Are you one of the many consumers currently considering making the switch to satellite TV from cable TV but are overwhelmed with the options? Don’t worry, you are not alone. More and more people are deciding to make the transition to satellite TV but don’t know where to start. Hopefully, this article will help clear up some of the confusion by giving you an overview of one of the most popular providers of satellite TV, Dish Network.
Pricing
The first question everyone asks is “How much does it cost?”. Truthfully, it all depends on the options you choose to include in your plan, which can be customized to suit virtually any need. Dish Network’s cheapest plan, America’s Top 60, starts at just $31.99. This includes access to the 60 most popular channels in America. For the person who wants a solid variety of programming but doesn’t want any extra frills, this is the way to go. From here, Dish Network offers more extensive programming packages that top out with the master of them all, the “America’s ‘Everything’ Package”. This is for the person who literally wants it all. For a modest $86.99, it includes the 180 most popular channels as well as 31 movie channels. With this many choices, nobody should ever have a problem finding something to watch!
In addition to the ‘America’s Top’ series programming listed above, Dish Network also provides numerous other specialty packages including your Local channels, Sports, Movies, International, and HDTV. These packages can be mixed with the ‘America’s Top’ plans to create the programming just right for you.
Aside from programming, there may be some other nominal fees included if your package needs to support additional rooms, HDTV, and/or DVR:
Additional TVs
With any Dish Network programming package, your first two (non-HD) TV connections are free, but there may be an extra monthly charge for more than two TVs.
HDTV
As the home theater industry continues to grow at an increasing rate, high end equipment is quickly becoming more common in today’s homes. High definition television certainly falls into this category and Dish Network is there to accommodate. With their HDTV program you’ll receive free activation, six months of service for free, and your choice of 7 different receivers to choose from. After your free six months of HDTV service is up, the monthly charge becomes $9.99 plus another $5.00 for each additional receiver.
DVR
Another popular feature in home theaters that Dish Network provides for is DVR technology. This will allow you to record your favorite shows and watch them at your convenience. The free Dish Network DVR receiver will digitally store all your shows and movies in one place so there are no tapes or discs to keep track of. Simply navigate through the on screen menu, enter the name of the show you want to record, and that’s it! As with the HDTV program, Dish Network offers free installation and your choice of 7 receivers. There is an additional fee for each DISH Player-DVR of $4.98.
While this review is specifically on Dish Network, only one of the satellite TV providers available today, the products and services they offer remain quite comparable to their competitors and could be taken as a general review of the industry as a whole. When considering which satellite tv provider to go with, you must first decide what your specific needs are and then find the provider that best suits your situation. Home entertainment is a rapidly growing industry and is becoming more and more competitive each day. This is great news for you, the customer! This surge in competition coupled with regular advances in technology guarantee that the options available to you are only going to get better and cheaper in the months and years to come.
Mitchell Medford is an author and product consultant for several consumer electronics manufacturers. Visit his website for more information on home theater, LCD TVs, and plasma televisions.
