PRODUCT & SERVICE REVIEWS |
First Up: Cable, Internet, Phone & Entertainment
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We've used the following cable, internet, and cell phone services for many years. Because Hannah gets discounts through her employer (Georgetown University), we have had financial incentives to sign on with the following cable, internet, and cell service companies. With respect to cable and internet services, we've gotten additional discounts by locking in special rates for current customers. To attain the discounts we've had, you have to sign on to a contract for at least a year.
We've been very happy with the aforementioned telecommunication services. Sometimes, cable and cell phone companies get a bad wrap because you hear of poor customer service you may experience. Luckily for us, we've not had any issues with our service providers. And importantly, we've definitely enjoyed the cost savings we've had through the combined discounts from Hannah's employer and also the service providers' own discounts. Even if you are not employed by an organization that has special deals with service providers, you can still find savings by contacting the companies directly. For instance, no organization wants to lose a customer. If you call -- say Comcast -- and tell them that you found another cable provider that can offer you a similar cable service at a more competitive price, the cable company that you are already with will likely try to keep your business by offering you a matching deal and/or add a premium service (think HBO) at no cost to you. |
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Xfinity Comcast
Xfinity Comcast has a dominant presence in many metropolitan neighborhoods in the United States. We've been with Xfinity Comcast every since we graduated from college (in 1999!). While we have had temptations to switch service from time to time, we've always stayed with Xfinity Comcast in part because of the hassle of switching providers, but also because Xfinity Comcast has always offered deals to keep our business. For instance, the company would tack on premium cable channels with my internet-only service plan for virtually the same price. Hannah and I pay about $100 per month for our internet service. We get to this amount not just through Xfinity Comcast's deals but also through Hannah's employer discount. Cost: Xfinity Comcast's internet service starts as low as $24.99 per month for download speed of up to 75 MBPS. The price of internet service goes up to $80 per month for download speed of up to 1200 MBPS. The fees can go even higher when you add other non-internet services like cable TV and phone lines. We don't use their cable TV and phone lines because we have a Roku device that streams a ton of TV programs and movies. As for phone lines, who actually has a phone line coming into their house nowadays? That is so 1990s. |
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Verizon
We've been with Verizon for many years (I think two plus decades!). We prefer their cell phone service in part because in Washington, DC where we live, it is the only cell service provider that works underground in the Metro system (i.e. subway). Not having cell service underground isn't a deal breaker, but it is a nice bonus for us city folks. Cost-wise, with Hannah's Georgetown University discount, our monthly cell phone and data plan are a hair above $100 per month with unlimited data for both our phones. You can't beat that deal anywhere. Cost: Verizon's basic plan starts at $30 per month for unlimited 5G data and unlimited talk and text. Then it goes higher for a premium plan that includes 50 GB of mobile hotspots data and music, in addition to the option to add entertainment features like Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+. 
Roku
Hannah and I cut the cord eons ago (circa 2010) when Roku, a device that let's you stream shows and movies, became available. Roku is about the size of a hockey puck. The wonders of this technology basically consolidates all the TV programs, movies, and now live TV into one device. We're going to say it here: It was the best decision we made in hindsight because out of the many cable channels we used to have (pre Roku), we only watched only a handful of them. They were such waste of money! Roku is the perfect answer for families and individuals who don't want to pay for dozens, if not hundreds of obscure channels that you never watch. We just love the a la carte approach. Cost: The most basic Roku streaming set costs $17.99. Many channels available on Roku are free (but you will have to deal with advertisements on these free channels). There is a wide offering of both TV and movie channels. Their most premium streaming set goes up to $179.99. (Our family purchased the 'Roku Ultra' for $60 during a Christmas sale. The unit comes with a headphone -- great if you want to watch a show without disturbing someone in the same room -- and voice recognition.) 
Hulu
Hulu is a streaming service where you can watch many TV shows and movies online. Increasingly, Hulu also offers award-winning TV shows and movies that they produced and backed. When Hannah and I bought our first Roku device, Hulu was one of the first streaming services that we purchased (in lieu of paying for cable channels that we never watched). Hulu is owned by Disney. By signing up with Hulu, you will likely be offered by Disney to sign up for a combo deal that includes ESPN+ and Disney+ for a significant discount price. Cost: Hulu has two basic plans, one with and one without advertisements. The ad-supported plan costs $7.99 per month whereas Hulu with no ads costs $14.99 per month. They also offer a premium plan that combines with live TV, Disney+, and ESPN+. All three costs $12.99 per month (with no ads) and $19.99 per month (without ads). Shoppers can also bundle Hulu (with ads) with Disney+ (with ads) only for the price of $9.99 per month. 
Netflix
Netflix is another streaming TV and movie provider that we've had an account with for many years since cutting the cord. We probably use Netflix a bit more to find movies to watch than Hulu where we tend to watch more TV programs. Netflix has become such a dominant player in movie and TV programming that they are starting to make Hollywood production companies feel nervous. Why? Because Netflix has ventured beyond their bread-and-butter business of TV and movie streaming and moved into making TV and movie shows of their own. And they have been very successful at it! Cost: Netflix's basic ad-support plan starts at $6.99 per month that can be watched on one supported device. Its price goes up to $19.99 per month for their premium package that is ad-free, and programs may be watched on four supported devices. 
Disney+
We are completely satisfied with having Hulu and Netflix. Between these two services, we have more than enough TV and movies shows to watch. But since we have a couple of young children, we decided to sign up for Disney+ since our children enjoy good Disney movies. In addition, now that we are challenged for time being the parents of two rambunctious children, we wanted to have a mechanism by which to keep them happy (or busy) while we did our best to clean the house, go shopping, do remote work from home, etc. So Disney+ is our little extra so that we can make our home life with our children a big more convenient and enjoyable. Cost: Disney+ basic package is $7.99 per month. It goes up to $19.99 per month if you get the bundled package (of Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN+, with no ads). 
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is really a multiple-function service provided by the online behemoth that is Amazon. By being an Amazon Prime member, you can get discounts at Whole Foods, get free delivery on products purchased on their website, get special deals for Amazon Prime members only to name a few. Another major perk of joining the Prime membership is getting access to Amazon's wide offering of TV and movie shows. Hannah and I did not get Amazon Prime with the intent of watching TV and movies on their network (we got it mostly for online purchases on Amazon.com). But we do take advantage of being an Amazon Prime member and watch some programs available for members. Cost: Prime membership is $139 per year (or $14.99 per month). When we initially joined a few years ago, Prime was $99 per year. But fees have been rising steadily over the years. We are okay with the fee increases because when you do the math (especially if you do a lot of online purchases), the savings we accumulate just on shipping, for instance, more than offsets the moderate fee increases. 
Other options to consider...
We don't use the following cable, internet, and cell phone providers... But we are including them here for anyone who are shopping around for other telecommunication and entertainment options. Cost-wise, in general, they are all competitive and not far from each other. |
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Cox Communications
Cox is the third larger telecommunication company in the United States. Their reach isn't as wide as Xfinity Comcast, but their offering and price are competitive with the nation's biggest providers. Cost: Cox's internet service fee starts at $49.99 per month for 100 MBPS download speed. The price goes up to $99.99 per month for internet service with 1 GBPS download speed. |
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Dish Network
Dish Network is a satellite telecommunication company that offers basic and premium television channels and high speed internet. Cost: Dish's most basic TV plan (with 190 channels) costs $69.99 per month. For the premium plan (with 290 channels), the cost goes up to $104.99 per month. |
