Pros and Cons of Having a Satellite TV

Satellite TV is the newest kind of television transmission today. Satellite TV is already popular all around North America. This TV system makes use of satellite dishes to send and receive signals.

If you are thinking of getting a satellite TV system, it is better to look at the pros and cons of a satellite TV before you decide to purchase one. Knowing the pros and cons will help you avoid issues that may possibly occur in the future.

Pros of a Satellite TV

One of the advantages of a satellite TV over a cable TV is its availability even in rural areas. Some cable TV providers do not provide service in certain areas of the country. For satellite TV, as long as you have an unobstructed view and direct line of sight to a broadcasting satellite, usually in the southern sky, you can have satellite TV.

Another pro of satellite TV is the huge selection of channels available. Satellite TV gives a lot more channels than a regular terrestrial TV, and even greater choices than most cable TV packages.

Satellite TV companies do offer free installation and even free rent of equipment. Since there are only two companies offering satellite TV in the United States, they are always keeping up with each other's marketing scheme. Thus, both of them offer equipment and installation free of charge with the package. That is definitely a pro of a satellite TV.

There are also additional service options available such as having broadband internet and phone line using the same dish. You can also have interactive TV if the provider has that feature.

Another advantage of having a satellite TV is the clarity of the signal. Once your satellite dish is correctly lined up with the broadcasting satellite, there will be good reception of the signal with less degradation. Thus, it will give you a much better TV viewing experience.

Also, another pro of satellite TV is the stability of the price since there are only two competing companies in this field. They also compete for good customer service so you can be assured of a good after-sales support from any of the two companies.

Cons of a Satellite TV

One of the major disadvantages of having a satellite TV is the fact that you have to install or mount a dish on the roof, window or walls. Unless you are a techie person, having a dish may not be pleasant for you.

Local channels are not available everywhere. Local news and sports channel availability depends on where you are. Some of them are not even offered for broadcasting. Should they be offered, you may need to install another dish to point to another broadcast satellite offering those programming.

Another con of satellite TV is the possibility of losing or fading signal during extreme weather conditions such as thunderstorm, snow or heavy rains.

The more TV you want to have satellite system on, the more complex the installation and the more expensive it will be. You would need a separate dish for each TV that you have. One of the satellite TV providers offered a solution to that by having a dual tuner box. Nevertheless, it is still more costly than having multiple TVs with a cable connection.

Satellite TV can indeed give you better viewing experience and more flexibility in your choice of entertainment. However, weighing the pros and cons is still needed for you to make the right decision and to avoid unnecessary issues that may arise in the future.