Antenna, Cable, Satellite - The Different Ways We Tune In

You spent a few minutes in the kitchen chopping up some avocadoes, tomatoes, onion, and garlic to make guacamole. You popped open the fridge, grabbed a couple of cold drinks, and plopped down on the couch to watch the latest episode of House with your friend. A lot of people enjoy watching TV. They love keeping up with current events or watching their favorite series. Most people do not give it a second thought, but have you ever wondered how it is that you are watching that show on your TV right now?

Currently there are three major ways to watch TV: using a traditional antenna, cable, or satellite. Each one brings the picture to your TV a different way, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Which method you choose is a direct reflection of your preferences. Let's discuss the basics of each method.

Considered the pioneer of TV watching, antennas have been used for many decades now and are still very reliable. An antenna picks up OTA, or over-the-air, signals that are broadcast from television stations' transmission towers. Whether you choose an indoor or outdoor antenna or a directional or multi-directional antenna is dependent upon where you are located. If you have been using your antenna on your HDTV, you will notice that you can pick up local channels in high-definition, one of the benefits of using an antenna. In addition, you will only have to pay for the initial investment price.

With cable television, it relies on a network of cables that are transmitted from one property to the next. The data is transmitted through these wires that are set up with amplifiers that increase signal strength. Cable offers more channels than an antenna does, including specialty programming, such as Discovery Channel, MTV, and VH1. You do have to subscribe to this service, and depending on which package you choose and whether or not you qualify for a special promotional price, basic cable service can run anywhere from 30 to 100 dollars per month. The more specialty movie channels, such as HBO and Cinemax, that you subscribe to, the higher your monthly bill will be.

Satellite programming is brought to your TV by the use of, you guessed it: satellites. It works much in the same way that an antenna does: it pulls the signals from the broadcast towers to deliver the programming to your TV. The only difference is that very large in-sky satellites pull those signals from the stations and then deliver it to the mini dishes that you will have to install onto your balcony or on your rooftop. Satellite service works much in the same way as cable service. You have to pay a monthly fee to receive the service and depending on which package you choose, your bill can also run anywhere from 30 to 100 dollars per month.