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The television blackout rules are pretty complex, and vary tremendously from sport to sport. This is whether you have satellite TV, cable TV, or neither of the two. Specific to satellite TV, however, are the regional sports packages listed on the main window of this page. You should know that, as a general rule, most professional sporting events carried by the regional sports channels are subject to blackout outside the local market.
Like television before it, radio is now available by satellite. Two providers, XM Radio and Sirius offer satellite radio service throughout the continental US.
The choices can seem endless when you're looking for a satellite TV provider - and so can the questions. What programming packages make sense for my household? Do I really need HD? What kind of equipment should I get? Can I afford all of the channels I want? Who is the better provider - DISH or DIRECTV?
MyRatePlan has designed this page to answer all of those questions and more - helping you choose the satellite TV provider and package that meets your needs and your budget.
Both DISH and DIRECTV, the two giants of satellite television, have home media center receivers available with most satellite TV plans. With DISH you can get the Hopper Whole-Home HD DVR, and with DIRECTV you can get the Genie HD DVR.
These are the most sophisticated HD DVR home media centers available from each of these satellite TV providers. However, if you prefer a simpler home media center, each satellite TV provider has a range of receivers with different capabilities and features
For avid sports fans, nothing is more exciting than a few hours spent watching a high-intensity game. While sitting court side on the basketball court or next to the boxing ring is an unparallelled experience, HD sports channels make it possible for fans to experience the heat of the action from the comfort of their home sofa.
There are two issues you need to consider here --- the equipment itself, and the monthly bill impact for programming services related to the equipment.
There are 210 Designated Market Areas (DMA) in the United States. You can only receive local channels for the DMA in which you live (FCC rules). Satellite TV is currently offered in almost all of these DMA, covering the vast majority of population. Local channels are included at no additional cost in most programming packages offered by DISH and DIRECTV.
Most basic packages include the regional sports network(s) authorized for your area. If you want more sports, both DISH and DIRECTV offer a sports package enabling you to get all the regional sports channels. The DIRECTV package is somewhat more expensive, between $7 and $12 (depending on how many movie packages you buy), because it includes a few additional channels.
A basic package is the core element of your satellite TV viewing. While both DISH and DIRECTV offer many of the same channels, there are some differences in how they are organized across packages.
Satellite TV Packages
When you choose a satellite TV plan, you should first decide which channels and features you want the most. The channels and features you want with your satellite TV package will determine the price you pay each month for satellite TV service.
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For avid sports fans, nothing is more exciting than a few hours spent watching a high-intensity game. While sitting court side on the basketball court or next to the boxing ring is an unparallelled experience, HD sports channels make it possible for fans to experience the heat of the action from the comfort of their home sofa.