by: Brian Stevens

With more than 256 channels to choose from, satellite TV programming offers far more TV listings and viewing options than cable or over-the-air TV.

Satellite TV also gives you access to music channels, pay-per-view movies, sports packages, adult channels, and international programming.

DISH Network Satellite TV Programming

DISH Network programming packages start at $31.99 per month.

They also offer pay-per-view movies and events, adult programming, and sports packages. International programming includes: African, Arabic, Armenian, Asian, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Israeli, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, South Asian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Urdu channels.

DISH Network has the biggest variety of movies and shows and the most HD (high definition) programming of the two satellite TV providers.

Here are DISH Network's current satellite TV programming packages:

America's Top 60 ($31.99 per month)

This package includes the following program channels, plus your local channels:

ABC Family, America's Collectibles Network, Angel One, Arts & Entertainment (A&E), Auction TV, Beauty & Fashion Channel, Bingo TV, BYUTV, Cable News Network (CNN), Cartoon Network, Catalog TV, Classic Arts Showcase, CNBC, Colours TV, Comedy Central, Country Music Television, Court TV, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Daystar, Discovery Channel, The Disney Channel (East), Disney Channel (West), E! Entertainment Television, Educating Everyone, ESPN, ESPN Alternate, ESPN2, ESPN2 Alternate, ESPNews, Eternal Word Television Network Family Net, Florida Education Channel, Food Network, Free Speech TV, Good Samaritan Network, Headline News Network, Health TV, Healthy Living Channel, The History Channel, HITN, Home & Garden Television, The Home Shopping Network, Horseracing TV, ISHOP, The Jewelry Channel, The Learning Channel, Lifetime, Men's Channel, Music Television (MTV), Music Television 2 (MTV2), NASA, Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite (East), Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite (West), Northern Arizona University/University House, PBS You, QVC Shopping Network, Research Channel, RFDTV, The Sci-Fi Channel, Shop At Home, Shop NBC, Spike TV, Stuff TV, The Travel Channel, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Turner Broadcast System (TBS), Turner Network Television (TNT), TV Games Network, TV Guide Channel, TV Land, TV Outlet Mall University Of California, University Of Washington, USA Network, VH1 The Weather Channel, Worldlink TV.

America's Top 120 ($42.99 per month)

This package includes all of the channels in the America's Top 60 package, plus the following program channels and 32 Sirius music channels:

American Movie Classics, Animal Planet, BBC America, Black Entertainment Television (BET), Bravo, CNN Financial/CNN International, Comcast Sports Network, Discovery Health, Empire Sports, ESPN Classic, F/X, FOX News Channel, FOX Sports, FOX Sports West 2, Fuse, Galavison, Game Show Network, Independent Film Channel, Lifetime Movie Network, Madison Square Garden, MSNBC, New England Sports Network (NESN), Noggin, Pax TV, SiTV, The Speed Channel,, Sports Alternate 1, Sports Alternate 2, Sports Alternate 3, Sports Alternate 4, Sports Alternate 5, Sunshine Network, G4 Tech TV, Telefutura East, Telefutura West, Toon Disney, Turner Classic Movies, Turner South, Univision East, Univision West, WE: Women's Entertainment, WGN Superstation.

America's Top 180 ($52.99 per month)

This package includes all the channels in the America's Top 120 package, plus the following program channels and 50 Sirius music channels:

Biography, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, CNBC World, Discovery, Home & Leisure, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel, Discovery Wings, Dish Music- 50's & 60's Hits, Dish Music- 70's Hits, Dish Music- 80's Hits, Dish Music- All That Jazz, Dish Music- Beach Party, Dish Music- Classic Soul, Dish Music- Country Music One, Dish Music- 4 Decades of Music, Dish Music- Expressions, Dish Music- Hitline, Dish Music- Hot FM, Dish Music- Italia, Dish Music- Love Songs, Dish Music- Moonscapes, Dish Music- New Orleans Jazz, Dish Music- Piano & Guitar, Dish Music- Road House, Dish Music- Tropical Breezes, Dish Music- Urban Adult, Do It Yourself Network, Encore (West), Encore, Action/Adventure, Encore Love Stories, Encore Mysteries, Encore True Stories, Encore Wam/America's Kidz Network, Encore Westerns, FOX Movie Channel, FOX Sports, Net World, The Golf Channel, GOL TV, Great American Country, Hallmark Channel, History Channel International, The Movie Channel (West), National Geographic Channel, Nickelodeon Games & Sports, Nick toons, The Outdoor Channel, Outdoor Life Network, Reality TV, SoapNet, Style, The Science Channel, TMC Xtra West, VH1 Classic, Wisdom Television.

America's Everything Pak ($86.99)

This package includes all the channels in the America's Top 180 package, plus the following (31 movie channels in all):

Showtime Unlimited Package, Starz! Super Pak, HBO Package, Cinemax Package.

Note: For more programming information, ordering information, and the latest bonuses and free offers from DISH Network, click on the links below.

DIRECTV Satellite TV Programming

DIRECTV satellite TV programming starts at $41.99 per month.

They also offer pay-per-view movies and events, adult programming, and sports packages. International programming includes Chinese, Filipino, Italian, South Asian, Spanish, and Vietnamese channels.

DIRECTV has the most sports program packages of the two satellite TV providers, including the popular NFL Sunday Ticket.

Here are DIRECTV's current satellite TV programming packages:

Total Choice ($41.99 per month)

This package includes the following program channels, plus your local channels and 31 music channels):

A&E Network, ABC Family, America's Store, American Movie Classics (AMC), Animal Planet, BBC America, Black Entertainment Television(BET), Bloomberg Television, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, The Church Channel, CNBC, CNBC World, CNN, CNNfn/CNN International, Comedy Central, Country Music Television (CMT), Court TV, Daystar, Discovery Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Disney Channel (East), Disney Channel (West), E! Entertainment Television, ESPN, ESPN CLASSIC, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, EWTN, Fine Living, Food Network, Fox Movie Channel, Fox News Channel, Fuse, FX, Galavisión, Game Show Network, Hallmark Channel, Headline News, The Health Network, The History Channel, Home & Garden Television, Home Shopping Network, Independent Film Channel, Inspirational Life, The Learning Channel (TLC), Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Link TV, MARIA+VISIÓN, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, National Geographic Channel, Newsworld International, NFL Network, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (East), Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (West), Noggin/The N, Outdoor Life Network (OLN), Oxygen, PAX, PBS You, QVC, RFD TV, SCI FI Channel, Shop At Home, ShopNBC, Speed Channel, Spike TV, Superstation WGN, TBS Superstation, TechTV, TNT, Toon Disney, TRAVEL CHANNEL, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), TRIO, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), Turner South, TV Land, Univision (East), USA Network, VH1, WE: Women's Entertainment, The Weather Channel, Word Network, World Harvest Television.

Total Choice Plus ($45.99 per month)

This package includes all the Total Choice programs, plus the following channels:

The Biography Channel, Boomerang, Discovery Home & Leisure, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel, Discovery Wings, DIY - Do It Yourself Network, Fuel, History International, PBS KIDS, The Science Channel, SOAPNet.

Total Choice Premier ($93.99 per month)

This package includes all the channels in the Total Choice Plus package, plus the following program channels:

Action, BLACK STARZ!, Cinemax (East), Cinemax (West), Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic), CSTV: College Sports Television, Empire Sports Network, Encore® (West), Encore® (East), FLIX, Fox Sports World, The Golf Channel, HBO, HBO (West), HBO Family, HBO Family (West), HBO HDTV, HBO Latino, HBO Signature, HBO2, HBO2 (West), Love Stories, Madison Square Garden (MSG), MoreMAX, The Movie Channel, The Movie Channel West, Mystery, NBA TV, New England Sports Network, The Outdoor Channel, SHOWTIME East, SHOWTIME Extreme, SHOWTIME HDTV, SHOWTIME Showcase, SHOWTIME TOO, SHOWTIME West, STARZ! (East), STARZ! (West), STARZ! Theater (East), Sundance Channel, Sunshine Network, True Stories, VH1 Classic, WAM!, Westerns, YES Network.

Note: For more programming information, ordering information, and the latest bonuses and free offers from DIRECTV, click on the links below.