Cable TV has been one of America’s proudest traditions and a form of entertainment enjoyed by families of all backgrounds and lifestyles for many years. One of the hardest decisions you can make for your home is which cable provider to go with as these simple devices can offer our families hundreds of hours of entertainment over the years.
Choosing the best cable TV provider can be a long and arduous task, especially when you need to review and compare all of their features and offerings for yourself. Rather than asking ‘what is the best cable company’ and coming up with too many answers, we’ve done the hard work for you and found the top providers in the country that are trusted by millions.
The search for the best cable network isn’t just about finding who has the most channels these days as you also have to consider customer service, sharing options, digital recording, and streaming services. The internet has brought with it a whole new range of features to consider for your cable TV needs which makes it a harder task than ever before.
We’ve scoured the internet for the best cable TV provider reviews and weighed up all of their features to bring you our choices for the best of the best. With a better understanding about what you should look for in a quality cable provider, you’ll be equipped with the confidence to choose one for your home and family that will tick all of your boxes.
Product Name | Our Rating |
|---|---|
Winner: Verizon Fios | |
Runner-Up: Comcast Xfinity TV | |
Alternative: Time Warner Cable |
Why It’s Important To Choose The Best Cable Provider
People can spend months in their search for the best cable provider before they settle on one, and when you consider how much use you’ll get out of this service it’s no wonder why. With the right cable provider, you’ll spend less on fees each month, less time on hold or to customer service, and have access to TV shows and movies that can keep you entertained for hours.
Too many people sign up to a cable provider without doing their research and find themselves locked into lengthy contracts that cost far too much to get out of. This is a serious investment for your home that should be treated seriously so it’s not a decision that you should take lightly. The right cable subscription can save your family thousands on entertainment costs and provide you with the means to spend quality time with those you love.
What To Look For In The Best Cable Company
If you’ve never had cable TV before or are simply looking to upgrade the service that you had, there are quite a few things you’ll have to consider. No longer is it enough to just look for who has the lowest cost or the most channels on offer, but now you should be weighing up all the features to see which one is most important to you.
Number Of Programs
This is a big one for people when deciding, as the number of channels will show you how much of a selection you have. Some prefer to look at which channels are offered and not just how many to give them a better idea. Most providers offer a minimum of 200 channels but it can go up to 400 and more.
Price
The prices of cable TV are shown on a monthly basis, and usually the longer you enter into a contract for the cheaper it will be. These days, it’s common for TV providers to offer no contract terms which cost a little more but are easier to exit out of for whatever reason.
Extra Features
Some popular features on cable TV include video on demand services and recording. Cable providers will be able to tell you how much storage they allow in terms of hours for the recordings and how many channels you can record at once.
Picture Quality
Most cable providers offer at least some of their channels in high definition, and this is important for those who like to watch movies or sporting events. The picture quality will also depend on your television set, so ensure you have one that can keep up with the resolution.
No Of Devices
Any cable contract will be clear on how many users are able to view the service at once, so if you have a larger family you need to have enough for everyone to use. Some providers also offer a streaming service that allows you to view all of your channels on other devices like tablet and smartphones for extra viewing capabilities.
Customer Service
All cable companies will come with dedicated customer service staff but you need to be careful about their quality. It’s easy enough to find reviews that are honest about the level of service they received and whether it was difficult to reach the customer service team when you had a problem.
Our Picks For The Top Cable Companies
With so many options out there for cable companies, it can be hard narrowing them down to those that are actually worth considering. Here are our top picks for the best cable companies and what each of them can offer your home.
Winner: Verizon Fios
When choosing a cable company, you want to go with a name that you know and trust, and that’s why so many Americans rely on Verizon to provide their cable and internet. Verizon Fios is by far one of the largest cable suppliers in the country and offers a massive range of channels, with 435 at last count which is far more than most you’ll find today.
While it’s true that the fees of Verizon Fios can run a little higher than other providers, we think it’s more than worth it. One of the problems you might encounter with this company though is that they have no contracts available, so with other brands where you’re able to get yourself a better deal when you sign up for longevity, there are no special promotions like this with Verizon Fios.
OUR RATING:
When you upgrade to the premium service you’ll be treated to such special features as the Multi-Room DVR Service. This one feature allows you to record up 12 shows at once and will hold 200 hours of media, so you honestly will never miss a show ever again. Some think this alone makes up for the higher prices because you’ll never need to find your entertainment anywhere else.
Verizon Fios runs on a fiber optic network which means its speed and reliability is a lot better than most. If you do happen to run into any problems, there is a customer service team always available however you should be prepared to do some waiting. This and the higher fees seem to be the only two issues with Fios, but of course, if you’re unhappy with the service you know there are no costly fees to get out of your contract so it’s worth the risk.
Runner-Up: Comcast Xfinity TV
As one of the leaders in home entertainment and cable, it’s no surprise that Comcast’s Xfinity TV has made it to the top cable company reviews. Xfinity TV offers a more modern approach to cable TV with features like their streaming service which gives you full access to your account so you can stream cable on the go from any of your devices for no extra cost.
One downfall with Xfinity is their HD recording, as you’ll only be able to store 64 hours at a time. If you’re a family who relies heavily on their DVR services then you might want to look elsewhere for a cable provider. As a positive to this, though, their video on demand service seems to make up for this problem with access to some of the best movies and shows of all time.
OUR RATING:
Comcast is another provider who offers a no-contract option, but they also have standard contract periods in place. If you do decide you don’t want to be locked in with a contract so you can avoid cancellation fees, you need to be prepared to pay an extra $10 a month on your plan which will certainly seem worth it if you can’t commit to a longer term.
Another negative with Comcast’s Xfinity TV is their customer service team with many people stating just how disappointed they were. As all cable viewers are aware of, cable TV can run into problems from time to time and you want to know that the support team of your provider are able to assist you with your issues, which is somewhere that Comcast seems to have fallen flat.
Alternative: Time Warner Cable
Another of the more popular names in cable comes from Time Warner, with years of experience behind them providing American homes with entertainment. When compared to other providers though, Time Warner appears to have less on offer in the way of channels but it does have some of the better channels that you won’t find anywhere else.
Another bonus with Time Warner Cable is that there are no lock-in contracts and no penalties for doing so. In terms of price, it’s relatively high among the others, but it depends on what you consider most important from your cable provider. The pricing also seems to jump quite a bit through different packages where it’s hard to find a real difference in what’s on offer, so if you don’t have the budget it might be best to stick with one of the more basic packages.
OUR RATING:
There are over 200 channels available but you’ll also have the option to add premium channels as you wish, which means you’re really only paying for the things that you watch. Some will prefer this approach and also find it easier to navigate through the channels as there are more quality things on offer.
Unfortunately, Time Warner Cable is another cable provider with a bad reputation for customer service as many of them do today. However, those who have mentioned bad experiences have also noted that these were rectified fairly quickly and there were gifts given by the provider as a way to thank their customers, so it doesn’t sound all bad.
If you’re looking for a cable provider with a good name behind it and prefer quantity over quality, you might want to consider Time Warner Cable. Although some areas are lacking, like their DVR services, there is a lot here to be thankful for and features that can justify their higher fees.
An Important Service For Your Home
With an ever-increasing need to save money and spend more time with the family, there’s never been a better reason to invest in cable for your home. Whether you’re completely new to this form of home entertainment or just looking to upgrade your provider, there are plenty of options here that would make any home happy.
Although there are a few great providers out there, we could only choose just one that’s the best. After looking at the value for money and what each of them provides, the best cable TV provider has to be Verizon’s Fios. This provider seems miles ahead in customer service, DVR services, and channel availability, so it definitely ticks more of the boxes.
Cable TV is an American institution and one that has provided our country with millions of hours of entertainment with movies, music, and television shows for the whole family. With the world of cable now changing to integrate digital recording and streaming services, your favorite form of entertainment just became even better to invest in.
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