Wireless Internet and Cable DVR How Much Should I Be Paying? Help

self ^ | 2/5/12 | self

[STD]

Dear FReepers,

I live outside Chicago. My current provider for bundled Cable, Internet and home based landline costs 179 dollars a month. I have the large selection of cable stations including History, Military etc, without any premium channels. or DVR.

I'm coming to you my friends to see what suggestions, or ingenious Freepers have come up with to obtain service; I'd like a large number of Cable stations plus a DVR. My son insists upon Internet fast enough to play video games inter-actively online. We need wireless internet for our laptops. I would like a DVR machine with any new service. I don't need the landline service. I would like to learn how to use Skype, or another similar service. Help Your suggestions and thoughts are welcome here; Help!

[TomGuy]

Compare price without bundling.

I do not have the telephone service, but have cable and Internet.

My internet is advertised at about 12 Mbps [I can get up to 18 Mbps most time] for $50/month with 200gb download.

My cable company charges $10/month for the DVR service. I already have a box for HD, which was $8.00/month.

My cable bill, without phone and without DVR, with 2 premium channels runs about $160/month.

[TomGuy]

For wireless...

I have the cable modem connected to a router (I bought it). That provides me wireless for ROKU/Netflix to my TV and internet to my laptop.

[SumProVita]

We just switched from Dish to U-Verse and love it! We bundled everything: Land line, internet and TV. Now we pay less per month ($142) and get much more...including Fox Business.

Biggest advantage: Bad weather does not affect it. It stayed with us through the last tornado warning.

[TomGuy]

Clark Howard says the cheapest cellphone service is where you buy your own minutes and where they don't age it (forcing you to buy more minutes).

I don't make many calls. I got tired of paying the local telephone $300 a year just to have the phone sit. I investigated and switched to Tracfone prepaid. My minutes never expire. It does cost about $8/month for 'service' but that is still cheaper than the landline was.

I also have Magicjack connected to the computer for about $12/year. Magicjack has a new device similar to Nettalk's which connects to the Internet, but the pc does not have to be on. Service is about $30/year.

[RedMDer]

All contributions are for the Current Quarter Expenses.

[eyedigress]

I enjoy that added weather bonus as well. I had DISH and two of their nice DVR’s quit within 2 years. Also I needed a land-line as a cell at my house is next to worthless. I am pleased with U-Verse, it just takes time to get used to the differences.

[brityank]

Verizon and I assume all of the telephone companies are eventually going to stop maintaining and laying new hard wires and convert to only wireless anyway.Therefore their land lines will continue to decline and be allowed to deteriorate. We havent seen any new lines in place in years, and Verizon is laying off line workers.

Verizon has been pushing FiOS - Fibre Optic cabling in its metro areas, but strung/maintained by third-party contractors. I have copper + DSL, at ~$55/mo., and they want me to 'upgrade' to FiOS for ~$85/mo. I don't have cable, just use an OTA antennae for the digital broadcast local stations that I watch infrequently.

[midnightcat]

in order for the Magicjack to work, though, do you have to have a highspeed cable connection for the computer? my father wants to use Magicjack but he has a DSL thing for his PC right now. I’m not a high tech person (sadly, I still have dial-up) so I can’t comprehend how the thing actually works.

[TomGuy]

he has a DSL thing

It depends on the type of DSL. [I am not that familiar with DSL.]

Magicjack will not work on dial up.

from the magicjack website:
"Any computer with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Intel-based Apple MAC operating system; AND One of the following: Broadband, High-Speed Internet, Cable Internet, DSL, WiFi, Wireless, or WiMax"

Side note: When my MagicJack [computer plug in] service is over, I am going with the Nettalk service that does not require the computer to be on. I hear it is better quality and better tech support.

[TexasRepublic]

“Tap your neighbors line when hes not home. Get it free”

Or just ask. My neighbor has a Comcast T1 line and a wireless router. I told him that that my computer could “see” his wireless router and asked if we could work out some cooperative arrangement so that I could use it. He said, “Don’t worry about it, the access password is xxxxxxxx”.

[ican'tbelieveit]

Emergency services should be able to find you. http://www.fcc.gov/guides/wireless-911-services

Even my magicjack is registered with 911.

[GreenAccord]

As expected, you’re seeing prices all over the map. It seems as though you’re not getting a lot of the variables stated with everyone’s pricing. It can vary greatly based on what is on people’s menus. And I’m NOT just talking about channel lineups.

Here are some *options* that are part of today’s common, multi-room DVR set ups.

Channel levels: This is VERY proprietary and one company’s premium lineup is another’s middle-of-the-road version. An example? My cable company’s enhanced (minus a premo-sports package) is actually below the UVerse U300 (300 channels)

Mutli-Room DVR: you may be able to see DVR’ed shows on any room in the house, but you’ll have to pay a monthly fee for a box in each room to “receive” the show on the other room. These may be $5 or more per month, PER BOX.

Internet Speeds: There’s always a bunch of levels to choose from, like 3MB all the way up to 20+MB packages. These can add $25-$40 per month. What works for you might be too slow or WAY too much for another.

Landline: You get either base service or you might be paying for things like unlimited long distance.

So when considering this, the primary price leverage is multiple providers in your market and the competition going on.

I think you’re doing the right thing asking, but your market’s dynamics are hard to translate to the other markets.

In my opinion, you’re paying too much. But markets differ and I guess metropolitan Chicago would be more expensive than my smaller Ohio market.

[6ppc]

Does the term BOHICA mean anything to you? ;^)

Actually you are paying a bit less than me here in Birmingham AL. I have AT&T Uverse with Showtime + Movie Channel package, 25 meg internet and voip, paying a bit over $200/mo.

[6ppc]

Does the term BOHICA mean anything to you? ;^)

Actually you are paying a bit less than me here in Birmingham AL. I have AT&T Uverse with Showtime + Movie Channel package, 25 meg internet and voip, paying a bit over $200/mo.

[ctdonath2]

Here’s another vote for “change your habits, save money”.

$60/mo for fast Internet access, $8/mo Netflix streaming. That’s more than enough TV, no commercials, watch what we want (with a little patience & flexible choices) when we want. What little big-network must-see content we want is also available by Internet form network web sites. Big-budget recent-release content is available for modest rental - on demand from Apple, no commercials, no travel, $1-5 per movie. I’d recommend the $1/day rentals from Redbox, but aforementioned content is more than enough. May downgrade Internet service, save money and still fast enough. Then there is the library with lots of free eclectic stuff, and my own collection I’m still plowing thru.

Why pay for someone else to sell your eyeballs? Latest tv isn’t that interesting.

[ican'tbelieveit]

We have DirecTV, all of the channels except premium and sports, HD, and DVR; CenturyLink DSL (no other options where I live) for about $130 a month.

For movies we use Redbox or Netflix. From time to time DirecTV has free previews of premium channels and I can DVR a few movies we haven’t seen. But that really covers it for our needs. My son is very tempted to drop DirecTV all together and just use the internet & Netflix; I haven’t let go of needing TV yet...