Wow — here’s a more concrete example of the difference between the cost of cable and satellite.
Today I received in the mail a couple of new smart cards for my satellite receiver. Once I activated them, a bunch of channels disappeared. As it turns out, I had been getting more channels than I was paying for — there was a glitch on the old card. I’m not a pirate (at least, THAT kind of pirate) so when Dish Network clued me in on what had happened, I decided that I obviously needed to pay for the programming I was watching. But faced with this news, I thought I should check out my options, so I compared Dish, DirecTV, and Comcast cable. The results were eye-opening.
I compared the mid-range packages with high definition service, local channels, Showtime, and an additional receiver.
First, Dish Network. The package they offer which includes the channels I wanted is called “Top 180.” With the above options, the total comes to $78 per month. With a total of 194 channels (not including locals), that comes to 41¢ per channel.
Next, DirecTV. Their mid range package is “Total Choice Plus.” It’s a few dollars cheaper than Dish’s package and includes locals in the package. But it’s got about 30 fewer channels. Total: $71 per month, but 43¢ per channel — and I’d need new receivers, an additional $315.
Finally, Comcast.
Their “Digital Gold” package is $88 per month, and in my area the digital line up consists of only 26 channels. Add in the HTDV and you end up with $98 per month. Now, since I have Comcast internet, I’d save $15 per month on the modem connection, so taking that into account leaves us at $83… or $2.77 per channel.
I’m sure a mathematician out there can tell me what percentage more that is, but I know it’s more than 200%. I’m shocked, frankly. Even taking into account the cost of the satellite receivers, that’s a horrible disparity.
I think I’ll stick with Dish.
