There’s good news for Cablevision cable TV customers being affected by the bitter Fox/Cablevision retransmission argument.

As many of you already know, especially if you’re a Cablevision customer in the New York area, Fox has pulled its programming, most notably Major League Baseball’s World Series broadcast.  Unfortunately, as the two companies battle it out over rate increases and programming valuation, the true victims of the situation are Cablevision customers and Fox Networks’ loyal viewers.  It’s especially painful to lose your access to Fox during one of the most watched sports events of the year, the World Series.  However, Cablevision is offering its customers an olive branch.

According to Fierce IPTV, “The IPTV Weekly Monitor”, Cablevision is offering its customers a $10 credit if they subscribe to the World Series broadcast directly through MLB.com.  While the primary victory is bypassing Fox in an attempt to please its World Series hungry customers, the offer addresses another issue - the validity of Internet Protocol television (IPTV).

Think about it.  Could Cablevision’s offer to pay for the MLB.com World Series broadcast help push IPTV further into the mainstream by suggesting customers bypass traditional programming in favor of Internet TV?  It definitely puts a national spotlight on the issue.

In a more negative light, NJ.com is reporting that Fox claims that Cablevision representatives have been directing their customers to “illegal websites” to watch pirated Fox programming.  In fact, Fox went so far as to send Cablevision a cease and desist letter.  Cablevision claims the action is merely a publicity stunt to try and lure eyes away from the Fox blackout.

No matter which company ultimately prevails, greed is never pretty and consumers pay the price.

Continuing our provider spotlight, we visit one of the Southeast’s prominent cable TV providers - Knology.

Recognizing the need for a balance between everyday communication and common budgets, Knology offers cable TV service starting as low as $20 a month.  You won’t get the bells and whistles that come with the Knology Digital Preferred Plus, but you will get your local channels, news, weather and sports.  However, if you are looking for more from your cable TV, the the Knology Digital Preferred Plus package is only $20 more than their basic cable package.   Those are reasonable prices for any budget.

Knology high speed Internet is available in similar varieties.  Offering various speeds, Knology is actually in the process of upgrading its entire network with a “significant technological advancement in speed, security, reliability and performance.”  When the upgrade is complete, the Knology Edge network will reach speeds up to 25 mbps while varying speeds will still be available in the Knology Intronet, high Speed, Edge and Edge Plus packages.

Of course, you can also bundle your services with the Knology Digital Trio.  The Digital Trio combines the Knology High Speed Internet, Digital Preferred Plus and SmartChoice Phone with unlimited long distance.

See which Knology bundle or stand alone services are available in your area by entering your address in the “Savings Widget” above.

Tell me if this sounds familiar.  For whatever reason, you miss your favorite show.  Even worse, you forgot to DVR it.

No problem.  You’ll catch it On Demand.  Of course, this particular show isn’t available On Demand.  That or it isn’t available until some time next week after the next show airs and what good is that?  That puts you another week behind schedule.  So what can you do to watch the show you missed?  Check the Internet.

Many times you can find the missing episode the day after it originally aired on the channel’s website (ABC.com, FXnetworks.com, etc.).  Or you can check a site like Fancast.com or Hulu.com for rebroadcasts of your favorite shows and movies.  Then, you can either watch it right there on your little laptop screen or you can graduate to the computer/TV/Internet blend of television.  It’s actually much easier than you may think.

You can create your own little broadcast network using just your laptop, your high speed Internet connection and your TV.  That’s right.  So how do you hook up your laptop to your TV?  It’s easy.

First, you need to determine which type of cable you’ll need.  Most laptops will have multiple options, but at the very least you should have an S-Video output (Separate Video).   Likewise, most newer model TV’s will have an S-Video input.  You just need to make sure both have the same type of S-Video connector.  There are 4 pin and 7 pin.  Your laptop will likely have a 7 pin, so just make sure your TV has the same or it won’t work.

Your next option would be VGA – Video Graphics Array.  The VGA output on your laptop is the more familiar, blue connector typically used to connect your monitor to your laptop.  VGA provides a higher quality connection than the S-cable, but your TV likely won’t have a VGA connection unless it’s an HDTV.

You could also look for the white connector, the DVI – Digital Visual Interface.  Found on newer laptops and Macs, DVI will provide a much higher quality display from your laptop to your TV.  DVI inputs are found almost exclusively on HDTV’s and the cables can be a lot more expensive than VGA or S-Video cables.  However, if you plan on watching TV from your laptop on a fairly regular basis the cost could be worth it.

Of course, you could utilize your HDMI input on your HDTV, but you’ll likely find your laptop lacking an HDMI output.  That will likely change over time, but for now you can use a DVI to HDMI connector to your laptop to your HDTV.

In the end, connecting your laptop to your TV is easy.  It’s all about the connections and cables.  Once you determine which type of cable you need, make sure you buy enough.  The last thing you want to do is connect your laptop to your TV and be forced to dangle the computer in awkward position, because you didn’t buy enough cable.  VGA and DVI cables may be more limited in length, but S-video cable can run great distances.  That’s important when you don’t want to leave the couch to watch the next episode.

Fox Networks went black over the weekend for Cablevision subscribers in New York and Philadelphia.  That puts Cablevision in the same boat as Dish Network as both companies continue to negotiate/battle with Fox over retransmission rates.

Fox continues to suggest its loyal viewers jump ship and find alternate satellite or cable TV providers.

According to Katy Bachman of Mediaweek, Fox has also refused Cablevision’s request for binding arbitration claiming that “direct business-to-business negotiation is the only way to resolve the issue”.

While the companies continue to battle it over “equitable value” for Fox programming, cable TV viewers continue to suffer.

So Dish Network isn’t the only satellite or cable TV company embattled with Fox Networks, and its parent company News Corp.  New York area cable TV provider Cablevision has entered a very public dispute with Fox by taking out a full page ad in New York’s Newsday paper.  The ad, picturing a disheveled football fan, jersey and all, simply says, “Hey News Corp, you negotiate by taking my football away?”  As if the News Corp owned Fox Networks is simply taking its ball and going home.

The Cablevision ad claims Fox is attempting to more than double its fees from $70 million to a whopping $150 million.  Anyone would complain of such a drastic rate increase.  However, according to a statement from Fox,  ”Cablevision is being hypocritical if it believes Fox’s proposal is not fair. According to SNL Kagan, in 2009 Cablevision paid itself and charged other pay TV companies considerably more for just two of its sister company channels (MSG and MSG Plus) than all 12 of the Fox channels they carry, even though the Fox channels enjoy significantly higher ratings.”  So it would seem that Cablevision is just as guilty as Fox Networks.

Again, just like the Fox/Dish Network dispute, Cablevision customers could lose their Fox programming, including baseball’s post-season, mid-season football and the beginning of the hockey season, if a deal isn’t agreed upon by tomorrow.  And who ultimately loses here?  That’s right.  It’s you, the viewer.

Providing phone, TV, Internet packages to customers throughout Kentucky, and parts of Ohio and Indiana, Insight Communications has grown into its own since its 1985.

From its humble beginnings as a local cable operator, Insight now offers total telecommunications solutions, including money saving bundles.  Insight customers can take advantage of comnbined services with the Insight Double Play or the Insight Triple Play.  The Insight Triple Play, according to information on their website, can save you up to $575 per year (as of October 2010).  That’s a significant amount of money added back to your bottom line.

Along with saving money on cable TV, Insight also offers superfast high speed Internet.  Insight broadband comes in three tiers:

• Broadband 10.0 with top speeds up to 10 mbps
• Broadband 20.0 with top speeds up to 20 mbps
• Braodband 30.0 with top speeds up to 30 mbps (not available in all service areas)

Each tier represents quality high speed Internet download speeds.  Even the lower tier, Broadband 10.0 represents quite an improvement over dial-up or even DSL high speed Internet.  So why would you want the 20 or 30 mbp services?

Think of it this way.  If you stream video using Broadband 10.0, you should have no problems.  However, you’d get twice the performance and enhance your ability to multi task by using Broadband 20.0.

See which Insight bundles are available in your area.  Simply enter your address in the “savings Widget” at the top of the page.

The ongoing battle between Dish Network satellite TV and Fox Networks seems to be getting uglier and uglier.  As an outsider looking in, Dish Network’s “stop bullying the little guy” image seems to be legit and Fox Networks isn’t helping overcome that image.  In fact, they seem to be proving Dish Network’s point, over and over again.

As noticed last week, Fox is puling no punches with its dump Dish Network web site, GetWhatIPaidFor.com.  The site specifically asks Dish Network customers to find new satellite or cable TV providers.

Today, the Sky Report has noted another “strong arm” tactic from Fox.  The report claims that “FOX has apparently muscled the NBA and the NHL into backing its position.  Note, for example, this statement from an article  on the NHL LA Kingswebsite:  ’If DISH refuses to reach a fair agreement with Fox soon, there’s a good chance DISH customers will miss the Kings’ entire schedule of games on FOX Sports West … As you can imagine, DISH’s competitors are ready, willing and able to make great offers to DISH customers that don’t want to miss their Kings games.’  With sharp elbows flying, the piece goes on to list those competitors. ”

Sure, consumers want to watch their favorite teams, but should those teams be joining in the fight between a network and a satellite TV provider? Did Fox ask them to voice an opinion?  Regardless, the Kings seem to be overstepping their boundaries there.

Football season is in full swing.  But there are still several weeks and a whole bunch of games to go before the end of the season in January.

If you’re a true fanatic, you’ve already subscribed to the  NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ on DIRECTV to make sure you get all the football you can handle.  But is NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ too much for just one man to handle?  It sometimes seems like it, so how do you make sense of all those games?  You need an NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ Game Schedule.

Lucky for you, the good folks over at the NFL are watching out for you.  If you’re looking for your favorite team’s next game, hop on over to NFL.com to see which channel you need to watch.  That’s right.  They’ve got each week broken out by game, channel, and source.  You can find the game schedule for broadcast TV channels, NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ on DIRECTV and Sirius radio.  Just choose the week you need and BAM!  There it is.  Every game, on every channel, even if you don’t have satellite TV.

The pucks dropped throughout the country last week.  Did you watch your favorite hockey team on opening night?  You could and you don’t even have to leave the house!  With NHL® CENTER ICE® you can watch your favorite team no matter where you live.

So what is NHL® CENTER ICE®?

NHL® CENTER ICE® is the digital sports package from iN Demand that allows you to watch up to 40 “out of area” hockey games per week.  Is it for everyone?  No.  CENTER ICE® is really only for the serious hockey fans.  If you’re content to watch your hometown team, you probably don’t need CENTER ICE®.

However, if you no longer live near your favorite hockey team or if you just can’t get enough ice time CENTER ICE® is just the ticket.  You get access to over 40 games per week with replay games (in case you missed one) and simultaneous viewing with the mosaic channel.

So you may ask yourself, “How do I get NHL® CENTER ICE®?”

Good question.  NHL® CENTER ICE® is available through most cable TV providers, so simply call your local cable TV company and ask for NHL® CENTER ICE®.  Before you know it, you’ll be yelling at refs and banging on the glass all from the comfort of your own living room.

If you’re wondering if the Dish Network and Fox Networks battle could get any worse, well, maybe.

A commercial aired last night advertising a new site, “GetWhatIPaidFor.com”.  The site and commercial are direct jabs at Dish Network, asking current Dish Network subscribers to jump ship to find new cable or satellite TV providers.  The site and commercial truly pull no punches.

The rather large banner on top of the site actually states “Dish Network Longer Carries” the National Graphic Channel, FX, and Fox Sports Network.  The banner goes on to claim that Dish Network may no longer carry My Network TV and Fox as of November 1.

From the outside looking in, it looks like corporate hardball.  Of course, you never know who to believe in these matters, but this new site certainly shows an ugly side of Fox Networks.