Is Allconnect a trend setter?  Perhaps. For a while now, Allconnect has offered you a way to bundle and save with the choices you want^SM .  That simply means you can choose your providers and services based on your needs, not the available bundles, and it looks like we were on to something.

A recent Nielsen study shows consumers are in favor making their own bundles.  While cable TV providers are still the majority in paid TV subscriptions, satellite TV providers are closing the gap.  One reason satellite TV subscriptions are on the rise is the recent trend in creating your own bundle.  With services like Allconnect, consumers can choose a satellite TV package and pair it with cable Internet service.  It offers choice and, in some cases, the best of both worlds.

Let’s say you prefer your local satellite TV package over your local cable TV package, but you would rather have the higher speed of a cable Internet connection.  Well, now you can.  With Allconnect, you can create your own bundle.

Enter your address in the “Find Savings” widget to see what’s available in your area.

In a report for Variety, Tom Lowry sheds light on a somewhat shocking report that discusses the real competition for cable TV companies and satellite TV providers.  Lowry’s article discusses a recent report, “U.S. Telecommunications and Cable & Satellite: The Poverty Problem,” by Craig Moffett, an analyst for Sanford Bernstein.  In that report, Moffett says inter industry rivalry is not the problem.  Nor is the growing online movie and TV market the problem.  The real problem is more likely to be the decline in American livelihood.

While there have been signs of economic recovery, Moffet’s report points out the harsh reality of government assistance and below average incomes for many Americans.  Sadly, that means many families are choosing, not between providers, but between necessities.  What’s more important, TV or food and shelter?

Luckily, cable TV companies and satellite TV providers are not ignorant of the problem.  Lowry uses Time Warner Cable as an example.  Time Warner Cable created an economy cable TV package geared toward budget minded consumers.  While it may not have all the bells and whistles of the premium cable TV packages, it does offer the escape allowed by TV entertainment with a more affordable price tag.

While Moffett’s report may seem bleak, it does remind us that options are available.  If you’re looking to find more affordable cable TV or satellite TV plans in your area, start here.  Enter your address in the “Find Savings” widget at the top of the page.  We’ll show you what’s available at your address.  From there, you can compare plans and prices online free of charge.  When you’re ready, choose the plan that’s right for you.

You may remember a story we discussed a while back concerning Dish Network and DIRECTV.  It was about the two dominant satellite TV providers teaming up with a subscriber to sue the state of Utah over what they claim is a tax break given only to cable TV providers.

Well, according to Multichannel News, “Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and two co-sponsors have introduced the State Video Fairness Act of 2011, which is being celebrated by DISH and DIRECTV as a bill to ‘protect consumers and promote competition by preventing the imposition of discriminatory taxes on satellite television and other innovative competitors to cable television.’”

Of course, the cable TV providers feel slighted.  Cable TV operators claim the 1996 Telecommunications Act contains a huge loophole that allows the satellite TV providers to bypass local taxes – taxes cable TV operators have to pay.

Although it may feel like progress for the satellite TV providers, the battle is sure to continue.

A recent article from TV Week brought a home a realization, an epiphany, if you will.  The article discusses how the different channels airing the March Madness games are all but sold out of ad space.  March Madness is upon us.  College basketball team will soon be all over your TV.  so you’ve got to ask yourself, is your TV ready for March Madness?

Sure, the physical representation of your TV is in question.  Is your screen large enough to truly enjoy each and every game you can possibly catch over the next month?  Size does matter, but so does quality and that’s where we switch from your actual television to your provider.  Are you setup to catch every game?  Does your provider offer all the channels?  Do you currently subscribe to all those channels?  You better get on the ball.

According to TV Week, Mach Madness college basketball games will be shown on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV.  TruTV?  Yes, college hoops will be shown on the network formerly known as Court TV.   It seems like the majority of those channels would be included in your basic cable channel lineup.  However, your digital switchover box may not tune into every channel.    That may be an error or a glitch in the box, but it  could also be your subscription, or lack thereof.  Either way, it makes sense to call up your provider to make sure you can access all the games no matter the channel.

For that matter, it may be a good time to make the jump from over the air digital signals to subscription based programming.  Depending on you area, you’ll have to decide which product is best for you:  cable TV providers, satellite TV providers or telco based products like AT&T U-Verse or Verizon FiOS.  Whatever you choose, do it soon.  Tipoff is just around the corner.

It would appear that Dish Network dish TV provider and Fox are still at odds with one another over the retransmission renewal of several Fox owned networks.

According to a recent article from Sky Report, Dish Network claims to have support from several”independent groups” calling for the FCC to allow channels to remain on-air during retransmission disputes.  Dish Newtork also claims Fox is blocking its regional sports channels and threatens to pull FOX local channels at the end of the month.

While Dish Network still offers your local Fox channel, Fox News and Fox Business channels.  However, one analyst speculates on the longevity of those current relationships.  BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield sees Dish Network preparing to battle Fox for keeps.  As he points out, what benefit is there for Dish Network to lose Fox Sports during post season baseball, the bulk of the NFL season and the start of NHL hockey season if they’re only going to give in to Fox when it comes to renew the other channels?

It’s a slippery slope indeed.  On the one hand, Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen appears to be fighting for the little guy, pushing back against “outrageous price increases” for dish customers born from Fox’s implied greed.  After all, Ergen calls Fox networks, a “big company which is owned by an even bigger company called News Corporation”.   However, other cable and satellite TV providers don’t appear to have the same renewal problem with Fox.  At least not yet.

However it plays out, the fallout could be dire for Dish Network if too many subscribers leave during the blackout.  With that in mind, Dish Network is still attempting to offset the Fox blackout by offering twenty additional channels, including the NFL Network, NBA TV, and the NHL Network.

Continuing with our discussion of service providers, we’ve moved into the arena of satellite TV providers, and an arena is actually a good starting point.  There are really only two major players when it comes to satellite TV service, Dish Network and DIRECTV, and they’ve been battling it out for years.  With similar products and alphabetic proximity, we’ll discuss the two providers over the next two reviews .  DIRECTV is first on the list, alphabetically, so we’ll start there.

Unrestrained by the physical cables that tie cable TV providers to individual service areas, DIRECTV has a nationwide presence.  However, that doesn’t mean they don’t compete in cable TV markets.  While Dish Network is the only major satellite TV competitor, DIRECTV does have to compete with local cable TV providers throughout the country.  But they’ve got some help.  DIRECTV offers satellite TV bundles by partnering with several traditional phone companies.  Working with phone companies like AT&T, Qwest and Verizon allows DIRECTV customers to take advantage of satellite TV bundles with phone service and DSL high speed Internet.

You’ve probably seen the commercials on TV, but one of the main selling points for DIRECTV is its unmatched sports coverage.  Offering near total sports coverage, DIRECTV customers can sign up for sports packages, like NFL SUNDAY TICKET™, NASCAR HotPass^™, and wide ranging International soccer coverage.

There’s also been a lot of on-air discussion about HD channels.  When it comes to full-time HD channels, DIRECTV has over 160.  That means DIRECTV offers more HD channels than any other cable or satellite TV provider.

Is DIRECTV satellite TV right for you?  Enter your address in the “Savings Widget” at the top of the page to compare plans and prices.

So you think you’re ready to get satellite TV.  Congratulations!  Now, are you sure you can get satellite TV?  Seriously.  Before you sign up, you need to ask yourself, “What do I need for satellite TV?”

Here are some of the requirements from two of the more well known satellite TV providers.  You’ll notice the requirements are quite similar for both providers.   Utilizing similar dish TV technology, both providers have similar requirements to make sure you have what you need for satellite TV.

If you’re looking to setup DIRECTV satellite TV service, you’ll want to run thorugh the following checklist:

Dish Network has its own checklist you should run through before you setup satellite TV service:

• Make sure you’re allowed to have an exposed satellite dish. Again, it may sound weird, since it’s your house, but you need to check with your homeowner’s association before you put a satellite dish in your roof.  And if you live in an apartment or rented home, you’ll need written permission from the management company or landlord.  You’ll have to give the installer the permission form before the installation begins.
• Make sure you’ve got an unobstructed view of the “southern sky”. Like DIRECTV, Dish Network also requires a clear view of the southern sky.  The dish TV receiver can not be placed behind buildings, trees, or other objects that may obstruct its signal.  Your installer will conduct an on-site survey to ensure the best placement of your dish.

Whether you decide to get DIRECTV or  Dish Network, you’ll benefit from a little planning before you actually setup satellite TV service.

In the lifespan of technologies, the death knell is often heard.  The end is nye for many, but how often does it truly come?  The BetaMax comes to mind.  More recently, HD-DVD lost the hi def battle.  So what about cable TV services?

It seems like the end has been knocking on cable’s door for years, yet it’s still a mainstay.  Sure, satellite TV providers and onetime telephone companies have brought fiber optic TV into the market, but cable TV services are still the norm.  So what are we to make of the most recent claims of the Internet nudging cable aside?

If you haven’t already heard, there is a new buzz around the Hulu subscription service.  Keep in mind, this latest buzz is not to be confused with the original buzz surrounding Hulu’s launch back in 2007-2008.  That was a wholly different death knell to the cable TV services.  No, this latest death knell assumes we would ditch our cable television (or satellite TV) for solely Internet based viewing.  I think that kind of thinking is somewhat limited.

Hulu, even via a subscription service, does not currently offer EVERYTHING on TV.  And that’s the defining problem.  For all of the great aspects of Hulu, and similar services, they are limited.  Sure, it’s great to be able to catch up on shows you missed, or even whole series, but not great enough to forget cable TV exists.

From a business perspective, the paid version of Hulu is a great way to monetize a formerly free service.  Of course, you can still watch your free Hulu, but if you want the whole season, you’re going to have to pay for it.  It makes perfect financial sense and people are becoming more accepting of paid services online, but it won’t replace cable.  At least not yet.

While most people would be willing to switch their home services in order to save money, a recent survey conducted by Allconnect sheds some light on just how much money they would need to save to leave their current Cable TV or Satellite TV provider.

How much money would you need to save to switch home services?

It seems that the hassle of switching home services may outweigh the allure of saving money, even in this economy.  68% of people surveyed said that they would need to save  $20 or more per month ($240 per year), in order to switch to a new provider.  Only 15% were satisfied saving between $10 and $15 dollars each month, which would amounts to almost $200 dollars each year.

With services like Allconnect it is easier than ever to identify a better deal on your home services and switch your Cable or Satellite TV Package. Even with monthly utility bills currently adding up to one of the largest household expenses, people are not willing to undergo the hassle of switching from Cable to Satellite or vice versa without seeing a significant difference in their monthly bills.

People also do not seem convinced that a night in with a PayPerView movie or Cable TV are an adequate replacement for going out.  Only 30% of people said that they were spending more on PayPerView or Cable services in place of going out at night.

In fact, Cable Services were the first item that most consumers were willing to give up if they had to.  35% of consumers polled said they would abandon their Cable TV or Satellite Provider if they had to give up one of their home services. Internet and Phone Services tied for second place with 23% of consumers declaring those services would be the first to go.  Interestingly, Home Security followed closely with 19% saying they would chose to give up that service.

Allconnect can help you to save on all of your home utilities by comparing the providers available in your area so that you can choose the best package, and rate, for you.  You no longer have to wait until you move to switch your home services, do it now and see how much you could save.

If you’re thinking of switching to satellite TV, now may be just the time.

Just yesterday, Dish Network began offering “Free HD for Life”, an upgrade normally subject to a $10 monthly fee.  It sounds good to me, but there’s no such thing as a free lunch.  It turns out there’s no such thing as “free” HD either.  Although, I do believe their asking price is more than fair.  To get “Free HD for Life” with Dish Network, you must sign a two year agreement with paperless billing and “AutoPay”.  Frankly, paperless billing and online payment can greatly reduce the amount of wasted paper we generate, so I’m all for it.

Not to be outdone, DIRECTV® announced it had moved up its planned “free HD” program.  According to Roger Cheng, of the Wall Street Journal, DIRECTV® had planned to release their promotion in January, but decided to move it up to counter Dish Network’s offer.  As the two major satellite TV providers, Dish Network and DIRECTV® have been going at each other for years.  ”Free HD” seems to be only the latest battle in an increasingly competitive market.

However, thanks to lower prices and more channels, consumers are likely to win in a battle for subscribers.  Who wouldn’t want to lower her TV bill?