Choose Wisely, Choose Cablevision
Written: Oct 08 '03 (Updated Oct 09 '03)
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Pros: Clear picture; good sound; friendly customer service
Cons: slightly overpriced and the only option in some areas
The Bottom Line: Although Cablevision has gotten a bad rap in the past, the company is improving service across the board and offering more for your money. Definitely worth trying out.
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| princesssuzy's Full Review: Cablevision |
The Company
Cablevision is one of the country's best cable and telecommunication companies. I have seen quite a few reviews badmouthing Cablevision for their "limited" programming and high prices. While it IS true that Cablevision's services are slightly more expensive than others, customers ARE paying a rather fair price. Cablevision customers get access to more programming channels than ANY other cable company in the area. Especially with iO Digital Cable, we get a MUCH clearer picture and better sound than customers of competing cable companies. Our cable internet speed is up to three times as fast as that of other cable internet providers. With Optimum Voice, phone connections are crystal clear and money is saved on phone bills month after month. Overall, problems are no more numerous than with ANY cable or phone service.
Services
Cablevision offers three main services in addition to basic cable programming: iO Digital Cable, Optimum Online and Optimum Voice.
Cable TV and iO Digital Cable:
If all you're looking for is a basic TV package, you can order Cablevision's Broadcast Basic Channels for $12.00 per month. You'll get 20 basic channels for this price.
If you want more cable channels, you can subscribe to the Family Cable package for an additional $30.15 per month. This package brings you around 30 of the most popular cable channels including Cartoon Network, The Disney Channel, E!, HGTV and The Learning Channel. If you subscribe to Family Cable, you will also get discounts on other Cablevision services.
You can easily upgrade to Basic iO Digital Cable for an additional $9.95 per month. With iO, you'll receive a MUCH clearer picture and excellent sound quality, plus another 30 channels of popular programming AND 45 digital music channels. What's more, you'll have unlimited access to "On Demand" programming. Shows, cartoons, movies and more to play, stop, pause, fast forward and rewind as you wish. You will get "MagRack" free with any iO subscription, so you can watch hours and hours of interesting video whenever you wish. Subscriptions to movie and sports channels on demand are available for a small monthly fee when you subscribe to any iO package. (Usually $4.95 per month.)
If you love movies, you can subscribe to the iO Silver Package. This is the basic iO package PLUS nearly 30 channels of movies. You'll get channels like HBO Comedy, STARZ! Family and Encore Action. At $64.95 a month, this is the package I subscribe to. I find it's the best compromise between cost and features. I get all the cable and music channels, plus enough movie channels to keep me entertained for hours.
However, if you're someone who likes to have it all, you can get Cablevision's iO Gold Package for $84.95 per month. You will get everything mentioned above plus nearly 30 channels of Cinemax, Showtime and TMC to name a few. This may sound like a lot of money, but to get all these channels from any other cable provider in the area would easily cost over $100.00 per month.
Optimum Online:
If you're in the market for high-speed internet access, you might want to give Optimum Online a try. With speeds up to three times as fast as other local cable internet providers, you'll get fast upload, download and browsing speeds and up to five email addresses. The service is quite reliable where I live and anytime there did happen to be a problem, Cablevision has fixed it within 24 hours at no cost. The main drawback to Optimum Online is that you don't get storage space for your pictures and personal websites, whereas you DO get this storage space with most other cable internet providers.
For more information, see my review on Optimum Online.
Optimum Voice:
Optimum Voice offers unlimited long distance in the United States and Canada for a flat rate of $34.95 per month. This is an excellent service if your long distance bills are consistently more than $35.00 per month. But Optimum Voice isn't just a savings on your long distance bill. With Optimum Voice, you get crystal clear conversations and
additional service features such as Call Waiting, Caller ID, *69, Three-Way Calling and Call Forwarding at no additional charge. There are no per-call charges or minute-by-minute fees.
The way Optimum Voice works is pretty new and different than any other service. You get a new phone number and telephone service is provided through a voice-enabled cable modem. Though you are NOT having a phone conversation over the internet, you are on Cablevision's broadband network. I am not sure how secure this is, but I don't know of anyone having any security problems with this service. This really seems to be the home phone line of the future.
The Website
I am a frequent visitor to Cablevision's website. On the site you will find just about everything you need from Terms of Service and online ordering to instructions on how to program your remote control. You can pay your Cablevision bills online, view channel lineups and TV listings, and gain access to customer service and support via user guides, frequently asked questions (FAQ), troubleshooting guides, email or phone. (There are now toll-free numbers in ALL cablevision service areas.) I haven't seen any competing cable companies with such varied and well-presented information. The entire site is not only fast-loading but is presented in an organized and attractive manner. You can quickly find the information you need, but if you have trouble, Customer Service is always just a click away.
In Conclusion
Cablevision is a slightly expensive option, and the ONLY option in some areas. Though Cablevision has a bad rap because of their monopoly in some areas and their bad billing practices in the past, the Cablevision I know today is a reliable and diverse company. I am finally somewhat happy to be a Cablevision customer.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 64.95/month
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Epinions.com ID:
princesssuzy
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Location: AK
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
"It's better to try something and fail than try nothing and succeed."
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