In today’s world folks are looking to maximize their entertainment dollar. Increasing fuel prices, a slowing economy, and high food costs are putting the squeeze on citizens. Luckily, one of the great buys in entertainment is your cable or satellite television service.

If you take a moment and think about it, you can get a package including over 200 stations including premium movie channels like Cinemax and Encore for about $95 dollars a month. That is less than you typically spend for dinner and a first run movie. The latest and greatest in the pay television market is HD, or high definition programming. What should you consider when hooking up that new flat screen TV you just purchased?

Remember that your standard cable television or satellite TV service is not in hi-def. You must specifically purchase a package that features this type of programming. So where do smart shoppers begin?

Make a call to your current provider and investigate exactly what they offer as far as HD service. Satellite television companies DISH Network and DirecTV have been leading the pack as far as offering the most HD when you look at channel counts. Cable television providers like Cox also have some great offerings, such as HD on-demand. Ask exactly how much upgrading to hi-def will be, and if you need additional equipment. Comparing against satellite DVR units is important.

If what they offer is not what you want, its time to do a little comparison shopping. The latest offerings include an all hi-def package from DISH Network called Turbo HD. DirecTV offers HD service for just $9.99 per month. Prices are different with cable TV companies across America, so you will need call your local operator to see what the cost will be for HD service.

Another consideration is that most telephone companies now provide TV service. AT&T now offers their U-verse TV package service in many areas along with voice and high speed internet service. Verizon is also in the game, offering their fiber to the home service FiOS in some neighborhoods. It is advisable that you compare different services side-by-side, such as DirecTV vs. AT&T U-verse. All of this is a great benefit to the customer, as more competition encourages lower costs in the end.