Direct TV is the latest major pay television operator to announce a price increase. The DirecTV price increase will take effect in early March, and will raise the prices of most packages between $3 and $5 dollars each. Direct TV is citing higher programming costs as the reason for the increase. DIRECTV prices have been raised for the past three years.

All in all, the increase won’t break any budgets. When you look at it logically, they are basically raising the price of service about a dime a day, well worth it for most satellite TV subscribers who watch between one and four hours of television each day. Still, it seems as if consumers are getting nickel and dimed to death, even with the economy going into the tank.

On the other hand, compare Direct TV vs Dish Network and that will provide you a good idea on what satellite television will offer. One example is the price charged for DVR service every month. The DirecTV DVR is about per month, while Comcast charges upwards of for their DVR service. Charges like this really can inflate your bill.

Direct TV had another great quarter to finish out 2008. They added over 300,000 customers in the last quarter of 2008, while Comcast lost 500,000. That in itself show that DirecTV feels comfortable raising rates, even though consumers are losing their jobs. Dish Network will certainly have a hard time keeping up with Direct TV in 2009, as they have lost a key reseller, with AT&T switching over and offering Direct TV service this year.

Dish Network is the second largest satellite TV company, with nearly 14 million subscribers. Because of the heated competition in the pay television market, Dish Network offers great deals to new customers, in the hopes that they will become a long-time subscriber.

So where should you search to find the best satellite TV deals? The world wide web of course is a great place to begin researching satellite TV promotions. Right now, Dish Network is offering a special offer which can get you started with satellite television for just $9.99 per month. Now the customer should be aware that this is a promotional price on the Classic 100 bundle, which is regularly priced at $34.99 per month. In addition, local channels are not included in this price, so expect to pay an additional $5 or so for local programming.

What if you are in the market for an all-inclusive satellite TV package? The item that would fit the bill in this case would be the America’s Everything Pak, which is offered at a promotional price of $72.98 for six months, and $97.98 per month after that. Included here is every cable television channel you can think of, like 31 commercial free premium movie channels like Showtime. Another great option is the Dish Network Classic Silver package, offered at around $50 per month, with a $25 discount for the first six months of service.

Another great thing about satellite television is that most of the equipment needed is provided at no charge. From the satellite dish to the HD DVR, Dish Network will set you up. Generally, you will only incur upfront costs if you desire to have multiple DVR units. In addition, the satellite TV installation process is a snap, offering free installation in up to four rooms in your home.

Why not check out the new Dish Network deals available and compare them with what you currently pay for cable TV. Odds are you will be surprised at how much cheaper satellite TV costs.