The cost of satellite TV depends on the type of package selected by the viewer as well as several other factors which are listed below;
Satellite TV can be less expensive than cable in many cases and is known for providing numerous choices of programming, easy scheduling, and reasonable costs. However, before you can take the plunge and choose satellite as your sound distribution method of choice, you need to consider the following costs to see if it fits your budget. In this blog post, we will outline the major cost of satellite TV service and the costs or price ranges for each that will enable you to make estimates.
Initial capital expenditures refer to the costs of purchasing the necessary equipment and installing them for use in operations.
To enjoy satellite programming, one requires a satellite dish, receivers, and cables to be externally fixed at the homeowner’s or tenant’s place of residence. This commonly costs approximately $100-$300 for the package depending on the equipment type and its installation. This is a worthy investment to make, since with that amount of infrastructure, one can receive at least hundreds of channels.
There are most often deals given by the providers of satellite TV such as DISH Network or DIRECTV in which they will give you equipment for free or for a lower price if you sign up for a 2-year service agreement. What is not so sure is that with most of these, you will incur a penalty fee for early cancellation of the service. However, the free installation of the cameras is commendable since it goes a long way in easing initial costs.
A third choice is to buy it yourself from a store like Amazon or Solid Signal which sells this equipment online. Self-installation is not easy to do, but if you have a go at it, you are relieved of the burden of having to pay some charges in the form of wages for labor. It can also be purchased at resale shops together with other used dishes and receivers if any exist. As long as you make sure that any used equipment is not taken back by some clown who couldn’t afford to continue paying his satellite bill!
Monthly Programming Packages
Once your satellite dish is installed, you must choose a channel package to get the channels to display on your TV. Telecoms packages are available from simple packages that contain more than 70 channels and cost around $40-$55 per month to the top packages with over 200-300 channels ranging from $80-$150 per month.
This means that the total cost of the base package is going to vary with the number and category of channels. Basic users will remain with an inexpensive package while the heavy users of television will go for a costly package full of their favorite options.
Most also allow you to customize the packages by including individual channel bundles, which are often based on genres such as movies, sports, news, and entertainment for children. For instance, a Sports Pack that contains about 10-15 sports stations usually comes at an additional cost of $8-$15 per month. It lets you decide on which channels you want to include in your package at a particular time, thus offering flexibility that is à la carte in nature.
Premium Movie Channels
If you want more recent Hollywood original productions, hit series, or to watch your favorite programs without any advertising breaks, premium movie channels are the enhance. HBO/Cinemax, Starz, Showtime, etc., are other packages that offer new titles and other must-watch programs for an extra fee.
The basic movie channels are priced between 10 and $15 per month when subscribing to each of the premium movie channels. However, satellite companies often bundle these services for cheaper prices, sometimes just $15 more for several premiums. That way, you will be able to save close to 30% more compared to purchasing each of them individually.
Digital Video Recorder or DVR, High Definition or HD, and Whole-Home Service.
Features such as HD channels, DVR recording, and more home services also attract small recurrent charges. It is important to note that high-definition programming costs $5 to $10 monthly. DVR service usually costs an additional $5 to $15 more per month for the recording capability and features for live TV such as pause.
On the other hand, home systems that transmit satellite signals throughout your home and into different rooms with multiple TVs cost $5 to $10 more monthly. However, you only get to pay the mirroring fee once which allows the service across your house. There is no need to incur extra costs in owning other set-top boxes.
So, you can look forward to spending an additional $15 to $35 in monthly fees if you want the opportunity to get HD channels for that clear picture, DVR services to create your library of recordings, and whole home viewing so you can watch satellite TV in different rooms. Well, you can also ignore these upgrades as well systematically.
Introductory Discounts
To capture the new clients satellite firms are always launching sales that offer a certain percentage rebate on standard package prices. Today’s new subscriber offers slash your monthly bill by $15 to $35 for the first 3 to 12 months depending on the specific satellite company. DirecTV also often provides rebates that come in the form of prepaid cards with amounts ranging from $100 to $200 for equipment to first-time subscribers.
These savings are time-bound to ensure that the cost of satellite gear is cushioned as much as possible during the initial investment. In effect, using promotional discounts you can, to some extent, compensate for the spent money on equipment and installation through lower monthly bills in the first year. The only thing that must be remembered is that promotional prices are usually lower for a limited amount of time and the regular rate is higher, so one has to remember to switch contracts or providers at the proper time.
Contract Commitments
Regarding the claims of regular rates, it is crucial to note that both of the big satellite carriers that offer promotional pricing demand customer contracts of 2 years to qualify for the advertised prices. It’s extremely costly to cancel service early as AT&T charges between $15 and $20 for every month left on the contract. Let’s do some simple calculations, and if one wants to terminate the contract before the agreed year, it could be anywhere from $180 to $240 to discontinue the service – too expensive!
However, many satellite offers are usually not restricted and there can be some that do not compel customers into signing contracts. Contrary to this, DISH is now shifting to package-free services, that is, services that do not require customers to sign any agreement. DIRECTV allows you to not sign agreements through its partner Clipper Wireless, with specific Latino packages or if you have to pay the full retail price.
Such offers also offer an opportunity to change the provider more frequently since they do not bind the customer with long-term contracts. However, contract rates are usually within the range of $10 to $30 cheaper than the prepaid ones, which means that you stand to benefit significantly after two years of usage. There are fair saving purposes that justify if you are certain that you’ll require a satellite for some couple of years at your home.
Hardware Ownership
Another factor to consider is who will be the one bearing the expenses for satellite equipment once they are installed. Cable companies typically sell the receivers and the DVR boxes to the subscribers, at monthly subscription fees. You accrue costs for life with no hope of ever possessing the equipment.
On the other hand, other leading satellite firms allow consumers to acquire receivers, DVRs, dishes, and parts after leasing them for one year on average. This ownership model entails additional initial costs but there are no future recurrent charges of equipment in this model.
In short – always be careful with highlighting equipment ownership so that you know what final gadget prices are. It is always a better strategy to pay more upfront as it results in higher lifetime value and no rentals on the backend on some hardware.
Satellites are necessary for delivering communication services in remote areas due to high costs – These costs are attributed to the price of launching satellites into orbit – Some important points to consider include – In conclusion
In review, purchasing satellite TV demands some key upfront and ongoing monetary investments: In review, purchasing satellite TV demands some key upfront and ongoing monetary investments:
- One-time equipment/installation fees: It costs between $100 and $300 to obtain a same-day payday loan from a direct lender that operates online.
- Monthly base programming package: Their price range is $40-$150.
- Optional premium channels: $10/$15 each per month
- Advanced functionality extras: They spend $15-$35 per month on email communications, webinars, and other types of communications with clients or colleagues.
- The first time that a client signs up for one of the offered packages that range from 3 to 12 months.
- Other costs may include early termination fees that may be incurred in case one cancels the contract prematurely.
- Hardware ownership for no other rentals is desired.
When putting together these costs, anticipate a Satellite TV first cost of anything from $200 to $500 for equipment, installation and activations provided certain promotional offers shall have been made. Finally, allocate $60-$200 monthly for programming which varies with the channel package as well as the optional upgrades.
Consider the value satellite brings with the amount of content it provides, the high HD quality, the usefulness of DVR, and convenience and availability against these prices when determining whether or not to cut the cord. But then it is not the most expensive, it can well feed the TV buffs at a reasonable fare than running cable rates!
Transform your viewing experience with DirecTV! Call us today at +1 855-213-2250 to explore our plans and find the perfect package for you. Our experts are ready to assist you and get you set up with top-notch entertainment. Don’t wait—contact us now!
