Television Options - Kansas City Cable Companies VS. Satellite Television Providers

Living in an apartment can be one of the most fantastic decisions a person can make, especially those just starting out or those who prefer not to have the hassles of maintenance looming over their heads. With some personalized touches, any apartment can become a real “home” for its residents without the headaches of owning. But what about freedom, like the freedom to choose your own type of television service? Can you have your cake and eat it, too? Is satellite TV an option in an apartment? For most apartment dwellers, the answers are yes.

Gone are the days where giant satellite dishes are necessary. Satellite TV doesn’t really require a dish the size of a small elephant any more, so the option is becoming a viable one for most people who live in apartments. The important thing to do before you make the leap into a satellite TV service, however, is to check with your apartment manager to see if it’s okay. While many complexes will allow satellite TV, they may have some rules about mounting the dishes outside. The general rule of thumb is that a satellite TV dish cannot be affixed to the building. It can, however, be affixed to a pole that is secured with concrete inside a planter. Or, many satellite TV companies even offer stands and these can sometimes be found at home stores, too.

Once you find out if you can have satellite TV in your apartment home or not, there’s still some choices to make. Do you really want satellite TV or would cable or even a combined cable/phone service like Kansas City’s Everest be better choices.

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of each option for all your viewing pleasures:

• Traditional cable: This is a pretty good option for someone who wants a set number of channels, the ability to buy pay-per-view, on demand and even premium services. Cable companies tend to offer basic packages that include local programming and a few general town stations, too. Add on packages can be incredible and might include children’s programming, specialty channels like Home and Garden Television and more. The number of channels available can range from 50 to several hundred. The service, especially if it’s an upgraded cable network that maybe offers high-speed cable Internet access, too, can be great. The downfall here is that while the basic package is pretty affordable, the add ons can add up quickly. When digital cable is an option, the service is great, but the down times are serious bummers. Fortunately, they are generally few and far between.
• Satellite TV: This is a solid option for those wanting to avoid high cable charges. Most satellite companies offer free dishes with a set contract period, plus their basic packages are typically less expensive on a monthly basis than cable. The downfall here is interruption in services. Sometimes storms knock dishes out of order for a while or some channels may not be available if there is interference in the signal. The real plus with satellite is the abundance of channels. If a station is beamed to a satellite, most satellite TV companies will offer it. Let’s say you’re a big fan of a show that comes on at 8 central time. With a good satellite system, you can catch the show at 8 your time, and then again when it airs on Mountain and Pacific times. Expect to pay a little more for the add on channels, but oftentimes this is still less expensive than cable, plus there are pay-per-view and on demand options here, too. Channels here can range from a few basic to almost limitless depending on the add on packages.
• Combination telephone/cable: This is a great way to go for people who want one bill. These services generally provide cable telephone, which is nice, plus the combo bill can include everything from television and home phone service to internet access and cellular phone accounts.

If you’ve examined all the options and satellite TV is the route you want to go for some serious television watching, make sure you get some input on dish installation or have the company install it. Dishes are very effective little tools, but they need to be positioned to best receive a signal. If they’re not, you’re likely to see only dead air. And, while you’ll blame the satellite TV company for making you miss your favorite show, the blame likely will be yours for not optimizing the dish’s reception ability. With the options available today, 57 channels and nothing’s on doesn’t have to be the norm. Between satellite and well added on to cable, there should be a good show or flick to catch 24 seven.