The first thing you need to get a handle on is the availability of what we call OTA (over the air) High Definition broadcasts. I seem to remember addressing this earlier and perhaps in a thread that you either started or were a part of. Then again, perhaps not so here goes:
If you can get a decent OTA signal, this will seriously aid you in your decision. I live in one of the five major metropolitan areas that Beta-tested High Definition broadcasting more than five years ago and, such being the case, most of the bugs have been worked out to the extant that networks like ABC can now alert us of the ten movies per year(!) that do not come in High Definition. You get the best audio in OTA broadcasts. My local PBS station's concerts are fantastic in High Definition.
The problem with OTA is that they broadcast in UHF frequencies and this means that you must be able to receive an unobstructed signal from the antenna to your home. Again, I am lucky as I live on a hill and I can see the mountain from which almost all of the HD signals come from. So, a very simple $35.00 Terk antenna mounted on my attic window sill does the trick without any amplification. I collected $$ from the siblings and I installed a plasma monitor, Direct TV and anantenna for my wife's Father in Northern Indiana and his antenna reaches almost twenty feet from the top of his house. He also prefers OTA over Satellite and this allowed him to cancel cable.
If you can't get a decent OTA signal then you are probably better off with cable and the whole god-awful monopoly service that comes with it.
One thing you can do is go to www.antennaweb.org and follow the prompts to see what kind of antenna you might need in your area. You still must test the results for yourself as UHF is really strange in that twin, look-alike houses sitting next to each other either can or can't get the same decent signal. Also, www.avsforum.com will tell you who is broadcasting in your area and when they will be capable of getting you HD signals in your area.
So, again to answer your question, if you can get good OTA then Satellite is good. If not, cable is your answer. finally, While my Father-in-Law has direct TV, I have Dishnet and I prefer Dish over DirectTV.
If you can get a decent OTA signal, this will seriously aid you in your decision. I live in one of the five major metropolitan areas that Beta-tested High Definition broadcasting more than five years ago and, such being the case, most of the bugs have been worked out to the extant that networks like ABC can now alert us of the ten movies per year(!) that do not come in High Definition. You get the best audio in OTA broadcasts. My local PBS station's concerts are fantastic in High Definition.
The problem with OTA is that they broadcast in UHF frequencies and this means that you must be able to receive an unobstructed signal from the antenna to your home. Again, I am lucky as I live on a hill and I can see the mountain from which almost all of the HD signals come from. So, a very simple $35.00 Terk antenna mounted on my attic window sill does the trick without any amplification. I collected $$ from the siblings and I installed a plasma monitor, Direct TV and anantenna for my wife's Father in Northern Indiana and his antenna reaches almost twenty feet from the top of his house. He also prefers OTA over Satellite and this allowed him to cancel cable.
If you can't get a decent OTA signal then you are probably better off with cable and the whole god-awful monopoly service that comes with it.
One thing you can do is go to www.antennaweb.org and follow the prompts to see what kind of antenna you might need in your area. You still must test the results for yourself as UHF is really strange in that twin, look-alike houses sitting next to each other either can or can't get the same decent signal. Also, www.avsforum.com will tell you who is broadcasting in your area and when they will be capable of getting you HD signals in your area.
So, again to answer your question, if you can get good OTA then Satellite is good. If not, cable is your answer. finally, While my Father-in-Law has direct TV, I have Dishnet and I prefer Dish over DirectTV.