Comcast is the biggest cable television company in America today with over 25 million subscribers. For many, Comcast is their only choice as they may live in an apartment building or a condominium where they cannot install a satellite dish. If you aren’t in the market for a large channel lineup, then the Comcast basic cable setup is probably the best option for you.
Comcast Basic cable is probably most like either the America’s Top 120 package from Dish Network, or the DIRECTV Choice package. It includes most of the major cable networks your are familiar with, but not a lot of the secondary cable TV channels that are included in many all inclusive cable and satellite television packages.
When shopping for Comcast basic cable, it is good to know that they actually call their service Comcast Digital Starter, as they are moving away from the “basic cable” name. Currently, the Comcast deals available in most areas can get you into the Digital Starter package for $29.99 a month for the first six months. After that, the price ranges from $56 to $62 depending on the area you live in. Each area has slightly different rates, for example in the Denver Colorado area the regular price is $57.99 a month for Comcast basic cable.
With a basic package like this, you can expect about 80 video channels, and 45 CD-quality digital audio channels. This setup is fairly comparable to entry level packages offered by satellite TV companies. Installation charges from Comcast range from $23.99 to $33.99 depending on if your home is wired for cable already. Another factor to consider with Comcast basic cable is what kind of equipment you want, and much of this depends on what kind of TV you have right now.
The basic receiver you get from Comcast will only deliver standard definition content to you, and does not include a Comcast DVR. If you want an HD digital box, it is $4.95 for the first six months, then $6.95 a month after that. If you don’t want an HD box but need an SD DVR, then it is $4.95 for a SD digital video recorder for six months, then $9.95 a month after that. If you need both, meaning an HD-DVR box, it will be $9.95 a month for six months, then $15.95 a month after that for high definition and the digital recorder rolled into one.
Keep in mind these prices apply to the first premium receiver that comes with Comcast Starter cable. If you have additional TV sets in your home and you want HD or DVR access on these units, you will pay the regular price on each receiver.
A final consideration with Comcast basic cable is their on-demand service. With any Comcast package you get access to On-demand, which allows you to starts hundreds of programs at a minutes notice without using your DVR to pre-record shows.
