Cheapest Cable TV
It is a hard thing to decide which cable TV provider to go with these days. With myriad options being advertised and delivered by different providers, it can get confusing pretty quickly. What you need to focus on as a customer, is ensuring that you get value for your price. It’s not just about the number of channels being received, but also the specific list of these. So what is the best way to do that? Make a list of the channels that you watch the most, and see which provider is offering these in their plans. Additionally, get quotes for every provider servicing your neighborhood, and weigh their channel packages side by side. You will also want to look at such things as installation fees and repeat costs.
Finding the Cheapest Cable TV Options
Firstly, it is important to find out more about the various providers available, and which of these is ranked the best by online review sites. It is also vital to note that a lot like internet providers, cable TV providers will vary their plans based on the location you are in. Not just the packages, but the prices and channels will be different. It is possible to look at the pricing and package data of a provider in the areas where they give top service, but nothing beats getting a custom quote before you decide to sign up with them. While TV providers like selling you on hundred-channel packages, there is no guarantee that you will like the channels they offer in those.
Basic cable service usually brings you around 30 to 40 channels, and this would include local network channels, alongside popular channels such as MTV, ESPN, AMC, and Discovery. This can cost the customer anywhere between $10 and $25 a month. The next step up, which is Standard digital cable, would bring you somewhere around 100 channels.
A Nielsen study in 2016 found that among customers who paid on an average for 200 channels, only around 19 of these were being watched. You will want to go through a list of the most-watched channels as well as your favorites, and check if these are being provided in the package.
Which Channels Do you Want the Most?
If you are in search of a well-rounded list of channels, most providers offer many of the bigger names in their cheapest packages. But finding a suitable plan takes more than just opting for one of these packages. It is a good idea to come up with a channel wishlist and check this against the lineup in the various packages. This way you will know what you would be missing out on with some of those packages.
Equipment and Installation Fees are Important
Installation is a one-time thing, and so is the cost of it. You would normally rest easy knowing that, but not after finding out that, the cost sometimes ranges between $35 and $200. Satellite TV providers do not put a price on installation, although they do require a one-year contract out of you. You should also know that moving from a service before the contract is up will require you to pay early termination fees.
Cable TV providers also provide their own set top boxes, which can connect to their TV network. Some providers like Cox are making these boxes mandatory for all customers to have. These boxes are simple devices, and they usually cost nothing. However, all they let you do is go through the channel guide and pick what channel to watch.
People these days want to be able to do more, such as record live TV. For that, you will need a DVR. There is a chance that DVR service is being offered as an add-on to the monthly package, much the same way as your internet provider lets you have a router and a modem. A DVR on average would cost somewhere around $10 to $15 per month, but it is possible your provider may be willing to give you one free of charge.
Bundling Internet and TV is a Great Idea
For someone already paying for internet, it is a good idea to see if they can get a bundle deal from the provider that also brings in TV service. While separately these might cost an arm and a leg, together they are likely to come at a significantly lower rate than the sum of the costs
Do Not Expect Too Much in Terms of Customer Service
TV providers are known for providing unreliable service, with some of them being better than others are. You should see how each one stacks up against the others by reading consumer ratings and reports, such as the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). This institution tracks 43 industries in total, and of these, Internet and TV providers always get ranked last. That proves you should not set high expectations when it comes to customer service.
Cable TV providers are much the same except for a few small differences, but the latter hold weight with some shoppers. It is important to know the best and the worst features of these providers so it’s possible to see where you will get what you need. Some of the benefits of getting cable include:
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With this website, we aim to take the strain of internet, TV, and phone deal comparisons. We understand that the best triple play deals are not just about the price, but are about what is included in the package, the speeds that are offered and discounts and incentives supplied by the service provider.
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