[ctviggen]

So, my "bundle" of TV, phone and internet just ended with Comcast.  It was advertised as $120/month, but actually cost me $150/month after taxes, rental of cable, phone, and internet boxes, etc.  They're now trying to get me to go to a "$160/month" plan (which will really cost $190).  If I don't go to this plan, my new cost will be $192/month!!!  That's insane. 

I canceled the "digital preferred plus", but now I've lost my High Definition channels other than local channels.  Why?  I don't need or want HBO, Starz, and the like.  Why should I have to get them to get my other HD channels (like Discovery HD)?  This simply doesn't make sense. 

My current bill will be $142/month PLUS taxes and fees.  That's still way too high.  So, I went with Vonage for $25/month (complete, all fees) for phone and this will drop my bill by $47.27/month (although I'll have to pay Vonage at $25/month).  Of course, as soon as Comcast figures out that I'm canceling my phone access with them, I'm sure that my internet access and TV access charges will increase. 

Why is cable such a scam?  Where I live, there's no competition.  I can't get high speed internet access from the phone company, and I have too many trees to get satellite.  There's no FIOS.  I'm stuck with cable.

[DaveC113]

I called and asked how I can lower my bill, and went over what plan I had... then I called back a few days later and told them I needed to downgrade, that I can't spend this much money. They gave me the intro deals they usually give new customers which cut my bill in half. It might take a few phone calls or complaints, but they will reduce the bill if you ask or complain enough. Good Luck!

Dave

[John Casler]

Hi Bob,

I went through something similar a few months ago, and found out some interesting things.

I was using DISH ($45 mo going to $47.95) and seldom watched anything except the local channel (los angeles) news.  Hardly worth it.

So I called cable and told them I wanted "LOCAL CHANNELS ONLY" and did they have a plan.  With much prodding they "found" a local channel only plan where my TV or VCR tuner did the tuning for $12.95 ($15.95 at the billing with taxes and junk) and I picked up a Samsung Digital HD Tuner so I could get HD for the local channels.

As it turned out, I received like 70 channels or something like that, including occasional Movies (which for some reason are occasionally available)

SO since then DISH keeps calling and they somehow found a similar program at $5.95 a month for LOCAL ONLY. (which is normally the "add on" price for locals, but now I am offered it by itself)

Downside was, the SAMSUNG had no scheduling grid that I could get to function so I occasionally needed to channel surf, but the HDMI 1080i output was phenomenal even on my 480p projector.

The Samsung is around $190 retail or so.

The local cable here is "Time Warner", but I bet most offer a similar deal.

But you need to get your own tuner, since renting that thing each month is at least $12.95

[bpape]

Why is cable such a scam?  Where I live, there's no competition.  I can't get high speed internet access from the phone company, and I have too many trees to get satellite.  There's no FIOS.  I'm stuck with cable.

There's your answer right there.  They know all of this.  If FIOS was there, you'd have a lot lower priced choices.  Not because of FIOS particularly - but because there ARE other options.

Bryan

[Wayner]

I find it funny how we get cable, then watch CSI Miami. I've got all high def TVs now and am enjoying nightly programmin off the antenna, with 5.1 surround sound (when avaliable) for FRICKIN FREE!!!!!!!!

W aa

[bpape]

Absolutely.  Down in the HT/music room, I don't run cable.  I have an OTA tuner.  Pic is SOOOO much better than cable HD.

Bryan

[Toka]

John is right on...if you "haggle" a little bit, you can get a better deal. I simply called and asked how to cancel...said I was going to sign up for satellite (a lie). Within a few minutes I was paying almost half what I used to. They would rather take less money than no money. It isn't always that easy (friend of mine had to actually cancel, but then they offered to sign him back up for a huge discount), but it will work. You don't "need" to rent a cable box either...there are ways around that too. Just don't expect any of it to be given to you outright.

[KS]

Why is cable such a scam?  Where I live, there's no competition.

Find out when the cable company's franchise with your local municipality expires and is up for renewal.  Get as many people you can arrange to start hammering on local politicians to demand a better deal, especially a much better minimum deal, as part of the next franchise contract with the cable provider.  Try to get a letter to the editor in the local paper asking folks to tell the politicians their views of the cable service and rates.  The politicians will respond only to significant local pressure.  Keep things specific, though.  The franchise contract can only cover things that can be measured, not things like dreadful customer service.  Sometimes you have to do this to get customer service.

[mattyturner]

No, I think you'll find cell phone plans are the biggest scam ever.

Lets see, my call is dropped before i say want i want to.. i get charged
Someone dials a wrong number and I answer..oh, i get charged
Someone texts me... i get charged

One of the few things I miss about the UK.

[Wayner]

If some of us wonder why we are in a financial crisis, look at all the things we are buying (and get nothing) like cable TV, internet, land phone, cell phone, pagers and on and on. Yet, the irony of it all is that we perhaps communicate the poorest ever in the history of man. We use many words and express so little. I see some people that might as well have their cell phone permanently attached to their ear. My friend, Howard, comes over for a half an hour, talks 25 minutes on the phone, and then has to leave. Hey, Howard, thanks for coming by.

Here is what really pisses me off about cable: The Big Ten negotiated with FSN and created a new network called "the Big Ten Network". Of course last year I couldn't watch one Gophers football or basketball game cause they were all on this POS network that almost no one can get. The Big Ten network is busy holding all of the cable franchises hostage as they try and negotiate their millions of dollars cable play, that will jack everyones price up, big time. These people SUCK. By the way, I thought my Peoples Republic of Minnesota taxes, supported the U of M junk and then I can't even watch a frickin Gophers game unless I pay up the ass. Who put the product on the field? Who financed the new stadium? Dumb suckers like me. Long live the hammer and sickle.

Now back to my book: The Revolution, a Manifesto, by Ron Paul.

[Bob in St. Louis]

There are other options:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=56586.0

 

[ohenry]

I hate the cable prices, but it's easy to forget that we're not entitled to cable service and it's our decision to subscribe or not.  It's a luxury, not a necessity and should be treated as such.

I do the local only and internet through Time Warner and the cost is still almost $60/month.  That seems excessive to me for the service I'm receiving, but unfortunately seems to be normal.

The FTA thing is very intriguing and works great, but I have anxiety about it.  And if I had the FTA receiver, the temptation to enable it to see the subscription programming would be too great.  Drawing those lines can sometimes be difficult and vary from person to person.  If you ever hear, "It's alright, you can't get caught", maybe it's time to hesitate.   

[twitch54]

If you could see the Palace that Comcast is building in Philly it would make you puke out your cable bill !

Bottom line____________ if your addicted to TV and have to have cable, so be it. If not and your able to get over - the - air broadacst signals via a terrestrial antenna, then as Wayner said......free !!!

[nonoise]

If there were true competition for your cable dollar, we'd all pay a hell of a lot less for the crap that they
give us. Corporatism allows them to have a lock on your area with guarantees of monopoly as to what they
show and how much they charge. In Europe, I've read somewhere that the average cable bill is about $45/month with 3X the amount of channels, including HD, and its a better system.
Gotta love those socialists: they know how to make capitalism work for mostly everyone, not just the elite.
By the way, I just got a new contract booklet from AT&T that goes to great lengths to tell me that the ball's in their court and if I don't like it, to cancel my services. Thank god I only use them for their phone service.
That contract precludes any kind of action against them no matter how f**ked up they are on their end.
To roll over and take it from these bastards by saying one has a choice to not use their services doesn't quite cut it for me.

nonoise

[Ed Schilling]

Sure it is, and not only that but you are paying to be brainwashed and paying to watch commercials. I REFUSE to pay to be brainwashed! It may happen but I'm not going to finance it.

If one looks long enough and thinks hard enough there are alternatives.....lots of them.

FTA "testing"........and over the air HD digital TV...and then there is always stuff like this.. http://www.warez-bb.org/
   .....if you don't need to see it as it happens.....


BTW.....I have been installing Satellite TV for over 25 years.....I have NEVER had an "illegal" piece of gear. Nor any device that was not FCC Approved. FTA "testing" is walking the line for sure.....but AFAIK legal and not crossing it.

OTA digital TV is going to be a good thing....except that since it is "digital" there may very well be a way to encrypt it and then you know what happens next....yep......"PAY over the air TV"! I bet it's coming to a box near you!

Ed

[YoungDave]

Out here in the woods of Southern Maryland, we have the following going on:
1.  No cable - too far out in the boonies
2.  No FIOS - same reason
3.  No high-speed internet - ditto
4.  No satellite (trees, you know...)
5.  Iffy cell reception - too sparsely populated to justify tower construction
6.  Marginal OTA reception - trees, hills, 25-45 miles to antenna farm

We DO have regular phone service, and I use it a lot - like, 10 minutes/month.  The OTA TV is OK for the wife's shows - I don't watch.  My digital TV test viewing reveals a lot of drop-outs.  I don't think digital OTA is ready for prime-time, but I guess the FCC is going to force it on us anyway.

All the above notwithstanding, I wouldn't leave.  No sidewalks, no streetlights, no traffic, no noise, no light in the night sky.  Got to be thankful for the really important things.

Cheers!

[Frihed91]

Throw away the TV and the internet and concentrate on hifi.  Then you'll really find out how much cable(s) can cost!

[electricbear]

The best way to lower your bill is to call up CUSTOMER RETENTION. Don't try talking to " Hi my name is John" in India. As soon as you get someone on the line just say " customer retention" When you get customer retention explain to them that you have been getting a lot of flyers in the mail for Directv and dishnet with some great offers. Tell them that your wife is pressurizing you to swap to save money but you want to stay with them as you've been a long term loyal customer. They will find a way to significantly lower your bill. I advise all my clients to do this with their chosen program provider and 99 % of the time it works.

[Brown]

The best way to lower your bill is to call up CUSTOMER RETENTION. Don't try talking to " Hi my name is John" in India. As soon as you get someone on the line just say " customer retention" When you get customer retention explain to them that you have been getting a lot of flyers in the mail for Directv and dishnet with some great offers. Tell them that your wife is pressurizing you to swap to save money but you want to stay with them as you've been a long term loyal customer. They will find a way to significantly lower your bill. I advise all my clients to do this with their chosen program provider and 99 % of the time it works.

great advice. thanks

[Bob in St. Louis]

Tim (electricbear) - I did that EXACT same thing with A.O.L. a year or so ago. In the middle of my ranting the lady interupted me and said, "Sir....How about this: Instead of the $28/month you're currently paying, how about we charge you $9/month for unlimited access and give you mext month free?"

 

OK! 

Bob