While there are many cable and satellite companies, who offer one or two Pakistani television channels, the big contenders are Dish Network and Direct TV.
Image via Wikipedia
Both of them offer multiple channels, but I have to say that the latter actually has a package specifically designed with Pakistani channels in mind.
There are many Pakistani stations available in the US, but some of them are not spoken very well of. The stations offered include, but are not limited to, A Plus, Aag TV, Ahlebait TV, Apna News, Masala TV, and many more. Upon looking into matters, I have learned about some of the channels and which ones viewers prefer. Contenders for the higher rated news channels (based on blog reviews) are Waqt News and Apna news. Although some seem to think that Apna has more meaningful news broadcasts, most reviews show that Waqt News is much higher quality when referencing major political and religious data. If you are interested in food networks, there are three major choices. There is ARY Zauk, Masala, and Zindagi. All three of these channels offer great cooking network television, but according to reviews, Masala is definitely where all of the action is. Even though reviews state these channels are the best, you may want to look up some of the channels and decide for yourself which ones are actually better fitted to your personal preferences.
Deciding on which cable or satellite provider to use for Pakistani channels, one must keep in mind one major factor. How good is the picture and sound quality going to really be? Cable companies, generally, do not have the materials necessary to clearly receive stations from half a world away. Satellite companies, on the other hand do. Dish Network and Direct TV (both of which are highly reputable satellite dish companies) both offer larger satellites so that you may be able to more clearly watch your preferred station. DTV actually offers a package designed specifically around Pakistani television, so they know quite a bit about how hard it is to clearly intercept the transmissions being sent out. A client has the option of purchasing satellites up to 1.2 meters in size (depending on location) through both companies. This size ensures that, unless you live in the mountains or hill country, the client will be able to enjoy sitting down and watching their favorite station with clarity and quality incomparable to what anyone else is currently offering. Both companies are well known for their diversity and knowledge because they are always trying to find new ways to add more to their already popular packages.
Now in order to decide which of the many companies a better choice for you is, you really need to do some extensive research. Most cable and satellite companies sign you up with a contract. These contracts guarantee you the service, but you are obligated to stay with said company for a designated time period. Both DirectTv and Dish offer a 12 month contract; however, signing on for twenty – four months generally gives you a better price. Another fact to remember is that if you sign on for a 24 month contract with either company, the first 12 months are the only months that you are getting the discounted price. After the first 12 months, the price goes up and the bonus channels are taken away.
I hope that the information that I have given you helps you to decide what company is best for you, but my advice is to do your own research. Look at reviews, make phone calls, talk to friends, and most importantly ask detailed questions of customer service when deciding what package you want or need. Do not make your decision based on price alone because a wise man once told me that, “You get what you pay for.” While this is not always true, most of the time it is.
[Full Disclosure: : EJ Parfitt has previously worked for DirectTV].
© 2012, EJ Parfitt. This article may not be reproduced in any form without providing an active attribution link/ reference to The Pakistan Forum. All attribution links within the article must also be retained.
Recent Comments