13th October, 2015
Choosing a pay-TV package may seem the most uncomplicated of undertakings. It may, however, become a complicated activity if a great deal of consideration is not taken before a decision is made. Deciding on what package or provider that best fulfils your television entertainment needs, requires you to consider channel line-up and plans, range of accessibility to service, ease of subscription payment and price.
With hundreds of channels available, finding the perfect television plan that fits your needs is essential. Be sure to consider the channels included in each plan depending on what your TV viewing taste is. You need to check whether you have a heavy appetite for sports, especially football; news, movies, talk shows or just premium channels.
Careful consideration of packages or bouquets will help simplify your decision-making on what to pay for. What to do is to be sure that the package or provider you are settling for is one that best integrates the various elements of your entertainment needs.
With many pay-TV providers, you are at liberty to move from one package to another if you develop appetite for a certain genre of entertainment not included in your subsisting package. You could also scale down in case you are not regularly at home or the subscription is not easily affordable.
Pricing, without doubt, is something to deliberate on when choosing a pay-TV package or provider. Cheap, sometimes, could be expensive. An important step to take is to evaluate television plan pricing by multiple providers to ensure you are getting the most for your money.
A lean package should attract a lower subscription, but it may not deliver the value for which it is paid. Whether or not you are getting value will depend on how well the package or provider meets your television-viewing taste. Pay-TV providers continue to add channels on their bouquets, often at no additional cost. It is important to choose a provider that constantly does this.
In some cases, some providers grant active subscribers on lower bouquets access to premium content for a limited amount of time.
DStv’s Open Weekend, which gives subscribers on all its bouquets access to some channels on its higher packages for three days and at no extra cost, is an example.
Access is similarly important. Satellite television subscribers have access to content anytime and almost anywhere because satellite signal is possible from any location with a clear view of the sky through a well installed dish. Cable television, however, requires, that a user’s home be connected to be connected to a cable network, usually in areas where the provider works.
This means that in rural areas or sparsely populated locations, it may be impossible to receive cable signal.
So, be sure what technology (cable or satellite) your preferred provider is using before making a decision.
Another important factor is the ease of renewing subscription. It is always better to choose a provider that offers a wide variety of payment options, eliminating the need for you to carry physical cash for payment.
Essentially, value should be the main consideration. Depending on your needs, you need to consider the number of TV features and benefits relevant to the price you are paying. In case you need an additional viewing facility and/or video on demand service, it is important to choose a package or provider that offers what you need.