your community, splitting to each house, the signal has degraded. As the cable is RF (radio frequency) based, it has converted from an audio/video signal (at source) to RF and then needs to re-convert back into audio/video for your television. Along the way, anything broadcasting through the air has tried to get into the cable line and will appear as noise on your TV screen.

Unfortunately, we are our worst enemy as well. Look at your cables and splitters inside your house. Poor quality RG6 or RF cable can cause great loss of signal too. Turn on your TV and have someone bend your cable in half and watch for ghosting on your picture. If it is ghosting, you have unshielded cables! Replace them with something better like Monster Cable. RF cable has a tough time producing stereo sound too, so don't expect great audio. Another culprit of poor cable quality is the cable splitter. Most splitters have just a positive and negative wire inside (it's a noise box). Throw it out and again replace with a good splitter (Monster Cable makes quality ones).

Satellite signals stay digital until the receiver. That means better picture and audio. The picture can be 2-3 times better resolution from your cable picture. The sound from the satellite receiver is true stereo and can be Dolby Digital surround depending on the program you are watching. Plus there are many more channels to choose from.

By the way, if you have a digital box from the cable company, you have only a handful of digital channels, the rest are the same if you remove the cable box.

Satellite companies like Direct TV (or DirecTV) and Dish Network, provide national satellite service with hundreds of digital stations. The picture is clear and crisp, especially if you spring for a high definition receiver to match your HD ready TV. While most cable signals are below 150 lines of interlaced resolution, standard satellite can approach DVD quality (480i) and HD content will be sent at either 1080i or 720p (progressive). A regular 27" TV has the capability of no more than 500i while a HD television can produce the full range.

What are interlaced and progressive signals? Interlaced broadcast was developed from the old NTSC format where the designers in the 1920's and 30's couldn't get the TV to scan every line from the top of the screen to the bottom fast enough. They needed to cheat by having the TV scan all the odd lines; 1, 3, 5 etc. then go back and scan the even lines; 2, 4, 6 etc. The result is thick black lines running horizontally across your screen and only half the picture appearing. These flickering lines prevented you from sitting close to the television without getting eye strain. As the TVs got bigger, you sat farther away.

The new HD televisions scan all the lines progressively and refresh the screen much quicker. It is like looking through your front window with horizontal blinds. Turn the rod so the blinds are half open. The street outside is now half covered like interlaced pictures and you only see half the picture at one time. Now pull the cord to fully open the blinds. You now see the entire window unobstructed or like a progressive signal.

Satellite TV and Radio: Your #1 Source for Satellite Television and Satellite Radio.

Satellite TV and Radio is a resource-based site bringing the latest satellite TV and radio information. If you want to read more, please visit my site.

Other articles
Information on XM and Sirius Satellite Radio
Dish Network Satellite

---

Troubleshooting your Cable Box

Unless you've recently moved from Alaska to Texas and you're... Read More

HDTV: An Introduction

HDTV stands for High Definition Television, and if you live... Read More

Analog TV Digital Transmission

Remember the old days of analog TV, radio, etc. Most... Read More

Recent Updates to the Dish Network Channel Packages

Dish Network is continually trying to meet the needs of... Read More

A Brief on United States Satellite TV Deals

Want to know more about United States satellite TV business... Read More

No More Searching for the Best Satellite Products

You need the best satellite products for your home and... Read More

Satellite TV

Here is some information about satellite TV.Satellite television or satellite... Read More

DirecTV vs. Dish Network -- Which Is Better?

The satellite TV systems and services offered by DirecTV and... Read More

The Path of United States HDTV World

The history of High definition television, HDTV in United States... Read More

Buying Satellite TV From Online Sources

Find Out What the Real Deal is Regarding Satellite TVWho... Read More

DirecTV and DISH Network ? How Do The Two Leading Satellite TV Providers Stack Up?

DirecTV and DISH Network ? How... Read More

LCD vs. DLP TVs

Two new technologies in the world of TV, DLP and... Read More

In the know: Dish Network DVR

What's a DVR system and what else can it brings... Read More

Entertainment Technology: What to Consider Before Buying HDTV

HDTV ? or, High Definition Television ? is the new... Read More

Digital Cable VS Satellite TV

Do you want to get more channels while saving money... Read More

Guide to Mounting Your Satellite Dish

The Dish Network satellite dish is only about 2 feet... Read More

Why Satellite TV is better than Cable TV

Satellite TV is Making the Cable Companies Run ScaredSatellite TV... Read More

Home Theater Control ? Its The Remote, Stupid!

It's the one piece of equipment that can really make... Read More

The Benefits of Satellite Television!

Most teenagers today won't remember what the entertainment world was... Read More

The Potential Conundrum of Regulating Pay-TV

In last week's column, I argued the merits (or rather... Read More

Amazing Things You Might Not Know About Television

The world's first colour television transmission occurred in John Logie... Read More

Cable TV And Satellite TV - Which Is The Better System?

Cable TV and satellite TV - which is the better... Read More

Looking For Satellite TV?

It was 1994 and I had moved into another home... Read More

Insiders Review on Satellite TV Deals: Must Read For Those Who Are Looking For Free Satellite TV

Nowadays, I am sure that you are seeing ads for... Read More

Cable Vs Satellite TV - 7 Benefits To The Real Deal About Satellite TV Offer

In the United States, the two big satellite providers are... Read More

A to Z in Dish Network deals

First, what's Dish Network?Dish Network, owned by company Echostar, is... Read More

Satellite TV Deals FAQ

Satellite TV 'What'?So, what is a satellite TV?It's a complicated... Read More

Church Projector and Church Projector Systems

Purchasing a church projector for your Sunday morning services will... Read More

Free Satellite TV -- Is It Really Free?

You've seen the online and offline ads -- "Free satellite... Read More

How to Shop for Satellite TV Receivers and Dishes

It's undeniable - shopping for a new satellite tv system... Read More

Flat Panel Displays - Beyond Plasma

The term set-top box will become something of a misnomer... Read More

How to Select a Video Display for Your Home Theater

First of all, don't assume you need a huge video... Read More

No More DirecWay? I Believe the writing is on the wall...

As one who has been directly involved in selling DirecWay... Read More