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Possible drawbacks with satellite TV

Exploring on your options with paid TV entertainment? Wonder what’s good or bad with satellite TV or cable TV deals? While most are recommending satellite TV (Dish or DirecTV); this article tends to highlight the possible drawbacks on satellite TV entertainment.

1. Expensive subscription cost

Satellite TV companies, namely Dish Network and DirecTV, claimed that they have the lowest subscription fees in America – you’ll get hundreds of TV channel in just less than $20 (or $30) per month. Nevertheless, most of the good channels are not included in these cheap standard packages. In order to get these exclusive programming, customers are often required to pay extra. NFL live matches, premium movie channels, HDTV packages – sum up additional charges for these programs, it’s common that satellite TV customers will pay up to $60 - $80 per month.

So when you think you are going to have 14 NFL football live matches a week with just $29.99, you better check the deal again and look into the details.

2. Weather issue with satellite TV

There are indeed some complaints on satellite TV not working well during bad weather. As a matter of fact, satellite signal transmission does get interrupted during heaving storm or snow. Satellite TV users may experience short term service outage until the storm is gone.

However, I believe the problem is very inconsequential and can be taken easy.

3. Lack of add up (bundle) services

Cable companies always attract their customers with bundle services – phone, cable broadband, and cable radio/TVs. Such bundle services offer lucrative bargains for cable users in overall expenses. Satellites TV on the other hand, do not have much additional service to offer. Satellite radios are mostly dominated by Sirius and XM; satellite Internet speed is having hard time sorting out its latency problem. All in all, when you order satellite TV, your system (decoder and dish) is just for the TV entertainment – that’s it.

4. Nasty setup of the big dish systems

When satellite TV is mentioned, what comes up in your mind first? The small 18” dish that named Dish Network or DirecTV? Or is the big ugly dish system that people used to setup on their garage roof? While the installation for Dish Network and DirecTV are done by the company; most custom satellite TV system (aka the ugly dish) are installed by the consumers themselves.

Satellite dish adjustments, cabling work, and decoder setup - frankly the setup process is pretty messy and is seldom done correctly for the first time. Although minority (tech lovers and hobbyists) may enjoy the lengthy setup process; but I am sure most of us would just like to have TV entertainment without all the hassles.

Wrapping things up

So there’re the drawbacks with the system. However, don’t get me wrong, I am not telling you not to buy satellite services. Satellite TV offers do have a number of advantages, they are especially good in term of their wide programming choices, high quality TV picture, and service expansion capacity (HD for example).

The right question to before ordering system is that are you okay with these drawbacks? Is the system suitable for your home with all these problems? If it’s not, why avoid satellite TV system? Afterall, both Dish Network and DirecTV had risen up to be the fastest growing household product in United States.