I like Cablevision. We had Cablevision installed soon after we moved into our house almost ten years ago. Initially we started with the television and internet packages. Several years later we added Optimum Voice telephone service. We never have a problem with the phone, our internet connection line is fast enough for our needs and Optimum Wifi makes it very easy to find a patch of internet service in Fairfield. Also, Cablevision has been upgrading their High Definition programming during the past few years, Free OnDemand has a few of our children’s favorite shows, not to mention News12 (I’m a big fan of News12).
Truth be told, I was not always pleased with Cablevision. Our initial installation was a little bumpy, and transferring our telephone number was customer service hell for a week. Ever since then I have noticed improvements in customer service.
The thorn in our side, however, is the amount of our monthly Cablevision bill. Just as some other families in Fairfield have been doing, we are looking for money saving opportunities. However, with the cable bill, we felt stuck. Converting to DishTV or AT&T U-verse were options, but after their respective promo periods end, the monthly charges are similar to Cablevision. We could always just eliminate TV all together, but that’s a giant leap, even for a family that doesn’t watch much TV.
This is our Cablevision bill for March 201
Our Cablevision bill never really seemed to be a big expense. In 2001, our monthly bill was $65.69, admittedly without phone service. We had family basic programming and one box on TV #1, while TV #2 was able to get some programming without a box. We added Optimum Voice to our service in July 2005, and our bill had increased to $126.12. The entire increase was not just the telephone service, our TV and Internet charges were starting to creep up. But, since we dropped more expensive AT&T phone service we were now saving money by bundling all three services with Cablevision. Bonus!
When we added TV #3 it came with an HD tuner, allowing us we to receive some programming in HD sans box. Then in 2009 Cablevision forced us to equip each TV with an HD box. Add in 2 boxes, one with DVR. Which brings me to my nickel and dime peeve. To watch the programming I pay for, I am required to rent a box only available from the cable company for $6.71. But to use the box you rent, to watch programming you pay for, you are required to rent a remote control, an additional 24 cents. Very creative!
Back to the present day. Our total March 2011 Cablevision bill is $172.48, of which $107.58 is cable TV and related costs. This June the bill increase by $6.95 when a free box and remote promotion ends. As you have no doubt figured by now, I am ending cable TV in our house, with goal of retaining similar programming. It won’t be easy, it will cost money before it saves money, we will lose some, and gain elsewhere. To me that’s the price of change.
In future posts I will chronicle our move from Cablevision TV to alternative means, the savings and expenses incurred, the devices we use and the adjustments we ultimately make to our television viewing. Stay tuned!
I’ve been following a discussion of this topic for a while myself. The idea of cord-cutting has much appeal, and you’ve done a nice job explaining why we should all be considering it. My favorite resource is Cord Cutters, http://gigaom.com/video/5-steps-to-cutting-the-cord-a-guide-to-canceling-cable/ which offers plenty of good tips for those considering the move. With Netflix, Hulu, and rabbit ears, one can get most anything they want without a cable company (and its huge bills).
Good luck!
I live in Fairfield too and decided to “cut the cord” yesterday actually. We’ll still use Cablevision for Internet access, but we’ve got a Mac Mini hooked to our TV (via HDMI) that allows us to stream Hulu, Netflix, Boxee, etc. For any other shows we can’t stream (like anything on the Discovery channel), we’re planning on buying the season passes through iTunes ($40/season). Overall though, we’re looking to save close to $600/year by dropping a ton of channels we never watch. Too bad there isn’t an à la carte TV option (and probably never will be because no one would pay for Oxygen, etc).
@Leslie I actually stumbled across that very post on gigaom.com last night. I agree, they are amazingly helpful and it will be a resource as I take this on. Thanks for your comment.
@Justin, I’ll be detailing our set-up over the next bunch of posts, and outlining all of the costs. You have a comprehensive set-up there, so you are far along the path. We already have Netflix installed on our Wii and Apple TV. As you know Netflix has so much to choose from and this will only get better with time. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
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I just had this conversation with a friend last night! He told me that he called Cablevision to cancel his service and they agreed to reduce his bill by $40/per month for the next 2 years. Maybe Cablevision will reconsider their increasing costs if more customers leave…
Hey Ed, etal….
I, too, have been cringing at my cable bills which are up to $210. per month. We have netflix and hulu subscriptions plus business vonage and an old houseline for the alarm and tivo in my wife’s office. I think I’m choking on my own thoughts. Snip snip by the end of next month. I thought cable was supposed to be competitively priced.
We have been watching a number of old series from a few years ago on Hulu that we never got to see and are off the air. What a joy they were during the snow in. few commercials and great content.
@michelle someone told us the same thing. We called to cancel several months ago. They said ok, just bring your boxes in.
@george The content we are finding on Netflix is awesome. We are not the type of family that schedules our evenings around American Idol or Dancing with the Stars. So this works out fine. I think for families who are more dependent on reality TV would have a hard time with this.
Ed,
Are you in range for ATT Uverse. We switched from our Cable co. to Uverse and have been pleased with the service and even more so with the savings. They are testing a two wire system that extends the reach of their service so you may be in range now even if you weren’t before.
Hi John,
Great to hear from you John. I did the research on AT&T, and the teaser rates are good. I know several of my neighbors are happy as well. But when the teaser rates expire, the pricing isn’t that far off of Cablevision. You may remember, my AT&T customer service experience has not been very positive… http://heyfairfield.com/2010/07/07/my-iphone-4-trouble-part-1/