Getting The Most For Your Money When Ordering TV, Broadband, And Phone Service
As of late, it has become rather popular for major communications and entertainment companies to start bundling their services and slashing the price. The big cable companies, such as Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, and Charter started this by becoming phone service providers. The question that people have however is whether or not this is actually a good deal. Luckily I have looked around at these packages and come to a decision, finding the best deals and the best prices. So let’s take a look at my research and hopefully it will help you decide for yourself.
None of us want to turn over all our essential services to one individual company. It just doesn’t feel right for some reason. Can’t they suddenly raise the rate and I’ll be locked into a contract I can’t get out of? Will I be tied to special equipment or hardware that I’ll be charged for or stuck with if I change companies? These are all valid concerns when you’re looking at all the competing offers and promotions you’re inundated with from cable, satellite and telco providers. Let’s look at each point individually starting with the concern about what happens when a special offer ends. I’ve found that the level of competition is so great among these companies rate hikes are few and far between. In fact, the drive to keep customers is so great that even when promos or special deals end, very often existing customers can extend their offer or move to a new promotion. Some cable companies, like Charter Communications, are currently giving users the chance to lock in rates for as long as two years if they agree to take a complete package deal.
Whether you get stuck with any special hardware that you’re responsible for comes down to the individual company. The type of equipment you’re going to get from your provider is usually just a digital receiver for your television and a broadband modem if you order high speed Internet. It’s possible you may have a DVR (digital video recorder) as well if you’ve ordered a higher tier package. Generally, though, most companies are not going to charge you any unexpected fees for the normal use of their equipment. You may be charged a small monthly fee for additional digital receivers or a monthly broadband modem rental fee if you don’t purchase one of your own. Contact the providers in your area to find out their exact polices. If you move from the area or change service providers you’re usually just responsible for returning the equipment to the local provider’s office. Baring loss or damage, you shouldn’t be charged anything. For this reason I don’t see any cause for customers to discount a bundle offer over any concern about the equipment the provider sends you. Each of the major digital companies have essentially the same policies regarding hardware fees and returns which don’t change whether you’re getting all your services from one company or several.
There are a several bundles and special deals available right now from the different companies. For instance, when satellite dishes were able to be mounted on the side of houses in the nineties, people clamored to get them. People realized that Satellite TV had more channels than cable and was even clearer with it’s all digital signal. To make it even better, satellite was normally much cheaper than cable. But in recent years satellite service from Dish Network and DirecTV has not changed very much. With the introduction of digital cable a few years ago, satellite is in a decline. Cable now has just as many digital and HD channels as satellite and doesn’t suffer for weather-related signal interruption. So far, the internet option from satellite is only viable for people who live too far out of the range of standard high speed internet services. As of late, some of the more popular phone companies have been able to offer digital television and internet along with phone in their packages using fiber-optic networks. One thing that you should know however, is that fiber-optin networks are only available in limited markets right now and even though a telecommunications company is offering these services, they are normally repackaging with another company. For instance, Verizon tends to package with DirecTV for it’s television service, meaning you will be stuck with a satellite service even though you’re going through a telco.
You’ve probably realized by now that the best choice is a cable provider such as Time Warner Cable, Comcast, or Charter. Using digital cable you can have your phone, your Internet, and your television all from one company that runs and supports each service themselves. While you could of course choose to pay for all of the services separately from different companies, why would you? Especially when you see the potential savings! Look around and see what kind of deals you can find. Chances are you can easily find something that is tailored to your needs.
Anna Sussman presents consumers with Time Warner Cable TV reviews and deals. If you’re thinking about purchasing digital cable services check out Anna’s articles first.
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