Fast rising as an alternative medium to receive your favorite TV shows and movies is satellite television or Satellite TV. Availing this service requires the installation of a satellite dish at the customer’s premises that receives broadcasts from a satellite hovering hundreds of miles in the atmosphere which, in turn, picks up signals to broadcast from a static earth station.

More and more subscribers are switching to satellite TV from the erstwhile entertainment choice of Cable TV, which utilizes cables to deliver content to the household. If we compare satellite TV against Cable TV, the reasons become clear:

• Satellite TV delivers better picture clarity

Because of the digital technology that is used for satellite TV, the picture quality it delivers is clearer than the largely analog format that characterizes the quality of Cable TV shows. And also because it is digital, satellite TV can (and does) deliver the picture quality that maximize the capability of High Definition Television (HDTV) receivers.

• Satellite TV has a wider coverage

Because the delivery system of satellite TV does not require the installation fixed wire or cable connections, practically any place that the satellite can "see" can be served. This is in comparison with Cable TV, whose coverage is limited by the reach of its cable facilities that is far smaller.

• Satellite TV is more practical

Admittedly, one disadvantage that satellite TV has is the fact that it requires a satellite dish and satellite TV set-top box, both of which are charged to a potential subscriber’s account and are quite expensive. This disadvantage, however, is offset by the fact that its lower maintenance cost per subscriber translates to lower subscription fees vs. cable TV. Packages are currently offered by satellite TV companies that are priced lower than their cable TV counterparts.

There are, of course, disadvantages when you compare satellite TV to Cable TV. The biggest disadvantage is that the picture is either there or it is not. This disadvantage is brought about by the fact that the technology it uses is digital. A problem at either the earth station, the satellite itself, or the satellite dish will translate to you, the subscriber, not having any picture to see. Also, if on a worst-case scenario, the satellite ceases to function permanently, subscribers of this service are better off switching to another provider rather than waiting for the satellite to be brought back into service. In the overall assessment, however, the advantages of satellite TV far outweigh its disadvantages