Satellite TV provider DISH Network just released new programming bundles called Turbo HD. These new programming packages are 100% HD, leaving out all of the standard definition channels. So is this new satellite TV the best choice for you?

It all depends on what you want from your cable or satellite television company. Some folks want every single channel that is available. They don’t care if 20 of them are shopping channels, or that six of the channels are public access. They just want all of the channels.

On the other hand, many have grown weary of trying to wade past all of the lower tier channels on the television dial, looking for something worthwhile to watch. For consumers who have recently bought a new plasma TV, TurboHD from DISH Network may be the perfect solution.

There are three different choices with Turbo HD from DISH Network, the Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. All of these packages are composed of HD channels only. Packages start at around $24.99 per month for the entry level package. That programming package does not include your local channels, which costs five bucks more per month.

DISH also offers the Platinum package, which is an additional service to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze packages. This Platinum package is $10 per month, and includes seven more hi def channels such as HDNet Movies and Universal HD.

One point of contention with some current DISH Network customers is they have not been allowed to switch over to the TurboHD packages. Currently only new subscribers to DISH Network have been allowed to get the TurboHD packages. Current customers can get DISH TurboHD, but only as an add-on to the standard def package.

A final consideration you should know about is how DISH Network is counting the channels contained in the bundles. For example, the TurboHD Bronze package which includes 44 channels, but of those 24 are network channels, six are pay-per-view, and 14 are VOD, (video on demand) channels. Some would consider that plenty but others are used to having a lot more content to choose from. A final consideration, the Turbo HD packages do not include premium movie channels like HBO or Cinemax, so expect to pay an additional fee monthly for those commercial free channels. For more detail on these packages, check out the latest Direct TV reviews.

Which is the better choice? People in the USA are now more likely to order satellite TV over cable TV for the bottom line reason that you receive more for your money with satellite television. You also get all of the best that television has to offer the consumer. Not to mention the better price as well. Satellite television costs less than cable by far. These days with satellite TV, you will be getting hundreds of stations, audio and video, with your package. Big cable companies bill you by how many channels you have, and that adds up fast. Better yet, today you can get a Dish Network television package for much less than you would expect.

If you want any extra premium channels such as HBO or Showtime, get ready with your cash, because you have to be prepared to spend a lot of extra money. They rarely provide you with any service at all in the rural areas, thus satellite is the only game in these regions of the county. Cable TV operators will offer more stations in the urban centers, as there is the potential for many more customers. So at times, a lot may depend on where you live in the country. While they are offering more pay channels in the suburban parts of the country, the number of channels you will receive overall depends on the cable system itself, they aren’t always up to date with the most modern technology.

Satellite TV on the other hand offers many more channels, and lots of programs that fit your interests. If you haven’t ever considered satellite television, it may be time to open your eyes to all that is now available. As mentioned earlier you will pay less for the cost for satellite television when comparing it to cable. Usually, cable can be very expensive because they have a large network to upgrade and maintain.

If you are the type of person that wants more for your money, and who isn’t like that, the certainly check into the two large satellite companies offering service to see what the can offer you today. Another point to consider is quality. All of us have had the experience of receiving poor picture and sound from the cable company. Then when you call for resolution, it takes a long time for a technician to come out and fix the problem. While you may experience problems from time to time with satellite TV, overall they have better customer service. Many satellite TV companies also have deals with local carriers like Verizon and Qwest, so you can have a combined bill.

Satellite television offers the best in digital programming, and they back up their product with excellent service. With satellite TV you can also receive foreign language channels, for example the DirecTV Russian programming package and the DISH Latino Spanish bundle are great foreign languge options. Finally, if you have a family, including young children you can find a lot more for them to watch. There literally hundreds of family and children’s programs for you to pick from. Combine that with a DVR, and you will always be able to entertain the kids. If great content is all you want, Dish Network even offers 100% hi definition packages now, called Turbo HD.

I’ve been wanting to get rid of Comcast basic cable for quite a while. The problem is they give you a great combo with their bundles that include voice, internet, and cable television service. When you need to remove one, you lose the savings of the bundle.

But the cable television service just needs to go, as the channel selection and quality is below average. There is so much talk these days about HD, there isn’t much of that with Charter Cable. So I started doing a little research on who else was providing service in my neck of the woods.

I am fortunate to be one of the people who have a few choices. Unlike some folks who can only select from either the cable company or Direct TV satellite service, I have a third option in my region. The old telephone company in my neighborhood has been enhancing their network. So I have another player with Verizon and their fiber optic service.

That doesn’t of course mean I won’t have similar problems. It would place someone in the same boat as with the cable television company, as the telephone company want customers to package their television setup with high speed and voice service. If the deal is good, customers will be satisfied. Then again if the service is poor you’re in the same situation that I’m in now with the cable operator.  So I’m doing a side by side comparison, Direct TV vs cable so I make the right choice.

The reviews I found on the internet are pretty good on telecom TV service. Because it is new, there is always a learning curve with a service like this, and some clients write bad reviews. Some of those reviews are the quite amusing, simply for the reason people decide to write a bad review on their poor experience and share it on the world wide web. They rail on the company like it is some giant conspiracy to screw the customer, as if the company doesn’t want to make money!

Another option I am seriously considering is of course satellite TV. Since we have seven TV viewers in the home, we usually buy a high end cable television bundle. The satellite TV choices seem to be fairly even, as the Premier Direct TV package and the America’s Everything Pack from DISH Network are both right around $100 a month. Yes that’s pretty high for pay TV, but when you make the comparison with treating your family to dinner and a trip to the movies, the entertainment value is comparable. Some of my family speak Spanish, so the Direct TV Mas programming package looks pretty good. The nice thing is that there are lots of DirecTV pros and cons to help me decide which direction to take.