Sunday, August 16, 2009

Cable vs. Dish

I remember a time when cable was a new and exciting luxury. Today, cable televeison is a staple in nearly every home. Inner-city residents living in housing projects and surviving on public assistance have cable, sometimes with premium channels. When the cable goes out, life stops. Being limited to local channels is primitive and unbearable.

Soon after the advent of cable came the dish. In the beginning, the dish consumed the entire backyard. They were not only a status symbol, they were bigger than a swimming pool. Now smaller and more asthetic, they are seen on rooftops, sides of homes and even on apartment balconies.

Dish television has gotten somewhat of a reputation for being unreliable during inclement weather. During blizzards and thunderstorms, dish customers have been seen on rooftops or balanced on ladders adjusting dishes to restore reception. I've always been grateful that cable has not required any outdoor adjustments during monsoon season.

However, I've become disenchanted with cable. The addition of digital cable and HDTV have proved too much for cable providers. My cable is out as much as it's on. We have the "On Demand" (not to be confused with (In Demand) feature, a service for digital customers in which movies and programs can be started "on demand". In the past year or so, On Demand has been sporatic at best. It works less than half the time.

Which begs the question: Is cable still the premium service it used to be or do its problems now make cable the new dish?

I've wondered how much worse a dish would be. I have also wanted to really stick it to the cable company by cancelling my service. That would show 'em. Right. All of my emails and letters have gone unanswered. I'm close to the switch. I've been a cable customer for so long that the switch seems like entering a strange and distant land. Maybe with a new host of problems I've yet to encounter.

Technology. Who knew?

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