The Switch!

I have counted the months, the weeks, the days until I could switch cable/phone/internet providers.  Finally today was the day.  I am now an AT&T U-Verve customer.  I don't have anything good to say about my previous company, Time Warner.  I was locked into a 2 year agreement with Time Warner so it's been a long wait.

With my previous services I had the HD package I was paying for each month however, I wasn't using it because I didn't like the way it made the TV appear when I was on HD channels.  Well, get this, AT&T told me this morning Time Warner didn't finish connecting it so the HD channels were useless.  Can you believe it?  I actually tried a long time ago to have Time Warner take the HD package off my service plan but they wouldn't because I was locked into a 2 year agreement.  I checked this time with AT&T concerning the useage of HD channels. If I find I'm not using them I will have it discontinued this time around. I have a 1 year agreement this time with AT&T which I already checked on the fee to break if I'm not satisfied. 

Here's the best news of all with this switch...I now have NFL Network!!!  Yippeeee!  I can't tell you how excited that makes me.  It's not even football season and I'm excited.  Oh and get this....prepare yourselves!  I have FSN Arizona as an add-on channel!  Sweet!  I'll get ASU games and Suns games.  Whatever is being shown on FSN Arizona in your living rooms will also be the same thing shown in my living room in big D!  Man, that's awesome!  After hearing this news my little Sun Devil (aka Simon) dug out his ASU shirt and uttered the words, "Go Devils!".  The last and final exciting part of the switch is that I got wi-fi!!! Woo-hoo!  Up until now I've had a modem which was okay but once I got a nook it wasn't the best thing any longer. There's wi-fi in my complex so I have been able to get a weak signal to use the nook.  Having my own wi-fi will be great though.

So even with my little add-ons I'm actually going to pay less than I was with Time Warner.  I'm thinking it's a pretty decent deal at this point.  I just hope I like the services better.  I only have two choices: Time Warner or AT&T.  Hopefully, AT&T will be satisfactory because I'm out of choices.  This will be the first time too that I've had a receiver box in the bedroom.  In the past I've just had basic cable from the wall in the bedroom. It will be nice to be able to have all channels available to me even no matter which TV I'm watching in my house.  While I'm folding clothes or putting on my make-up I'll be able to still watch Tennis channel in my room.  I can guarantee that will happen in this house during next week since the French Open starts Sunday.  Soon both TV's are going to be stuck on the Tennis Channel. 

Now here's something I learned today concerning the NFL network.  Why do some cable coompanies have it and some don't?  I finally got a real explanation today.  Directv is owned by AT&T.  When Directv started they wanted a few channels that could be exclusively "theirs".  Channels that would be appealing to help lure new customers.  One of those "appealing" channels is NFL Network.  Directv and the NFL made an exclusive agreement with one another.  Since AT&T and Directv are in partnership, Directv allows AT&T to offer NFL Network to their cable customers.  But they do not allow any other cable competitors in the area the right.  Now if you happen to live in a place that doesn't have AT&T cable then it's possible to find at least one cable provider that has the right to the NFL Network.  For example in Phx there's no AT&T cable so Cox cable has the right to broadcast NFL Network.  Should AT&T decide to come to Phx most likely Cox will lose their right to the NFL Network and Cox cable subscribers will be shaking their fists in the air at the blackened screen when they turn on the NFL Network. I know that frustration!

I'm glad to finally get a real answer concerning why some cable providers have the NFL Network and some don't.  Best new thing I learned all day! As of right now I'm pleased, hopefully it stays like that!  Like I said, I'm out of choices!