A “connected” world means that you may not have to worry about your cable bill

Lizzie Tyner | RSS | Sat, Jul 04 2009 | 1 Comment

It wasn’t long ago that Bryce and I sat down and tried to figure out which bills we could cut out or cut back on. We both came up with a simple answer:

We could cut back $100 a month by simply cutting our cable bill down to just internet service and “basic” cable.

So we did.

I have to admit, the kids really don’t like not being able to watch Dora, but because we don’t have cable anymore, they end up watching more PBS if they are watching TV at all. Really, cutting back on TV means the kids are outside playing more.

As for Bryce and I, we just end up watching whatever is on at night and when I miss my favorite prime-time show, I can easily watch it online. We’re a fairly “connected” household and have several computers that are always connected to a high speed internet connection.

The main websites to catch your “network” TV shows are the actual network websites like abc.com, nbc.com, cbs.com, and fox.com. Also, HULU.com has become a very popular website that is not only free but also is legal, which there are ways to catch your favorite cable shows on the internet, but I’ll let you Google that for yourself rather than me telling you.

There are just so many other ways to get your television than paying outrageous prices for cable TV or satellite TV as long as you have an internet connection.

Also, don’t forget that over-the-air TV is all digital now, so that is another completely free option for everyone who has to have “cable service” with their cable internet (like we do).

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Tags: high speed internet, simple answer, satellite tv

Are your Dish Network rates going up?

Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Mon, Mar 02 2009 | 1 Comment

In the 4th quarter report, Dish Network reported that the profits were up, while subscribers were dropping the service.

Profits rose 24% while they lost 100,000 subscribers, but the news also brought a lower stock price for the company. Its shares fell 10% today after the news came out about the loss of subscribers.

The only way I can explain such a phenomenon is that rates are on the rise. The rate hike would be exactly what satellite networks are fighting when they advertise against cable.

In reality, fees and rate hikes are causing profits to rise, which is also a likely reason for the loss in subscribers. In a recession, however, things like cable or satellite TV are sometimes seen as a want rather than a need and customers drop the service.

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Tags: phenomenon, quarter report, subscribers