Audio Systems: satellite vs. cable, time warner cable, satellite rates

Question
Dear Kevin,

Thanks for your help and advice on buying speakers for a home theater system.  I would like to ask another question related to home theaters if I may.  I am looking into getting cable but am not sure whether satellite is better vs. plain old cable.  I'm primarily looking at the Dish Network vs. cable from Time Warner Cable.  I read a recent article from Consumer Reports on satellite vs. cable, and based on their conclusions, it looks like satellite comes out ahead in most respects.  They say that cable's downfalls are that the cost per month is higher than satellite, rates with cable have been rising at a steady pace, and that with satellite all channels are in digital.  Some of my biggest concerns with getting cable are of course cost, but also rising rates.  Do you think cable will keep rising at a rapid pace, or do you forsee satellite rates rising anytime in the near future?  Also, my biggest concerns with the dish is how often will I lose my signal, due to inclement weather or other conditions?  I've heard people having problems on cloudy days, and other people having problems on bright sunny days, where their picture becomes snowy.  Do you know if this happens often, or what I could do to prevent it from happening often?  The Dish seems to be offering a good deal now for their service.  I spoke with a sales rep the other day about different charges and stuff in addition to the monthly cost, but there really aren't any, which is surprising.  He was telling me that the receiver that they give you is on a lease to you, and covers one TV.  There is no monthly cost for the receiver by the way.  If you want to watch a different channel on a different TV you could either get another receiver that would be an additional $5.00 per month, or avoid the $5.00 fee by having a phone line outlet installed in the back of the receiver.  I'm not sure what he really meant by that.  The other thing is that there is a $49 setup fee at first, but then that is credited back to you on your first bill.  Another thing I wanted to ask, is if you know of a lot of people having problems with any of the equipment or anything, because he rep said that for the first 90 days it is free for a technician to come out to fix something but after the 90 days it costs $99 per visit.  The last thing is there are no contracts, which is good, considering I thought most satellite companies did.  You can cancel anytime and they'll send you a prepaid box to send the receiver back to them.  Everything sounds really great with the Dish, so should I be aware of anything, or are there any major disadvantages over regular cable?  One other question I have related to home theater is which kind of cables are better for home theater components (dvd player, receiver) optical or coaxialThanks very much for your help.


Answer
Dear Dave,

I think the main difference between satellite and cable is the quality of the signal. Satellite is by definition a digital signal. Most cable companies will make you pay a premium for a digital signal. Now, that does not mean that the digital signal is high definition, but it takes away one major hurdle. HiDef requires a digital signal.

CR is right about the costs. Cable is a sanctioned, unregulated, noncompetitive monopoly and generally charges what it wants. Satellite must compete, so it will play to the market.

The only difference in access between the two is that satellite will not carry community interest channels, you know: Poolesville Town Council meetings and the like. Also, it generally does not carry the local affiliate signal of network broadcasts; i.e., no local news. Some (but only some) satellite providers now carry local channels, but you need two dishes and sometimes pay extra. If local channels are important to you (one reason I gave up satellite in favor of cable), then check this out before you sign on the dotted line.

Coaxial cables are fine for A/V transmissions, be they analog or digital. Optical is a good audio cable, but more expensive. I use optical, but I'm a geek. Either will work just fine for you.

Good luck. And thanks for choosing allexperts.com!

Kindest regards,

Kevin