Entertainment Bundle: TV, Landline, and/or Internet?

[kahlan_amnell]

Keep in mind your phone will only work when the power is out if it is a traditional landline. Cordless phones stop working the minute the base stops getting electric power. Since most people tend to have cordless phones they tend to forget this.

Thus why I always have at least one traditional landline phone. That was what I meant by "basic phone".

[Minnesotan]

I normally tell people to try to eliminate as many distractions as possible, but it seems like grad students are the worst TV whores around. The smarter they are, the more inane their choice of programming. My girlfriend, for instance, loves reality shows about people dancing and going on diets. I think they're two separate shows, but it might be a touch more entertaining if they're not.

[michigan girl]

I have thought about getting a double bundle (landline/DSL) with AT&T. I find their basic local coverage to be expensive ($19.75). I cannot make calls to my family (same region, yet it would be considered long distance). I will still keep my cell phone. The only benefit i could see with a landline is to call toll-free numbers or local area businesses. Is it really worth it?

[TKassis]

No, if you have a cell-phone it doesn't make sense to get a landline. Not worth it.

[kahlan_amnell]

No, if you have a cell-phone it doesn't make sense to get a landline. Not worth it.

Eh, I disagree. Cell phone networks can go down and leave you without a phone if you have no landline.

For example, In NYC on 9/11 and for some days afterward, cell phones didn't work. They are not that reliable in an emergency, it is too easy for cell phone networks to go down. I prefer to have more than one option for phones, it gives me a better chance of something working in an emergency. In a less extreme example, bad weather sometimes makes cell phone reception pretty bad in some areas.

Also, check if you can get something cheaper than that basic local. Often there is something where you pay per call. If you don't call much, that can be a very cheap option.

[TKassis]

kahlan, you need to do a cost-risk assessment :-)

It is really not worth paying for a landline just in case of an emergency. It is like building your house with 12 inch thick concrete walls just in case a plane falls on you.

[MaximKat]

Eh, I disagree. Cell phone networks can go down and leave you without a phone if you have no landline.

I've been reading this thread for a while and see your persistent advocating of having landline for emergency use. Being an international student, I have to ask whether such situation is a real possibility or you are just being overcautious.

I mean, in my country I've never thought about having a backup phone line. Of course, cell network might be down once in a while (1-2 times a year?) but it's not like I need to call somebody every time the network is overloaded. Even if I need then there is Internet, public phone at the post office, neighbors etc. And I don't really think that there is a chance of a terrorist attack in the small town in Midwest

[TKassis]

MaximKat, you are definitely right. The chance of needing a phone for an emergency when it is down and not having any other alternatives is probably 1 in a million and really not worth the cost. We Americans are very bad at cost-benefit analysis in daily life. That's why we spend trillions of dollars on our military of which much of the spending is for hypothetical situations whose chance of happening cannot whatsoever justify the cost.

[kahlan_amnell]

MaximKat, you are definitely right. The chance of needing a phone for an emergency when it is down and not having any other alternatives is probably 1 in a million and really not worth the cost. We Americans are very bad at cost-benefit analysis in daily life. That's why we spend trillions of dollars on our military of which much of the spending is for hypothetical situations whose chance of happening cannot whatsoever justify the cost.

I don't think that is a very good comparison, nor was your previous one about walls, since landlines don't cost all that much if you get a basic plan, so they are not an extreme measure. You can get those plans for 10-20 dollars a month.

If you live in an area with severe weather, it can take down the power and can mess with cell phone signals, making the chance of a land line being the only phone working much more than 1 in a million. Sure, terrorist attacks are unlikely in a small town in the Midwest. Snowstorms aren't. Power outages happen, due to weather, or other reasons. A few years back a power generating plant in Ohio caused a blackout all over the Northeast, and power was out for a day in many places, and multiple days in Ohio.

For me, I find that when I lived in areas with snow, there were a lot of power outages. Thus, to me, having a phone that works while the power is out is worth the cost. A cell phone might still work during a power outage, but only while it is charged, which is only a few hours of talk time. Fine for an emergency, not so great if the power outage turns into a few day long event, which is quite possible. Also, I would be quite unhappy if a long power outage kept me from talking to my significant other who lives a long way from me.

Oh well, those of you who don't have land lines probably have neighbors who do. Hopefully they will let you use their phone if yours isn't working.

(I'm not trying to be hostile to anyone who doesn't think they need a land line, just pointing out that I have real reasons for thinking it is a good idea.)

[kahlan_amnell]

So I just thought of another reason why having a land line is a good idea. Some food delivery places refuse to deliver if the number is a cell phone because they have had bad experiences with people ordering from cell phones as a prank. I have heard that this is somewhat common with chain pizza places. I'm not sure how they tell the number is a cell phone, but some areas do have area codes that are unique to cell phones, so that would do it.

[TKassis]

I still think a Skype-in number is more than adequate. Landlines are just expensive. 911 calls might be a problem, but let's face it, what are the chances of your cell phone not working, having no one around and at the same time having a life threatening emergency?

[kahlan_amnell]

I still think a Skype-in number is more than adequate. Landlines are just expensive. 911 calls might be a problem, but let's face it, what are the chances of your cell phone not working, having no one around and at the same time having a life threatening emergency?

Just curious, how much do you think they cost? $10 a month is expensive? Because basic plans can cost about that.

I'd say if you live alone the chance is greater than you might think. Perhaps I'm just a paranoid former New Yorker though.

Did you see the post before yours about an non-emergency reason for having a land line? I guess Skype would work just as well for that though, since it's not a cell phone.

[LingGrad2009]

This has gotten WAY off topic, since the original question was about TV/Internet/Cable bundles, and a bundle is almost always a VOIP system, not a landline. As for me, I recognize the benefits of the true landline, but the combination of circumstances where they'd be useful is too unlikely to make it worth the investment. The most common emergency situation people my age group get into is traffic accidents, and those, of necessity, happen away from the landline. I've called 911 about ten times in the last five years, and every time was from my cell phone when I've witnessed traffic accidents. I don't recall remarking that the cell network was ever down at any point in that period.

I'd much rather take (and encourage others to take) the yearly investment of around $200 for a landline ($10/month is a rock-bottom price that most people don't get) and spend it on refresher Red Cross CPR classes, which are far more likely to be useful over the course of the investment. Or you could take one year's worth of that and get a ham license and radio, gaining access to the most reliable form of communication in existence, with the additional benefit of mobility. Or you could use it to install state-of-the-art smoke, radon, and CO2 detecters, reducing the risk of an emergency at home, or invest in defensive driving courses, reducing risk of emergency away. What I'm saying is the landline is useful, but seems to have achieved an almost holy status, to where people argue vehemently for it while ignoring a host of other minor investments that would have greater returns in safety.

[TKassis]

Totally agree LingGrad2009.

[michigan girl]

I finally placed an order for a landline and high-speed Internet. My monthly bill will be $49 with landline/DSL versus $45 for DSL only. I believe I made a good decision. The landline is very basic (local calls only). My roommate and I will rely mostly on our cell phones. We can use the landline for emergency use or place a local delivery call. Phone installation is free.

[kahlan_amnell]

This has gotten WAY off topic, since the original question was about TV/Internet/Cable bundles, and a bundle is almost always a VOIP system, not a landline.

Verizon offers bundles that have landlines, and I imagine other phone companies do as well. Otherwise that is true. Sorry for getting off topic.

[LingGrad2009]

Verizon offers bundles that have landlines, and I imagine other phone companies do as well. Otherwise that is true. Sorry for getting off topic.

I'm stuck in the Comcast ring of hell where I am now, but I move next week (yay!) for NewBigCollegeTown where I'll actually have options. I'm thinking of getting just a landline for use as (gasp) dial-up internet. I know, I know, how 1989 of me. But my university has a dial-up phone bank, so it's free as long as it's a local call, and it puts me inside the school network, so I have access to all the goodies without having to sign into each one. And in terms of keeping monthly expenses down it's hard to beat.

So landline + free dialup for both phone and internet, and a nice VHF/UHF antenna for TV, and I have my entertainment bundle for ~$14/month. Not too shabby. Of course, I'd have to forgo the Hulu shows I mentioned above

I'm also horribly sick today, so if I'm not making sense, that's why. As long as I don't lock myself into anything in this state.

[rising_star]

I normally tell people to try to eliminate as many distractions as possible, but it seems like grad students are the worst TV whores around. The smarter they are, the more inane their choice of programming. My girlfriend, for instance, loves reality shows about people dancing and going on diets. I think they're two separate shows, but it might be a touch more entertaining if they're not.

Actually, they're combined in one show which airs on Oxygen. It's called "Dance Your A** Off"... Clearly your girlfriend and I have similar tastes.

[geodrake]

If you do Internet Only, and have an XBox or PS3, you can get PlayOn and watch Hulu through the device. Hulu blocks PS3 (bastards) but with PlayOn, it uses your computer (that Windows desktop finally has a purpose, stupid Vista) and then passes the signal through your networked PS3. It's AWESOME! Also have PlayOn passing in NetFlix so I don't have to keep putting that stupid red disk in. It's saving us TONS

[StrangeLight]

wow, are people really going to pay X dollars a month for a landline in case they have to phone 911 once and their cell phone drops the call? i think that's really excessive and unnecessary. how often are you phoning 911? how often do you lose reception? that's being more than a little paranoid, in my opinion.

i got satellite tv because, where i live, it's cheaper than cable. it was $30/month for the first 6 months, now it's just over $40/month. i watch a lot of sports (march madness!) and a lot of news/politics (especially c-span... it's a sickness). i pay $10/month to split cable internet with my neighbours downstairs. then i've got my cell bill, which varies each month. all pretty manageable.

[HelloKaty37]

wow, are people really going to pay X dollars a month for a landline in case they have to phone 911 once and their cell phone drops the call? i think that's really excessive and unnecessary. how often are you phoning 911? how often do you lose reception? that's being more than a little paranoid, in my opinion.

Along these lines, I've always heard that if you just want one for 911 purposes, to plug a phone into a jack in your house and check to see if it has a dial tone before you purchase service. Some places have a "soft line" (or something like that) that works for dialing 911 without paying for service.

[NorthernStar]

In my case, it makes sense to have both a cell and a landline, since my family lives overseas, and we talk often. If they call me on my cell, I'll end up paying a bundle. I pay less than 10$ a months for these calls on my landline.

And I can't do without TV. I have only basic cable, which was a compromise, since I reckon a larger package would become a real distraction.

[StrangeLight]

In my case, it makes sense to have both a cell and a landline, since my family lives overseas, and we talk often. If they call me on my cell, I'll end up paying a bundle. I pay less than 10$ a months for these calls on my landline.

And I can't do without TV. I have only basic cable, which was a compromise, since I reckon a larger package would become a real distraction.

my family lives in another country and i just talk to them on skype. if there's an emergency, i'll use my cell and pay out the butt for it, but that's rare. also, you can put money onto skype and phone them directly, for cheaper than a good long distance landline plan, if they don't have a computer or don't want to sit on the internet to talk to you.

<3 skype.