THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 2, 1995 TAG: 9509300038
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
I 'LL BE IN A funk later this month. Why?
Because when the Dallas Cowboys - my Cowboys - play Green Bay and San Diego, I won't be able to see running back Emmitt Smith cut and slash his way into the end zone, or watch wide receiver Michael Irvin make his spectacular catches.
There are no plans to show those Dallas games in this market.
I've been a big Dallas fan even before Roger Staubach was throwing touchdown passes to Drew Pearson. I hate it when I can't see their games on TV.
When the Cowboys play a 1 p.m. game at home against the Packers on Sunday, the local Fox affiliate (WTVZ) will carry the Washington-Philadelphia game at that hour. On Oct. 15, when Dallas is in San Diego for a 4 p.m. game, WTVZ again feeds us the Redskins 4 p.m. game with Arizona.
The Redskins. Those dreadful burgundy pants. Ugh!
How can I be assured of seeing the Cowboys on TV every time they play?
By purchasing a digital satellite system that includes one of those neat-looking 18-inch dishes.
I'm tempted.
Trouble is, the cost is high.
It will take $699.99 to buy a digital satellite system plus another $199.00 to have it installed, unless I get as adventurous as Tim Allen on ``Tool Time'' and do the work myself with the $72 kit.
Then I have to shell out another $139 for the ``NFL Sunday Ticket,'' which delivers games that are not beamed into this market. The prices may vary from store to store, and one manufacturer recently offered a $100 rebate, but the bottom line is this:
It isn't cheap to set yourself up with a digital satellite system.
Even with the high cost, more than 1 million people have bought into DSS, according to Phil Swann who keeps up with these things for ``Satellite Direct'' and ``Satellite Orbit'' magazines published in Northern Virginia.
``The driving force behind these sales are the satellite sports packages,'' said Swann. ``Viewers love the idea that on a Sunday afternoon they can sit back, relax and see every single game of the National Football League schedule on a sharp picture with great sound.''
Swann has all that DSS can dish out - about 200 channels. Call him at 1-703-827-0511, extension 215, with your questions about this cool way to watch TV.
Direct TV, the service that provides the ``NFL Sunday Ticket'' also has packages that include more than 500 National Basketball Association games and approximately 20 National Hockey League games every week.
Direct TV is more than rebounds and running backs.
For $29.95 a month, Direct TV offers ``total choice,'' a lineup of more than 30 channels including CNN, ESPN, The Weather Channel, A&E and a music channel. USSB, another supplier of programming to digital satellite system owners, has packages that range from $7.95 to $34.95 including ``Entertainment Plus,'' which delivers five HBO, three Cinemax, Showtime and The Movie Channel channels.
You're probably paying something near that amount for cable.
With cable you get the local stations that deliver local news, weather and sports plus programming from six commercial networks and the public broadcasting.
There isn't any of that on DSS, although there are direct-broadcast satellite companies gearing up to beam out network shows for a fee.
Let's say that you have USSB's ``Entertainment Plus'' with five HBO channels and three Showtime channels, or if you subscribe to Direct TV's ``NFL Sunday Ticket'' with 13 games at your fingertips, coming in with laser-disc sharpness, with CD quality sound. Who cares if you don't get to see Duane Harding doing the weather on WTKR or Cosmo Kramer falling down on ``Seinfeld''?
The Cowboys will be off national TV until the Oct. 29 game against Atlanta. They have an open date on Oct. 22. Three weeks without the Cowboys is an eternity. by CNB