Cable Tv Advertising – With A Difference
Many of us are guilty of watching cable tv simply because we know what channels to tune into to watch the latest episode or the one that won't disappoint. With so many channels and so little time, it’s almost impossible not to zone out with a show that has nothing but commercials interrupting every other scene.
Well, you don’t have to watch the same shows over and over again anymore. There’s a new awareness of the commercial-a-minute that’s on cable television and it doesn’t take long to learn how to turn them off.
If you can't stand commercials, then here are some tips that will make a difference in your cable tv adventure:
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While some of these tips may seem minor and insignificant, they really work! Don't just assume if you turn one thing off the other ones will go along with it. Some channel numbers are simply stuck on the cable box, and cannot be altered.
If you get any errors when trying to change channel, use the + button as follows:
If you're hitting the channel up button and it's taking you to a different station than what's listed on screen, try pressing the "plus" symbol (+) at the same time. If that doesn't work, check your cable company's website for instructions (Comcast, for example) on how to tune your new remote.
In order to watch local HD broadcasts, you have to have a HDTV and a CableCARD to do so. This is similar to how satellite subscribers need a dish in order to receive both digital and analog channels.
There are two main ways cable TV companies charge you per month. They either give you a certain number of channels for free, or they charge you by the channel. If their policies aren't clear on which one you should use, ask them for clarification. They should be able to do better than charging you for every single channel on your system!
Cable companies aren't required to include all of their channels in the free channel line-up. If you're paying for a lot of channels that you're not even going to watch, call and ask them to put more popular channels on the free list. They'll probably be more than happy to do so.
If you've got too many premium channels, check out whether they have any package deals. Usually, there's an option for $10 per month that gives you a regular amount of basic cable and the premium channels as well. If you don't want to pay for more than you need, go this route!
There are ways around the extra fees and charges that occur if you have too many TV sets in your home. Cable companies don't make you pay extra just because a family member wants to use the set in their room. Sometimes (but not always) they will offer deals that let you have multiple receivers for one fee.
If you've got a lot of channels and only watch certain ones, wait for one of their promotions to bundle them into a package deal so you can save some money on whatever channels aren't most important to you. This is especially true if you're paying a lot more than what you want to be. It's worth calling and asking them to lower the price.
If they offer “free” service, ask how many channels they give you for free. If they wouldn't be free if you had paid outright, just ask for a lower monthly rate on your service, with no additional channel charges.
If you're upgrading your cable TV services, do some research into their digital offerings before agreeing to any final deals. While it's convenient to get the digital version of your favorite shows over the air, that convenience can quickly turn into frustration when it produces fuzzy pictures and doesn't work in all areas of your home.
If you're a regular customer, it won't hurt if you ask your local cable company if they have any special offers on either their services or their bundled packages. They'll often offer deals that can save you money if you stay with them for a year or two, so now might be a good time to stay loyal to them.
If the picture on your TV doesn't look as crisp as what you see in the commercials and ads for your local cable company, then look on their sites for information about digital TV. There are usually deals where they'll give it to you for free if you upgrade or sign another contract. In most cases, setting up one of these systems is easy and painless.
If you have a digital cable box, then use it to your advantage. If you're getting the best picture and sound out of the box, then why not?
So far, we've talked about some of the more obvious things you can do to save money on your cable television bill. But you should also be aware of the things that are going on in your house. There are ways to save money with services that do things for you so that you don't even have to think about them anymore. Just make sure that these services are still an effective way for you to avoid missing certain shows or channels because they're too expensive.
One you can use to ensure that you're getting your money's worth is the on-demand option. You'll get more details on this service in the next section, but basically it lets you watch some of your favorite programming at any time that you like. It's a lot like Netflix, as they bring new shows and movies to subscribers every single month. Most of the time, there are so many new choices that watching one right after the other is difficult. But with an on-demand service that gives you a large number of episodes to choose from, it's easy to pick and choose what you want to see without worrying about whether or not you're missing anything good from your regular programming schedule.
If you have a digital cable box, make sure that your on-demand service works properly. If you're having problems with it, they may very well be the ones who can help you.
In order to get a lower rate, ask if they offer any promotions or special packages that can give you more channels for your money. You might even consider buying an extra set of services in order to save (just don't go over the limit that your cable company charges for)!
Digital Cable & DBS Reception
So far we've discussed some of the technical ways for cutting down on how much you end up paying each month for your cable television service.
Conclusion
If you have any questions about this information, please ask them in the comments section below. We would be happy to answer all of your questions as soon as possible, and we'll make sure that all of your concerns are addressed.
Depending on what kind of TV you have and what kind of services you need, there are a lot of different options out there for you to choose from. There are entire websites dedicated to helping consumers see which ones they should use or can afford with little financial risk attached. You might even be able to talk your service provider into giving some freebies just for taking the extra time to educate yourself!
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