Cable Rate Hikes Spur Boom in Satellite TV Sales ($40+ per month in California)

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[chance33_98]

Cable Rate Hikes Spur Boom in Satellite TV Sales

AT&T Cable customers are seeing their rates go up, with basic monthly service breaking the $40 barrier for the first time. The six percent hike has been the last straw for many Sacramento subscribers, who are now turning to satellite television.

Inside her home, Kathy Knezevich called the cable company to cancel service today. Outside, on her roof, an installer was putting up her new satellite dish. Her last cable bill was $91. Now she hears rates are going up. "Right away I was trying to find somebody else who would be cheaper," said Knezevich.

She's not alone. Ever since word got out about the cable increases, it has been a boom for local satellite distributors. On Saturday, ADCO Satellite in Sacramento set and all time sales record. "It seems like it's every six months or a year, everytime the mention the word going up, we get an increase in customers," said John Katic of ADCO Satellite.

News10 compared comparable satellite and cable packages. The DISH Satellite Network offers a 57-channel package, including local stations, hooked up to two TVs for $33.97 a month. Receivers and installation are free with a one-year contract.

With AT&T Broadband Cable, the most popular basic package includes 72 channels. Hooked up to two TVs, it costs $47.33 per month. Installation costs $27.99. No ongoing contract is required.

Prices for both satellite and cable are affected by the size of the programming package, the number and type of premium channels, and the number of hook-ups in the home. In Northern California, where AT&T's rate hike is four times the cost of inflation, satellite providers are now the choice of 16 percent of TV viewers.

[Ciexyz]

That's fine if you can put up a dish. But people in apartments and townhomes can't do that, and they have to pay the cable bill just to get ordinary reception.

[general_re]

You bet. We switched to DirecTV three years ago, after enduring yet another round of hikes from Adelphia, and I'll never look back. And they're still cranking up the cable rates around here, and I see DSS dishes sprouting like mushrooms after a rain...

[shawv]

I live in Livermore, CA I have AT&T Broadband, expanded basic for $35.95 a month. I want to get into satellite service but don't know what is the cheapest/best service and where to buy it. Can anybody help me?

[Karsus]

From: http://www.post-gazette.com/consumer/20000817zanos.asp


" Not according to the Federal Communications Commission. The government protects your right to have a satellite dish as long as it's under a meter in diameter. (A meter is 39.37 inches). Since January 1999, the Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule includes renters."


Also see
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=fcc+apartment+satellite+dish&spell=1

[umgud]

I'm in central CA. I pay about $83/mo for basic cable and highspeed internet.

[general_re]

"Not according to the Federal Communications Commission. The government protects your right to have a satellite dish as long as it's under a meter in diameter. (A meter is 39.37 inches). Since January 1999, the Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule includes renters."

Yes, BUT...that only applies to apartments or townhomes where you can place an antenna or dish in a location that you have exclusive use of or control over. It doesn't allow you to put a dish in a common area of the building, like the roof. The FCC has a nice fact sheet detailing the ins-and-outs of dish and antenna placements in apartments and townhouses.

[general_re]

I can help ;)

The two main providers of DSS satellite service in the US are Dish Network and DirecTV. My suggestion is that you start by visiting the websites of both, compare the various packages, decide which one suits you, and go for it. Some links to get you started:

DirecTV packages
How to get DirecTV

Dish Network Packages
How to get Dish Network

Happy hunting, and be sure to check out both sites for their latest special offers - they both run all kinds of promotional deals that you will probably find very handy...

[Gigantor]

"That's fine if you can put up a dish. But people in apartments and townhomes can't do that..."

The DISH network dish is so small it can easily be mounted outside a window on a townhouse or apartment building.

The DISH network has a higher quality picture then DirecTV, and you can get their basic 150 channels for just 39.99 a month.

Once my cable bill went up to over 70 bucks, I got the DISH, and with HBO & Showtime it is just 40 bucks a month.

Don't let the cable company fool you about rain outages - they are so minimal and short lived to be barely noticable.

How about those constant cable outtages?

[general_re]

The DISH network has a higher quality picture then DirecTV...

That's the kind of statement that's guaranteed to start a massive flamewar on rec.video.satellite.dbs and similar forums, but I'll just leave it at "I disagree" ;)

[daviddennis]

Last time I looked in any detail, DirecTV and other satellite services are one way - they send television programming to you, and you passively take it.

According to their FAQ, there is satellite based Internet access available, but they recommend their DSL service instead. This implies to me that their satellite Internet access is probably not very good.

DSL's a reasonable alternative to cable (it's what I use, because I can run a web server on it), but I wouldn't use a satellite connection unless it was your only option. Last time I looked, you have to connect via dialup and receive data via satellite, which is pretty much a kludge and I don't think it's popular with consumers.

In short, I'd keep your cable modem. As long as you want cable TV, it's your fastest and most economical alternative.

Hope that helps.

D

[NormsRevenge]

IF you are an NFL addict, go for DirecTV, if not, DishNetwork has done the job for us for 5 years. I have never had more then a couple of minute outage maybe twice in 5 years. Cable continues to glitch at the most inopportune times much more often then one would expect for today's technology.

[1Old Pro]

DISH's basic package is more like 22 dollars a month. My TOP 100 costs 32 a month. Why people pay confiscatory cable rates is beyond me.

[1Old Pro]

DISH network has been great for me over the past 2+ years. I highly recommend it.

[Ciexyz]

Thanks for the link to the FCC FAC Sheet (Post #7)