When Comcast TV Everywhere goes online next month, existing subscribers will be pleased to now that it’s free. This is a service to stream on demand programs online on different devices, such as your computer or your HTPC.

Read More…

How do I know you’re an overly emotional douchebag?… because you do shit like this…

Comcast subscribers were in a for a pleasant (?) surprise when tuning into “Rock of Love” recently. An apparently bitter employee used the program’s info as an outlet for his built-up resentment toward an ex-girlfriend. (HuffPo)

Tell em why you mad son!!!….  Really dude? Is it that serious? I guess it is. Now wouldn’t it suck all ass if this bitch subscribes to Dish Network?

I’ve been tossing the idea around to get a new LCD HDTV set, but I don’t think I will, here’s why.

I got a letter in the mail from the evil Cable Overlords known as Comcast. In addition to the obvious raise in rates (10% hike in a year where the government says that the economy DEFLATED), we’re getting a whopping seven HD channels.

Five of these are local channels, I could get them for free on an antenna. Technically they are on the “Limited Basic” plan for $19.99 a month, but you need an HD box (which means a DVR) for another $15 a month to actually tune any of these in. Do you think anyone wants to rent a DVR for basic cable? Neither do I.

The other two are on “Digital Starter” which went up to $57 and are ESPN and ESPN-2, which I don’t care about.

The last bit of “good news” is that Comcast is shifting the channels around so that all the channels people want are only on Digital Starter or higher. They did add one channel I want, but I’m not paying another $15 a month for the package that has it.

When my Digital Starter promo fee crap wears out, I’ll probably go to Digital Economy, which means I lose the Sci-Fi channel (only one in Starter that I care about), but pay $30 instead of $57. Thankfully Stargate Universe is on Hulu anyway.

So not only am I going to downgrade my service, there’s yet another year with no real HD programming from Comcast and no reason to buy a nice TV.

I may just get satellite yet...

This is a transcript of my very time consuming web chat with a Comcast technical support person that mercifully just finished 30 seconds ago. This was the fourth chat I’ve had with Comcast today, trying, in vain, to get my personal web page working.

Problem : All I want is for you to please send me the URL that will take me, once I am logged in, to the edit page for my Personal Web Pages. Thank you.

Eric > All I want is for you to please send me the URL that will take me, once I am logged in, to the edit page for my Personal Web Pages. Thank you.
Welmel > Hello Eric_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Welmel. Please give me one moment to review your information.

Welmel > I can certainly relate to your needs and to have you in this chat is as good as fulfilling my own. I am committed in wanting to provide you with the best customer service experience. You can surely take your worries out. Let me prove my expertise.

Welmel > Do not worry. I will do my best on my end to help you resolve the issue that you are experiencing right now.

Welmel > But first, before we could proceed, to ensure the integrity of your account information could I please have your account number and may I also have the last 4 numbers of your SSN.

Welmel > While waiting, please allow me to take this opportunity to share with you one of the main features that you can get with Comcast which is our online site, Fancast.com. It offers full television episodes, full-length feature films, trailers and video clips to both Comcast subscribers and non-subscribers.If you missed out on your favorite TV shows, you do not need to worry next time.I hope you will enjoy this feature with us!

Eric_ > OK. Last 4 digits of SS # are (xxxx). When you say my account number, are you referring to the number on my bill? Why do you need that? I just want the URL to edit Personal Web pages. Thank you.

Welmel > Yes. Let me check your account first.
Welmel > No worries.
Welmel > Thank you.

Eric_ > Why? Is something wrong with my account? I can give you my account’s primary name: sylviaspears@comcast.net . I am asking a generic question, though. I am not trying to resolve a billing issue.

Welmel > No. This is to notate your account.
Welmel > May you please verify the name on the account?

Eric_ > Eric Spears, Sylvia Spears… one of our names are on the account.

Welmel > That is correct. Thank you so much.

Eric_ > You are very welcome.

Welmel > Are you trying to access your comcast.net email account?

Eric_ > I really don’t need to resolve any issues surrounding my account. I am asking a question regarding the comcast.net website, which I find to be impossibly confusing. I would like to navigate to the page that lets me update my Personal Web Page. It’s a page where I can upload files, etc. I have been there in the past, but can’t seem to find it now in the maze of Comcast.net pages. So, what I would like from you, if you would be so kind, is the URL of that page – not specific to my account – just the general place when a person can go, when logged in, to update their Comcast Personal Web Page. That is all I need. Thank you.

Welmel > Alright. Let me give you the link.

Eric_ > Thank you.

Welmel > Please click on this link, https://login.comcast.net/login?s=portal&ts=840b2b32&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fredir.comcast.net% 2Fredirect%2Fwebmail%3Fr%3D1259020931195%26redirectUrl%3D http%3A%2F%2Fwww.comcast.net%2F

Eric_ > That is one long web address. Unfortunately, the Comcast Chat Window does not allow me to either click on that link, or highlight it to copy it. So, I will have to type all of those 50 or 75 characters into a new web browser by hand. Please bear with me while I do this. It may take a few tries to type it correctly.

Welmel > No. All you have to do is just to click on the link I gave you.

Eric_ > Funny you should say that, since the link is non-clickable. Perhaps this is a browser or platform issue. Maybe the link would be clickable if I were using a Internet Explorer on a PC. But, I am using Safari on a Mac. Perhaps the chat interface was not designed with Macs in mind.

Welmel > Alright. Please go to www.comcast.net.

Eric_ > OK.

Welmel > Thank you.

Eric_ > I’m half-way through typing the URL you sent. Would you like me to stop & go by another route?

Welmel > Yes, please.
Welmel > That will be great.
Welmel > I am sorry for the confusion.

Eric_ > It’s OK.

Welmel > Thank you so much.

Eric_ > Would you like me to log into my email account?

Welmel > Yes, please.

Eric_ > Logged in (long pause)
Eric_ > Shall I go to “My Account”?

Welmel > Alright. Are you now on your account?

Eric_ > yes

Welmel > Yes. That is correct.

Eric_ > OK, what next please?

Welmel > There will be an option for you to edit your account.

Eric_ > I am on a page that says, “Manage My Account”

Welmel > Yes. There will be options for you to edit your account.

Eric_ > Well, it allows me to View/Change Personal Information, Change User Name, Change Password & Modify email contact preferences.
Eric_ > I can also Create a 2nd User

Welmel > Yes, please choose View/Change Personal Information.

Eric_ > I do not see any link to Personal Web Page management
Eric_ > OK. It opens a screen that lets me change the name on the account.

Welmel > Yes, please.

Eric_ > I’m sorry, I don’t understand what it is you would like me to change on this page.

Welmel > Are you trying to change your comcast.net email account web page?

Eric_ > I am trying to change my web page, yes. For instance, if I want to change some text that appears on my web page, I have to get to some location that will let me type in the new text.
Eric_ > I just now finally finished typing in that long URL you sent me a while back, but it just took me to the comcast home page (www.comcast.net). Is that what you had intended?

Welmel > They are the same, Eric.

Eric_ > You seem like a very nice person, but am I right that you really don’t understand my question, or how to help me?

Welmel > I am sorry to know that.

Eric_ > Well, thank you for your efforts, and your time. I’ll try again another time to solve this problem.

Welmel > But the only option for you to change your personal web page is on your comcast.net email account.
Welmel > My apologies.

Eric_ > It’s alright. Have a good night.

Welmel > Thank you for the understanding.
Welmel > Thank you so much,
Welmel > Have a good one now!
Welmel > Thank you for choosing Comcast and it is my honor to assist you today. Comcast appreciates your business and values you as a customer. If you need further assistance, you can chat back 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Eric_ > Take care, Goodbye.

Wer sich mit Twitter beschäftigt stolpert zwangsläufig irgendwann über Frank Eliason. In Deutschland wäre Frank mit einem Mitarbeiter der Telekom vergleichbar, bei dem sich genervte Kunden melden, weil das Telefon, das Internet oder das IPTV mal wieder nicht so wollen, wie sie sollten.

Frank Eliason arbeitet für Comcast, einen der großen Player im amerikanischen Breitbandkabel-Markt und hat für Comcast das Ruder (scheinbar) herumgerissen: noch vor einigen Monaten war die Kundenzufriedenheit dieses Großkonzerns ziemlich im Keller. Kunden hingen lange in den Warteleitungen, bis ein Techniker auftauchte musste schon aussergewöhnliches passieren, ja bis man bei Comcast mal einen Mensch ans Telefon bekam…konnte man schon grau werden und das stricken erlernen.
(…warum klingt das jetzt nach dem schreiben fast schon wie Deutsche Telekom ? *g*)

Frank machte seinem Chef den Vorschlag, soziale Medien aktiv einzusetzen. Seit dem gehen die Werte für Comcast wieder nach oben…aber… was hilft es einem Großunternehmen mit zighundert Beschäftigten, wenn ein kleines Team 10 Mitarbeitern zwar soziale Medien einsetzt mit allen Konsequenzen, die das für die Firmenkultur hat…wenn der Rest der Firma nicht mitmacht, weil…jahrelang etwas anderes angesagt war.

Ich hab diesen Artikel von Maggie McGary gefunden, der genau diese Frage aufwirft. Offenbar reicht es eben nicht, wenn soziale Medien als Träger traditioneller Unternehmenskommunikation genutzt werden. Wieso sollte es auch?

Es heißt SOZIALE Medien. Und es heißt KOMMunikation. Beides suggeriert allein aufgrund der Begrifflichkeiten eine Beziehung und die sollte bitte auch gleichwertig sein, will sagen: der Konsument ist nicht mehr nur Empfänger von Botschaften, auf die er gefälligst zu reagieren hat. Er ist mindestens gleichberechtigter Partner, auf den man achten und hören sollte.

Wie Frank Eliason und Comcast dieses Problem im Unternehmen lösen wollen, bis man wirklich sagen kann, dass sich der Kundenservice bei Comcast verbessert hat wird spannend werden. Jedenfalls hat er damit begonnen und den “Virus” soziale Medien eingepflanzt…jetzt muss das Unternehmen erst noch bis in die letzte Zelle infiziert werden…

The latest trend for telecom and media companies is to bundle their services together and promote a money saving package deal. This trend started with cable companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter and Cox and moved to national phone carriers who now offer TV and broadband in select areas on top of traditional phone service. Does bundling television, internet, and phone save you money, or is it just another advertising contrivance? I’ve been covering digital products and services for years and in this article I’m going to look at these package deals and find out if going to one company for all your TV, broadband, and phone needs is the best or if shopping around is the way to go.

None of us want to turn over all our essential services to one individual company. It makes us uneasy. Will I be locked into a contract and have to deal with rate hikes? Or will I have to buy expensive equipment without the opportunity for a refund if I change companies. When examining competing offers and promotions from digital providers these are all valid concerns. After your special deal comes to an end what do you do next? I’ve found that the level of competition is so great among these companies rate hikes are few and far between. In fact, the drive to keep customers is so great that even when promos or special deals end, very often existing customers can extend their offer or move to a new promotion. It just might take a simple phone call from you to get the latest deal. A few cable businesses, such as Charter Communications, now provide consumers the opportunity for locking in prices for up to 2 years if they purchase cable TV, high speed internet, and digital phone digital package. Whether you get stuck with any special hardware that you’re responsible for comes down to the individual company. The type of equipment you’re going to get from your provider is usually just a digital receiver for your television and a broadband modem if you order high speed Internet. It’s possible you may have a DVR – digital video recorder – as well if you’ve ordered a higher tier package. Usually, companies will not charge you surprise fees for using their equipment unless it’s lost or severely damaged. They may charge you a fee for extra digital receivers, or for the broadband modem if you don’t buy your own. Contact the providers in your area to find out their exact polices. If you move from the area or change service providers you’re usually just responsible for returning the equipment to the local provider’s office. If you haven’t lost the equipment and it still works it’s unlikely you will have to pay anything. I do not see a reason for customers to discount a bundle over any worries they have about the hardware. Every digital company has basically the same rules and regulations about equipment fees and how to return them.

Let’s check out the digital service bundles you can now purchase for your home. Satellite become popular again in the 90s when they installed small dishes that delivered higher quality than cable. Besides generally speaking being less expensive, until the last few years satellite TV offered a greater variety of channels than cable did. But innovation in the satellite industry has been fear and far between over the past decade. Limited by their own technology, Dish and DirecTV are struggling to compete in the world of broadband and digital phone service. Satellite TV prices are competitive, satellite broadband not a good option unless you have no other choice and there is no voice offering. Lately, telco companies including AT&T, Qwest, and Verizon now offer digital TV, broadband, and telephone bundles. This happens through a limited fiber-optic network available mainly in cities and by partnering with satellite and broadband providers in order to offer internet and TV. Even though a telco company offers quality and competitive pricing, I still don’t recommend it for all three services. You are really just getting a repackaged product in most areas where fiber optic networks aren’t accessible. And if one of the companies reselling their product through the telco alters cost terms or gets out of the deal with your telco altogether, where do you end up?

So where am I suggesting consumers spend their home entertainment and communications dollar? Currently I am a huge fan of the bundle options that are offered by many of the large cable companies. Cable companies today carry all the digital and HD programming that’s offered by Dish or DirecTV. Plus, you can get great add-ons like DVR boxes and on demand service that satellite is only beginning to deliver. Cable is currently superior because you’re getting digital cable TV, broadband internet and digital phone from one source that will support you in all three services. However, for those who are just in the market for television service it might pay to consider satellite or teco because the competition is higher. But when you get two or three services together you can’t beat the products and discounts cable providers offer. Investigate this for yourself and consider each feature of the major cable, telco, and satellite companies by comparing them to one another. Use this knowledge to find the very best television, broadband internet, and phone deal for you!

Find Comcast Cable TV, High Speed Internet and Phone Deals available online!

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The current communications and home entertainment fad from the major communications and media businesses is bundling two or more services into one discount package. Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and other cable providers began the trend and now you’ll find it all over the place. Does bundling television, internet, and phone save you money, or is it just another advertising contrivance? I’ve been covering digital products and services for years and in this article I’m going to look at these package deals and find out if going to one company for all your TV, broadband, and phone needs is the best or if shopping around is the way to go.

IFor some of us it’s hard to swallow the idea of turning over all our home entertainment and communications needs to just one provider. It just doesn’t feel right for some reason. Can they instantly increase the price and I’ll be stuck with I contract I am unable to get out of? Do I have to sign a contract to pay for their equipment or pay fees if I switch providers? When examining competing offers and promotions from digital providers these are all valid concerns. Let’s look at each point individually starting with the concern about what happens when a special offer ends. Luckily, rate hikes are rare because these companies are so competitive. In fact, the drive to keep customers is so great that even when promos or special deals end, very often existing customers can extend their offer or move to a new promotion. It just might take a simple phone call from you to get the latest deal. Some cable companies, like Charter Communications, are currently giving users the chance to lock in rates for as long as two years if they agree to take a complete package deal. Whether you get stuck with any special hardware that you’re responsible for comes down to the individual company. The kind of equipment you’ll obtain from the company you go with is typically a digital TV receiver and broadband modem if you purchase Internet. If you ordered an upper level package it may come with a DVR box. Most often, the company will not charge you any surprise fees if you are using the equipment in the normally expected manner. You might have to pay a tiny monthly fee for more digital receivers or a monthly rental fee for a broadband modem if you do not buy one yourself. Call the companies in your service region to learn their precise hardware guidelines. If you move from the area or change service providers you’re usually just responsible for returning the equipment to the local provider’s office. Assuming the equipment is not lost or damaged, you probably will not have to pay anything additional. For this reason I don’t see any cause for customers to discount a bundle offer over any concern about the equipment the provider sends you. Each of the major digital companies have essentially the same policies regarding hardware fees and returns which don’t change whether you’re getting all your services from one company or several.

Let’s check out the digital service bundles you can now purchase for your home. Satellite saw a big resurgence in the 90’s when they introduced small dish’s that could be installed on the side of a house and all-digital channels that at the time were far clearer than the signal being delivered by cable companies. At the time Satellite TV had more channels at a lower price than cable. For the past ten years or so satellite TV hasn’t changed much at all. Limited by their own technology, Dish and DirecTV are struggling to compete in the world of broadband and digital phone service. Even though television prices are still very competitive, satellite has a poor Internet option that’s only useful to homes in very rural areas and no phone service option. National communication businesses like Qwest, Verizon, and AT&T have recently been providing high-speed Internet, digital television, and cell and landline telephone packages. They can now do this through a slowly growing fiber-optic network available in metropolitan areas and by partnering with satellite and broadband providers to cover the TV and Internet portions of the package. Even though the quality and price point is there, I’m currently not recommending consumers go with a telco company for all three services. You are really just getting a repackaged product in most areas where fiber optic networks aren’t accessible. And if one of the companies reselling their product through the telco alters cost terms or gets out of the deal with your telco altogether, where do you end up?

So where am I recommending customers spend their money for entertainment and communications? The bundled service packages that cable companies are offering can save you some money. Today’s cable companies offer a complete digital and HD programming lineup that matches and often beats what Dish and DirecTV offer. Plus, you can get great add-ons like DVR boxes and on demand service that satellite is only beginning to deliver. And unlike the telco’s, you’re getting digital cable tv, broadband internet, and digital phone service all from one company that will support all three products. However, for those who are just in the market for television service it might pay to consider satellite or teco because the competition is higher. But when you get two or three services together you can’t beat the products and discounts cable providers offer. I suggest using my article as a guide and comparing the features each provider offers for yourself. Use this information to locate the best value in cable television, broadband internet, and telephone bargains available to you.

Find Comcast Cable TV, High Speed Internet and Phone Deals available online!

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NTT DoCoMo launches MyArea femtocell

Following through on an initial announcement last July, NTT DoCoMo has launched its MyArea HSUPA-capable femtocell in Japan.  According to DoCoMo, the femtocell “creates a private FOMA area in the home as a highly stable wireless environment for high-speed packet communication”.  Pricing is only $5 per month with no sign-up fee (although this will increase to $22 sign-up + $10 per month next June – further details here).  It appears that DoCoMo is carrying out installations of the femtocell for its customers.

Of particular interest is the operator’s emphasis on services.  For example, the MyArea femtocell uses presence detection to inform parents when their children arrive at home.  It also offers exclusive music and video content for MyArea subscribers in the femtozone.

Comcast testing WiMAX femtocells

According to Fierce Wireless, Comcast is conducting trials of WiMAX femtocells.  Although femtocells are “slowly worming their way into the heart of the U.S. wireless industry,” a commercial WiMAX femtocell deployment by the nation’s largest cable provider probably won’t happen until next year.

ABI reduces 2009 femtocell forecast

ABI Research caused a stir by reducing its 2009 femtocell shipment forecast by 55% from 790,000 to 350,000 units.  According to practice director Aditya Kaul, “operators haven’t pushed femtocells as much or as soon as expected”.  The news sparked sensationalist headlines, such as “Femtocells struggle to catch on” and “Femtocells are a no show”.

But despite what Wireless Week calls a “drastic lowering” of ABI’s femtocell estimates, the reality is that the research firm’s forecast has changed very little over the medium term.  Commenting on Think Femtocell, Kaul is keen to point out that his views of the femtocell market have been mis-represented by the dramatic headlines, and that he remains positive about the market’s potential.  Meanwhile, the ABI Twitter feed highlights that recent femtocell announcements in China, Japan and India are positive for the market.

Vodafone promotes its femtocell

As Verizon and AT&T wage a war of words (and TV adverts) over who has the best 3G network in the US, Vodafone in the UK is claiming that the iPhone 3Gs will work much faster on its network than those of its rivals.  Vodafone also points out that its Access Gateway femtocell turbo-charges 3G performance at home – something What Mobile believes could be a significant advantage over the UK’s other iPhone operators, O2 and Orange.

Meanwhile, Vodafone reseller Next Communications is offering £30 off the price of the Vodafone Access Gateway for its small and medium sized business customers.

KPN and OnePhone target German SMEs with femtocells

A joint venture between KPN and OnePhone will use femtocells [actually picocells] to target German businesses with between 30 and 1,500 employees.  OnePhone (under the Spring Mobil brand) already uses picocells in Sweden to deploy its network in business premises, enabling its customers to save money by getting rid of their fixed line phones.  In Germany, the company’s phones will roam onto KPN’s E-Plus network when outdoors.

Airvana announces enterprise femtocell

Airvana has announced the HubBub UMTS High-Capacity Femtocell.  Shipping sometime next year, the device will support 16 simultaneous voice calls with a range of up to 600 meters and data throughput of 21.6 Mbps download (5.7 Mbps upload).

Commenting in a market research update, Current Analysis’ Peter Jarich says enterprise femtocells are “more important than ever”.

In other news…

• Another good 3G MicroCell review.
• ThinkFemtocell advocates easy self-management of femto access control lists.
• Fierce Wireless encourages operators to focus on femto services and enterprise deployments.
• AirWalk wins CDG Innovation in Wireless Enterprise Solutions Development Award.
• Airvana also wins CDG award for CDMA femtocell with integrated analogue telephone adaptor and router.
• Airvana dismisses the “femto grid” concept (no argument there).
• HTC builds phone with MiFi embedded.
• US data market update.
• NICTA demonstrates new interference-cancellation modem for 3G femtocell networks.

7 out of the past 8 years, CAL has beat Stanford...

That made my evening…

First, I want to express who B.S. it is that Versus showed the Big Game. This is a game that is made for network T.V. There is no reason to deny anyone the pleasure of seeing the hatred between these two schools and the resulting battle on the field.  With the game of the cable channel Versus, most of the crew could not watch the game, because we have DirecTV.  Comcast owns Versus and they have been licensing the right to show it on DirecTV.  But, in some contract dispute, Comcast took it’s ball and went home.  They claim that DirecTV (who owns an exclusive contract with the NFL to broadcast the games)  That means that the conference that the crew follows (Pac-10 all day) can have hit or miss coverage of the games.  For me, fortunately, I was in Chicago, and the hotel at the Residence Inn has regular cable, so they have Versus.

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER				CAL	STAN
	TD	13:24	Toby Gerhart 61 Yd Run (Nate Whitaker Kick)	0	7
	TD	04:46	Toby Gerhart 2 Yd Run (Eric Whitaker Kick)	0	14
	FG	00:53	Vince D’Amato 21 Yd	3	14
SECOND QUARTER				CAL	STAN
	TD	00:45	Shane Vereen 1 Yd Run (Vince D’Amato Kick)	10	14
THIRD QUARTER				CAL	STAN
	TD	09:55	Shane Vereen 4 Yd Run (Vince D’Amato Kick)	17	14
	TD	03:50	Shane Vereen 3 Yd Run (Vince D’Amato Kick)	24	14
	TD	00:12	Toby Gerhart 1 Yd Run (Eric Whitaker Kick)	24	21
FOURTH QUARTER				CAL	STAN
	TD	13:14	Marvin Jones 12 Yd Pass From Kevin Riley (Vince D’Amato Kick)	31	21
	TD	07:01	Toby Gerhart 5 Yd Run (Eric Whitaker Kick)	31	28
	FG	02:42	Vince D’Amato 28 Yd	34	28

ESPN provides some context to the score.

It was over when… Cal’s Mike Mohamed intercepted a pass from Stanford QB Andrew Luck at the 3 with less than 2 minutes left.

Gameball goes to… Shane Vereen. The Cal back rushed for a career-high 193 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries.

This is a dude who really wants it.....

Vereen has responded with the two best games of his career the past two weeks in wins over Arizona and Stanford. Running effectively off direct snaps in Cal’s form of the wildcat, Vereen overpowered the Cardinal. The Bears drove more than 70 yards on four consecutive TD drives starting late in the second quarter, three ending with short runs by Vereen.

“I never carried that many times and never thought I’d carry that many times,” Vereen said. “I just had so much emotion, I didn’t think about any tiredness or pain.”

Stat of the game… 19:14. The difference in time of possession as Cal held the ball for 39:07 compared to Stanford’s 20:53.

We’ve heard a lot of talk about, ‘Oh, they’re going to go to the Rose Bowl,’ ” Mohamed said. “We felt like they were overlooking us a little bit. For us to come out and to prove all these guys wrong, it feels good. And we’re keeping the Axe in Berkeley another year. You can’t get much better than that.”And it’s tough to imagine a better Big Game than one that had Rose Bowl implications, memorable performances by Vereen and Stanford’s Heisman contender Toby Gerhart, curious coaching decisions and a most dramatic finish.

 

The curious coaching decision was that Harbaugh went for a 4th and 8 that missed and gave CAL great field position, which they turned into a field goal 2ith 2:42 remaining in the game.  But, that left CAL only up six, with plenty of time for the coach who was nicknamed Captain Comeback as a player.  But, the interception on the 13 closed out the game.

One mans glory, is another mans pain, and it belongs to Toby Gerhart, who did everything in his power to win the game.

This marked the third time this season that the Cardinal lost a game in which they led by at least 14 points. This one was especially painful because it came against Cal and ended the team’s Rose Bowl hopes. Stanford would have been eliminated anyway when Oregon beat Arizona 44-41 in double overtime, but now the Cardinal can’t even share the conference title.

“This one hurts,” Gerhart said. “Everybody takes pride in winning this game. The season has been decent and getting to a bowl game is nice but we had greater goals than that. When all is said and done we’ll have an empty pit in our stomach that we didn’t get the Axe back.”

The parties are less fun when you lose.  Stanford, you just got caught up in the hype… Welcome home AXE!

The latest trend in home entertainment and communications from the big media and telcom companies is to bundle two or more services into a single discounted package. This trend started with cable companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter and Cox and moved to national phone carriers who now offer TV and broadband in select areas on top of traditional phone service. Does purchasing bundled TV, internet and phone services truly help you spend less money? For years, I have been covering digital services and products and in this piece I’ll give you a look at these package deals and let you know whether going to one company for all of your broadband, television, and telephone requirements is ideal or whether shopping around is the best method.

IFor some of us it’s hard to swallow the idea of turning over all our home entertainment and communications needs to just one provider. It just doesn’t feel right for some reason. We wonder if the cable or telco provider will increase the amount I have to pay without warning and I’ill be obligated to pay it no matter what because I signed a contract? Will I be tied to special equipment or hardware that I’ll be charged for or stuck with if I change companies? These are all normal concerns when you are shopping around for digital home services. Why don’t we review each of the points separately beginning with the issue about what actually takes place once the discount offer is no longer available. I’ve found that the level of competition is so great among these companies rate hikes are few and far between. In fact, the drive to keep customers is so great that even when promos or special deals end, very often existing customers can extend their offer or move to a new promotion. It just might take a simple phone call from you to get the latest deal. Some cable companies, like Charter Communications, are currently giving users the chance to lock in rates for as long as two years if they agree to take a complete package deal. The hardware issue comes down to the terms and conditions of each provider. Usually all you get from a provider is a digital receiver for each television in your house and a broadband modem if you order high speed Internet. If you ordered an upper level package it may come with a DVR box. Most often, the company will not charge you any surprise fees if you are using the equipment in the normally expected manner. You may be charged a small monthly fee for additional digital receivers or a monthly broadband modem rental fee if you don’t purchase one of your own. Call the companies in your service region to learn their precise hardware guidelines. If you change address or switch providers you’re generally only responsible for giving the equipment back to the office of the local company. Assuming the equipment is not lost or damaged, you probably will not have to pay anything additional. This is why I don’t see any reason for consumers to not take advantage of a bundle offer over any apprehension about the equipment provided by the company. Every digital company has basically the same rules and regulations about equipment fees and how to return them.

Now lets look at the bundles you can currently get from the major players in the digital services space. Satellite become popular again in the 90s when they installed small dishes that delivered higher quality than cable. Satellite TV also had more overall programming than cable at a price that was usually lower than cable. But innovation in the satellite industry has been fear and far between over the past decade. Limited by their own technology, Dish and DirecTV are struggling to compete in the world of broadband and digital phone service. Even though television prices are still very competitive, satellite has a poor Internet option that’s only useful to homes in very rural areas and no phone service option. National communication businesses like Qwest, Verizon, and AT&T have recently been providing high-speed Internet, digital television, and cell and landline telephone packages. This happens through a limited fiber-optic network available mainly in cities and by partnering with satellite and broadband providers in order to offer internet and TV. The technology, where the fiber-optic infrastructure exists, is exciting, but I just can’t recommend subscribers jump on the telco ship yet. You are really just getting a repackaged product in most areas where fiber optic networks aren’t accessible. Plus, if one of these partners wants to change pricing terms or pull out of the deal with your telco where does that leave you?

So where am I recommending customers spend their money for entertainment and communications? Currently I’m an advocate of bundle deals available from major cable companies. Today’s cable companies offer a complete digital and HD programming lineup that matches and often beats what Dish and DirecTV offer. In addition, cable customers get add-ons such as digital video recorder boxes and on demand service which satellite is just starting to provide. With a cable bundle package you will only have to deal with one company if there are problems and you need support. However, for those who are just in the market for television service it might pay to consider satellite or teco because the competition is higher. However, when you order 2 or even 3 services at the same time it is difficult to beat the products and deals the cable companies can give you. You should evaluate for yourself every aspect of the main cable and satellite offers. Use this information to locate the best value in TV, broadband internet, and telephone bargains available to you.

Find the best Comcast Cable TV and Broadband Internet Deals available online here!

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The latest trend in home entertainment and communications from the big media and telcom companies is to bundle two or more services into a single discounted package. The bundling craze began with cable providers like Time Warner, Cox, Comcast, and Charter, but now telco and satellite providers are bundling services as well. Does bundling television, internet, and phone save you money, or is it just another advertising contrivance? This article will compare and contrast the digital products that the leading companies provide their customers with and find out who offers the best deal.

It’s hard to turn all your home digital needs over to a single company. It makes us uneasy. Will I be locked into a contract and have to deal with rate hikes? These are all normal concerns when you are shopping around for digital home services. So what does happen when your original promotion expires? Luckily, rate hikes are rare because these companies are so competitive. In fact, the drive to keep customers is so great that even when promos or special deals end, very often existing customers can extend their offer or move to a new promotion. It just might take a simple phone call from you to get the latest deal. Some cable companies, like Charter Communications, are currently giving users the chance to lock in rates for as long as two years if they agree to take a complete package deal. The question of what happens to the hardware a service provider gives you comes down to the individual business an their policies. The kind of equipment you’ll obtain from the company you go with is typically a digital TV receiver and broadband modem if you purchase Internet. If you ordered an upper level package it may come with a DVR box. Generally, though, most companies are not going to charge you any unexpected fees for the normal use of their equipment. A small monthly fee may be charged for a monthly broadband modem rental fee if you do not purchase one of your own. You may also be charged a small fee for additional digital receivers for multiple TV’s. Contact the providers in your area to find out their exact polices. If you change address or switch providers you’re generally only responsible for giving the equipment back to the office of the local company. If you haven’t lost the equipment and it still works it’s unlikely you will have to pay anything. I do not see a reason for customers to discount a bundle over any worries they have about the hardware. Each of the major digital companies have essentially the same policies regarding hardware fees and returns which don’t change whether you’re getting all your services from one company or several.

Now we can take a closer look at exactly what kind of bundle packages you can currently purchase. Satellite become popular again in the 90s when they installed small dishes that delivered higher quality than cable. Additionally, Satellite television had more complete programming than cable for a generally lower price. But in recent years the satellite industry has remained stagnant. Dish and DirecTV are having trouble competing because they’ve pushed satellite technology as far as they can. Even though television prices are still very competitive, satellite has a poor Internet option that’s only useful to homes in very rural areas and no phone service option. Lately, telco companies including AT&T, Qwest, and Verizon now offer digital TV, broadband, and telephone bundles. They use super-fast fiber-optic networks – currently limited to large cities and not available in many areas – or more likely resell service through satellite and local internet providers. Even though the quality and price point is there, I’m currently not recommending consumers go with a telco company for all three services. Since they are partnering with other companies for the TV or broadband service, you’re merely getting a repackaged product that puts more hands in the pot and can create service headaches. And if one of the companies reselling their product through the telco alters cost terms or gets out of the deal with your telco altogether, where do you end up?

So what company do I think customers should get their cable and broadband from? Currently I am a huge fan of the bundle options that are offered by many of the large cable companies. Today’s cable companies offer a complete digital and HD programming lineup that matches and often beats what Dish and DirecTV offer. You can get awesome add-ons including DVR boxes that the satellite industry is just starting to bring to it’s customers. Cable is currently superior because you’re getting digital cable TV, broadband internet and digital phone from one source that will support you in all three services. However, for those who are just in the market for television service it might pay to consider satellite or teco because the competition is higher. With bundled services though, you can’t beat the savings you get from the cable industry. I suggest using my article as a guide and comparing the features each provider offers for yourself. Research each package and use the knowledge you’ve learned to find the best deal!

Check out these Comcast Cable TV, High Speed Internet and Phone Deals available online!

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In the last post we discussed the surreal approach used by the FCC in initiating its action on Net Neutrality. We also reviewed the technical issues that make networks, particularly wireless networks, not neutral to every application.

Today, let’s take a look a the mythical problem the FCC is trying to solve.

The concern appears to be, despite an appalling lack of evidence, that carriers will allow some applications to run efficiently over their networks while intentionally degrading other applications. Why would carriers do such a horrible  thing, have they no shame? Are they just evil, as the Department of Justice and Julius G would suggest? We discussed last time the instances where carriers have tried to manage or block some applications on their networks because these applications hog bandwidth and degrade service for all subscribers. Good examples are wireless carriers keeping the video application Slingbox off of their networks or cable companies warning or cutting off users of heavy download and file sharing applications. If this was the FCC’s only concern  I don’t think we’d have the heated debate. You could look at the network stats and see which apps who screwing things up for everyone else and then charge their providers or users more. Metered billing or peak capacity billing would solve the problem.

Thus we have the very public cooperation between Google and Verizon.  They can find common ground on this and a few other things.

Of course the “Internet Must be Free” crowd will never be satisfied. Many of them use or create bandwidth hogging applications. And they want to make sure their own telecom costs are as low as possible. Remember we discussed the sub text for these folks: they want net access to continue to be cheap and flat rate (all you can eat). This is what makes their business models work; this is what makes their downloading affordable. And if this tramples on the profitability and return on investment of the telecom carriers, so what; “they don’t get the web, dude” (translated: they aren’t as hip as I am and they aren’t as politically popular as I am, heck I work at a start up and I was profiled in Wired).

The FCC’s other purported concern, is that carriers will provide better net access service to the carrier’s own applications or applications in which the carrier has a financial interest. Include here the concern that some application providers will pay the telco more in order to ensure that their application will perform (paying to upgrade to first class).  This is much more sensitive issue.  It dives right into the “dumb pipe” concern of the telecom carriers.  Given the competition in broadband between cable and telcos, VOIP etc.  carriers are concerned that in the near future the model will be: “customers will pay $X per month flat rate to send and receive bits to and from the Web, no matter what the bits are.”  And that’s all the revenue the carriers receive.  No usage, no differentiation between voice, data, and video, nada.  Very concerning to carriers, doesn’t this sound like the death spiral?  Vicious competition in the no growth access business, a competitive requirement to continually invest to keep the network state of the art, and no upside from all of the wonderful applications being used by consumers.

So many a carrier strategist’s fancy turns to applications (programming).  The most extreme example of this is Comcast’s attempted acquisition of NBC Universal.  Despite all of the history that tells us that combining content and access doesn’t help either business (content wants to find as many distribution outlets as possible: making your content exclusive to your access business sub-optimizes the value of the content).  It is interesting to read all of the rationales put forth by analysts to support this deal.  Such as using NBC Universal content to blast through traditional distribution windows or making more compelling pay per view content for Comcast.  Especially given that Comcast only serve around 30% of US cable households, all of these potential strategies behind the deal mostly come down to “let’s overpay for a programming/content business and then throw that business in front of the bus to save the access business!”  The more compelling argument stated by wiser analysts seems to be legacy building by the Roberts family (and the chance to get invited to much better parties).

Most other carriers are not this bold or desperate for party invitations.  Their strategies seem to be:  “Hey, we can have an applications store and we can include some of our own special cool applications for extra bucks.”  This gets you back in the game; you get a nice slice of the revenue on all applications and a bigger piece of the applications you create (or partner for).  Exciting applications might even give your access business a competitive advantage.  Moreover, Apple with iTunes has demonstrated the model works, at least to sell phones at fat margins.

But here’s where things get sticky. If a carrier owns or creates programming or applications, doesn’t that carrier have the incentive to do nefarious things, like deny the goodies to competing carriers or degrade the functioning of competing applications (or improve the relative performance of their own applications)?  The FCC has already put the muddy boot of regulation into this pristine pond: attempting to prevent cable operators from denying sweets like regional cable sports networks to other carriers.  Of course, the courts have been none to keen on this sort of regulation (heck there is a First Amendment out there somewhere even if no one in Washington has read it) but that  hasn’t slowed the commission down.  Look for them to come up with all sort of provisions and provisos to limit Comcast if they do land NBC Universal.

More conceptually, what we have is a conflict between two different models of how applications will be marketed and discovered by customers in a web-centric world.  The two different models produce very different sets of winners and losers.  With its net neutrality fiddling, the FCC is actually picking a model and choosing the winners and losers.

Let’s use the grocery business for our analogy.  The first model is the traditional grocery store.  It is a model most favored by the existing telecom carriers.  In the grocery business, what determines what products get on the shelves?  And what products are in the key spots for shoppers to find: eye level on the shelves or in the end of the aisles?  Why the grocer (carrier) does.  And how do they determine this?  Popular items, that customers’ must have (based on strong brands, big ad spending or great quality) get good shelf space.  Or producers pay the grocers for good spots in the store: so-called slotting fees.  Moreover, to keep the producers in line, the grocers create their own house brand products: products with higher margins they can promote and put in the best spots in the store if the packaged good companies get too greedy.  For example, Ol” Roy dog food on the shelf at Walmart right next to the Dog Chow.

In this model, the grocer is very powerful, controlling shelf space and thus controlling producer access to customers.   Of course, consumer packaged goods companies are not helpless. They can build such strong products and powerful brands that the stores have to carry them;  e.g. woe betide the grocer that doesn’t have Bud Light right before big football weekends: the Bud brand is so strong that it can demand shelf space.   If the thirsty masses don’t find it at one grocery, they’ll quickly move on to another.  Now of course how do brands get this strong?  Through product characteristics (maybe not so much in the beer example but in other categories)  and promotion (mostly advertising).

To summarize: in this model the grocery store is the telecom carrier’s application store. If I want my product (application in our telecom world) to get in front of consumers I’ve either got to play ball with the carrier (grocer) or I’ve got to build a big honking brand.  And the carrier (grocer) can have its own products (applications) right on the shelf next to the big brands; carriers can even give pride of place to their own applications.  Sounds like an attractive model if you are a telecom carrier.  You get a strong degree of control and get to share in the upside of the proliferation of applications.

Now of course, as a sagacious friend of mine points out, this model might not so good for the little brands, the more obscure products.  They may be tasty and nutritious but if they don’t have the dollars and/or patience to play ball with the grocers/carriers or to advertise to consumers they’ll likely remain small.

The second model in our groceries as applications world we’ll call the search model.  It, theoretically, has a much different type of grocery store. In this grocery, the customers don’t push their carts around the aisles grabbing goodies off the shelves with their choices based on position on the shelves, subconscious brand images, or the catchy tune on the sound system.  Instead, customers stand at the front of the store at a computer screen. They type in what they want, say beer, into a search engine and a list of all beers on offer appears on the screen.  Bud, Miller, Coors, Foster’s, even the obscure,  say Hophead Ale et al, all appear on the screen.  The customer clicks on their choice and the suds are delivered.   Oh but wait, there’s one other little subtlety: also appearing on the very top of the screen in neat colored print with a nice contrasting background is a special choice, the sponsored beer, Mountain View Lager.  Now the key question, as in the first grocery model is: who decides how the products are presented to the customer?  Which brand is presented first?  And who decided that Mountain View Lager should appear right up at the top?  Why the owners of the search engine decide.   They manage the algorithm that determines which beers show up in what order and they get paid to add the sponsored beer to the top of the list. They determine where the sponsored beer shows up relative to the other choices and put in nice pictures of the can of the sponsored beer.  This puts the power in the hands of the search engine.  And thus why Google has a market cap of $180.7 billion (according to Yahoo Finance 11/20/09) and why Larry and Sergey fly around in their own 767.

But this model is not so attractive to telecom carriers.  In this model, the carriers just get to push the shopping carts around.  Not very attractive, especially when there are lots of cart pushers jostling for the job.

Now back to my sagacious friend.  Doesn’t this latter model make things better for the small provider of obscure applications?  I can get my application onto the search engine just like everyone else.  But remember, what drives the search engine and the presentation on the page: Google.  If the engine sorts applications based  on the number of consumer clicks on the application, the small provider is still in a bind: how do I get clicks without massive promotion and brand building? Being cool and viral will only go so far.  And to get into the sponsored link section I have to pay a fee to Google.  In either model, the small and the obscure are still hosed, it is just a question of who gets the  dollars as the small fry try to buy their way out.

Either of the models are efficient for consumers and each are equally as efficient for applications providers assuming that there is competition amongst application stores in the first instance or amongst search engines in the second.  If there is competition, if consumers or application providers are feeling hard done by, they can move to the competitive application store or use (advertise on) the competing search engine.  The problem arises if you don’t believe that there is competition.  Clearly the FCC doesn’t believe that there is sufficient competition amongst the carriers or they would have a hard time making the case for fooling around with net neutrality. But with five wireless carriers in almost every market, how can you say wireless is not competitive?  And even landline is becoming competitive with the cable companies and telcos slugging it out and the potential substitute WiMax (Clearwire) taking off the robe, putting in the mouthpiece and getting into the ring.

In its Net Neutrality meanderings, the FCC, egged on by “the Web Must be Free Crowd” and the beneficiaries of the search engine model of applications discovery have a solution seeking a problem.  Basically they are making a political decision to favor one set of industry players over another; a politically popular group over a politically unpopular one.  They are favoring one model of the world: the search engine model, and picking winners: Google et al over the telecom carriers.  Let’s hope in their thrashing about Julius G and Co. don’t end up killing the investment needed to keep our telecom networks growing.

Here is another one for Fred Baker Jr. and Comcast I created this week.

What a spectacular year we have had distributing Multimedios Networks!

 This year Multimedios Networks have launched in 7 of the top 10 Hispanic DMA’s: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco, San Antonio, Harlingen/Brownsville/McAllen, and now… Los Angeles!!

In January 2009 Time Warner Cable launched Multimedios Television on digital basic throughout the Texas Region including the above and Austin; El Paso; Corpus Christi; Waco; Port Arthur and the Golden Triangle area and others. Comcast is completing the Multimedios Television and TeleRitmo “roll-out” on its systems in northern California, Washington and Oregon and also launched the networks in Detroit and Boston.

Multimedios has been a great success in those markets and will be for all operators whose footprint covers the fastest growing demo in the US: your core Mexican demographic.

Multimedios offers:

-        100% Original, 100% Mexican Programming

-        From the 2^nd largest media group and the 3^rd largest programming producer in Mexico.

-        Experience: Successfully operating newspapers, radio and TV for nearly 80 years, Multimedios knows and understands its core Mexican audience.

-        Brand: High brand awareness among Mexican audiences on both sides of the border.

-        Stars: Well known Mexican stars and TV personalities.

-        Mexican Triple Play:  General Entertainment – Multimedios Television; News Network – Milenio Television; Music Network – TeleRitmo

-        Ratings Success: Multimedios Television regularly beats Televisa and TV Azteca in the ratings; Milenio Television regularly beats CNN en Español and Teleformula.

-        Mexican Demo: Multimedios programming is effective in targeting the Mexican demographic.

-        VOD: 500 hrs of Children’s Programming; 500 hrs of “Lucha Libre” (Professional Wrestling)

-        Marketing Support: Proactive on-the-ground promotional events targeting local Mexican residents; live transmission of its shows; celebrity meet-and-greets; marketing dollars for direct mail, print and radio campaigns.

-        Radio:  Multimedios operates full power radio stations along the US border including Tijuana that covers San Diego. Multimedios “La Caliente” radio network is available for digital distribution.

-        Influence: Multimedios influence by way of its media businesses covers all of Mexico,

 Below is the Nov 18, 2009 Multichannel News story by journalist Laura Martinez:

Multimedios Television Launches On Time

Warner Cable Los Angeles

Network Part Of El Paquetazo, El Paquetazo Dos Packages

Laura Martinez — Multichannel News, 11/18/2009 11:26:33 AM

Multimedios Television, the Monterrey, Mexico-based TV network, has rolled out its service onto Time Warner Cable system in Los Angeles, the nation’s largest Hispanic market. Multimedios, now available on channel 804, joins Time Warner Cable’s El Paquetazo and El Paquetazo Dos programming tiers.

The deal for Multimedios, terms of which were not disclosed, follows Multimedios and sister music channel TeleRitmo’s recent roll out on Comcast systems in San Jose, Oregon, Detroit and Washington State.

“This has been a very good year for us, as we’ve been able to launch our networks from coast to coast,” says Gustavo Mena, who handles Multimedios Television’s cable and satellite distribution in the U.S. Nationwide, Multimedios is available in over 1 million U.S. households.

Multimedios Television, a privately held company, is also close to striking a deal with Comcast for carriage of Milenio Televisión, a 24/7 all Spanish-language news network, which premiered October 2008 in Mexico. According to Mena, the deal will be finalized as soon as this week.

In addition to its continuing carriage negotiations, Multimedios Television is offering MSOs over 1,000 hours of programming available for VOD, including 500 hours of original children’s programming and an additional 500 hours of Lucha libre (wrestling), hailing from the company’s own wrestling stadium in Monterrey, la Arena Coliseo.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/389669-Multimedios_Television_Launches_On_Time_Warner_Cable_Los_Angeles.php?nid=2386&source=title&rid=16298918

About Multimedios Networks:

Multimedios Television Networks are part of Grupo Multimedios, the third-largest producer of original Spanish-language programming in Mexico. The Mexican media conglomerates’ assets include: 37 AM and FM radio stations; nine broadcast TV stations; a 150,000-subscriber triple-play cable operator that offers television, broadband and telephony; 12 local, regional and national newspapers; two national magazines; outdoor advertising; music concert venues, amusement parks; radio network La Caliente Radio Network; and three satellite transmitted television networks distributed in the U.S. market: General Entertainment Multimedios Television, News Network Milenio Television and Music Channel TeleRitmo.

This history of media consolidation has been disastrous for the American public, particularly since the 1980’s when media deregulation became the norm. Every administration since Ronald Reagan has helped facilitate this consolidation by passing legislation friendly to media conglomerates and those conglomerates have returned the favor by making substantial donations to political parties/candidates as is evidenced by the amount of money donated during the 2008 Election cycle.

Now the federal government is confronted with another proposed media merger. The cable giant Comcast and the NBC network are now talking merger. The national media reform group Free Press is asking people to oppose this merger on the grounds that it will:

1. Give Comcast unprecedented control over what you can watch and how you can watch it.
2. With less competition, Comcast will jack up prices even more. If you don’t have Comcast at home, you could end up paying more to get NBC shows.
3. Comcast will have an incentive to promote NBC shows over local or independent programming, making it even harder to find alternative voices on cable.

Free Press is asking you to take action by sending a message to Washington that You Oppose This Merger!

The current communications and home entertainment fad from the major communications and media businesses is bundling two or more services into one discount package. This trend started with cable companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter and Cox and moved to national phone carriers who now offer TV and broadband in select areas on top of traditional phone service. But are these just marketing ploy’s to get all your business or does bundling television, internet, and phone service really save you money? For awhile now I have been reporting on digital products and services and I am going to research the package deals to see if one company is able to provide your TV, broadband and phone needs or if you need to shop around.

No one wants to have one single company provide all our necessary services. It doesn’t sit right, and especially for Americans, it feels unnatural. Can they instantly increase the price and I’ll be stuck with I contract I am unable to get out of? If I happen to change companies, will I have to pay for and keep any special equipment or hardware that I am sent. These are all normal concerns when you are shopping around for digital home services. After your special deal comes to an end what do you do next? Due to the high level of competition in this industry, rates are rarely raised. In fact, the drive to keep customers is so great that even when promos or special deals end, very often existing customers can extend their offer or move to a new promotion. It just might take a simple phone call from you to get the latest deal. A few cable businesses, such as Charter Communications, now provide consumers the opportunity for locking in prices for up to 2 years if they purchase cable TV, high speed internet, and digital phone digital package. The question of what happens to the hardware a service provider gives you comes down to the individual business an their policies. The kind of equipment you’ll obtain from the company you go with is typically a digital TV receiver and broadband modem if you purchase Internet. It’s possible you may have a DVR – digital video recorder – as well if you’ve ordered a higher tier package. Generally, though, most companies are not going to charge you any unexpected fees for the normal use of their equipment. You might have to pay a tiny monthly fee for more digital receivers or a monthly rental fee for a broadband modem if you do not buy one yourself. Get a hold of the digital providers in your locality to find out their actual rules. When you move or change service providers, it is your responsibility to return any hardware to the local provider’s office. Assuming the equipment is not lost or damaged, you probably will not have to pay anything additional. Therefore, there’s no reason for consumers to reject a bundle price because they are concerned about the equipment. Every digital provider has essentially the same policies about hardware costs and how to return them. These rules don’t change not matter how many services you purchase.

Let’s examine the bundles you can now order from the major digital service players. Satellite become popular again in the 90s when they installed small dishes that delivered higher quality than cable. Additionally, Satellite television had more complete programming than cable for a generally lower price. But in recent years the satellite industry has remained stagnant. Dish and DirecTV are having trouble competing because they’ve pushed satellite technology as far as they can. Satellite TV prices are competitive, satellite broadband not a good option unless you have no other choice and there is no voice offering. Lately, companies that cover the entire country (AT&T, Qwest, Verizon) are offering deals on digital TV, high-speed Internet, and home and cell phone deals. This happens through a limited fiber-optic network available mainly in cities and by partnering with satellite and broadband providers in order to offer internet and TV. Although it’s got the price point and quality, right now I am not suggesting customers go with a telco business for all 3 digital services. Since they are working with other companies in order to provide TV or broadband services, you are only getting the same product except now more people are involved so there are more places where things can go wrong. If one of the businesses involved with the telco decides to bail on the contract then you have a lot of problems to face.

So where am I recommending customers spend their money for entertainment and communications? Currently I am a huge fan of the bundle options that are offered by many of the large cable companies. Cable companies today offer a more complete digital and HD programming lineup that matches and often beats what Dish and DirecTV offers. You can get awesome add-ons including DVR boxes that the satellite industry is just starting to bring to it’s customers. With a cable bundle package you will only have to deal with one company if there are problems and you need support. If want digital TV only, however, competition among cable, telcos, as satellite is more intense and it might pay to shop around. With bundled services though, you can’t beat the savings you get from the cable industry. Take a look for yourself and compare the features of each major provider. If you do this you can find the best digital TV, high speed internet and telephone offer to suit your needs and your budget.

Find the Best Comcast Cable TV Offers here!

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Bundling services is popular in home entertainment and communications today. This trend started with cable companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter and Cox and moved to national phone carriers who now offer TV and broadband in select areas on top of traditional phone service. Does purchasing bundled TV, internet and phone services truly help you spend less money? This article will compare and contrast the digital products that the leading companies provide their customers with and find out who offers the best deal.

No one wants to have one single company provide all our necessary services. It just doesn’t feel right for some reason. We wonder if the cable or telco provider will increase the amount I have to pay without warning and I’ill be obligated to pay it no matter what because I signed a contract? Do I have to sign a contract to pay for their equipment or pay fees if I switch providers? These are all valid concerns when you’re looking at all the competing offers and promotions you’re inundated with from cable, satellite and telco providers. Why don’t we review each of the points separately beginning with the issue about what actually takes place once the discount offer is no longer available. The level of competition is so cut throat between these companies rates are seldom raised. In fact, the drive to keep customers is so great that even when promos or special deals end, very often existing customers can extend their offer or move to a new promotion. It just might take a simple phone call from you to get the latest deal. A few cable businesses, such as Charter Communications, now provide consumers the opportunity for locking in prices for up to 2 years if they purchase cable TV, high speed internet, and digital phone digital package. The question of what happens to the hardware a service provider gives you comes down to the individual business an their policies. Usually all you get from a provider is a digital receiver for each television in your house and a broadband modem if you order high speed Internet. It is likely you might have a digital video recorder (DVR) as well if you ordered a top tier digital TV package. Usually, companies will not charge you surprise fees for using their equipment unless it’s lost or severely damaged. You may be charged a small monthly fee for additional digital receivers or a monthly broadband modem rental fee if you don’t purchase one of your own. Get a hold of the digital providers in your locality to find out their actual rules. If you change address or switch providers you’re generally only responsible for giving the equipment back to the office of the local company. Assuming the equipment is not lost or damaged, you probably will not have to pay anything additional. Therefore, there’s no reason for consumers to reject a bundle price because they are concerned about the equipment. Every digital company has basically the same rules and regulations about equipment fees and how to return them.

Now lets look at the bundles you can currently get from the major players in the digital services space. Satellite become popular again in the 90s when they installed small dishes that delivered higher quality than cable. Besides generally speaking being less expensive, until the last few years satellite TV offered a greater variety of channels than cable did. For the past ten years or so satellite TV hasn’t changed much at all. Restricted by technological limitations, satellite companies like DirectTV and Dish are fighting to compete in the digital revolution currently going on in cable and telecommunications field. Even though television prices are still very competitive, satellite has a poor Internet option that’s only useful to homes in very rural areas and no phone service option. Lately, telco companies including AT&T, Qwest, and Verizon now offer digital TV, broadband, and telephone bundles. This happens through a limited fiber-optic network available mainly in cities and by partnering with satellite and broadband providers in order to offer internet and TV. Although it’s got the price point and quality, right now I am not suggesting customers go with a telco business for all 3 digital services. Since they are working with other companies in order to provide TV or broadband services, you are only getting the same product except now more people are involved so there are more places where things can go wrong. Plus, if one of these partners wants to change pricing terms or pull out of the deal with your telco where does that leave you?

So what company do I think customers should get their cable and broadband from? The bundled service packages that cable companies are offering can save you some money. Today’s cable companies offer a complete digital and HD programming lineup that matches and often beats what Dish and DirecTV offer. Plus, you can get great add-ons like DVR boxes and on demand service that satellite is only beginning to deliver. Cable is currently superior because you’re getting digital cable TV, broadband internet and digital phone from one source that will support you in all three services. However, for those who are just in the market for television service it might pay to consider satellite or teco because the competition is higher. However, when you order 2 or even 3 services at the same time it is difficult to beat the products and deals the cable companies can give you. Take a look for yourself and compare the features of each major provider. Use this information to locate the best value in TV, broadband internet, and telephone bargains available to you.

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Two of my co-workers at The Silverman Group attended Peter Shankman’s lecture a couple of weeks ago. I read their notes enjoyed his perspective on easing the transition to the web.* He described the current era for public relations and in general as a time of changing media – not one dominated by social media. He provided a few points to keep in mind to ease the transition:

• Transparency: Focus on fixing problems before they happen.
• Relevance: Ask your target if they even want to receive info or a press release.
• Brevity: The average person’s attention span is 2.7 seconds, or 140 characters; the time it takes to read a text message.
• Top of Mind: 3 words that get 80% of phone calls returned – “returning his call”

I guess Shankman is right about attention span. After revisiting these notes, the only tip I remember is the last one about returning calls. I always thought that the phrase created a sense of urgency more than reminding the person on the other end of the line that you’re important.

Still, the most interesting tidbit isn’t in the top four:

Relevance is based on reaction.

Students often hear that it’s impossible to control one’s brand because of social media; that we should stop trying and open up a two-way dialogue. The above is certainly true, though: public relations practitioners cannot fabricate significance. Relevance and reaction may sound like a hopeless statement, but we can influence both the quantity and the quality of interaction with the public.

Comcast attempts to do just that with Comcast Cares and Twitter. On Twitter, they do a brilliant job of providing insight into the organization, simply by sharing their customer care manager’s name and photo. In this way, Comcast is somewhat transparent (attempting to fix customer service problems before they develop), brief (leveraging Twitter) and remains top-of-mind (responding to inquiries/rants quickly). For a company with a less than stellar reputation, three out of four certainly ain’t bad.

*I wish I could have found the podcast online, but could not.