[Steve Mehs]

The number of channels is not a good deciding factor; Look at the the cahnnels you will actually watch and compare the packages.

Ain't that is the truth! I don't get nearly as many channels with cable as I did with satellite, mainly because when it comes to shopping, religious, and public interest channels, in those three categories I get a grand total of 6 channels, as opposed to 20 or probably closer to 40 when talking about Dish Network. But I do get more HD channels with cable then DirecTV offers, I do get more premium movie channels, I do get real On Demand functionality, and I do get a rock solid DVR.

I live in a small rural town of about 2,000 households, and I had satellite TV for over 7 years, went back to cable this past winter and haven't looked back.