DALLAS -- Is satellite or cable television a better choice? Both sides make a lot of claims that can make for a fuzzy picture, but knowing the facts can help you clear see through all the static and decide which is the best choice for you.

For a clearer picture of the cable versus satellite debate, first consider availability, television station KXAS said. You might not even have a choice between the two.

Satellite requires a clear view of the southern sky and cable requires an actual line running through your neighborhood. If you have both, then you have a choice.

As the old standard, cable is arguably the most familiar choice, but has evolved over the years, according to industry insiders.

"Cable has changed," Angel Biasatti of Comcast Cable said. "It's not the same ol' cable it was 20 years ago."

However, despite improvements, officials say satellite is coming on strong.

"We've probably seen a 400 percent increase in our business over the past four years," Bob Stevens of Metro-Net in north Texas said.

In the fight for customers, cable companies are upgrading their networks to provide services like high-speed Internet access. They are also promoting the programs you can't find anywhere else.

"That's what sets us apart. It's the local programs. It's the high school sports," Biasatti said. "It's the Christmas parades. It's the graduations."

Satellite companies, on the other hand, push high-tech features like digital video recording.

"You can actually stop and pay attention to what your wife is saying because you can go back and see what you were missing," Stevens said.

The battle for business is only heating up as satellite and cable both aim to satisfy customer demands.

However, when sized up head-to-head, satellite is the clear winner over cable, according to an independent survey by J.D. Power and Associates.

On the issue of performance and reliability, big cable companies, Comcast and Charter for example, each scored two points out of five.

The two big satellite companies, Direct TV and Dish Network, each got five points.

On the issue of cost, Charter scored three points and Comcast scored two. Direct TV and Dish Network scored five.