Two of the big companies in the cable television landscape today are Charter cable and DIRECTV 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 claim to offer, and how much it is going to cost. The smart thing to do is sit down and make a chart of what each company offers, and of course price out the services including everything they offer. Here are a couple of points to factor in when shopping for Charter cable against satellite.
HD Channels – 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 hi definition networks, but on close examination that number is inflated. They in reality have around 90 when you take out the pay per view stations. Charter TV maxes out at 60 in the best case, and many areas have far fewer HD channels depending on the network. Using the DVR by Charter will help you save more high definition content.
Sports content – You will be able to find lots of sports content with either provider, as both carry all of the local networks and ESPN. But if you want out of market sports content, DirecTV satellite is the way to go. They have exclusive rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket bundle, but it doesn’t stop there. Other packages found on satellite but missing from Charter include the NBA League Pass and the NASCAR Hotpass serires.
Bundled options – One downfall of satellite TV service is that they do not have the ability to compete with Charter service when it comes to the triple play. Charter can offer bundled services which also add internet access and long distance calling through your home phone. Combining these services with your cable television company is convenient as far as billing and customer service issues.
So which service is the right one for your situation? Of course only you can make the final decision. While HD channels and out of market sports programming may be top priorities for some of us, they aren’t a big deal to others. Evaluating both services and the prices involved will insure that you make the correct decision for your particular situation.