best way to get it all: TV, Phone, and Internet?

[ktdw]

So, after seeing the monthly charges that magically hit my checking account every month, and now learning "a little bit" about Slingbox, Orb, etc, I'm wondering what you tech-savy folks are doing to get TV, Phone, and Internet.

I'm paying $140 for the triple-play package at Comcast, and then add another $100+ for the iphone. It seems that there should be a better way...obviously the land line we don't need (sucks anyways), and if there was a real way to watch TV over the internet, maybe we just need broadband?

[sting7k]

$140 for the Comcast triple play? How is it so much? Drop the comcast voice service, and talk to them about a special deal for your internet and TV. They are almost ALWAYS willing to deal and hook you up. I am locked in to a rate of $80/month with Comcast after I called and complained about their crappy TV service and lack of NFL network. I have digital cable with one free HD box (no DVR, normally extra $8 a month) and their fastest internet level (I think it's 16Mbps now, they are also not charging me to lease the modem and router).

Get Skype for your iPhone if you don't get great service in your house. I use WMC with a digital HD tuner to record shows I want into H.624. I also use my Xbox 360 as an extender and stream said recorded TV shows and music from PC (sorry Apple TV and iTunes) to my TV and home stereo system. I lastly I rip DVDs of TV shows from my personal collection to use on my iPhone/iPod, it's nice now that many are including a digital copy so I don't have to do this anymore.

[Jevangil]

I think the OP is actually looking for ways to cut the bills down. Having to drop a lot of cash on all of the necessary hardware, unless they have it all lying around, would defeat the purpose.

I, personally, removed our Direct TV service and went internet and HD antenna only. I don't watch TV much, but my wife has her favorite shows. As long as they are on a major network, you can watch them for free from the PC or internet device. Commercially sponsored, of course, but what isn't anymore.

Internet service really only has a few options for in house. DSL, Cable or Dish Internet in some areas. There is also cellular data cards, but price is rather high. Cheapest would probably be DSL. I pay 20 for 3 Mbps down, from AT&T. I am sure there are better deals all over the country, but that is what I pay. AT&T also offers their UVerse (fiber to the home) service in some markets, and Verizon has their FiOS.

I like to watch movies, so I have Netflix. 20 a month and I can watch as many movies as I want. Although, you are limited to 3 at a time. Not a big deal to me.

So, needless to say, you can do a lot with only an internet plan from one of the big companies, like network TV shows, news reports, streaming music (Slacker and Pandora, just to name a few) and streaming movies. For my 20 a month, I get a lot.

[sting7k]

He can cut his bill down by calling Comcast; dropping his VoIP service from them and then asking for a special deal or something. I know many people who have called and asked and rarely does Comcast turn it down if you either complain about the service, which 99% of the time is valid because lots of times my images will scramble or it just cuts out and I have to restart my cable box. And if you just mention NFL network they always apologize for that and offer something.

The rest was just my solution for "getting it all" with my media center setup to get content to my iPhone/iPod.

[Jevangil]

No worries.