Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 307, Cable and Satellite TV.
This is English as a Second Language podcast episode 307.
I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
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This episode is called Cable and Satellite Television, or TV.
It's a dialogue between two people talking about the differences between these two ways of getting television service.
Let's get started.
I'm trying to decide whether to get cable or satellite TV.
Which one do you have at your apartment?
I have satellite but I used to have cable.
What's the difference?
Not a lot.
With satellite you have to have a satellite dish installed on the roof. and you don't with cable.
Otherwise, you get similar options.
You can get basic channels and choose from a lot of different premium channels.
I have a package that includes the basic channels and some premium movie channels.
And I also have a sports package so I can watch all of the soccer matches I want.
I think I pay 5999 a month excluding the taxes and fees, but the basic service is probably cheaper.
When I had cable...
I had to pay a deposit for the cable box.
But with satellite, I had to buy the dish outright.
But it wasn't too expensive.
What I want are pay-per-view channels, so I don't need to run to the video rental store every time I want to watch a movie.
That's not a problem.
There's video on demand on both cable and satellite.
And there are a lot of movies to choose from.
That's great.
I'll check out whether my local cable company or satellite service has better packages and make a decision this weekend.
You could always start with the basic channels and then add services as you go along.
That's a good idea, especially since I know someone who has premium channels and round-the-clock soccer.
You bet.
Drop by any time, but don't forget the beer and popcorn.
Our dialogue is called cable and satellite TV.
There are three common ways of getting television in your home.
The easiest is what we call broadcast or over-the-air TV.
These are usually channels 3 4 5, maybe more, channels that you can buy a television set for, put up an antenna and you can get those channels.
If you want more channels, more variety, you can get either cable TV or satellite TV.
Cable television is when the company decides puts a wire into your house.
So it's a long wire that connects to your television.
Satellite TV is when the company puts a small, what we would call a dish on the roof on the top of your house.
A satellite dish is a piece of equipment that is pointed to a satellite, which is a machine that is up very high in the Earth's atmosphere that goes around the Earth.
You get the television channels from the satellite dish.
In our dialogue, Marion says to Cesar, I'm trying to decide whether to get cable or satellite TV.
Which one do you have at your apartment?
Cesar says, I have satellite, but I used to have cable.
Marion asks, what's the difference?
Cesar says, not a lot, not very much.
They're very similar.
With satellite, you have to have a satellite dish installed on the roof, and you don't with cable.
Cesar is saying that if you have satellite TV they have to install or put the dish on your roof, on the top of your building.
To install means to put a piece of equipment or some sort of service into place so that it works.
We also use that word for software.
I'm going to install some software on my computer.
I'm going to put it on my computer so that it works.
Cesar says that you can get basic channels... and choose from a lot of different premium channels.
Basic channels are the channels or stations that are included in the lower cost type of cable or satellite TV.
Premium channels are ones that cost more money.
For example, there is a popular movie cable channel called HBO, Home Box Office.
That is something you have to pay extra for.
Here in Los Angeles, cable television for the basic service is probably about $40, $50 a month.
Satellite television is about the same, maybe $40, $50, $60 a month.
If you want premium channels, movie channels, you have to pay another $10 a month usually.
Cesar says that he has a package that includes the basic channels and some premium movie channels.
He also has a sports package so he can watch all of the soccer matches he wants.
A package here means a group of things that are sold together.
So you can get maybe two or three movie channels and they give you a discount if you order all three of them as a package.
The word package has a couple of different meanings in English.
Take a look at our learning guide for some additional explanations.
Marion asks Cesar, how much is the monthly fee?
How much money do you have to pay every month?
The monthly fee.
Fee, F-E-E, is the cost, the price.
Cesar says, I think I pay $59.99 a month, $59.99, excluding the taxes and fees.
To exclude means not to include.
It's the opposite of include, not to count.
So excluding taxes means $59.99 does not include the taxes and fees.
Cesar says, when I had cable, I had to pay a deposit for the cable box.
When you have cable television or satellite television they usually give you a little bonus electronic box that you put on top of your television and the cable goes into the back of the box.
For cable TV, sometimes you have to pay the local company a deposit.
A deposit is money that you give them.
You get your money back when you bring them the box back.
So it makes sure that you are going to return the box.
If you don't return the box, then you are going to lose your deposit.
He says with satellite, he owns his dish outright.
He owns the equipment outright.
One word.
Outright means completely, totally, in full.
He owns the equipment.
He doesn't have to pay a deposit or rent it.
Marion says, what I want are pay-per-view channels.
Pay-per-view channels is a service that allows you to get just one movie or one sports game.
I just want to watch one movie every You can buy that movie to watch it on your television.
It usually costs $2, $3, maybe $4.
That's pay-per-view.
You pay for each one that you want.
Cesar says that's not a problem.
There's video on demand on both cable and satellite.
Video on demand is a program that you can watch anytime you want to.
You don't have to wait until a certain time for the program to begin.
We call that video on demand.
Podcasting is audio on demand.
Whenever you want it, whenever you ask for it, you can listen to it.
Marion says, that's great.
I'll check out whether my local cable company or satellite service has better packages and make a decision this weekend.
Cesar says you could always start with the basic channels and then add services as you go along.
The expression as you go along means over time, as you continue with something.
Marion says that's a good idea, especially since I know someone who has premium channels and round-the-clock soccer.
Round-the-clock soccer. means all the time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Marion is, of course, referring to Cesar, who has the soccer package, the sports package.
Cesar says, you bet, meaning yes, no problem.
Drop by any time. but don't forget the beer and popcorn.
Cesar is saying, you can visit me anytime.
To drop by means to visit someone who is not expecting you.
You don't have an appointment with that person.
You just go to their house or office, knock on their door, and visit them.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a native speed.
I'm trying to decide whether to get cable or satellite TV.
Which one do you have at your apartment?
I have satellite, but I used to have cable.
What's the difference?
Not a lot.
With satellite, you have to have a satellite dish installed on the roof and you don't with cable.
Otherwise, you get similar options.
You can get basic channels and choose from a lot of different premium channels.
I have a package that includes the basic channels and some premium movie channels.
And I also have a sports package so I can watch all of the soccer matches I want.
I think I pay 5999 a month excluding the taxes and fees, but the basic service is probably cheaper.
When I had cable I had to pay a deposit for the cable box, but with satellite I had to buy the dish outright, but it wasn't too expensive.
What I want are pay-per-view channels, so I don't have to run to the video rental store every time I want to watch a movie.
That's not a problem.
There's video on demand on both cable and satellite, and there are a lot of movies to choose from.
That's great.
I'll check out whether my local cable company or satellite service has better packages and make a decision this weekend.
You could always start with the basic channels and then add services as you go along.
That's a good idea, especially since I know someone who has premium channels and round-the-clock soccer.
You bet.
Drop by anytime.
But don't forget the beer and popcorn.
The script for this episode was written by Dr. Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thanks for listening.
We'll see you next time on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
This podcast is copyright 2007.
