U-verse a New HD Option

In today’s world folks are looking to maximize their entertainment dollar. Increasing gas prices, a slowing economy, and higher food costs are putting the squeeze on citizens. Fortunately, one of the great values in entertainment is your cable or satellite television service.

If you take a moment and think about it, you can get a package including over 100 stations including commercial-free movie channels like Cinemax and Starz for about $75 dollars a month. That is less than you usually will drop for dinner and a first run movie. The latest technology in the pay TV market is HD, or high definition programming. What should you consider when hooking up that new plasma TV you just purchased?

Remember that your standard cable television or satellite TV service is not in hi-def. You have to specifically purchase a package that includes this type of programming. So where do you start?

Make a call to your current provider and find out exactly what they can do as far as hi-def service. Satellite TV companies DISH Network and Direct TV have been leading the pack as far as offering the most HD when you look at channel counts. Cable TV providers like Cox also have some nice offerings, including HD on-demand. Find out exactly how much upgrading to HD will be, and if you need additional equipment.

If what they are offering is not what you want, its time to do a little comparison shopping. The newest offerings include an all hi-def package from DISH Network called TurboHD. DirecTV offers HD service for only $9.99 per month. Prices are different with cable television companies across America, so you will have to call your local company to see what the cost will be for HD service.

Another factor to consider is that many telephone companies now offer TV service. AT&T now provides their U-Verse service in many areas along with voice and DSL. Verizon is also selling television service, offering their fiber optic service FiOS in many neighborhoods. It is advisable that you compare services side-by-side, such as U-verse vs Direct TV. These developments are a benefit to the customer, as more competition encourages low prices in the long run.