Digital Cable Unbound: America’s #1 Source for News and Entertainment
On February 17, 2009, the United States will mark the official--and government-mandated--”digital transition” from the over-the-air television broadcasting system to digital broadcasting. While it doesn’t require a switch to digital cable per se, this change will introduce many Americans to the world of digital cable television and all it has to offer.
From large cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner, to local cable broadcasters that are only known to their specific regions, digital cable has become the way the majority of Americans get their news and entertainment compared to satellite tv. No longer bound by the programming schedules and commercials, the digital cable subscribers can control what they watch, when they watch it, how they watch it, and who has permission to watch it, thanks to digital video recorders (DVRs) and video-on-demand programming.
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Record Your Favorite Programs
Digital video recorders (DVRs) allow subscribers to pause and rewind live television. They also can be programmed to record favorite sporting events, movies, and television shows (and they’re much easier than the VCRs of yesterday). Dual-tuner DVRs can record two shows at once, so you never have to miss a show during a competing time slot. DVRs are also perfect for those of us who tend to fall asleep on the couch in the middle of our favorite show--it’s wonderful to know it will still be there waiting for us when we want to watch it again.
View On Demand
Video-on-demand programming allows customers to select from an array of movies, educational programs, exercise shows, sporting events, and more. Different from pay-per-view, video-on-demand is often offered at no additional charge.
With so many cable companies offering more than digital cable television, more customers than ever are opting to bundle their services to include digital telephone and high-speed cable internet services. This so-called “Triple Play” allows customers to save money and pine down the amount of utility companies they need to use.
Cable services have improved high-speed internet so much you can actually watch your favorite programs right over the web. Dish Network television stations as well as several cable programs give you the opportunity to download and watch their content on your computer.
Control Over Programming
If there is anything to take away from digital cable technology, it’s that it has given us the ability to control our television programming. It’s nice to know while we can’t control the weather, our in-laws, or our children, we can come home from a long day at the office to a cable network that does exactly what we want it to, when we want it to.
If cable internet is not available in your area, please consider HughesNet.