10. What will a satellite dish actually cost?

When shopping for a dish, take into consideration the cost of equipment, installation and programming. Many retailers only advertise one of these three components - the price is usually higher than what is advertised and, in many cases, there is a long-term commitment to programming costs.  Add up the total costs of the satellite dish, then compare to your cable cost. You will be pleasantly surprised that cable costs considerably less and we don't try to trick you with reams of small print.

11. Can I hook up more than one TV?

With satellite, if you wish to watch the same programs on multiple TVs, the answer is yes, after you run new wires back to your satellite receiver. If you want to keep the ability to watch different programs simultaneously on multiple TVs, you will require additional equipment from your satellite dealer. This may cost several hundred dollars per TV set, over and above the original costs of the satellite dish.  In addition, you may have to pay a multi-receiver fee.   With Compton’s service, multiple outlets are free of monthly charges.

12. What if I relocate?

Some DTH companies will install a new dish for free at your new location.  However, depending on the supplier, you may have to dismantle the satellite equipment and install it all over again at your new location.  Keep in mind that by-laws in some multi-dwelling units might prohibit you from installing satellite equipment.

13. What if I have problems with my satellite dish or associated equipment?

Unlike cable, you own your satellite components and are responsible for any necessary repairs or service contracts (depending on the provider). Again, this will be an additional cost to consider. Who will be responsible for the repairs? Does your dealer offer service on equipment? Or is it the responsibility of the installer or programmer? Are they available to take service calls 24 hours per day? And how much do they charge for service calls? 

Are you prepared to live with interruptions to your TV service that may take more than 24 hours to fix? Compton Communications offers you one-stop complete solutions to your questions at no cost!

14. Is my investment protected with future technology changes?

Technology is advancing at a dramatic pace. As in the personal computer industry, changes in communications technology can make your equipment obsolete very quickly. With a satellite dish, you foot the bill to replace the outdated components. The initial investment in satellite equipment may just be the start of your financial headaches. Your cable company is constantly making technology improvements to ensure a consistent quality of picture and sound. You don't have to worry about it - your cable company takes care of these improvements for you. 

Cable has many advantages over satellite in technology - most notably in bandwidth.  You can think of bandwidth as the amount of information that can pass to you from your connection to your provider.  Cable has the capability to offer a true video on demand (VOD) system - satellite does not.  Compton Communications has already launched a variety of VOD content and we're adding more all the time.

15. What do I need to know about satellite signal delivery?

Satellite technology is a "line-of-sight" transmission and the delicately aligned dish must be able to accurately "see" the broadcasting satellite. You may have to hire a site evaluator, at an additional cost to ensure you have a line-of-sight transmission. Your neighbor's house, a favorite tree, or any other obstruction, may restrict the location of your satellite dish. 

16. Will weather affect my reception?

Yes, weather such as rain, snow and ice storms can black out your signal. If your dish is installed improperly, these outages are more likely to occur.  Wouldn't that make your Super Bowl Sunday?

Compton receives all television signals via fibre optic cable, meaning weather interference is not a factor.

17. Will I receive all the channels that I receive on cable?

You will not be able to receive local channels such as CHEX Durham or Rogers TV Durham that provide you with local news, weather and sports. You may need an antenna, which is not included in the cost of the dish, to receive local channels. Cable provides you with all your local channels, plus many more.

Canadian satellite television distributors can only provide the same channels as those found on cable. We are all licensed under the CRTC and can only provide stations approved by the CRTC for broadcast in Canada.

The satellite television companies like to brag about their 400-channel lineups, but take a close look at what they're offering. Eliminate duplication, channels you'll never watch and channels broadcasting in languages you don't understand and the lineup is very comparable to that found on cable.  A significant portion of the satellite channel lineup is dedicated to "timeshifter" channels - stations from other time zones that allow you to watch programming at different times.  This is an attractive feature, but most network programming is only broadcast in two time zones - Eastern and Pacific.  That means that you might have 4 channels showing the same program at once, and then 4 channels showing the same program again three hours later.  Sounds nice, but it really makes their marketing ring hollow.

18. Can I get high speed Internet on satellite?

No.

19. And what about my community?

As both a long-time provider of your cable service and a responsible member of your community, Compton Communications is proud to do more than provide quality service to our neighbours. We invest in our community, through community channels and our support of local charities and organizations.  We sponsor many events and support many sports teams from youth hockey to seniors' lawn bowling.  When's the last time Shaw Direct or Bell TV put a hockey jersey on your child's back?

20. What's this about satellite being all-digital?

The word "digital" is becoming a favourite tool of marketers to try to make their products sound more modern and technologically-advanced.  The satellite companies are particularly keen to use this against cable companies by making the inference that cable signals are inferior because some are analog.  They want you to think that if something is transmitted digitally, then it's the best it possibly can be.

This is misleading, at best.  What they don't tell you about digital quality is that it's dependent on the overall bandwidth available on each transponder of their satellites.  The more channels squeezed onto one transponder, the lower the corresponding quality of each channel.  That's why you'll frequently see "compression artifacts" on many satellite channels, especially during sports programming.  That's why we're extremely proud of both our analog and digital lineup - for picture quality, we'll put them up against anything the satellite companies offer.

However, in the interest of pleasing everyone, our entire lineup is available in digital format.

Don't get us wrong, competition and consumer choice are a good thing.  But don't be swayed by the marketing campaigns used by our competitors.  We're a small company without the hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on advertising like our competitors, so you may not have heard our message as clearly.  If you're thinking of switching, give us a call and make sure you're fully informed before you commit to satellite technology.