Terrible basic channel choice

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@nldavissc wrote:

I have NEVER experienced such a lame/ridiculous/awful basic channel lineup before switching to ATT when I moved to South Carolina. Just to name a few channels that I no longer have access to in my "Family" package (which costs the same as every other package that included the following channels):The Travel Channel, Disney Jr, TLC, CNN HN, MSNBC, and quite a few others that I no longer have access to the names. I have never in my LIFE paid extra for BASIC channels such as these. But ATT evidently has found an opportunity to gouge anyone who is interested in INFORMATION and kids programs, so now they want to charge me an exorbitant amount for channels that I used to pay $20/month for??? Sorry, you people will no longer have my business. This is seriously one of the very worst TV providers available - RUN AWAY!!!!!!!!!!

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did not know there was a basic channel listing on cellular, might want to post this over in the Uverse forum

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@nldavissc wrote:

 

I have NEVER experienced such a lame/ridiculous/awful basic channel lineup before switching to ATT when I moved to South Carolina. Just to name a few channels that I no longer have access to in my "Family" package (which costs the same as every other package that included the following channels):The Travel Channel, Disney Jr, TLC, CNN HN, MSNBC, and quite a few others that I no longer have access to the names. I have never in my LIFE paid extra for BASIC channels such as these. But ATT evidently has found an opportunity to gouge anyone who is interested in INFORMATION and kids programs, so now they want to charge me an exorbitant amount for channels that I used to pay $20/month for??? Sorry, you people will no longer have my business. This is seriously one of the very worst TV providers available - RUN AWAY!!!!!!!!!!

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$20/month?  I would like to know what service you are referring to, and if you were getting all those channels for $20/month, why would you ever leave them?

Why would ever sign up for a service without checking whats available and what packages are in your price range before ordering?

The bigger cities in South Carolina are serviced by Time Warner, a few areas have Comcast, and some others have Charter.  So let's browse:

Time Warner:  Starter TV (20 channels) is 19.99 for 12 months -- local channels, TBS, a couple others.  Goes up after 1 yr, website doesn't say how much it is.  What the OP is talking about -- Standard TV (70+ channels), the old "basic cable", $39.99/mo for 1st yr, then $44.99 for 2nd yr, up to $49.99 or more after that.

Can practically guarantee that Comcast and Charter follow the same pricing structure and channel availability.  Naturally, you may need to add equipment charges as well, so with taxes and fees, add at least $10 to what's listed.

Whether it's called Standard TV, Basic Cable, Expanded Basic or some other term, the channels which occupy everything below 100 on cable -- MTV, CNN, TLC, Discovery, The Weather Channel, USA, etc, etc -- cost AT LEAST $50.00 per month regular price, regardless of provider.  And those channels, the ones you used to get if you pulled the cable out of the wall and just hooked it up directly to your TV or VCR, now require you to have at least SOME sort of equipment to get them -- a digital adapter being the starting point for most cable companies -- costs at least $1.99 a month.

There is NOBODY in the pay TV industry -- cable, satellite, or IPTV like U-verse -- providing all of the old sub-100 cable networks for $19.99 a month.  Not even on a promo deal.

Yeah... I could *maybe* see $20/mo on a promo rate. Notice, the guy said "used to pay" that price, but he didn't say WHEN.

Maybe a promotion fifteen years ago on a package consisting of 72 SD channels and no box rental fee??

The "family tier" or whatever the various providers call it was forced upon them by the FCC following the whole "Janet Jackson incident." It's channels that are guaranteed to be kid-safe with maybe a CSPAN thrown in for good measure. Notice how no provider trumpets the fact they offer these packages...you have to look deep to find them...it's because they don't make the providers money.

U-Verse has a basic tier. It's called U-200.

The basic TV plan for U-Verse is just all local channels.  This is for $19 with only one receiver.  Unless you live in an area that has no taxes and fees added to your charges (as far as I know of no state does), your bill could be at least $25 and higher.

Most people do call the U-Family the basic channel choice, but this has at least 140 channels.

If you had a plan for $20, I would not have left it unless I had no choice.

Maybe he moved from a subsidized MDU, where he only had to pay $20 bucks, but the complex covered the lion's share of the TV bill.

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@vid30jk wrote:

The bigger cities in South Carolina are serviced by Time Warner, a few areas have Comcast, and some others have Charter.  So let's browse:

 

Time Warner:  Starter TV (20 channels) is 19.99 for 12 months -- local channels, TBS, a couple others.  Goes up after 1 yr, website doesn't say how much it is.  What the OP is talking about -- Standard TV (70+ channels), the old "basic cable", $39.99/mo for 1st yr, then $44.99 for 2nd yr, up to $49.99 or more after that.

 

Can practically guarantee that Comcast and Charter follow the same pricing structure and channel availability.  Naturally, you may need to add equipment charges as well, so with taxes and fees, add at least $10 to what's listed.

 

Whether it's called Standard TV, Basic Cable, Expanded Basic or some other term, the channels which occupy everything below 100 on cable -- MTV, CNN, TLC, Discovery, The Weather Channel, USA, etc, etc -- cost AT LEAST $50.00 per month regular price, regardless of provider.  And those channels, the ones you used to get if you pulled the cable out of the wall and just hooked it up directly to your TV or VCR, now require you to have at least SOME sort of equipment to get them -- a digital adapter being the starting point for most cable companies -- costs at least $1.99 a month.

 

There is NOBODY in the pay TV industry -- cable, satellite, or IPTV like U-verse -- providing all of the old sub-100 cable networks for $19.99 a month.  Not even on a promo deal.

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Your last paragraph is absolutely untrue.  If a provider wants a sale bad enough, they will make that deal. I pay for my dad and step mom to get TWC,  TWC basic for $18, no adapters required.  They cut me a 10% discount.  They offered me the Standard TV package ($39) for that price ($19) with a 1 year contract.  I actually declined as there would have been add'l charges for converters and they said that the 20-some  channels they receive is enough.   God bless 'em, they pioneerd the "3 channel days."

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@flutist1963 wrote:

The basic TV plan for U-Verse is just all local channels.  This is for $19 with only one receiver.  Unless you live in an area that has no taxes and fees added to your charges (as far as I know of no state does), your bill could be at least $25 and higher.

 

Most people do call the U-Family the basic channel choice, but this has at least 140 channels.

 

If you had a plan for $20, I would not have left it unless I had no choice.

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Mostly true about U-Basic.  WGN America and some of the shopping or app channels are available.  I'm not sure why but WGN-America seems to be on every loss leader package across most providers as dad's TWC in NC carries it and Comcast has it.  Odd!

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@dhascall wrote:

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@vid30jk wrote:

The bigger cities in South Carolina are serviced by Time Warner, a few areas have Comcast, and some others have Charter.  So let's browse:

 

Time Warner:  Starter TV (20 channels) is 19.99 for 12 months -- local channels, TBS, a couple others.  Goes up after 1 yr, website doesn't say how much it is.  What the OP is talking about -- Standard TV (70+ channels), the old "basic cable", $39.99/mo for 1st yr, then $44.99 for 2nd yr, up to $49.99 or more after that.

 

Can practically guarantee that Comcast and Charter follow the same pricing structure and channel availability.  Naturally, you may need to add equipment charges as well, so with taxes and fees, add at least $10 to what's listed.

 

Whether it's called Standard TV, Basic Cable, Expanded Basic or some other term, the channels which occupy everything below 100 on cable -- MTV, CNN, TLC, Discovery, The Weather Channel, USA, etc, etc -- cost AT LEAST $50.00 per month regular price, regardless of provider.  And those channels, the ones you used to get if you pulled the cable out of the wall and just hooked it up directly to your TV or VCR, now require you to have at least SOME sort of equipment to get them -- a digital adapter being the starting point for most cable companies -- costs at least $1.99 a month.

 

There is NOBODY in the pay TV industry -- cable, satellite, or IPTV like U-verse -- providing all of the old sub-100 cable networks for $19.99 a month.  Not even on a promo deal.

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Your last paragraph is absolutely untrue.  If a provider wants a sale bad enough, they will make that deal. I pay for my dad and step mom to get TWC,  TWC basic for $18, no adapters required.  They cut me a 10% discount.  They offered me the Standard TV package ($39) for that price ($19) with a 1 year contract.  I actually declined as there would have been add'l charges for converters and they said that the 20-some  channels they receive is enough.   God bless 'em, they pioneerd the "3 channel days."

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YEAH ...... you had to have a contract in order to get it.  And it was probably an UPSELL, because if we're really honest, no CSR really wants to have a "lifeline" order (which is what you got).

We can play the exception game or we can talk truth.  I still stand behind what I said.  Usually the only way you get some sort of discount on "basic" (no matter how you slice it) cable is if you bundle internet or phone with it.  Some form of "digital cable" is what is sold normally.

For all intents and purposes, throw promotional pricing out the window.  We all know when month 13 or month 25 hits there's going to be a disgruntled customer call -- because the "real world" comes calling with that billing cycle.  Which you *really* know is coming, except you don't want to face that reality.

You should have took the Standard TV anyways.  But then again, a whole $2 or so extra..........