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.

So what can the condo dweller do? Recent rulings by the FCC have made it a bit easier for these renters and homeowners to get away from high cable television prices. Let’s consider some of the frequently asked questions in this area.

I live in a condominium, and my homeowners association restricts satellite dish installation. What options do I have?

This is a difficult situation to deal with. Homeowners associations have become extremely restrictive over the years when it comes to just about everything. The bottom line is that the FCC has ruled you have the right to satellite television, though the dish may have to be placed in an area considered “exclusive use.” This means no placement of the dish in common areas.

I own my own condo. Can I get satellite TV?

his oftentimes depends on the owner of the unit. Satellite television companies generally require landlord permission, so check directly with Dish Network or DIRECTV before scheduling installation. Twenty four month contracts are the general rule for new satellite customers, so be sure you can fulfill your end of the bargain.

I have heard about new shared satellite TV systems. How does this work?

Many high rise apartments and condominiums have begun to allow satellite TV companies access to their buildings. These large scale systems give the complete building access to a satellite provider, and give you a choice when comparing satellite TV vs. cable. Check with your landlord to see if they have installed a system like this.

21st century technology is beneficial to renters and homeowners alike. With expanded availability to satellite services, cable TV companies will have to hold down prices in order to remain competitive. More importantly, fully evaluate the options available in obtaining Satellite TV in your condo .

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.

Content is king today, and as the saying goes the networks want to deliver as much content as possible to the end user so they can make more money on advertising. Quite a few brand new all-sports channels have popped up over the last few years. A few of the new networks are Altitude Sports, which carries Nuggets from Denver and Colorado Avalanche games, as well as the Big Ten Network and the Mountian, the broadcast home of the Mountain West conference.

Sure these channels are great for folks in certain regions of the country, but disagreements between the providers of content and those who deliver the content have resulted in trouble at times to the customer. Consider what happened last year, the Big Ten Network began broadcasting in 2007, but the network was unable to strike a deal with cable TV provider Time Warner. Customers of Time Warner in Illinois were not able to watch some of the home town teams play because of the carraige dispute. Fortunately, the companies involved came to an agreement before the 2008 season, so customers could remain with with Time Warner instead of having to switch over to one of the satellite TV providers like DISH Network or DirecTV. An important thing to do when considering providers is to consider all factors, comparing DIRECTV against Time Warner.

Out of market sports programming are another consideration for the customer. The Direct TV Sunday Ticket package is exclusive to the satellite TV provider so if you want this football fest, you have to switch. This has left a bad taste in the mouth of some consumers, who don’t understand why a high demand package like this isn’t available to every provider, especially a big company like Comcast. Alternative packages though are more fan friendly, such as the National Hockey League Center Ice and the NBA League Pass, which are available on almost every cable TV and satellite provider. DIRECTV seems to have all of the premium sports packages like the Sunday Ticket.

If you take a moment and think about it, you can get a package including over 100 stations including commercial-free movie channels like HBO and Encore for about $95 dollars a month. That is less than you usually will drop for dinner and a movie. The latest technology in the pay TV market is HD, or high definition programming. What should you consider when hooking up that new Hi-def TV you just purchased?

Remember that your basic cable TV or satellite TV service is not in HD. You have to specifically purchase a programming package that features this type of programming. So where do smart shoppers start?

Call your current provider and investigate exactly what they can do as far as HD service. Satellite television companies DISH Network and DirecTV have been leading the pack as far as offering the most high definition when you look at channel counts. Cable TV providers like Cox also have some nice offerings, such as HD on-demand. Find out exactly how much upgrading to HD will cost, and if you need to buy additional equipment.

If what they are offering is not what you want, do a little comparison shopping. The latest offerings include an all HD package from DISH Network called Turbo HD. Direct TV sells HD service for only $9.99 per month. Charges per month are different with cable television companies across the country, so you will have to call your cable company to see what the cost will be for high definition.

Another factor to consider is that most telecom companies now offer TV service. AT&T now provides their UVerse service in many areas along with voice and DSL. Verizon is also selling television service, providing their fiber to the home service FiOS in limited neighborhoods. It is advisable that you compare services side-by-side, such as Direct TV vs Time Warner cable. These developments are a benefit to the customer, as more competition encourages lower costs in the end.