Wednesday, December 19, 2007

New Cable Rate Increases

Monthly cable rates are going up again just in time for all your holiday shopping bills to start rolling in. These rate increases are for Comcast customers residing in Tennessee and Washington, DC. Residents of these areas can expect to see the higher cable rates on their January 2008 bills.

Tennessee cable rates are estimated to rise an average of 5%, while Washingon, D.C. will see rates rise an average of 4%. Over the last 7 years, cable rates for these areas have increased significantly. Below are just a few examples of the rate increases imposed upon residents in the affected areas since 2000.

Knoxville, TN - 53% increase
Nashville, TN - 40% increase
Chattanooga, TN - 60% increase
Washington, D.C. - 63.8% increase

Now, if your annual household income has increased by 60% over the last 7 years, maybe these increases aren't a big deal to you. However, my guess would be that this is not the case. Throw in the rising costs of gas, healthcare, and an unstable housing market and it can easily get overwhelming to keep up.

The good news is you have a choice when it comes to choosing your pay TV provider. Don't allow yourself to be bullied by Comcast into paying their ever-increasing, high cable rates. Check out the chart below and compare for yourself.



Dish Network from All American Dish really is the best deal around. To find out more information about Dish Network programming, or to order, please visit http://www.allamericandish.com or call 1-877-444-4388.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Free HD DVDs from Toshiba

Wow! Toshiba has a really great rebate offer going on right now. I had to read, then re-read the redemption information to make sure I wasn't imagining such a great deal.

Right now, if you purchase a qualifying Toshiba HD DVD Player (HD-A3, HD-A30, HD-A35) you'll receive 2 Free HD DVDs in the box. These 2 free HD DVDs will be "300" and "Bourne Identity." You won't need a rebate form to receive these.

"Ok," you're saying. "That's nice, but what's so great about that?"

This is where I quote the words of a famous infomercial guru, "But wait! There's more!"

In addition to the 2 Free HD DVDs mentioned above, you'll also receive 5 more FREE HD DVDs if you take a minute to complete the redemption form (correctly) and mail it in. That's a total of 7 FREE HD DVDs, which amouts to approximately a $150 value. Wow.

This would be a great way to jump start your HD DVD collection if you're just getting started. Or, for those of us that like to justify our purchases using "creative math", you can look at it this way. If I upgrade to the HD-A30 with the 1080p output, which AllAmericanDirect.com has priced at $399.99, and subtract the $150 I'm saving from not having to buy the DVDs separately, it's like getting the 1080p model for $249.99. That's $50 less than the HD-A3 720p model (AllAmericanDirect.com price $299.99). Now that is a really sweet deal...

To check out this special offer, and other great deals on HDTVs, DVD Players, Sirius Satellite Radios and a bunch of other stuff, just visit www.AllAmericanDirect.com.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Free Shipping on HDTVs + All TV Stands on Sale

Check out these great offers at AllAmericanDirect.com! Offers end on 12/18/07.

Receive FREE Standard Shipping plus, up to $500 Off on ALL HDTVs 37" and Larger. You'll find a great selection of LCD TVs, Plasma TVs and DLP TVs from top brands like Toshiba, Sharp, and Mitsubishi.

Don't forget to add a matching stand! All TV stands are an additional 20% Off.

To check out these and other great electronics deals, just visit www.AllAmericanDirect.com today.

HDTV Sale - Free Shipping on HDTVs - All TV Stands on Sale

Thursday, December 6, 2007

How the Digital TV Transition will work with your analog TV


News about the Digital TV Transition occurring in 2009 is finally starting to get around. I know this because my technically-oblivious relatives have been asking me about it during our family gatherings this holiday season. Most of them have a vague understanding of what the DTV Transition is all about, but ultimately they were still left asking, "But how will the Digital Transition affect me?" I can only assume there are many others out there in the same predicament, so I thought I would lay it out here, nice and clean.

Good News! You don't have to part with your analog TV.
First, I would like to clarify one major point. Yes, you will still be able to use your old, wood-veneered, curved screen, analog, CRT television even after the transition occurs. However, your analog TV will only work with the aid of a digital converter box. Without this converter box, your analog television will not be able to pick up the digital signals using simple bunny-ears or a roof-top antenna. You'll have to cough up some cash to buy these converter boxes, but they are much cheaper than buying a new TV. You'll also need a digital converter box for each of your devices that only have analog tuners, such as an analog-only VCR or DVD recorder. Some households will qualify to receive up to 2 coupons worth $40 each toward the purchase of digital converter boxes. More information about the coupon program can be found at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/index.html or by calling 1-888-DTV-2009.

Cable and Satellite TV Subscribers
Cable customers will need to make sure they have a set-top box that can receive digital television signals, then convert the signals into the format of your analog television. If you are a satellite TV customer, you will likely only need to change set-top boxes if you want to upgrade to receive High-Definition (HD) programming. Viewing HD TV will require a television capable of displaying HD; your old analog TV will not be able to display HD quality signals.

You can still use your current antennas
If you're currently relying on a good VHF and UHF antenna to receive your television signals, either indoors or on the roof, you will not have to upgrade to an "HD Ready" antenna. This is because DTV broadcasters have been assigned channels in the VHF and UHF bands, between 54 and 700 MHz, where analog channels 2 to 51 are now. As long as a DTV signal is available in your area, your existing antenna should still work even after the transition is complete.

Of course, a change can be good...
If you're just looking for a good excuse to upgrade your current TV to a nice flat panel, like an LCD TV or Plasma TV model, you'll find them with built-in digital tuners. With a built-in digital tuner, you won't need a converter box. Careful though, some stores may still be selling models without built-in digital tuners. The FCC has mandated a Consumer Alert be displayed with any TV equipment with only an analog broadcast tuner. On AllAmericanDirect.com, you won't find any analog TVs, or TVs without built-in tuners.

For more information on the DTV and the DTV Transition, visit www.2009Countdown.com. Or for the government's official consumer site regarding the transition, visit www.dtv.gov.
*Promotional Offers: require participation in DHA-24. 3 Months Free: requires qualifying programming, including AT100 or higher, DishLATINO or higher, DishHD package or a select qualifying International package. Customer receives 3 credits of $39.99 each, applied to the 1st, 10th and 20th months of service. Customer must maintain qualifying programming service to receive all three credits. DHPP: After 9 free months of DHPP, customer must call to downgrade or then-current price will apply.

National Programming Service, LLC d/b/a AllAmericanDirect.com is an authorized independent contractor retailer of DISH Network L.L.C. DISH, DISH Network and DISH Network logos are registered trademarks and/or service marks of DISH Network L.L.C. and/or its affiliate(s). The DISH Network trademarks and/or service marks are used by authority of DISH Network L.L.C. and/or its applicable affiliate(s).