GeneGenie87

Hi,

I am moving over in a couple of weeks and already have my first place to stay.

However I am getting confused over cable packages, whose best, whose potentially costing me a lot for no return etc.

I know I am limited to cable (no dish attachments allowed), but I want something with a good range of channels and especially the sport (NFL and UK 'soccer').

Then others provide phone and internet.

Any help and guidance would be greatly appreciated.

sir_eccles

Without paying for DirectTV and sunday ticket (intro offers sometimes include it for free for a year) or paying for NFL gamepass to watch online, you will be limited to local games on Fox/CBS, and MNF on ESPN.

MLS soccer is I believe on Fox Sports while NBC sports has English premier league.

If you don't want their phone service but want a "landline" consider ooma. You only pay local taxes after buying the box.

Pulaski

In most places your choice of cable is Hobson's choice. You take what cable runs to your home, or you do without (if you're not allowed satellite). Sometimes AT&T runs a completing "U-verse" cable.

Which cable operator(s) has cable to your home?

GeneGenie87

Very good question Pulaski - I'm not entirely sure as it's not something I thought to ask.

So is the US different in the fact that a company will be 'hard wired' into a place?

Pulaski

Well the cable belongs to the company, and you can only buy the services/channels/ packages they offer.

The US is such a big country that most places don't have multiple cable operator to choose from. There are exceptions, with a small number of cities funding the installation of a municipal-owned fibre-optic cable system, and Google is installing fiber-optic systems in a few cities.

Bob

You get what you get and most offer a deal that'll run about $100 the first year as a triple package and then go up a ways there after.

Do you really need a landline? Do you really need cable? It's really not that good. Decent internet and then Netflix and the other digital services might be better value, that and a VPN/DNS service.

jjmb

Bear in mind that the internet is mostly provided by the same cable providers so they have you by the short and curlies. Usually you can haggle to get it reduced by threatening to move to other available service, if there is one. In our area it AT&T or Suddenlink. Neither are great

Pulaski

And indeed through the same cable.

Bob

Aye, it's a bit poo.

Where the folks live, it's a choice of dial up, shitty satellite, or shitty DSL...they're on the DSL and it's painful.

Guindalf

Unlike the UK, ot depends where you live as to what's available. Apart from the big companies like Comcast, etc., there are many smaller cable companies, so good, some less so.

First thing to do is find out what your options are, if any. Where I live, for example, I have two choices - DirecTV or Dish Network (the two satellite providers). There are no cable providers and I'm too far away from a major city to get anything OTA (90 miles from Atlanta).

I also have just one option for internet (apart from dial-up or satellite, which are both last resorts) and that's telco. I'm limited to a maximum of 12Mb/s down and 768k up - hardly earth-shattering! However, just a mile down the road, there's an option for fiber at 50Mb up AND down for less money. I was quoted a minimum of $10,000 to run the fiber to my house (guess what my answer was?).

So, with all that said, where will you be located? If renting, contact the landlord and ask what options are available and then you can visit the websites and get a better idea.

gcjunkie

totally agree just get a dn/vpn and a samsung tv which the region can be changed to get all the UK apps like iplayer etc

then just like being at home why you want to watch US tv ugh!!

markonline1

Cable TV is a total racket over here. It's ridiculous that certain cable companies seem to have monopolies in certain areas. However, whatever the cost, I could never give it up. I'm with U-Verse. Every year, we phone up and threaten to leave, and every year, they give us a deal to stay for another year, so I'm pretty happy with them. I'm hoping as they now own Direct TV, they'll bring Sunday ticket to U-Verse.

Guindalf

I doubt it'll happen as it's a DirecTV exclusive deal negotiated well before the merger.