How much do you pay for Cable (especially basic/lifeline cable) in your area?

[Puppy76]

Just curious. Every once in a while I toy with switching to cable…but when all 6 of my local stations are coming in fine, I have plenty to watch but…

I’ve sometimes had trouble with reception, which makes me want to get Basic Cable (which is the same as Lifeline, I guess). And with my Cable Modem bill this month there was an offer to get “Classic” cable for $30/month, which is $16/month cheaper than normal. I think they’re also running a thing for Digital cable for $30/month (I guess that would include everything + a digital cable box, not sure).

Anyway, I just want to see if any of these are actually decent deals. I would have signed up for cable 7 years ago after I got my first real job if it were still under $20 a month, but once it got to 30 and even above 40 I just said forget it. In a way Tivo makes it even more pointless, since it’s virtually impossible for me to watch everything I want just on my six local stations.

Here’s what I’ve got in my area:

Free OTA: 6 stations
ABC
NBC
CBS
PBS
Fox
UPN

$13.60/month “Basic” Cable
Technically 20 stations, but the only really useful one is my cable-only WB station. I *guess* this is “lifeline” cable? Or is there something even cheaper than Insight doesn’t list on their site?

$32.40/month on top of Basic-(so $46/month total)
“Classic” Cable which adds:
Virtually every station I’ve ever heard of, aside from premium stuff like HBO.

Digital adds $7.95 on top of that, for virtually nothing useful, and the ability to add $10 or more/month packs of HBO, etc.)

[Puppy76]

Sort of a new thought-I hope stuff like Verizon's FIOS or the possible FCC mandated a la carte cable service cause prices to plummet. I'm sick of the price gouging-especially since I don't want 90% of the channels, but I'd GIVE THEM MY MONEY for a handful of the channels I actually want.

[kevlard1]

I currently pay $87.99 a month for cable but that does include all of the premium channels. I think for basic cable it's $12 a month.

[Dan203]

Just for comparison sake I'll give you something at the extreme oposit end of the scale. We get every single channel our cable company offers, a cable modem and a MOXI HD-DVR for about $130/month.

Dan

[Fl_Gulfer]

I get 8 channels with Basic Cable and pay 19 bucks, If I quit my Cable Internet it will go up 10 more bucks. and the picture quality is so bad I can't watch it on my HDTV, but Mediacrap dosen't care.
P.S. If I stop the TV channels the internet goes up 10 bucks too. lol

[sabowin]

My cable company doesn't offer "lifeline" cable. :down: Their lowest available option (and yes, I've called) is Basic Cable, which is $36.25 a month (not including all the miscellaneous taxes and fees). I have basic cable and the medium option (of three) for cable internet, and my bill comes to $75-something a month, including taxes and fees.

[jtrain]

Beaverton, OR

Basic cable for $13-14 per month. I think the Standard package, 70 channels or so is $40-45 per month. I have the standard package although I won't say how I get it for the Basic package price.

I do hope that Verizon FIOS TV will bring cable prices down. The door-to-door rep said it won't be in our area until October of '06. One can certainly hope though!

[Dan203]

My cable company doesn't offer "lifeline" cable. :down:

I believe they're required to by law. If it's something you're really interested in you should call again and specifically ask about "lifeline" service. (that is the actual name for it)

Dan

[Jaysv]

I get limited cable (about 18 channels) for $6.87 a month.

I also have internet service, which is $40 a month with TV service, or $50 a month without, so I save $3 and get cable as backup for my satellite service.

[gorba916]

SureWest standard package for $40. Comes with 160 digital channels. I believe its $10 more per month for the HD programming. I only went with the bundled services for the Internet. 10 Mbps (1400 KBps)... I can download an entire CD (650MB) in under 5 minutes, or I can run a 160 Kbps radio station and have up to 30 people connect concurrently. So far SureWest has been very cool about not monitoring bandwidth. I could be up to 70GB per month and not even know. :up:

[AntiPC]

I think our Comcast is high at $55 for analog TV and $50 for internet. I just called and asked to cancel the TV, so they comped me a Motorola DCT2524 (because I have a tivo :D ) with 3 premiums for 6 months.

My understanding is that we have digital OTA in the Chicago area, but I'm not doing that. My old OTA in the attic is just an emergency backup on an A-B switch for those rare occasions when the cable goes out.

[Dan203]

You'd need an ATSC tuner to get digital OTA anyway, and I'm not sure TiVo even supports connection of one of those to a S2.

Dan

[Puppy76]

I get limited cable (about 18 channels) for $6.87 a month.

I also have internet service, which is $40 a month with TV service, or $50 a month without, so I save $3 and get cable as backup for my satellite service.

Is lifeline cable set at a certain price nationally? How come we've got one person paying $6.87, while most seem to be in the $12-13 range? (And I'm assuming those other cable companies are just lying about not having it.)

The scary thing is my cable company (Insight Communications) actually looks like a bargain compared to some of these prices :eek:

I hooked my Tivo up to my cable modem's connection for the hey of it once, but the only two channels that came in perfectly were the weather channel and cartoon network. I like the cartoon network, but not enough to have it as my only channel :D

[sabowin]

I believe they're required to by law. If it's something you're really interested in you should call again and specifically ask about "lifeline" service. (that is the actual name for it)

Dan

When I called, the claimed they didn't. Maybe they're not required to in Oregon? Maybe the rep lied to me? Anyway, I like my Discovery channel, plus a few shows on other non-network channels, too much. Plus, I probably wouldn't get the $10 "discount" on internet with only lifeline service, so the savings wouldn't be all that much, I suspect.

When they come out with a la carte cable services, I'll be all over it. ;)

[AntiPC]

You'd need an ATSC tuner to get digital OTA anyway, and I'm not sure TiVo even supports connection of one of those to a S2.

DanRight. I had toyed with the idea a while back, but I would have had to put a new antenna on the roof, get an HDTV with/and a tuner, and run the wire to it. At the time the available HDTV models sucked for duty as computer monitors (overscan and lack of gaming resolutions), tivo wouldn't have worked with it on a number of levels, and I'd only get 8 channels, most of which would be in standard definition.

Bears games are the only thing I can see myself watching live in OTA HD, and they need to get some better draft picks to make it worth it. :mad:

[dt_dc]

Is lifeline cable set at a certain price nationally?The price for the "Basic Service Tier" is regulated by your local cable franchise authority.

Exceptions:

- If your cable company is found to have "effective competition", their rates are not regulated (nor do they have to offer a basic service tier).

- Rates for certain very small cable companies are not regulated (nor do they have to offer a basic service tier).

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cablerates.html

[xnevergiveinx]

we get about 60 channels, analog cable. it's around $38 a month.
i remember about 5 years ago when it was still like $25 a month, but we didn't have a good tv, so we couldn't get any channels above 35, haha

[TxdoHawk]

We pay about $60 a month for mid-end cable (that obviously doesn't include premium channels along with a whole bunch of other excluded channels they save for more expensive packages...) and above-average cable internet. The cable internet is what keeps us hooked in...if it wasn't for that, I am certain we'd be on satellite or something by now.

Truthfully, Cartoon Network is the only channel basic cable doesn't offer that I watch on a regular basis. They can take Adult Swim from me when they pry it from my cold, dead hands!

[kturcotte]

I've got Directv, but my Grandmother had cable until recently (Adelphia) and was paying $55 a month for basic, analog (About 50 channels). Southern Maine

[Generic]

I have Verizon Fios and I pay $35 for about 180 channels of extended basic. Basic is $13. $12 for 44 channels of Starz/Showtime/Encore/TMC/Flix and Sundance.

[moyekj]

You'd need an ATSC tuner to get digital OTA anyway, and I'm not sure TiVo even supports connection of one of those to a S2.

Dan Yes it's likely it does. For example a Samsung SIR-T451 can most likely be IR blasted by the Tivo (and you can use it's S-video output as input to Tivo). It works with my ReplayTV and I've used it for a couple of years now. For guide listings both my analog & digital cable lineups match the OTA channels that I care about so no custom lineup is needed. If all you care about is network channels and you can get OTA ATSC then this is probably the cheapest and highest picture quality way to go with an S2 and can tide you over until the S3 comes around.

[Stylin]

About $70/mth (ouch!), but still better than the $105 I should be paying.

Cablevision NY digital:
Free OTA: ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, Fox, UPN, WB, PAX
IO Gold $87.95 (my price: $59.95) every channel
HBO on demand $5
Showtime on demand $5
Total: reg price$107.95 vs my discount price: $69.95
*does not include $5.24 per box
* price is higher w/o internet

Basic Cable: $14.88

[Hokie-Dave]

I think we pay about $33-35/month for basic which inlcudes about 70 channels. I don't get the bill since it is lumped into my monthly HOA fees, but that was the latest figure I saw in the budget.

[yostmatt]

I pay $83, give or take a buck or two. That includes 3mbps Internet, and about 80 channels. No premiums

[purwater]

I pay $50.05 per month for 3mb HSI and basic 17 channels of cable with Charter. Supposed to be around $60, but I was overcharged for a period and now I've been getting a credit. The credit was supposed to end a year ago, but I still get the $50 charge so I'm not complaining. I pay approximately $78 for Directv. That includes the 4 DTivos plus HBO. I would go all cable, but the pic quality is so bad it's not worth the savings.

[That Don Guy]

In the San Francisco area (Comcast):
Standard non-digital cable is $48.25/month ("basic" service is $15)
Digital is $10 extra
Digital "Plus" is another $5, as is "Digital Sports" (CSTV, NFL TV, Fox Sports Atlantic/Central/Pacific, and a couple of others)
Having HBO or Showtime is $78 total (Digital Plus, plus $15); having both costs $14 above that.
If you have HDTV receiving capability, the HDTV channel package cost $5 more.
In addition, there is $7.25 worth of taxes and fees tacked on.

-- Don

[Slider10]

I work for Cablevision's internet dept, so my TV is $5 a month just for the digital box! I pay nothing for the cable/internet/VoIP. I'll still never take their DVR though. It sucks. Go me. ;-)

[SeanC]

Ok here goes:

Comcrap MA

Basic 11.25
Expaneded basic 37.65
Digital classic (300 or so channels including HD ESPN and the music channels) 6.20
First cablecard free

Total fees and taxes is a buck thirty.

so bout 57 bucks.

[mattack]

I’ve sometimes had trouble with reception, which makes me want to get Basic Cable (which is the same as Lifeline, I guess).

Well, now I've had cable since the end of '95 IIRC. I had a limited cable at college years before that, but not at home.

I got it specifically to get better overall reception of the broadcast channels. (Though I admit I'm being somewhat of a hypocrite I guess since our CBS channel is coming in fairly badly lately -- need to call up and complain again.. Though I also have a zillion splitters which does degrade the signal too.)

ANYWAY.. Previously we had an antenna with a rotor on it, since most channels were north but a couple came in better with the antenna pointed south.. so of course that doesn't really help with unattended recording. (I'm a huge Tivo fan, but I still think it's an evolution rather than a revolution, since I was using multiple VCRs to avoid most commercials for many years before Tivo.. it's just easier with Tivo.. though not as easy as it could be, since I want more tuners and/or cooperative scheduling between separate Tivos.)

So I got cable to get better *broadcast* channels.. Even though I watch/record a lot of cable stuff too... the majority of what I watch is still broadcast TV.

So basically -- I think it's worth getting at least the lowest end tier, though I have extended basic (~$38/month.. a LOT.)

[btl-a4]

Comcast SF Bay Area

Standard Cable 47.25
Digital Classic 9.95
HDTV DVR Service 9.95
HDTV Additional (2nd box) 5.00
Addl Outlet 6.95
HBO 16.99
Taxes Surcharges ect. 7.67
Total 103.76

Plus 45.95 for Cable Internet.

[MEngland]

Just for comparison sake I'll give you something at the extreme oposit end of the scale. We get every single channel our cable company offers, a cable modem and a MOXI HD-DVR for about $130/month.
Hey, yours sounds pretty good. We pay $130, but I do not get HD content, do not have a CableCo DVR, and only have one premium channel (HBO).

So I get Basic cable, Basic Digital, and a couple tiers of other channels (things like Disney, Discovery, DIY and the like), and HBO. We have RoadRunner. Oh, yeah. Then I have about half a page of small charges for monthly rental on cable boxes, rental on their remotes, "digital outlets", additional outlets, and other crap I can't even remember. Every six months, TW announces a reduction in rates and my monthly bill goes up $5-10.

I get sick of fighting them to keep prices from going up more. I guess that's the point.

[pdhenry]

Suscom (soon to be Comcast :( ), York, PA:

LIMITED SERVICE $16.56 (channels 2-20, = OTA plus CSpan, QVC and local access)
FULL SERVICE $43.63 (channels 2-78)

DIGITAL CABLE (Includes Digital Terminal) $14.95 (101-122; mostly crap up there)

HBO (includes 10 channels) $11.95 (requires digital cable)
(other premium channels priced similarly)

I have full service plus digital and HBO, and also pay $39.95 for cable Internet

43.63 + 14.95 + 11.95 + 39.95 = $110.48; there's miscellaneous taxes in there, too. Comes out close to $120/month.

HDTV would be $22.95 instead of the $14.95 digital cable. There are 6 broadcast and 6 satellite HD channels, plus HD HBO if you have both packages.

[Joeg180]

Lost my last post:(

Had my cable bill [Time Warner Albany, NY] handy:

Peg Access .35
Digital Teir 2.45
Digital Navigator 1 5.45
HBO (14 Channels) 13.95
Broadcast Basic 12.00
Standard Service 36.25
High Speed Internet 44.95
Package Discount (14.10)

Digital Converters(2@7.65) 15.30
Digital Remotes (2@.30) .60
Taxes 4.41

Total 121.61

[cwoody222]

"Lifeline" cable here - a friend just got it last week - is around $15 including taxes. It's all the locals (UPN & WB too), a few shopping channels, I think one news channel, and the only real "cable" channels are Discovery and TLC.

Next option is "basic" cable which runs around $50-$55 after taxes. That's what I have (free from my landlords). I don't get some channels that I'd like but that are only available via digital cable like GSN, BBCA, Logo but I get things like FX, USA, TNT, TBS, Lifetime, Comedy, Sci-Fi, etc.

Edit: FYI - it's Adelphia. Soon to be Time Warner.

[Puppy76]

Geez, it looks like Insight's priceing is actually good :eek: