Cable TV Services
The cable system has emerged phenomenally in the United States in the recent years, and now, cable TV providers serve approximately 60 million homes in the nation. In the past, antennas and amplifiers were used to transfer the signals to television sets and a line of sight connection was required. Hence, people living in the remote areas were not able to watch their favorite TV programming. Yet things have changed now, and almost every resident in the country has access to the best cable deals.
In case of remote areas, a community antenna will be used in order to provide cable TV services, and the same method is used all over the country in order to offer a wide variety of programming and TV channels to individual homes. In the process, a coaxial cable is used in order to transport the signals to a consumer’s hub, which they can easily plug it to their television. In case of poor signal reception, cable TV providers may install amplifiers at certain distances in order to boost up the signal and to offer a great TV watching experience to their consumers.
The Evolution of Cable TV
A cable television broadcasts two types of signals: analog and digital. Traditionally, a cable TV service used analog signal to deliver video content, and it often ran into interferences and noises. This in turn affected the video and audio quality of the programming. On the other hand, digital TV is a newer approach to cable television and delivers high-quality content from the providers’ point to the consumers’ end. As the name indicates, digitally encoded signals are fed into a television set in this case so as to give an incomparable viewing experience to a customer.
As the quality was at stake, people started opting for streaming services over traditional cable TV, which lead to a growing trend of “cord cutting” in the US. Interestingly, even though digital cable TV connection fills the gap between quality and content delivery, some telecommunication companies are urging their consumers to cut the cords and adopt the streaming services these days. This is because most of the leading cable providers also offer high-speed internet access to their customers these days, which facilitates seamless video content streaming. However, according to a recent study, nearly 45% of the residents in the United States still prefer a traditional cable TV connection to the streaming services. This is mainly because of the cable TV plans and best cable deals they can get, which gives access to hundreds of channels in a much affordable pricing.
In the streaming services, the number of channels that you can watch is limited when compared to wired cable TV services. Additionally, some of the streaming services will not allow you to watch the contents that are aired on local channels. Another important thing that cord cutters need to notice is that a reliable and strong internet connection is required for watching programs using a streaming service. Hence, it is better to rely on cable TV service if you do not have access to a high-speed internet connection.
Grabbing the Best Cable Deals
It can be seen that many consumers usually complain about the pricing of their cable TV packages being very high. This is mainly because of their lack of knowledge about the best cable deals that different cable TV providers offer. In order to get the best out of it, compare different TV plans that are offered by the cable providers in your area and choose one that works best for you as well as your family. This way, you can avail the cheapest and best cable deals with ease. Note that the increasing number of cord cutters has also motivated many of the cable TV providers to offer exciting offers and promotional deals to both their existing and new subscribers.
In fact, the enormous possibilities in the market have paved way for many cable TV providers to come up and offer hundreds of channels to millions of subscribers in the US for reasonable prices. Below are some of the best cable providers you can choose today. Note that the pricing given below for various packages are not fixed and it may change with time or other specifics.
Comcast XFINITY®
Telecommunication Services
The XFINITY® cable TV service by the telecommunication giant Comcast® is one of the best in the market that you may count on. The cable company offers some of the best cable deals that anyone can hardly resist. One of the main advantages of choosing XFINITY® cable TV is the affordability; their cable services cost less than most of the other cable TV providers in the United States. For instance, consider the Digital Starter TV plan by XFINITY®, which offers 140+ channels for just $49.99 a month. This package is way too affordable when compared to other top cable providers. Additionally, the Digital Starter TV plan boasts that almost every channel included in the pack is listed in the top 25 cable TV networks. Some of those channels include Discovery, ESPN, TNT, AMC, USA, The CW, etc. So, you do not need to stress about missing any of the most popular channels or your favorite shows if you avail the cable services offered by XFINITY®.
Another advantage of availing the best cable deals offered by Comcast XFINITY® is the no-contract policy of the company. This is a great option for all the cable TV users out there, who are hesitant to make commitments. Anyhow, you will have to pay an additional cost of $10 in order to avail the no-contract service by XFINITY®. Other than that, the cable service provider also offers some of the best equipment to their subscribers. Consider the XFINITY® X1 DVR, for instance – it is one of the best choices that you may consider. The DVR is able to record about six shows in a go, which is really remarkable. Furthermore, it can also save High Definition recordings up to 100 hours. Some of the other cool features that the DVR entails include an X1 voice controlled remote, Netflix integration, etc.
Cox®
The best cable deals offered by Cox Communications® are highly remarkable. More than that, the way that they sell their services is somewhat different from others but extremely brilliant. At first, the cable TV provider used to sell a number of cable plans that include an apparently random set of channels. Now, they have become more attentive, and have trimmed down the number of cable plans offered to two, namely Flex Starter and Contour TV. Each of the TV plans comes with a set of customizable add-ons as well.
Cox® cable is the best bet for people who love to customize their channels, and thereby, enjoy more flexibility. In case of Contour TV plan, you can access more than 140 channels of almost every top-rated digital cable network. You can also avail some of the High Definition Contour TV plans and On-Demand entertainment services in the package. For instance, some of the additional services offered by the Contour TV plan include free DVR, voice-controlled remote, ability to record up to 1000 hours, etc. You can enjoy all these services at $64.99 per month. For a cheaper option, you may consider the Flex Starter plan. Here, you can watch 75+ channels for just $44.00 a month.
Even though you will have to sign a 2-year contract in order to avail the cable services of Cox®, the best cable deals offered by the company is worth it. Unlike other providers, Cox® will not increase the promotional pricing largely, and hence, its average price remains almost steady.
According to a recent study, the average increase in pricing of the services from the promotional period with Cox® is 27%. Similarly, the price hike that you may expect with the cable service provider over two years is reported to be an average of $101.37. Moreover, the hidden fees are comparatively low with Cox® apart from the Early Termination Fees, which you can see within the terms and condition clauses in your contract. In case you decided to terminate the cable service before the expiration period, the Early Termination Fees will be $240 minus $10 for every month that you used their service.
For people who are careless with their stuff, the Service Protection Plan offered by Cox® will be an ideal pick. The plan covers repairs and replacement charges for damaged wires, normal wear and tear, faulty fittings, and technician visit costs. This plan may cost you $84 annually, but it is sensible because you will have to pay about $60 for a technician visit or single service otherwise.
Charter Spectrum®
Compare Cable Plans
The telecommunication conglomerates Charter® and Time Warner Cable® jointly offer the Spectrum® TV service to millions of subscribers nationwide. The cable provider offers many best cable deals to its patrons and delivers one of the most excellent cable TV experiences in the US. One of the main plus points regarding Spectrum® cable is its no-contract policy. That is, you do not have to lock up yourselves in a contract in order to avail the services offered by Charter Spectrum®.
The best cable deals offered by Spectrum® cable range from $55.99 to $99.99 per month, and entail a number of channels according to the package. For a starter package, the number of channels that you may watch is up to 45 and you can watch about more than 200 channels for a better package. This type of cable service is suitable for the TV junkies who are commitment phobic and prefer to watch only a few premium channels that are included in their package. For instance, consider the popular shows such as Game of Thrones, Iron Chef, etc., that you may watch for two years without signing a contract. Another advantage of choosing Spectrum® cable is that it allows you to negotiate the pricing, and if you succeed, you can grab some of the best cable deals in the bargain.
The three most popular Spectrum® TV packages are Spectrum® TV Select, Spectrum® TV Silver, and Spectrum® TV Gold. It is $64.99 per month in order to avail the Spectrum® TV Select package that offers more than 125 channels. In case of the Spectrum® TV Silver package, there will be more than 175 channels in the pack, and you will have to pay a monthly cost of $84.99. For the Spectrum® TV Gold package, the monthly cost is $104.99 and it covers more than 200 channels.
In addition to this, you can also expect some surprises with the packages. For instance, in the Spectrum® TV Silver package, there could be 232 channels even though the number advertised is 175+. However, this depends upon the service area you are living in. Apart from this, you can also enjoy about 150 HD channels with Spectrum® for free of cost.
Choosing the Best Cable TV Provider
In the earlier days, it was quite easy to subscribe to a cable TV provider and it was a simple process as well. Things become totally different and complicated in the telecommunications market today, but for the betterment. Currently, most of the leading cable TV providers in the nation offer a plethora of different cable TV packages and deals. Yet it can be a little overwhelming for you to choose the right cable provider who offers the best cable deals to meet your requirements. In order to make the process easy, below are certain tips that you may consider.
Do Good Research
This is the first and most important step, which will help you to narrow down your search. For this, make a list of the cable TV providers in your area, and then do a detailed research on each provider. The best way to do this is by asking your neighbors and friends or family members in your locality about their cable TV service and about their viewing experience. Other than this, enquire about their customer service, the frequency of repairs or replacements, pricing and packages, etc.
You can also check the American Customer Satisfaction Report in order to figure out how different cable TV services fare. The survey rates some of the top-rated cable TV providers in the United States based on the customer satisfaction on their services. This is one of the easiest and effective ways to do your research and to choose the best cable deals for you.
Decide your Favorite Channels
According to a recent study, American citizens watch only about 20 channels out of the approx. 205 channels that are available to them. That is, they are paying for a number of channels that they are not even watching. In order to avoid this, make a list of the channels that you want to include in your cable TV package; you can also make a list of few other channels as a second list. After this, figure out which cable provider will offer the best deals on those channels. If you are lucky, there will be the channels in your second list as well in a suitable package. Still, think over the deals well before jumping into a conclusion, especially if it is contract-bound.
Consider Bundled Services
Bundling is one of the greatest options that you may consider in order to get the best cable deals. With this, you can access more services such as internet and telephone along with cable TV, and that too, at a price that is almost same as that of an individual service. In fact, experts say that you can save up to $1000 for two years if you bundle your TV service with internet. However, the place you live in and the type of package that you choose will affect this estimated price. Besides, not all bundles are equally effective for all. It depends on the internet speed that you need, the number of channels in your package, etc. Hence, it is recommended to compare the price of bundled packages properly with individual services and choose the best cable deals that work for you.
