Let us first get to know what exactly is a cable TV and a satellite TV. For cable TVs to work there are a lot of channels involved. First there is the broadcast station from where the radio frequency waves are being transmitted to the receptors. These receptors are known as antennas which are placed at the highest part of the building so that it catches the aerial fitting transmissions accurately. These antennas further pass the transmissions to the TV boxes at home through coaxial cables.
A satellite TV as its name is a kind of TV broadcast which is based on a satellite launched by a TV aerial company which transmits signals to the receivers at the broadcast stations and at the customers’ houses. The setup for this system of TV to work involves a satellite dish and receiving device. The signals transmitted by satellites are stronger than that of the cable TV signals. Customers can easily watch broadcast shows even if they don’t have proper networks, since satellite signals are quite strong and they are not interfered with by other receivers
Comparison between Cable TV and Satellite TV
- Setup processes
A professional technician needs to be hired for the setup of a cable TV. The cable TV comes with a basic subscription of a certain number of channels which are provided free to the customers. However, if the customer wishes to select a certain package with a certain type of channel then they need to buy that from the service provider.
For the installation of a satellite TV, the customer needs to install a satellite dish on their roof or on the sides of the building, in order to grab satellite signals from the sky. One crucial keynote that customers should look out for is that the satellite dish needs to be facing south. This could be a little problematic since not all people have their houses or apartments facing towards the south and it also means that they need to attach these satellite dishes beside someone else’s apartment windows or balconies.
- Reception features
A cable TV line hardly ever loses the reception. However, it can still happen if the entire broadcast system has gone down or if the coaxial cable wires are severed, broken or cut in some manner then it will disrupt the signals.
A satellite TV’s aerial fitting reception is completely based upon the weather. As long as there is a clear sky, the signal will be strong but if there are any changes in the weather, for example, if it’s raining a lot then the signal will be disrupted as long as the weather remains the same. As soon as the weather gets better, the signal will also improve. Another important thing to note is that there shouldn’t be any blockage in the path of the satellite dish. No tree, no wires, no windows, etc. It should be out in the clear space.
- Connection availability
In order to set up and be able to receive a strong signal, the customers’ house needs to be in the service provider’s area otherwise the signal would be very weak. This is another reason why people who live in the rural areas or whose localities are far from the service provider’s area don’t rely on cable TV installations.
The customers of the satellite TV can completely rely on a strong signal at all times as it is not dependent on the distance or geography of any sort. It is only that the satellite dish needs to be facing in the south direction and as long as the weather is good, the signal will always remain good and working.
- Channel options
A cable TV subscription offers a basic package which includes 20 or 30 channels which are the same for all subscribers. In order to watch a specific channel which is not there in the basic package, the subscriber needs to buy an additional premium package which will include all sets of channels that they want to see. This definitely becomes a little expensive.
The satellite TV aerial company offers a free basic package to its subscribers which contains more than 200 channels which you need to pay for in the premium cable TV subscription. It also includes various International channels which are not available in the cable TV subscriptions.
Conclusion
All in all, we can say that cable TV and satellite TV both have certain advantages and disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. One is more on the budget-friendly side and the other one offers better signal quality. So in the end, it all depends on what the customer needs and based on their location, which option would serve them best.
Leave a Reply