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Satellite Tv or cable?

shesgottasurf avatar
Beach Lover
2,708 views
Was wondering if you have Satellite TV and what made you purchase it over cable. I'm getting such terrible reception on the non HD channels as well as the 'boxes' that sometimes pop up in HD channels, and the sound skips... frustrating!
I'm concerned about satellite tv dropping out all the time during storms as we have them quite a bit. Anybody drop satellite because of the signal dropping so much???

Replies

15
Kurt avatar
Admin
#2
Satellite receptions during not too much of a problem if you get set up and aimed well to begin with. From what I've seen and heard about mediacom around these parts I would probably choose internet TV and movies over cable at this point.
shesgottasurf avatar
Beach LoverAuthor
#3
Satellite receptions during not too much of a problem if you get set up and aimed well to begin with. From what I've seen and heard about mediacom around these parts I would probably choose internet TV and movies over cable at this point.

You mean get satellite over cable? (Need more than just internet tv, you cannot watch reg. tv with internet) What do you have? (or can you not say?):idontno:
Kayak Fish avatar
Beach Lover
#4
I've had Dish Network and Mediacom. Mediacom is cheaper, but you get far fewer HD channels and fewer obscure channels in general. With mediacom though, you can bundle services at a discount and there is a better On Demand system. The signal thing was occasionally a problem with satellite, but I've had just as many problems with mediacom to be honest. Mediacom is cheaper and the on demand probably makes it a better value, but it all depends on what is important to you.
Banned
#5
I had Dish Network for 9 or 10 years before moving here in 2007. It work very well for the most part except for loss of reception during heavy thunderstorms but I knew this going in so no big deal. When I arrived here I was told Dish Network didn't prvide good customer service so I went with Cox digital cable and it has been a nightmare. I have jerky picture problems, pixalation, screen freeze, on demand failure, and DVR problems. I'm on the third receiver in the bedroom in as many months. Most of these problems are temporarily cured by unplugging and replugging the box to reboot which takes some time and ruins the program you are viewing.
ameliaj avatar
Beach Fanatic
#6
I have DISH and it has been great. There customer service has been great too, so far. It will drop out for a minute during a really severe thunderstorm. I have comcast internet and phone and it blips on and off all the time requiring me to reset the modem. What a pain. I'm thinking of switching to AT&T for those services.
Kurt avatar
Admin
#7
You mean get satellite over cable? (Need more than just internet tv, you cannot watch reg. tv with internet) What do you have? (or can you not say?):idontno:

I have never had cable in SoWal but don't think I would get it here now . I have DirecTV with HD DVR and don't watch any of the networks except college football and basketball now and then.

There really is no "regular" TV anymore and you can watch almost anything from the web. If you have to watch an episode of one-and-a-half-men-and-a-whoremonger (per Dana Carvey as the Church Lady when he hosted SNL the other night) when it airs then I guess you're stuck. :lol:

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shesgottasurf avatar
Beach LoverAuthor
#8
Thank you all for your input. It seems there is no perfect solution! We're just getting fed up with mediacom's service, pixelation, worsening reception of non-hd channels and more. THey were just out to swap out a HD receiver to a DVR receiver, and it looks worse than ever. If I'm going to buy a 55+ inch tv, I want it to be able to look as good as possible! Why buy a huge tv with bad snowy picture that's no fault of the tv? I hear that satellite tv reception shows much more in HD.
scooterbug44 avatar
SoWal Expert
#9
I've got basic cable w/ Mediacon and certain channels go on the fritz for no reason.

ABC is the worst.
Beach Lover
#10
Do you have any options for picking up HD from a normal antenna? I have a condo in Atl and can get about 30 channels for free. Only needed a 20 dollar HD antenna. Picture is better than Direct TV.
Here4Good avatar
Beach Fanatic
#11
Do you have any options for picking up HD from a normal antenna? I have a condo in Atl and can get about 30 channels for free. Only needed a 20 dollar HD antenna. Picture is better than Direct TV.

In Sowal, you can get NBC, ABC and PBS (and their addons) with a set top HD antenna - CBS is too far away (which they deny, they say they are within range). I think you can get a CW station, also. I have found that you can't get them ALL with the antenna pointing in the same direction, though. They picture is great, when you can get it.

And, they tend to drop in bad weather. I guess the station's transmitters aren't as strong down here.
Kurt avatar
Admin
#12
DirecTV is about to add locals.
shesgottasurf avatar
Beach LoverAuthor
#13
In Sowal, you can get NBC, ABC and PBS (and their addons) with a set top HD antenna - CBS is too far away (which they deny, they say they are within range). I think you can get a CW station, also. I have found that you can't get them ALL with the antenna pointing in the same direction, though. They picture is great, when you can get it.

And, they tend to drop in bad weather. I guess the station's transmitters aren't as strong down here.

So if you get them through cable, but without an antenna, you won't get them in HD, and if you have antenna, they will be in HD? I'm more confused than ever! Currently, with MediacoN, they're not in HD.
ComputerWorks avatar
Beach Lover
#14
As in my other post, dropped mediacoN after 1 day, went back to Dish, was not nearly worth the bundle savings.
If you are aimed nearest 100% with your dish, even bad weather will not be as much as an issue with your signal. When your signal is bad with dish (very rare) it's not dish's fault, it would be a bad storm or your dish not mounted and aimed by a seasoned pro, this is a fact.
I will never have cable tv again.
Here4Good avatar
Beach Fanatic
#15
So if you get them through cable, but without an antenna, you won't get them in HD, and if you have antenna, they will be in HD? I'm more confused than ever! Currently, with MediacoN, they're not in HD.

If you have MediaCon, you get the networks in HD without paying for the HD package IF the cable is going straight into the TV (oddly enough, if you have their "digital receiver", you don't get the HD channels).

The antenna has nothing to do with the cable, it's a different input to your TV. You're getting those channels over the air.
jpbhen avatar
Beach Fanatic
#16
DirecTV is about to add locals.
details, please? we have directv up north and love it. the problem here is that they do not offer ALL networks, and we like some shows on each. as soon as they are all available here, we will make a switch for sure. btw, we thought it was odd that between dish and directv, all of the networks are offered - but neither offers all of them.

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