Comparison | Consumer Triple Play

06 Jun

Is There A Difference Between AT&T® And Cox® Broadband?

Fiber Cable Networks

AT&T^® offers broadband internet to thousands of households and individual consumers in the United States. The telecom conglomerate offers the triple play plans, which bundle home phone with internet and satellite TV. The broadband is transmitted via relayed fiber cable networks. The networks stretch the AT&T^® broadband to households via telephone, Ethernet, or coaxial cable.

In fact, AT&T^® also gives the Fiber-To-The-Home internet in select American states. It can be said that AT&T^®is the fastest internet provider in the US, as they offer the best internet connection to most parts of the country. Come to think of it, Cox Communications^® is another which delivers broadband via hybrid fiber coaxial network.

Coaxial Cable Transmits Cox^® Broadband

Cox^® internet transmits data through gen-next fiber optic cables. The coaxial cable diverts a particular fiber cable network in a neighborhood to the households nearby. In fact, a Cox^® network may serve more than 2000 households in a region. The coaxial cable transmits the broadband data too at high speeds.

Choosing Between Household Needs

The broadband subscribers have plenty to consider when choosing between the two fastest internet providers in the US. Both the AT&T^® DSL network and Cox^® coaxial network offers similar speed and rates. The choice of selecting between the two is left to the broadband needs of a household and their data usage.

Features Of AT&T^® Broadband Plans:

$40 to $80 a month
18 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (download)
5 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (upload)

Features Of Cox^® Broadband Internet:

Gen-Next Fiber Optic Cables

$39.99 to $84.99 a month
10 Mbps to 300 Mbps (download)
0 Mbps to 30 Mbps (upload)

*The data sheet is as on February 2017.

The internet plans by the telecom giants are priced differently, and where the maximum broadband speed by AT&T^® is 1000 Mbps, Cox^® provides 300 Mbps only. There are separate data caps as well for the both, which can be verified at the time of broadband set up. Further, the subscribers get to choose wireless, satellite TV, and home phone internet as a triple play bundle in AT&T^®.

04 Apr

Comparing The Three Charter Spectrum Subscriptions

Enhanced 3D experience

We all know that when you sign up for the Spectrum plan of Charter Communications, you get a free modem. The initiation is part of a deal which mixes up the internet service with cable and enhanced telephony. Being a new subscriber, it is easy to get confused regarding which plan to choose from within three given choices. So let us compare each plan named progressively as Standalone, Double Play, and Triple Play from a complete neutral’s perspective.

Spectrum Standalone Pack

The standalone plan refers to the year-on-year cable TV services of Charter, available on a monthly-based subscription. You get to pay $60 a month that is at least $30 less than the other two packages, and still bring home 125 plus TV channels. To enhance your 3D experience, a Digital Video Recorder with 32-days playback is also bundled along with the Standalone pack.

Spectrum Double Play

The Double Play package mixes up 69 Mbps internet speed and a free modem alongside the former pack, which gives you access to about ten thousand television shows. Can you recall the last time you saw “Game of Thrones” and endless On-Demand movies simply being on a couch?

Jokes apart, the best internet service provider lets you access the EPIX online digital content in blazing speeds in the Double Play package. When you get tired of watching cable TV movies, you can explore further to the digital world.

Spectrum Triple Play

On-Demand Movies

Think of the full standalone pack and the key benefits of Double Play for the same subscription fee. For just $90, you can opt for the 9 Mbps higher internet speed in the Triple Play package and call your beloved ones settled in faraway places. The free modem is still there, and so is the 10,000 plus On-Demand choices available in both Standalone and Double Play subscription packs.

Charter Communications calls their best internet packages to be “endlessly entertaining”. One would beg to disagree with them, for the unique characteristics of the best internet providers are their willingness to adapt to the changes. The only thing that is common between all the Spectrum packages as of now is the persistence with “Spectrum App” which is available in the Google Store.

31 Mar

Comparing Internet Deals Offered By AT&T U-Verse And Comcast Xfinity

Comparing Internet Deals

The availability of many best internet providers has led to enhanced internet penetration and accessibility to the many regions of the country. However, most customers remain confused regarding choosing the right internet service. This is mainly because they are generally ignorant of the different internet packages and deals offered by a majority of the internet providers.

The major players in internet connectivity like AT&T U-Verse and Comcast Xfinity are largely preferred by most customers across the nation. The following is a brief comparison some of the prime internet packages and deals offered by AT&T U-Verse and Comcast Xfinity.

AT&T U-Verse

AT&T U-Verse is a major provider of broadband internet, phone, digital TV and is undoubtedly one of the best internet providers in the country. Some of the common deals offered are:

$40 for 45 Mbps (FIBER) – It provides 45 Mbps download and 6 Mbps upload speeds with a 1000 GB per month data cap. It is available for a 1-year promo rate and the regular rate is $70. Included along with the deal is a modem with Wi-Fi.
$40 for 45 Mbps (DSL) – This deal offers 45 Mbps speed with a 1000 GB monthly data cap. Available in 1-year promo rate and the regular rate is $70. Speeds may vary by area.
$70 for 100 Mbps (FIBER) – Offers 100 Mbps internet speeds along with monthly data cap of 1000 GB. The regular rate is $99 and includes a 1-year promo. Modem with Wi-Fi is also included in the deal.

Comcast Xfinity

AT&T Vs Comcast Internet

Comcast Xfinity is yet another major provider of internet, cable TV, and phone. They utilize hybrid fiber coaxial network for providing their various services. In fact, Xfinity is one of the best internet providers in a majority of areas in the US. Some of their common internet deals include:

$39.99 for 25 Mbps (CABLE) – Offers 25 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload speeds. Available in 1-year promo rate and the regular rate is $74.95. Modem with Wi-Fi charged at $10 per month. There exists a 1 TB data cap in some areas.
$59.99 for 200 Mbps (CABLE) – You get 200 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speeds in this offer. The regular rate is $87.95 and comes included with a 1-year promo rate. A $10 fee is charged per month for using a modem with W-iFi.
$84.95 for 100 Mbps (CABLE) – Provides 100 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload speeds. One TB data cap is present in some areas. For using the modem with Wi-Fi, $10 will be charged per month.

07 Feb

Sling TV Vs Netflix – Which One Is The Best Streaming Service

Sling TV Vs Netflix

We all know that the era of using cable connection to watch our favorite shows and programming is the story of the past. Live video streaming is the recent trend and it has replaced the traditional cable connections. Today, users can have a plethora of live streaming services that can be used to watch video over the internet.

Sling TV from Dish Network and Netflix are the two most competitive live streaming service providers. Let us look into the main similarities and differences between both these live streaming services.

Similarities

Price

The monthly charges for both the services is between 7.99 dollars to 11.99 dollars and this price range is a very much reasonable to watch unlimited video over the internet.

HD Live Streaming

Sling TV and Netflix are not just limited to the mobile devices. Both the services can be accessed on any device that supports HD streaming, and both the services offer Full HD streaming options.

Support For Mobile

Both the services can be accessed on Android and iOS powered devices. Users just need to sign in to their account from their smartphones and access their favorite programming online.

Original TV Shows

Original shows that are shown on television are also made available on both the live streaming services. Users can watch original TV shows without any disruptions on both Netflix and Sling TV.

Content Download

Both the services do not allow the subscribers to download videos. In fact, you will not be able to download any content from Netflix or Sling TV, including On Demand content.

Differences

Original Movies

Best Streaming Service

Many of use prefer to watch original movies in our leisure time. At this point, Netflix is the service that holds the upper hand with offering original movies.

Premium Movies

Many of the movies will be made available On Demand and this feature is available only in Netflix. Sling does not offer premium movies to their users, so the users will have to satisfy themselves with the programming on the TV channels included in the pack.

4K Streaming

Both the services support devices that has display resolution below 4K pixels, but users of Sling TV will not be able to stream content in 4K resolution devices. Netflix, on the other hand, supports 4K devices.

04 Feb

How To Watch Super Bowl 2017 On Your PC

Super Bowl 2017

The Super Bowl is just a few days away and every one of us will be tuning in to watch this amazing showdown between the two popular teams. The New England Patriots will take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, February 5 at 6:30 p.m. ET, 3:30 p.m. PT.

The opening game of the 2017 Super Bowl will held at Houston’s NRG Stadium. Country-music star Luke Bryan will make an appearance to sing the National Anthem and the Super Bowl LI halftime show will be headlined by Lady Gaga. The game will be broadcasted on Fox.

If you have a cable subscription, then you will be able to access and watch the game on Fox. However, if you don’t have a cable subscription, then you will be looking for other methods such as live streaming to watch the opening game of the Super Bowl on your PC or laptop. If so, here is how you can watch the live action of Super Bowl on your PC or laptop.

If you are a customer who doesn’t have a cable subscription, then you will be able to watch the live broadcast of Fox Sports 1, NFL Network, and ESPN2 through Dish Network’s online streaming service, Sling TV. This popular online streaming platform offers you access to a number of select channels at an affordable price. Below is how you can sign up to Sling TV for the free 7 day trial.

Go to the official website of Sling TV
Click on “Watch Now 7 Days Free” option.
Create a personal account
Dish Network’s Sling TV
Select the packages or channel package you need. Sling Orange package offered by the online streaming service offers ESPN2, while the Sling Blue package offers both Fox Sports 1 and NFL Network.
Enter the payment information. The cost to sign up for Sling Orange is just $20 a month, whereas the cost for signing up to Sling Blue is $25 a month. However, if you happen to cancel the subscription after the seven-day trial, then the service provider will not charge you anything.
Download the Sling app for your PC or laptop and start watching the game and other contents offered by the channels.

If you are a Sling TV subscriber already, then you will be also able to watch the contents offered by ESPN on your smartphone and other compatible devices.

05 Jan

Sling CEO Believes Online Streaming Services Are The Future Of TV

The Future Of TV

Dish Network introduced their online streaming service, Sling TV, exactly two years ago. The launch of this streaming platform has brought numerous benefits to Dish Network and the service quickly become much popular among cord cutters and other traditional TV viewers.

Many analysts firmly believe that online streaming services like Sling TV and DirecTV Now represent the future of TV. In a recent conference, Sling CEO Roger Lynch said, “The future of TV, I believe, is going to be streamed.”

He discussed about the evolution of telephones and about the launch of applications such as Skype. “I think the same path will be followed by video and traditional TV, moving from analogue to digital and then software applications like Sling,” Lynch added.

This might be a long-term vision, but we do have to accept the fact that the Sling CEO has an interesting view on the role of “Pay Lite” in the current market. He also added that the analysts and viewers should compare Sling TV to music services such as Spotify, rather than comparing it with Dish Network’s or Comcast’s pay TV offerings.

Online Streaming Services

“When consumers engage with Spotify for the first time they download a mobile app and start a free trial,” Lynch said. “There are no contracts and there is no installation. That is how most people start a relationship with Sling TV.” Sling TV is currently one of the cheapest streaming services available to the users and the basic package of Sling TV is available to customers at just $20 a month, which offers more than 30 popular channels.

The President of EchoStar Corporation and CTO at Dish Network, Vivek Khemka said, “Sling TV is differentiated around the business model – no contract, no commitment, no installation; you sign-up and watch TV in a few minutes. We have aggressively delivered smaller packagers rather than a big bundle. You do not have all the programming that DISH offers and that is by design.”

He added, “Sling TV is still evolving and we do not intend to make it in any way inferior to the full Pay TV experience. We have a philosophy where we want to embrace change and if people want streaming TV, then so be it. There is no reason to fight that or prevent it from happening by making Sling an inferior service.”

12 Dec

Charter CEO Talks About A Potential Netflix Integration Deal

CEO Tom Rutledge

One of the leading cable operators in the country, Charter Communications, feels that they don’t need to own a content company straightaway. The Liberty Broadband of John Malone owns a big stake in the major telecom company. However, during a recent conference, Tom Rutledge, the Chairman and CEO of Charter Communications, said that the company is planning to integrate Netflix into their set-top boxes in the near future.

When asked whether the company need to own a content company so that they won’t be at a disadvantage when compared to AT&T and Comcast, he said, “I don’t think so right now.” AT&T recently revealed their plans to acquire Time Warner for an estimated budget of $85.4 billion, while Comcast Corporation currently owns NBCUniversal. However, Rutledge added that, “We are a connection company at the moment, and I like that place.”

Rutledge also said that there was a “a great runway for years to come” and “a lot of opportunity” with the present business model of offering pay TV services and connectivity even without the need to own a content company. He said, “You have to stay true to the content business” while operating in both distribution and content.

Charter CEO also explained that the distribution footprint is constantly smaller when compared to the programming footprint. He continued, “[otherwise] you can destroy a lot of value.” Rutledge further added that the proposed merger between AT&T and Time Warner will not change that.

Netflix Integration Deal

On the other hand, when asked about the potential talks to integrate Netflix into their set top boxes, he said, “I expect that to happen.” He added that the deal might happen in the near future, as they are in talks with the steaming service platform owners currently. Netflix, one of the popular streaming services in the country, already has an integration deal with Malone’s Latin American and European pay TV giant Liberty Global and with Comcast Corporations.

Charter had earlier acquired two major companies, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, for $55 billion and $10.4 billion, respectively. The acquisition of these major companies allowed Charter Communications to become the second largest cable company in the United States. Comcast currently holds the first position.

In addition to that, the new initiative from Charter, named as Charter Spectrum, was launched by the company a few weeks ago has shown great promise and it’s becoming widely popular among customers.

09 Dec

How DirecTV Now Fares Against PlayStation Vue And Sling TV

DirecTV Now Service

There are three main streaming options for the US customers to choose from today, which includes Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and the most recent DirecTV Now streaming service from AT&T. These companies face tough competition in the market, as the users will not settle down for less. A brief comparison of these three internet TV services will help you know more on the same.

Sony PlayStation Vue

Reports say that PlayStation Vue is the most expensive among all the content streaming options, but it is the only service that offers CBS Network channels, and until recently, they were the only service that offered a cloud DVR that is capable of storing recorded content for 28 days.

The basic package of PlayStation Vue costs 29.99 dollars per month and offers more than forty-five channels, which includes Fox, Kiro7, ESPN, CNN, and TBS. There is also a 34.99 dollars a month pack from Vue, offering more than 60 channels, a 49.99 dollars per month pack that offers 90 channels, and a 64.99 dollars per month pack offering 90 channels plus Showtime and HBO (Showtime for 10.99 dollars and HBO for 15 dollars per month as add-ons).

Dish Network Sling TV

Sling TV is one of the first internet content provider services that initiated the cord-cutting trend. This service by Dish Network offers one of the cheapest streaming services when compared to PlayStation Vue and DirecTV Now.

Streaming Options Available

The starter package, Sling Orange, costs just 20 dollars per month and offers more than 30 channels; the next pack, Sling Blue, is available for 25 dollars per month and offers more than 40 channels. There is also the Sling Orange + Blue package, which costs 40 dollars and includes all channels.

Sling TV service also has add-ons, starting at five dollars per month. Add-on packages include kids, Spanish, comedy, International, and sports packs. Moreover, Sling TV offers Starz and HBO for just fifteen dollars. It is also reported that the cloud DVR program of Sling is under test and will be released soon.

AT&T DirecTV Now

AT&T is the most recent player in the online content streaming business. DirecTV Now offer many advantages like unlimited streaming on mobile with AT&T internet, and numerous channels and On-Demand content.

DirecTV Now services start at thirty-five dollars per month for the 60 plus channels offering; fifty dollars per month for 80 plus channels; sixty dollars per month for more than 100 channels; and seventy dollars per month for 120 plus channels. HBO and Cinemax are the available add-ons for five dollars each per month.

25 Nov

Dish Network And AT&T Offer Deals On Their Streaming Services

Deals On Streaming Services

Dish Network has offered some of the best cable deals to their subscribers over the last few years and they are still one of leading cable providers in the country. However, things have not been that easy for the company, as they had to face a huge loss of subscribers during the third quarter of 2016.

Nevertheless, Dish Network is planning for a strong comeback by offering a bunch of exciting deals on their online streaming platform, Sling TV. Dish recently announced several promotions and deals aimed at attracting more subscribers to Sling TV streaming service.

In their Sling Blog, the company stated that they are providing Sling TV gift cards to their subscribers in denominations of $25 to $100 through GameStop, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart. In addition to that, they also revealed their plans to enter into a partnership with streaming device makers during the upcoming holiday season.

Reports say that any subscriber, who buys a fourth-generation Apple TV, will get the device for just $89 instead of $149, if they commit to Sling TV for 3 months. Furthermore, a 50 percent offer will be available to customers when the buy a Roku Premiere and player, if they sign up to Sling TV for 3 months.

Online Streaming Platform

However, Dish Network is not the only provider who is trying to draw in more customers to their online streaming service. AT&T has already announced their plans to launch their streaming service, DirecTV Now, and sources say that the service will be available to subscribers by the end of this week.

AT&T recently announced that subscribers, who commit to DirecTV Now for three months or more, would be rewarded with a free Apple TV, whereas those who sign up for the same service for a single month would receive a Fire TV streaming stick for free.

The report from AT&T also indicated that the company will offer a free 7-day trial to customers. However, subscribers who decide to not to pay for the service after the free trial will be automatically downgraded to DirecTV Freeview, a free service with limited content.

In addition to that, DirecTV Now streaming service would be available to subscribers at just $35 per month and it will offer more a hundred popular channels. Analysts say that this is the best deal offered by a streaming service until now.

11 Jul

Are Streaming Services Getting Better Than Cable Packages?

Streaming Services

Channels that were once confined to the cable network are now available on internet with streaming services. Along with movies and TV, you can also watch live sports.

Dish Network’s Sling TV and Sony’s PlayStation VUE are the prime leaders in the arena, offering many popular channels like CNN, ESPN, and HGTV. And they even work on your smartphone or tablet.

Sling TV offers two packages for $20 per month. The first package has 20 channels including ESPN and ESPN2 and allows only one user; while the other package has 30 channels consisting of Fox Sports, national, and local channels. The latter pack allows three users simultaneously. Sling also provides add-on packages like HBO, Cinemax, and other sports and kids channels.

TV Viewing Trends

On the other hand, Sony’s PlayStation VUE allows 5 users to stream simultaneously and offers 3 packages containing 50 channels, 70 channels, and 100 channels. In order to get the channels, you can use either an Amazon Fire TV device or a Sony console, and it is not necessary to have a PlayStation console. You can even access the services on any major streaming devices except Apple TV.

Things To Note

Make sure you have a broadband connection with good speed before cutting the cord. Streaming services use various remotes and devices to get your channel as compared to the cable TV that uses a single remote. You will be using your TVs remote to get local channels, as local stations will be connecting to an indoor HD TV antenna.

The rest of the contents like movies, streaming, and on-demand programming will be from a streaming media box like Roku or Amazon Fire TV. In that case, you will be using their remote.

On your streaming device, you will have to browse through Netflix, HBO, and Hulu Plus to get your shows. If you are having multiple users browsing simultaneously, then you will have to calculate your probable expense in order to upgrade your internet bandwidth speeds as well.

It is seen that, many viewers are dropping their cable TV packages these days, and are switching to streaming services that offers many internet-based options. If you are doubtful, then use the seven-day trial before making the final decision.

23:22:30

SAVE TIME & MONEY

Call Now

866-349-4218

CALL NOW

866-349-4218

Coaxial Cable Transmits Cox® Broadband

Choosing Between Household Needs

Features Of AT&T® Broadband Plans:

Features Of Cox® Broadband Internet:

Spectrum Standalone Pack

Spectrum Double Play

Spectrum Triple Play

AT&T U-Verse

Comcast Xfinity

Similarities

Price

HD Live Streaming

Support For Mobile

Original TV Shows

Content Download

Differences

Original Movies

Premium Movies

4K Streaming

Sony PlayStation Vue

Dish Network Sling TV

AT&T DirecTV Now

Things To Note

Best Satellite Offer Ever

Save over $400 on DISH

Family Programming

CALL NOW

866-349-4218

Coaxial Cable Transmits Cox^® Broadband

Features Of AT&T^® Broadband Plans:

Features Of Cox^® Broadband Internet: