What do you pay for cable and what do you get?

[pittsoccer33]

A few friends were all comparing what we get charged and the variance is enormous.

My Comcast bundle tv/internet price: $79.99

includes:
30mbps internet
cable tv (channels like USA, ESPN, History, and Science Channel in HD when available)
Encore channels
HBO channels (one year promo)
I do not have any of their equipment or rent a DVR

I get a $2.95 credit on the bill for using a CableCARD and providing my own cable box.

Total price w/tax: $84.23

[newarenanow]

I pay $151 and that includes 2 DVR boxes, internet and phone. I have pretty much every chanel in HD, but no premium channels.

Although I only get to watch Seasame Street all freaking day.

[Kaizer]

i have the same comcast package you do, without encore and HBO. its used to be that price as well, now its $113

[Shyster]

I pay nothing. Don't have cable; don't have a TV. Instead, I... acquire... the few shows I care about from other sources and watch them on my computer.

[Malkamaniac]

I pay $100 for Prime HD Verizon, but their highest internet speeds.

[newarenanow]

I pay nothing. Don't have cable; don't have a TV. Instead, I... acquire... the few shows I care about from other sources and watch them on my computer.

Hippie

[Jopaz]

I have a package of Cable, HD channels with DVR, (no premium channels), Digital Music, phone, and internet for $149 per month.
Strange story - I tried to drop my land line and they told me it would cost more since I would no longer have the package price.
So I keep a land line that I rarely use.

[eddysnake]

Comcast Phone, Internet, and TV. $99 locked in for a year, then bumps up to $114 the next year. HD channels, 1 DVR. called yesterday and got Showtime, Starz, and Encore free for 3 months.

[Puffymuffin]

Cable (100+ channels) , dvr + 72h on demand playback, phoneline, digital radio and 30mb internet for 47 euros a month. Calling is free within my city or to other people who have the same cable company (there are only 2 cable companies here in the country btw).
I have a seperate package for movies, espn, sport (European soccer leagues, golf, tennis, motogp) and Dutch soccer , that's another 20 euros a month.

[pfim]

Time Warner. $150/month, phone, internet, cable. I have one dvr hd box, and another hd box. Showtime and the Sportspak (which includes NHL network, MLB Network, Fox Soccer Plus, GolTv and all the useless, regional fox RSNs).

I had to negotiate my way down there (second year of cable, they took away my promotional rate). I don't like spending all that money, but based on what I get and comparing it to other people I know, I think I'm doing fairly well.

[JeffDFD]

118 for Cable, HD channels, HD Plus, DVR, and Internet - Armstrong Cable

[Shyster]

I pay nothing. Don't have cable; don't have a TV. Instead, I... acquire... the few shows I care about from other sources and watch them on my computer.

Hippie

I’m pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve ever been called that.

“Skinflint” is more like it. There’s no way I’m dropping $100 a month on cable/satellite when I probably wouldn’t regularly watch more than ten shows on five channels. When the cable companies offer channels à la carte and price them accordingly, then I might be interested (and they’re fighting that tooth and nail).

[mac5155]

My parents pay ~$145 a month for digital cable, (HD channels + sports package of VS and NHLn, etc) which is 1 box w/ DVR, and internet that is no faster than 2mbps. they have cell phones for their home phones.

[mac5155]

Franchising rights suck.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Does anyone have multi-room DVR with comcast? I have that with Verizon and I think I am paying a little more than I did with Comcast when I only had one room DVR.

[demondg1]

Who is your daddy and what does he do?

[eddysnake]

for those with comcast, did you recently get the new black dvr box? I'm still using my old one, but with the recent on screen menu changes, I've been finding that it's been cutting out recordings when 2 things go at once?

[mac5155]

for those with comcast, did you recently get the new black dvr box? I'm still using my old one, but with the recent on screen menu changes, I've been finding that it's been cutting out recordings when 2 things go at once?

Our box with Armstrong is like that, if you want to record 2 things at once, you have to be watching one of them.

[eddysnake]

for those with comcast, did you recently get the new black dvr box? I'm still using my old one, but with the recent on screen menu changes, I've been finding that it's been cutting out recordings when 2 things go at once?

Our box with Armstrong is like that, if you want to record 2 things at once, you have to be watching one of them.

and thats how mine always was, but recently is started giving me problems.

[pittsoccer33]

Our box with Armstrong is like that, if you want to record 2 things at once, you have to be watching one of them.

what youre referring to is the number of tuners in the box. most cable company provided DVRs only have two tuners - meaning only two channels can be tuned at once. i think what he is referring to is that multiple recordings just flat out dont work well

[mac5155]

ohhh i see.

[PghSkins]

$195/month for the works from Crapcast- Internet, Phone, HD DVR + HBO, Starz, Showtime, Cinemax, and Sports Pack (The Movie Channel is mysteriously not included).

I always think I ought to be able to save about $50 a month when I renew by dropping the premiums but they always rope me back in. I rarely watch them except for an on demand movie now and then, so it's really a waste.

The Verizon "triple play" bundles are not attractive without FIOS, which is STILL not FREAKIN AVAILABLE in my neighborhood yet. So, I will probably renew w/ Comcast in January, dammit. I have no desire to have one contract with a year term w/ DIRECT TV and one with a 2 year term for phone/internet with Verizon. That's not a bundle. Just MHO.

[MWB]

I have a package of Cable, HD channels with DVR, (no premium channels), Digital Music, phone, and internet for $149 per month.
Strange story - I tried to drop my land line and they told me it would cost more since I would no longer have the package price.
So I keep a land line that I rarely use.

I have the same thing, plus a sports package to get NHL network. I was told the same thing about phone last year when I was trying to get a new deal.

[tifosi77]

Our normal DirecTV bill is ~$120 and includes HBO and Showtime. Add CenterIce and we have three our four months of bills in the $160 range.

When the cable companies offer channels à la carte and price them accordingly, then I might be interested (and they’re fighting that tooth and nail).

I think that has as much to do with the cable/satellite companies as it does with the content providers. The way the pricing structure works for distribution, providers can count a 'viewer' as someone who pays for the channel. So despite the fact that I remove the Disney Channel from my program guide and have never switched to it in ten plus years of being a DTV customer, because it's offered as one of the programming tiers I get Disney will get X amount of dollars. By forcing bundling, providers are more likely to see x amount of dollars. If they allowed a la carte, they might only see x-60, or whatever. Cos there are far more people like me who get it and never watch it than there are who would pay for it specifically.

[count2infinity]

i pay 46 bucks a month for same thing you get ps33... i think comcast has some clerical issue with us, but we're not going to let them know that.