Wireless Geekz

Two of the big players in the cable TV landscape today are Charter cable and Direct TV satellite television.  If these big media companies are on options for you when it comes to choosing a satellite or cable company, you may be confused about what they offer, and how much it is going to cost. One thing you can do is sit down and make a list of what each company has to offer, and of course price out everything they are asking for.  Lets consider a couple of things to factor in when shopping for Charter vs satellite television.

HD Programming – While both cable and satellite now offer hi def content, Dish beats Charter cable quite handily as far as the actual number of channels. Direct TV promotes they have 130 HD channels, but on close examination that number is inflated.  They in reality have about 90 when you remove the PPV channels. Charter TV maxes out at 60 in the best case, and many areas have far fewer depending on the network upgrades. Using the Charter cable DVR will help you get more out of your cable TV bundle.

Sports channels – You will be able to find plenty of sports with either company, as both carry all of the local networks and ESPN. But if you want out of market sports content, DirecTV satellite is the best choice over Dish and Charter. They have the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket bundle, but it doesn’t end there. Other bundles found on satellite but missing from Charter include the NBA League Pass and the NASCAR Hotpass serires.

Bundled options – One drawback of satellite TV service is that they don’t have the ability to compete with cable service when it comes to the triple play bundle. Charter communications can offer bundled services which also add high speed internet access and long distance calling through your home phone. Consolidating these services with your cable television company is convenient as far as customer service issues.

So which service is the right one for your situation? Of course only you can decide which is best for your situation.  While high definition content and out of market sports programming may be high on the list for many, they aren’t a big deal to others. Evaluating both services and the overall costs will insure that you make the right choice for your particular situation.