Are you debating which is the better service: Cable TV or Satellite TV? If you are, you might be interested in a few facts.

For years, satellite TV had a technological advantage over cable TV. After all, satellite offered digital service; cable companies offered mostly analog signal in the majority of their broadcast locations, and were slow to begin the conversion to digital process.

According to J.D. Power and Associates, cable companies are losing customers, and satellite TV is rapidly picking up customers. J.D. Powers and Associates' survey included more than 7,300 U.S. households. In the survey, customer satisfaction rated highest among satellite providers, not cable companies.

Cable companies took a look at their services and decided that the answer must be digital programming. If they (the cable companies) were able to offer digital programming, customers wouldn't be bailing out on the cable companies, right?

Well, the cable companies have slowly added digital programming to their selection, and that still hasn't turned the tide of defecting customers. So what is the reason for the switch?

One factor is cost. Again, according to J.D. Power and Associates, satellite TV has had negligible rate increases over a five-year period, while cable companies have increased rates an average of 41% over the same period of time.

Another factor is variety. Of course, satellite TV offers far more programming options than standard cable. With the variety of international programming, sports channels, movie channels and special interest channels, satellite is the clear winner.

Perhaps the final factor is customer satisfaction. Satellite TV customers report greater satisfaction in performance and availability, reliability of billing, better promotional options, clearer image and a more proactive approach to customer service.

So, if you are looking for superior quality service, reasonable pricing, and variety, satellite TV is the better option to choose. Plus, satellite TV offers the customer the option of owning the equipment, not merely renting the equipment. In the long and short run, satellite TV is a far better option.