Shopping for satellite TV services? I bet you have plenty of questions waiting to be answered while surfing the Internet for shopping info. As a matter of fact, most satellite TV shoppers are not sure of the details when they place their order. How many free satellite systems are there in the deal? What is the monthly cost? What are the clauses if they wish to unsubscribe? In reality, consumers might not even sure whether satellite TV service is necessary or not!

Yeah, is satellite TV a must have service?

While most promotional article will tell you 'yes' - I would say 'NO' here. I do not think satellite TV system is a must have household product. Even more and more people are subscribing to Dish Network or DirecTV services - it doesn't mean the same satellite service will suit your TV entertainment needs. Imagine a person who watches TV less than 3 hours a week: what is the meaning of satellite TV services with more than 250 channels?

So why TV satellite are getting more and more popular if the services are not that needed? The reason behind this is simple - satellite TV deals are just too good to be refused when compare to others (like cable for example). More programming choices, better picture quality, and yet, lower monthly subscription fees - that's how good the deal is. The satellite deals hence, push down competitor's market segment, grabbing more and more subscribers from other paid TV services. At the time of writing, DirecTV owns around 20 millions subscribers in United States, while Dish Network has around 15-16 millions of subscribers. In such a short period (10 years time), both satellite TV companies had gained more than 35 millions subscribers and that's a scary numbers to be known by cable TV companies.

Highlight of satellite TV advantages

In brief, here is what brings the success of dish TV:

Low initial setup/switching cost - subscribing to satellite TV system requires only $50 deposit money. Shipping, installations, as well as the satellite system (dish and decoders) are free of charge. Switching to satellite from other paid TV services are 'pain-free'.

Programming choices - both Dish Network and DirecTV are offering more than 250 channels in digital (and some HD) quality. From local channels to news network, sport to movie premium channels, documentaries to cartoon, TV shopping to education - all is well covered in their services.

Monthly cost- The difference in pricing between cable TV and satellite is huge. At the time of writing, a standard cable package costs you about $50 a month for 64 analog channels plus a few digital channels. On the other hand, Dish Network basic monthly subscription fees before promotion are $29.99; while DirecTV $39.99.

Wrapping things up

Back to our main question: After revealing all the advantages, is satellite TV entertainment a must have? The answer is in your hands. The wise advice on this will be: Don't buy something (satellite TV) just because it's a good deal. Do you really need the product? Do you spend long time in front of the TV? In other words, consume wisely, buy only what you need.