Cable HD Vs. Satellite HD Television
Cable and satellite TV are delivered to end users in fundamentally different ways. Although there are similarities in content, the delivery method can make or break the feasibility of using one service or the other. High definition channels often are nearly indistinguishable from one service to the next and often mitigated by programming options.
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In the Beginning
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Cable television providers, in most cases, receive their initial signal from satellites, routed into large C-band dishes by the receiving stations. After this signal is processed at the facility, the company then disseminates it to residences and businesses using local distribution. It uses powered boxes, often identified as green plastic structures attached to utility poles. These devices receive and re-amplify the signal to compensate for the long distances traveled. Many cable TV providers are using fiber optics to increase bandwidth capabilities to facilitate broadband cable and high-definition television. Although far less common, severe weather can impair or disable cable services, much like satellite TV services.
Satellite Television
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Distributed directly to homes and businesses, satellite television offers the possibility of a superior picture, although this is not guaranteed. Transmitted from ground-based facilities to a bank of satellites high in Earth's orbit, these signals are re-transmitted to roof-mounted dishes. Based on the subscription of the user, this can include a wide variety of special programming packages and, if the right dish is mounted, broadband Internet. Generally, service outages are minimized if the signal from the satellites to the dish is reasonably free from obstructions. Severe weather can temporarily block the satellites' signals, causing blocky pictures or service failure, until the skies clear.
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Common Elements
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Both services use RG-6 quad-shield coax into the home or business. Splitting the signals is a little different, however. Cable services can be split as often as necessary, with the main limiting factor in performance being the quality of the distribution devices. Satellite signals carry a small charge from the dish to the decoders, meaning that splitting the signal requires specialized, powered devices to maintain this. The LNBs (low noise blockers) mounted on the front of the dish require this small current for operation. Deprived of it, certain banks of channels become unavailable.
All About Preference
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In many cases, the performance with high-definition channels is nearly identical between cable and satellite providers. Although some users report differences in performance between services with standard-definition channels, more often than not customers choose a certain service based on personal preference and channel lineup options. High definition in particular is difficult to distinguish in performance. Many service providers and enthusiasts tend to prefer one service or the other based on reported resolution numbers, although these differences can be exceedingly difficult to detect absent a direct comparison.
Things to Remember
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All HD services require a separate decoder for each display. Additionally, cable providers generally provide a tiered system, meaning that users have to have digital service (upcharge) and HD packages (another upcharge) to receive these channels. Satellite providers are digital from the outset, although there is no guarantee one service will be more affordable than the other. Satellite users must use a separate box for each display if independent tuning is required for each. Cable users can generally receive local broadcast HD over basic cable, meaning that less-critical environments can be split cheaply and without additional decoder rentals.
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