ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Maybe you've seen the ads between satellite and cable TV, each claiming they are better than the other.

Which actually has the better deal? Which has more channels? And which has the best picture quality?

Albuquerque television station KOAT tried to cut through the static and finds out who wins in satellite vs. cable.

"It's two different technologies that are delivering the same kind of content," said Comcast Cable Vice President William Kent.

"If you don't know what you don't know, then you really don't know the difference," said Drake LeMaster of WorldLynk/Dish Network.

To help you pick what's right for you, the station compared the two technologies in four categories: reliability, picture quality, value and availability.

Because the dish gets its signal directly from satellites, you can go virtually anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere and still watch TV.

Cable is in almost every city and town in the country, but for viewers who live in remote areas, satellite is often the only choice.

So for ultimate availability, satellite wins.

On the day the station investigated it was below freezing, the wind was blowing, and six inches of snow would fall by day's end. And satellite dishes are susceptible to weather.

A thin coat of snow on the lower half of the dish means the owner will have to get a good book -- or a sturdy ladder.

"If I really, really want to watch it, I get the ladder out and climb up the ladder and brush (the dish) off with a broom. But that's a little treacherous in the snow," the owner said.

Cable is more reliable in stormy weather because the lines run underground or on poles.

With satellites, rain can fade the signal; snow can block the signal entirely. You can put heaters on the dish or spray it with a nonstick chemical. But satellite companies admit severe weather can be a problem.

"If that reflector, the dish, gets covered with snow, from 24,000 miles out ... you could possibly lose (the signal)," LeMaster said.

To test picture quality, the station pitted satellite and cable head to head, using identical TVs with default factory settings. Technicians installed their own systems.

Time and again, the test subjects said the picture looked smoother and the colors more vibrant on the dish. A big part of the reason: Satellite is all-digital.

Cable, even digital cable, still sends the bulk of its channels in analog.

The test compared both of Comcast's analog and digital channels to the dish, but subjects said picture quality was very close.

Choosing which one to purchase ultimately came down to a final category -- value.

In Albuquerque, for instance, Comcast said its most popular package of nearly 80 channels, including local stations and the most popular cable networks goes for $40.55 a month. For another $30 a month, viewers get digital channels and one premium choice. That's a total of $70 a month.

The Dish Network also offers local channels. Fifty cable channels cost $25 a month. Add local stations for $6 more. Another $9 buys you 50 more cable channels. Kick in another $16 and you'll get HBO and Cinemax. Total cost: $56 a month.

If you're having a hard time choosing between dish or cable, maybe that's the point, the station said. The two technologies are very competitive and each offers something that counters the other.

Satellite has big sports packages, but cable offers local channels in high-definition television. It also often offers high-speed Internet access.

Satellite has free installation, but you have to sign a contract with stiff cancellation fees.

There is no contract with cable, but you often have to pay for installation.

To watch satellite on different TVs, you will need a receiver for each, but then again, you can get them free.

You don't need a box to watch cable, but you do need one for digital cable.

Cable companies say that because the market is unpredictable, it is impossible to predict future cable rates. Satellite companies allow customers to lock in rates for a certain period of time, but once that time is up, there is no guarantee those rates won't increase.

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How Stuff Works: Satellite TV | Cable TV