This past week, Comcast a month. One of the catches? You must also buy Internet.
Even with caveats, the low price attracted new attention for an old company.
Comcast’s Stream, which is set to come to Denver in early 2016, targets cord-cutters, who abandoned cable or other pay TV services. Or cord-shavers who downsized TV plans as monthly bills crept up. It might even appeal to cord-nevers, who have never paid for TV.
TV plans, they are a-changin’. Services that stream content over the Internet to mobile devices and televisions have forced the traditional TV industry to toy with the once-forbidden world of a la carte channels, remote access and lower prices.
The new world is a hodgepodge of content, but many aim for easy access and doing away with contracts and excessive fees. It has prodded traditional pay TV providers such as Comcast and Dish Network to change — or face extinction.
“The audience of non-pay-TV subscribers, as it continues to grow, is becoming too big to ignore for incumbent pay-TV providers,” said Greg Ireland, research director of multiscreen video for market researcher IDC. “You either ignore it and let others like Netflix, Amazon and Sony Vue get that market, or you be innovative and appeal to those folks.”
What’s the best plan for you? We can’t tell you that. But here are some legal ways to minimize monthly bills:
I’m on a budget but want as much TV as I can afford
While the new breed of TV has sparked change, you still need Internet service, which can be a financial downer. When you add the new service plus Internet fees, you might be back where you started.
But sans Internet, here are the lowest-priced plans in our area:
Dish Network’s is $34.99 and including Food Network, Nickelodeon and TV Land. Commit to a year and the price drops to $19.99 a month.
CenturyLink’s cheapest way to get started with its Prism TV is its 140-channel Prism Essential plan, which after the $34.99 promotion rate ends in 12 months, jumps to about $50 a month.
DirecTV’s touts 145 channels for $49.99, which drops to $19.99 a month with a 24-month contract.
Comcast Xfinity’s “Limited Basic” plan is $25.91 and includes only local broadcast channels.
If you also need Internet, Comcast offers the Internet Plus plan, which has the same local channels plus HBO, a standard digital converter box and Internet for $69.95. This newer plan requires no long-term contract. It’s the regular price. (Its lowest-priced Internet plan is Economy Plus at $39.95.)
CenturyLink also has a secret “Basic Plan,” for $49.99, which includes local channels and 10 mbps Internet. You’ll need to call CenturyLink to get this price, which is the regular price.
If you want more cable channels, consider , the $20-a-month service Dish Network launched in February. It has no local channels. Rather, it focuses on popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, Food Network, HGTV, AMC, Cartoon Network . More channels are available and for sports, entertainment and kids.
There are also movie rental options, thanks to streaming and on-demand. , and let you rent for the night or buy a movie for life. Netflix, of course, provides its movie and TV library to users, starting at $7.99 a month.
And you might not have to skip the DVR. While most pay-TV companies charge $10 a month or more (Comcast’s HD DVR is $19.95 a month), there are one-time purchase options that may fit your budget. See the DVR sidebar.
No, seriously, I’m really on a budget
Low-income consumers might qualify for or , each of which costs $9.95 a month. Century Link offers 1.5 mbps speeds, while Comcast offers up to 5 mbps. The Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline qualifications .
Look through your bill for additional fees. Do you really need cable phone service, especially if you also pay for mobile? And ? Over time, it might be cheaper to buy one. Comcast, for example, charges $10 a month for modem rental. But that works with Comcast and is $70. It doesn’t work with Comcast’s phone service.
As for TV service, start with a good roof-top antenna to receive local broadcast channels. The one-time purchase means no monthly bills. Check for available channels at the Consumer Electronics Association site at .
Free full-episode TV shows are scattered around the Web if you visit the channel’s sites, although, again, you might be limited to a computer screen. Amazon, iTunes and other sites sell single episodes and might offer the latest episode free.
Hulu is a great resource, but the free version doesn’t work with streaming boxes. However, if you buy a screen-mirroring device such as the , you can view the video playing on a computer or mobile device to your TV.
I don’t watch TV but wouldn’t mind occasionally
There’s no sense in a monthly TV plan. Plenty of full episodes from major networks are free or pay-per-episode online at Hulu, TV channels’ websites and iTunes.
If you want to watch on a TV, get a streaming device, such as a Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV. These petite computers turn channels into apps, like on an iPad. They have helped Netflix ( ), ($99 a year) and ($7.99 a month and includes commercials) thrive and attract millions of video subscribers. If you don’t mind watching TV shows after everyone else, these sites often offer access to last year’s season.
Some TV channels stream full episodes free on these devices, notably A&E, PBS and PBS Kids. While other “free” channels — History, Comedy Central and CBS, to name a few — are free only if you already have a separate pay TV subscription.
They raised my rate again? I’m canceling!
Newer TV services are following T-Mobile’s lead and treating customers the same as potential customers. They’re doing away with limited-time deals, long-term contracts and annual rate increases (at least so far).
Sling, for example, offers the same rate to everyone: $20.
You can try the service free for one week. There are no contracts, no activation or cancellation fees and no need to call in once a year to get a better rate.
Skip traditional companies if you don’t want to mess with the annual chore of calling to complain that your rates went up.
I have multiple TVs, and I watch on all of them
This is an area where TV companies have made great advances. But the luxury of watching whatever you want on every TV in the house will cost you.
Dish has won rave reviews for its Hopper DVR, which can be accessed on other TVs at home with Joey receivers, which rent for $7 a pop. Comcast’s is $19.95 per month, plus an extra $9.95 for additional HDTV.
An option to eliminate monthly fees is TiVo, the DVR pioneer. TiVo charges monthly fees, but for most of its DVRs, it offers a lifetime subscription for $399 to $499. That takes nearly two to three years to break even, compared with the $15 you would pay the cable company. TiVo also sells the , which will let every TV in the house access the main DVR.
All I care about is the Broncos
Sports has always been big business for pay-TV companies. That’s why DirecTV offers the . But if you’re only a Broncos fan and you live here, you might not need the max.
An HDTV antenna will get you some of the best reception available — and free access to Broncos channels CBS, FOX and NBC.
Sling TV gets you the last source of live Broncos games with ESPN for $20 a month. (Most devices that offer ESPN streaming require a separate pay-TV subscription.) Sling also has a $5 add-on sports pack, which includes ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network, Universal Sports, beIN Sports and others. If you miss a game, there’s always the . For $24.99 a month, you have access to replays of every NFL Game.
I must have that one channel
A la carte TV is closer than ever, but you need Internet service to get it. Specific channels selling standalone service directly to customers include (per month):
$3.99: Lifetime online.
$3.99: Hallmark movies
$5.99:
$5.99: Nickelodeon streams its
$10.99: stand-alone streaming service.
$14.99: HBO’s stand-alone service
$19.99 to $24.99: includes all games except for hometown blackouts.
$20: Sling TV’s has 23 channels streamed live, including ESPN, Disney, Food Network and HGTV.
$49.99 to $69.99: offers 50 channels plus access to local sports. (Not available in Denver.)
Comcast Stream, which launches this summer in Boston and early next year in Denver, will charge $15 for local channels and HBO, will require Comcast Internet service and is limited to devices inside the home.
Apple is a 25-channel streaming service this fall for $30 to $40, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Layer 3 TV in Denver service this summer.
working on an OTT channel featuring its comedy shows.
Tamara Chuang: 303-954-1209, tchuang@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/Gadgetress
View bills online: See what other people pay and share your own. dpo.st/tvtoday
Mailbag, Heck Yeah will return
Dvrs on a budget
A lot of the extra fees in pay TV bills are taxes or feature add-ons, such as DVRs. You can’t do much about taxes, but even budget-minded folks don’t have to give up the ability to pause live TV. Instead of spending $9.99 to $19.99 monthly to rent a DVR from the cable company, try these alternatives:
is $49.99 and costs $14.99 a month. It’s limited to local channels and must be connected to an HD antenna. Like all TiVo devices, the box has access to content such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus. If the goal is to eliminate monthly fees, TiVo’s , which start at $199, have a one-time lifetime plan for $399 to $499.
Tablo is a whole-home DVR that can record only local broadcast channels and be viewed on any connected TV in the house (Tablo to connect video to a TV). A one-time investment of $220 (plus more for a hard drive and antenna) gets you the Tablo 2-Tuner, which records two channels simultaneously (the four-tuner Tablo is $299). An optional monthly fee of $4.99 (or $150 for life) offers access to a TV guide so you know what shows are coming up.
Simple.TV is similar to Tablo, where users bring the hard drive and HD antenna and attach the . There are no extra fees to get a Simple.TV guide, but if you want to access the DVR when away from home, it’s $60 a year.
