Cable offers more than just your MTV

By Andrea Tatro

Print Story | Email Story
Add to My Digital Landing

Related Articles

• How to upgrade to Windows Vista
• DSL has advantages in high-speed Internet service
• Secure your Internet connection
• How to configure automatic software updates
• How to protect your PC

Cable television has certainly come a long way baby … from the days of "Mom and pop" companies that offered monthly service and roughly 20 channels for about $6.95 a month, to today, when the cable bill includes television, phone and high-speed Internet service and can easily exceed $60 a month, the industry has certainly matured. Here's a look at what's out there to help you determine what services would be of interest to you.

Offerings

Because cable TV now offers so many channels, customers are offered tiered services.  The basic tier is required for any service at all, and additional tiers can be added for additional fees based on your needs.  Sports, family programming, international TV, or movies can be added as specialty tiers to your basic service for an additional charge to your basic service. 

Some tiers are required with the purchase of another tier. For example, High Definition (HDTV) packages must also be subscribed to for those tiers requiring both an HD television and HD converter box.  With HDTV you may choose a progressive scanning or a higher resolution scanning than with analog TV, which only offers low resolution scanning.  Other features of HDTV include better sounding audio, because it implements Dolby Digital technology; widescreen technology, which lets the viewer see 33 percent more of the screen than analog; and sharper images with a resolution of 2,073,600 pixels -- no more ghosting with a quality signal. Our video tutorial will help you learn the difference between HDTV and HD-ready, determine how large a set you'll want, what video upscaling is, and answers to other HD-related queries.

Premium channel subscriptions used to feature only movie and sports programming, but that has changed. HBO and Showtime offer their own award winning original series, sports, comedy shows, concerts and more, in addition to movies. With premium subscriptions, you no longer receive one channel of programming but perhaps four or five channels.

Pay-Per-View television has also become much more popular with the offering of just released movies that can be ordered via your converter, phone, Internet or local office.  Ordering from home allows the viewer not to have to leave the house, 24 hour viewing if an interruption occurs, no late fees, no movie to return and ability to record in order to build a movie library.  On Demand is similar to pay-per-view; ordering is done from your remote via an interactive guide. Movies, children’s programming, cable shows, music videos, and concerts can be ordered.  Unique programming – for example, Howard Stern’s radio show or WWE wrestling -- can be ordered as an On Demand subscription. On Demand can be stopped and started, recorded, and is watched at the convenience of the viewer. Typically, there is a period of time in which the show can be viewed or recorded; once that time elapses it must be repurchased to view.

The interactive guide along with your remote is a great tool to plan your viewing.  A synopsis of the programming, length, star rating, and movie rating information is available.  You can also program your favorite channels, set reminders to watch a program and even find out when a particular program may air again.  You may also block channels from young eyes by programming the remote control.

Other fees may also appear on your bill such as the cost for the converter box(es), remotes, DVR options, pay-per-view, access fees, FCC fees and taxes so consider those when choosing television delivery options. 

Broadband high-speed Internet access

This technology certainly has surpassed old dial-up methods of getting online.  Speeds are incredible when compared with DSL: up to 4 times faster than 1.5 Mbps. (However, speed isn't always the primary reason for high-speed Internet connection. DSL offers speed, value and security for more.) Different packages with different pricing determined upon the speed you want to achieve while downloading video, music or photos.  Boost packages offer 16 Mbps.  Most carriers also offer several e-mail addresses within the home and free security suites.  The signal is so strong it can power up to 5 home computers all on-line at once with home networking.  Wireless ranges allow a user be within 150 feet of the central cable outlet.  If you are not a “techie”, professional installation is also offered for a fee.  Remote dial access is also offered in many markets.  Unfortunately, if there is a service disruption this will affect your Internet connection. 

Phone service

The cable TV companies have now gotten into the phone business and vice versa.  With cable, you can receive unlimited nationwide long-distance direct dialing and depending where you live the possibility of free dialing to other countries.  You may even keep your same existing phone number.  Many of the features that are offered with phone service, such as call-waiting and caller ID are also offered. More information on the topic can be found at Choosing the right Internet voice provider. Note: Should the power go out, you will not have phone service, a serious consideration for subscribers with elderly, sick loved ones or young children. 

Service

Many of these providers offer 24 hour/365 day support.  Customer service representatives and service people are professionally trained to be personal consultants for the consumer.  Support is available over the phone, on-line, via chat or in person.  The cable company is responsible for service from the pole to six inches into your house.  Unlike with satellite service, there is no dish that will be affected by snow or rain; cable has been around for a very long time in the business of television delivery.

Investigate all the choices available to you to determine how you want to receive your television, Internet and phone services. Speak to the consultants in order to discover needs, and ask about service response times. Your area may not have service provided by both the cable and phone companies; remote areas may have only satellite available. If so, read our FAQ for satellite Internet access. Pricing varies among providers also. Bundled packaging allows the consumer an all-in-one bill for a fair competitive price, and check regularly for specials. Check out Understanding bundles offered by high-speed Internet service providers to learn more on obtaining better pricing by ordering a combination of services through one provider. By responding to the demands of its customers – variety, convenience and quality -- the industry has indeed come a long way.