After comparing price on cable versus satellite, it becomes very quickly clear that satellite is far cheaper. Typical cable plans for 60 channels average out to $40 per month. If you go for 100 channels it often costs upwards of $60 or more.

First, let’s look at Dish Network. Some authorized dealers, such as VMC satellite, offer plans starting at $9.99 for the first 6 months. No cable plan comes anywhere close. Even after the promotional billing period ends, the price is still far under $40, depending on which package you select, usually close to half the price for a comparable cable plan.

DirecTV on the other hand, is usually about $10 or $20 above Dish Network’s prices. Still usually cheaper than cable, but Dish Network really takes the cake on pricing. If a consumer has heard good things about DirecTV or wants one of their features, there is a possible way to get a price discount. Find a comparable Dish Network plan and call up DirecTV and see if they won’t price match. In most cases, DirecTV is competitive and won’t want to lose a potential customer to Dish Network. That way, it is possible to get DirecTV at a discount. It may be a good idea to have them match a permanent price of Dish Network’s rather than a promotional offer, so that the savings are long-term.

Even if a customer isn’t comfortable with making the move, at the very least they can try to benefit from the prices of satellite in a different way. Give a call to the cable television service and tell them about the possible move to satellite television, having researched comparable rates from satellite. There’s a good chance the cable company, worried about losing yet another customer to satellite, may try to match satellite’s prices, or at the very least cut their rates significantly. If not, then it may be time to consider switching to satellite tv, and even then, it’s possible to get Dish Network or DirecTV to offer promotional deals or match one another. The television services industry has become a very competitive market.

In the end, it is apparent that both Dish Network and DirecTV are vastly less expensive than their cable counterparts. In many areas, such as rural or suburban areas, satellite is the only option as cable simply won’t reach. For most, however, it would be the lower prices and greater selection of channels that should seal the deal.