It is not possible for us to directly compare Dish Network satellite service to cable television service, because each cable television company offers different programming packages, pricing, and service levels.

This guide will help you to compare Dish Network with the cable television which is available in your area.

Pricing

Dish Network competes in an open market with DirecTV. Most cable television is provided by a local government-sponsored monopoly.

Because of this, the laws of basic economics tell us that Dish Network will almost always be more affordable than cable television.

Programming Packages

Dish Network packages start from $19.99 a month for the DishFAMILY Pak and go all the way up to $99.99/mo for the DishHD Platinum Pak.

Cable television programming packages vary in each specific geographic region.

The key is to determine what channels you want to watch and compare the packages which provide those channels.

Receivers and DVRs

Find out what type of receiver comes with your satellite or cable television service.

Many receivers include built-on Digital Video Recorders. A Digitial Video Recorder (DVR) will allow you to easily record your favorite programs and watch them whenver you want.

Reliability

Satellite television services like Dish Network and DirecTV are very reliable.

It seems counter-intuitive that receiving television from a satellite thousands of miles away could be more reliable that receiving television from a physical cable, but that is often the case.

Maximum Channels

Dish Network broadcasts over 220 channels. This is beyond the technical capabilities of most cable television systems.

HDTV – High Definition TV Channels

Dish Network offers over 25 channels of HDTV.

Compare this with the HDTV channels offered by your local cable television company.

Portability

When you move across the country, you can take your Dish Network satellite system with you.

Most cable television systems are only portable within the same city.

Sports Programming

Dish Network broadcasts all NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL games. Dish Network also broadcasts all college football and college basketball games.

Pay-Per-View (PPV)

Dish Network provides 80 channels of pay-per-view programming.

Most cable television systems support only 40 PPV channels.

Foreign Language Programming

Dish Network provides programming in an enormous variety of languages, including Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Israeli, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog, and Urdu.

Of course, this probably only matters to you if you can speak one of those languages!