Satellite TV

SATELLITE TV OPTIONS

To give you an idea how popular satellite TV has become, there were over 22 million satellite subscribers as of the close of 2001. The digital satellite TV business, which is also known as Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), has made major inroads in both suburban and rural markets, even in some urban markets. This is due to the diminutive size of the antenna, which can be placed just about anywhere as long as the location has southern exposure with no trees to obscure the line of sight to the satellite. When DBS got going in 1994, it was assumed that the natural market was in distant rural locations where cable is not an option. No one could foresee the market that would quickly build in suburbia, which has traditionally been a cable TV stronghold. But just look at the numbers: DirecTV and EchoStar each offers more than 300 channels, at a monthly subscription cost roughly equal to cable. Cable offers far fewer channels for the same money, making DBS an appealing competitor. Warranties for satellite receivers generally cover parts for one year and labor for 90 days or one year.

A large part of buying a satellite system is selecting which DBS provider you want to affiliate with. The fact that Hughes Electronics Corporation, the owner of DirecTV, is in the process of merging with EchoStar, the other major DBS provider, could complicate the situation, though Hughes claims it will maintain both brands. One issue that kept many more millions of consumers from switching to satellite TV over the years was the fact that DBS providers were not able to carry local programming. This has finally been corrected in many markets, though not all. If you're considering switching to a satellite system, you should check with the DBS company that will be supplying your content to see what their coverage is. Dealing with a DBS provider can be a lot different than dealing with a cable operator, because you own your own satellite system and have a choice of equipment from a number of companies such as RCA, Sony and Philips. The difference among brands comes down to on-screen graphics, program guides, remotes, and accessories. Picture quality is identical. If you're interested in making the shift to HDTV, be sure to purchase a satellite dish, which can receive HDTV signals.