The latest trend in home entertainment and communications from the big media and telcom companies is to bundle two or more services into a single discounted package. The bundling craze began with cable providers like Time Warner, Cox, Comcast, and Charter, but now telco and satellite providers are bundling services as well. Is it better to purchase a bundle (for your television, internet and phone) or is it cheaper to get each one individually? For years, I have been covering digital services and products and in this piece I'll give you a look at these package deals and let you know whether going to one company for all of your broadband, television, and telephone requirements is ideal or whether shopping around is the best method.
No one wants to have one single company provide all our necessary services. It doesn't sit right, and especially for Americans, it feels unnatural. Will I be locked into a contract and have to deal with rate hikes? Or will I have to buy expensive equipment without the opportunity for a refund if I change companies. These are great questions to ask when shopping for TV, internet, and phone offer. Why don't we review each of the points separately beginning with the issue about what actually takes place once the discount offer is no longer available. Due to the high level of competition in this industry, rates are rarely raised. In fact, the drive to keep customers is so great that even when promos or special deals end, very often existing customers can extend their offer or move to a new promotion. It just might take a simple phone call from you to get the latest deal. For example, Charter gives cable customers the chance to lock in rates for up to two years if they buy a total service bundle. The question of what happens to the hardware a service provider gives you comes down to the individual business an their policies. The kind of equipment you'll obtain from the company you go with is typically a digital TV receiver and broadband modem if you purchase Internet. It is likely you might have a digital video recorder (DVR) as well if you ordered a top tier digital TV package. Generally speaking, most businesses will not charge you any costs for the average wear and tear of their equipment. They may charge you a fee for extra digital receivers, or for the broadband modem if you don't buy your own. Get a hold of the digital providers in your locality to find out their actual rules. When you move or change service providers, it is your responsibility to return any hardware to the local provider's office. Assuming the equipment is not lost or damaged, you probably will not have to pay anything additional. This is why I don't see any reason for consumers to not take advantage of a bundle offer over any apprehension about the equipment provided by the company. Every digital company has basically the same rules and regulations about equipment fees and how to return them.
Now lets look at the bundles you can currently get from the major players in the digital services space. Satellite become popular again in the 90s when they installed small dishes that delivered higher quality than cable. Additionally, Satellite television had more complete programming than cable for a generally lower price. For the past ten years or so satellite TV hasn't changed much at all. Dish and DirecTV are having trouble competing because they've pushed satellite technology as far as they can. Satellite TV prices are competitive, satellite broadband not a good option unless you have no other choice and there is no voice offering. Recently, national telecommunications companies like AT&T, Qwest, and Verizon are now offering digital TV, high-speed Internet, home, and mobile phone deals. They can now do this through a slowly growing fiber-optic network available in metropolitan areas and by partnering with satellite and broadband providers to cover the TV and Internet portions of the package. The technology, where the fiber-optic infrastructure exists, is exciting, but I just can't recommend subscribers jump on the telco ship yet. Since they are working with other companies in order to provide TV or broadband services, you are only getting the same product except now more people are involved so there are more places where things can go wrong. If one of the businesses involved with the telco decides to bail on the contract then you have a lot of problems to face.
So where should consumers spend their money? Currently I am a huge fan of the bundle options that are offered by many of the large cable companies. Current cable providers deliver a total HD and digital programming lineup which matches and often tops what is provided by DirectTV and Dish. Plus, you can get great add-ons like DVR boxes and on demand service that satellite is only beginning to deliver. Cable is currently superior because you're getting digital cable TV, broadband internet and digital phone from one source that will support you in all three services. If want digital TV only, however, competition among cable, telcos, as satellite is more intense and it might pay to shop around. But when you combine services you can't get a better deal considering the products and discounts a cable provider can give you. You should evaluate for yourself every aspect of the main cable and satellite offers. Research each package and use the knowledge you've learned to find the best deal!
Check out these Comcast Cable TV and High Speed Internet deals available online!
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