I just took a look at our cable bill and at $159.69/ month or $1916.28 I’m a bit miffed. Especially with Comc/rap/cast internet connection being slow while I’m paying for top of the line speeds!
So what options do you have in your neck of the woods? Those in South Florida – how do you get your TV? Or are we stuck with the Comcast monopoly overcharging?
there are some things which can be done…
1) take it up with local gvt. officials. See if there is a possibility of allowing competition to come into your city/town. (also check if you live in an home assoc. to see if there is an exclusive contract. Once competition enters, prices tend to drop cuz customers are leaving for the deal of the new company. – or service tremendously improves.
2) satelitte – you lose local weather (on weather channel) and there might be some rain fade, but generally the pix is better than even digital cable. Apt. complexs might not allow the dish however. btw, the dish is not a violation of the non-compete that a cable company may have with a municipality.
3) contact the cable co. and tell them you have been contacted by 2 other companies (no names) and they are offering the same sh*t at half the price as you are….see what they can (or will)do.
If you are still under a contract with the local cable company, much of the above may be moot because they have you by the cables until the contract runs out.
In any case, don’t sit by in an idle position. You might at least get your bill lowered even if only for six months. But, if you say nothing, you will get nothing.
i have adelphia im paying $140.40 a month internet/basic cable with hbo…
An interesting phenomenon is occuring given the advent of digital TV and the eventual phaseout of analog TV.
With analog TV, usually the best possible picture could only be obtained via cable (or satellite). No snow, no ghosting, no static from lightning or planes with cable.
Now, with HTDV, the best possible picture is available OTA (over the air), and it’s free!
Cable and satellite providers can’t possibly transmit a digital (let alone HD) signal that matches an OTA signal due to the nature of the beast. With digital, the signal is either perfect or it’s not there. The fact that cable and satellite providers are retransmitting the original digital signal means that it can only come close to the original; it can’t be “improved” upon. Also, cable and satellite rebroadcasters can’t match the picture quality of OTA due to their bandwith restrictions.
So, to answer the question, my source has been and will continue to be digital OTA for the best possible picture. If I need to watch a program that’s exclusive to cable or satellite, I’ll go over to my neighbor’s house or have them tape it for me.
WOW~ Hi Ripoff party of one.
i live 20 mins outside of NYC and we have comcast in the town i live in but the towns surronding us have cablevision so it makes no sense why we have comcast but i pay 69 for cable and for the past 7 months, ive complained about the interner and got it for 20.00 bux. and not to mention i have hbo channels so my bill is about 105 a month.
complain, they will do something for you. ull def beable to get the bill down. be nice too, that always help
Idk… I like Comcast… for tv that is.
I have BellSouth FastAccess DSL which works great… pretty much always goes fast and NEVER goes out.
Adelphia sucks ass. I cancelled them last week. They have the WORST customer service. They are currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and supposedly are co-owned by Comcast and Time-Warner. I hear that eventually Adelphia will go away and current subscribers will get service from one of the 2 companies, but I couldn’t deal with them any longer. FWIW, I’ve heard bad things about both Comcast and T-W.
Rumors up here in the Northeast say that changes will be coming to Comcast…some that include price cuts. Don’t know if the same holds true down there.
go with DIRECTV….Platinum level ( includes all locals plus HBO,SHO,MAX,STARZ) is only 100.00 a month. HD package is 10 extra(ask nice and they will waive)
DIRECTV has great picture and sound , but they EXCEL at customer service. Their retention department is awesome. They listen, care and actually give you free equipment and service.
Plus, DIRECTV has the NFL SUNDAY TICKET—why be forced to watch a GIANTS/CARDINALS game after a DOLPHIN victory? with SUNDAY TICKET you can watch any game you want.
YES, DirecTV… We had Dish Network for YEARS in NY, then when we moved to Florida we got, hell, I don’t even remember what the cable company was, but they were HORRIBLE, so after about 6 months we switched back to Dish. Well, they have the WORST customer service ever, didn’t care at ALL about thier long-time customers, so after almost 8 years with them we switched to DirecTV. GREAT customer service. We’ve got all the channels like Ralph ^. Had Sunday Ticket last year too, and will probably get it this year too…
It’s interesting how people talk thru their butts when it comes to advice. One of you was very right…if you are nice and reasonable, and realistic, Comcast will accommodate and discount for you. You aren’t getting HBO with everything else for twenty bucks so don’t ask. The wave of the future is bundling of course. Down the road, when Comcast starts offering their VOIP service, the “bundle” they are rolling out is a “Triple Play” of Extended basic cable, high speed internet and phone service for $99 a month. Their internet kicks Bell South’s ass. Plus, if you live in a condo like I do, those hideous satellite dishes people think can be installed anywhere they like…I’ve got wires hanging five stories down the sides of buildings. Gee, isn’t DirecTV owned by uberNazi Rupert Murdoch? Vote with your dollars and don’t subsidize that fascist carpetbagger Putz. And don’t hesitate to pressure Comcast. This is a buyer’s market, so go for it. They are still atoning for years of crappy service by TCI when they were owned by another fascist, Henry Kravis.
Don’t you loose the picture with DirecTV in the rain?
I can’t see myself ever leaving cable.
I can’t believe all you guys have no problem spending over $1000/year on inferior picture quality. 😉
But under Comcasts supposed plan the $99 per month would include not just the inferoir picture quaility but also high speed internets and Phone Service, so it not that bad.
I have Comcast in LA and it was much better than Adelphia. Comcast Internet is faster and has less problems than Adelphia did. I always had to call Adelphia to report shut downs and would always be credited for days without service. The problem is that you have to ask for a credit on your account, even though their computers know that you internet is out. Whenever there was a major outage they would have a standard recorded message telling you to hang up so they do not have to credit your account. Since Adelphia is becoming Time Warner in LA, that should be good. Both Time Warner and Comcast in LA have good customer service because our calls are routed within California.
Regarding satellite, rain fade CAN cause signal (highlight on can). I had Dish Network and it took a heavy rainstorm to stop all the channels. The only thing satellite has going for them is price, other than that we are f**ked because we sign a one-year contract (like a cell phone) and any changes incurs a penalty or extention of the contract.
Regarding DSL, my dad has it and it sucks!
ralphfurley… sounds more like an advertisement.
Just shell out some money for a good roof antenna and switch to digital TV’s and/or receivers. HD is here and phasing out analog TV in less than 3 years. By February 2009, analog stations are required to shut off. GET READY!!!
Also, get yourself into the FTA satellite hobby. Learn more by going to http://www.satelliteguys.us and you can read forums on free-to-air TV.
Carl good idea, but I’ll have the HOA gestapo on my door yelling I destroyed the uniformity of the ugly buildings
i’ve had bellsouth fastaccess DSL for 6 years, and it has NEVER gone down. even during (and right after) the hurricanes i was online with my generator. regarding bundling services with comcast i definately don’t reccomend that. i have a friend who’s bundled all her services with them, and her neighborhood’s cable goes out every once in a while, which means so does her phone line. when the hurricanes came about, cable was usually the last thing to come back (as the neighborhood box things require power to operate and repair, according to the customer service reps) so she was without her phone for a while. her situation has definately scared me away from bundling everything with comcast.
most of my friends have resolved to pay certain cable or stelite tech reps to hook them up for free….these prices are outrageous….if the quality was at all worth it i would be surprised as to why people revert to free hook ups and such…..down here comcast ceretainly has the monop tight!….for the record, ib-td, i agree whole heartedly unfortunately the special interests do have the regulators deeply inbedded and clinging to the purse strings that the citizentry are *ucked!!! tv sux anyway, youre not missing a thing…..