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PHO'FOBLLEESERATEOE BY GLHEKFF
W I T H O N E D A U G H T E R headed t o college and another
just a few years away, single dad Ron Baslow was looking
for ways to economize. One easy target: his $125 monthly
cable TV, internet, and phone bill.
I never used the phone, and only watched a few of the
dozens of cable channels I was getting in the package, he
says. Baslow downsized to an antenna for free local broad
casts and a promotional $20-permonth internet rate,
good for one year. Hes planning to add a $20-permonth
subscription to Sling TV, an online service that offers ac
cess to cable channels he likes, including CNN and ESPN.
The result will be annual savings of more than $1,000
and no sacrifice in the TV content he wants.
N o t everyone will choose to cut backas aggressively
as Baslow, but many Americans are experimenting with
cord cutting to get a better deal. Close to 800,000 Ameri
cans dropped their traditional pay TV package in the first
three months of 2017, accordingto research firm Moffett
Nathanson. For the better partof 15years, pundits have
predicted that cord cutting was the future, senior research
analyst Craig Mofiett says. Well, the future has arrived.
Todays consumers have more options, from familiar
services such as Netflix to new takes on streaming from
Sling TV, HBO, and others. These choices are exciting, but
they c a n also be hard to navigateand industry jargon
doesnt help. Even the t e r m cord cutting is misleading.
It implies you can dump your cable company altogether,
but youll probably still need it to provide internet service.
Consumers face some regulatory confusion, aswell.
This summer, the Federal Communications Commission is
taking comments on a potential rollback of net neutrality
rules designed to prevent internet providers from influ
encing what web content we can see. The outcome of that
process could affect consumer choice in the future.
The following pages w i l l help you make sense of your
TV, streaming, and internet optionsand show you how to
get the best deals and understand the important debates
on privacy and net neutrality.
How,Content Gets to You
Today, you can watch many of the some shows and movies using cable,
sateH-ite providers, online services, or even antennas. This diagram shows the
services clamoring for your attention*ond dollars.
Broadcast
channels
/
6
Satellite
_l._
Antenna
( g s ROUTER
Cable
channels
$ Cable TV
services
Pay-per
view movies
3
WHAT CONSUMERS THINK
Cable Consumers say they want more, n o t less,
Single-channei channels regulation of broadband privacy.
websites, apps In a nationally representative survey of
1,008 Americans conducted in early May for
the Consumer Reports National Research
Center, 80 percent of respondents told us
Original that ISPs should need to get permission
shows, older before sharing consumer data. Six out of 10
Subscription
network series, didnt think ISPs should be allowed to sell or
streaming
movies share this information at all.
services We asked consumers
who is the rightful owner We also asked the most fundamental
of information on how question: Who is the rightful owner of all
they use the web: them or
their internet provider.
this data about where we go and what we do
Heres what they said. online, the consumer or the ISP?
Eightyfive percent of respondents say the
Individual data rightfully belongs to them.
Pay-per-view movies, 85.2%:
services TV shows The WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
consumer
Under the recently defeated rules, broadband
providers would have faced a n e w opt-in
requirement, forcing them to get
permission before using data such as web
browsing histories.
Opponents of the rules said it was unfair to
Subscription Pay-Per-View hold ISPs to stricter standards than internet
Streaming Services companies such as Amazon, Google, and
Services such as iTunes
10.4/o ' 4_4o/ Facebook, which are regulated more loosely.
Netflix, Amazon Prime, The internet
Hulu, and other smaller and Vudu let you rent or service
Unsure/ That argument w o n the dayand consumer
other
players charge a buy single titlesa
provider advocates reacted strongly. Congress wiped
subscription fee, usually movie, one episode of a o u t groundbreaking rules intended to em
around $8 to $10 per show, or a whole season. power consumers and protect their privacy,
month, for unlimited Amazon Vi d e o t h e says Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy
viewing of all their TV company's payperview counsel for Consumers Union, the policy and
content and movies, serviceoffers this mobilization arm of Consumer Reports.
including original shows option, too. (Note, Going forward, state laws could pick up
such as Netflix's "House Amazon Prime members: some of the slack. By the end of May, more
of Cards." Shows are Not all of Amazon's than a dozen states had proposed some form
delivered over the content is included with
of legislation tackling the issue. Privacy
internet, so y o u c a n watch your subscription.)
protection bills were also being discussed in
on a computer, smart TV,
or mobile device.
Washington, D C . B u t privacy experts dont
expect much from the bill. After all, this is ,
the same Congress that voted to roll back the
existing privacy protections.
1 Have cable or satellite TV? Can't tell HBO GO from HBO Now? You're not
"Game of Thrones" alone. HBO Go is a free service for those who
fans c a n watch the Starks already p a y for HBO through cable or satellite. 3 HBO Now is a web and
vs. the Lannisters the To watch your show on a laptop, go to the a p p streaming service
old-fashioned way, by HBO website. For a mobile device, download for those who want
adding it to a regular the HBO Go app. Either way, you'll log in using HBO but don't want to
pay TV plan. Usually your p a y TV credentials. buy it through their
you'll p a y about $15 per
cable provider. It costs
month for a variety of
$15 per month.
HBO channels and access
to HBO Go. What's that?
See number 2.
MONTHLY c o s T
$205.25
. Slihg TV , month,and youlcan add TVstyle programming YOUTUbe TV , YouTube Red Originals.
M o m - " L y BILL: 320 and tip HBO ($15), Showtime ($10), plan. Packages range MONTHLY BILL: 535 and up Showtime can be added
WHAT Yo u GET: Sling's $20 . and Starz ($9). from a $40-permonth WHAT Y O U GET: YouTube for an additional $11 per
Orange package includes _WHAT You Dorm: Sling basic option to a $75 TVisavailable in just , month. _ ,
. about 30 cable thqhheb - lacks CBS, Discovery Ultra" plan with about five major markets 50 WHAT Yo u aoH'TaThe
but nobroadcast TV. Channel, and Fox News. 90 channels, including for, with more on the list of cable noshows
It supports one user at 1A cloud DVR is being premium channels such as way, the company includes Comedy Central,
0 time. Sling Blue (525/ , rolled out. Showtime and HBO. You says. You can watch on CNN, HBO,and HGTV.
month) supports three * ' , : get local channels in some three deVices at a t i m e , . _ .; ,
users and about 40 Sony PlayStation markets and ClC l e DVR- getting major networks,
channels, including local ,Vue WHAT Y 0 DON'T: Vue l5t a decent selection of
broadcasts and regional ._ *MGNTHLY BIL-L: $40 and up access to Viacom stations cable channels, and a
sports. Acombined WHAT Yo u GET: Vue (Comedy Central, MTV, cloud DVRwith unlimited
plan costs $40. Themed can be configured to Nickelodeon, Spike TV) storage. You also get the
addeon packs cost $5 per resemble an expansive, if last years original programming on
, somewhat pricey, cable
EThe average cost of a triple-play bundle comes from responses to the Telecom section of the Consumer Reports Fall 2016 CR.ORG 29
Annual Questionnaire. [EThe average internet cost of $60 per month is based on Leichtman Research Group estimates.
Get the Broadband Speed You Need
Planning to stream more of your entertainment over the lnternet?
Youd better make sure your connection can handle the added traffic.
AUDIO AND VIDEO arent created equal when it comes to their demands on HOW WIFI MAKES WAV E S
your broadband service. The difference is measured in bit ratehow much data The modern household runs on WiFifor
travels to your home each second. You can see the bit rates neededtostream a web browsing and devices such as baby
few types of entertainment below. Services such as Netflix may compensate for monitors, but also for streaming TV
a slow connection by downgrading the video quality you see. shows and movies to your TV, laptop,
and smartphone.
BIT RATE
VIDEO
4K HDR
HD (108)
HIGH QUALITY
so (36)
HIGH Q U A L I T Y
LAPTOP
AUDIO
STANDARD a
QUALITY MUSIC _
128 kbps
$2 as outdated as
y o u might think.
If you live near a
as older TV shows or
public channels not
available on cable.
the ability to receive
broadcasts on your
smartphone.
$30 work well for
many p e o p l e b u t
they c a n require
EPB Fiber
Google Fiber
Armstrong Cable
Consolidated Cable
Midco Cable
Verizon Fiber
WOW Cable
DirecTV Satellite
Wave Cable
CenturyLink Fiber
Comcast Fiber
GCI Cable
AT&T Fiber
Cablevision Cable
CenturyLink Cable
Comcast Cable
Frontier Fiber
Mediacom Cable
Google Fiber
Consolidated Fiber A.
Armstrong Cable
EPB Fiber
RCN Cable
Midco Cable
Verizon Fiber
Wave Cable
WOW Cable
CenturyLink Fiber
Cablevision Cable
TDS Cable
EarthLink Cable
GCI Cable
Verizon Cable
Consolidated DSL
Comcast Cable
Frontier Fiber
Spectrum (Time Warner) Cable
Atlantic Cable
AT&T Cable
Comcast DSL
Mediacom Cable
Frontier Cable
CenturyLink DSL
AT&T DSL
AUGUST 2017
ooroyoe
WORSE BETTER
; INTERNET Continued
FairPoint DSL m 9 9 0 9
Frontier DSL m 9 9 9
HughesNet Satellite m 9 9 9 9
B U N D LE D
Verizon Fiber _ 9 o
AT&T Fiber m 9 9
Verizon Hybrid _ 9 o
DirecTV Hybrid [_ 9 9
wow Hybrid [_ 9 o
. Cablevision/Optimum Cable E- 9 o
AT&T Hybrid [ - 9 k _, 0
Comcast Cable m 9 9
Mediacom Cable m 9 9
Frontier Fiber I E 9 9
1 HOW WESURVEY: Ratings of based on: 114,107 respondents for at Reader Score, differences of measurement to provide a rating. Note
\ telecommunications providers TV service providers, 90,838 less than 4 points for TV service, that the experiences of CR subscribers
reflect the experiences of Consumer respondents for internet service 5 points for lSPs, and 4 points for may not reflect those of the overall
Reports subscribers who completed providers, and 24,642 respondents bundled services a r e not meaningful. population of the U.S.
the Telecom section of the Fall 2016 for providers of bundled services A blank space in a chart indicates
Annual Questionnaire. They are (TV, internet, and phone). When looking that we had insufficient data on that