In Argentina we have DirecTV. As yet, there are not many HD channels. But the standard package comes with local canales de Argentina (about 14), CNN Español, three canales de Chile, 8 canales de Brazil, canales de Panamá, y todos canales de México. En addición, hay canales de España (tres en catalán), las noticias en Alemania, Frances, Arts and Living, Bravo, all of the dish and gossp channels from the USA (one must keep up with the trailer trash life of Britney), the Discovery Channel, History Channel, Science Channel, Cooking Channel, and más canales de deportes que es posible a ver. In otherwords, we get everything plus HBO just as we would in the USA -- except the porn channel isn't an option. It is included. At 10:00 PM a channel similar to QVCC turns into the porno channel and shows straight port until 3:30 AM. Then they show a couple of old gay pornos. Then they return to selling Ron Popiel products. Total cost is about $50 US monthly.
In the USA I pay $110 for a monthly subscription for everything offered by DirecTV (Sundance channel, HBO, Star Cinema, Cinemax) all of the news channels, TCM Turner Classics; basically over 520 channels of programming that includes only three Spanish channels: TV Azteca, Telemundo, y TeleLatino. But It also includes a slew of music radio programming from Lawrence Welk to Classical, every genre of rock, and Jazz. It keeps the ranch hands happy. The porno channels cost $13.00 for three hours of six different channels -- none of them gay. The worst part is we get the local NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and PBS affiliates from Salt Lake City which is over 340 miles away. Reno is 380 miles away, yet we never receive local state Nevada news because DirecTV insists we're in the Ewetaw Nielsen area. But we get a ton of HD programming and most of the local channels are 100% HDTV. If you have at least a 42 inch 1080i screen it is well worth the cost. And there is no problem with PAL, PALN, or NTSC compatability issues.
In Spain we subscribe to TV Satalital, which offers more than 200 HD channels as well as HBO, Cinimax, Stars, Sundance, Aljazeera, The News in Dutch, all local catalán and castellano channels from Barçelona, and the rest of Spain, North Africa, the three main channels in France, far too much German programming and the standard English language SONY Intertainment Channel, AXM, FOX (just the network, not the news) Cinemax, the sympathy card channel (the folks that make greeting cards in the USA), and Arts and Intertainment as well as the exact same Science, History, War, History of Flight, and some very interesting channels that show nothing but Spanish cinema (there are three). But the porno will cost extra. We pay 80 Euros a month for the service but they allow us to connect three separate TV's to the cable. So, those cable boxes are economically stretched over my three pisos that each contain a huge 1080i flat screen in the media rooms of the apartments I rent to high end clients who expect to stay in fully furnished high-end luxury apartments for 3 months or more.
Satalital and DirecTV have been satisfactory. I would recommend them both. But I would avoid -- AT ALL COST -- The Dish Network satellite systems. Unless you prefer more religious programming than any other kind. Plus The Dish Network has yet to complete agreements with many local markets, therefore you need to add the switch boxes offered by the FCC to receive local programming at a discount and hooked it into the back of your TV to switch back and forth between the Dish programming and the local programming in your area. However, not all Dish Network areas are still encumbered with this poorly designed system. The Dish Network, as far as I know, does not offer any adult porno programming. Even if they gave it away free, it would cost to much. However, they do have a channel from Oklahoma that plays nothing but Lawrence Welk reruns 18 hours a day.
The Hughes Satellite Network was the first and has the oldest equipment in stationary orbit. However, even DirecTV leases band width from those Hughes Satellites in many areas of the Central and Eastern USA. Their equipment is no longer state-of-the art, but they are well-engineered communication satellites. If Hughes is all that is offered in your area, then find out how many channels and how much alternate programming is broadcast in HDTV so you get a clean digital signal that can deal with the new generation of flat screen TV's that are rated at 1080i. If you haven't purchased a flat screen TV yet and are thinking about it, avoid plasma screens. They do not offer sharp clean images. They used to be the sharpest and cleanest, but with the relatively recent introduction of 1080i big screens it's like buying last decades technology. Be sure to spring the extra $300 to $500 asked for a 1080i flat screen. Yes, it's a lot of pocket change that could otherwise pay for your children's school lunches, but you won't be disappointed. The bigger the screen the more it really does appear as if you're looking out of a window handing on the the wall of your home.
Now, all the electronic nerds can jump all over me and tell me that I'm wrong, which is fine. It's best to hear all of the pros and cons before making a decision. The idea that I waltzed into COSTCO late last October just to buy a giant flat screen TV for my ranch employees that cost over $1,500 was a bit of sticker shock. I purchased a VISIO brand TV. It seemed to me to have the sharpest and best color, plus it's BlueRay CD ready, including tits and feathers surround sound.
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