 Get Your
Technology
in Shape
in 2008
Digital home services
for Internet, telephones,
televisions and more!
BY ANDREW TRAEGER
It seems every year we are presented with so
many new ways to spend our hard-earned
money. So this year why not try to save a little
money and simplify your life at the same time?
Cable television has come a long way from
RCA’s first black and white images broadcast in the
1940s. About 10 years ago, the release of TiVo, a
kind of Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for television,
began to offer viewers more control of what and
when they watch. We can now take that same level
of control with all of our home connections.
Imagine having all of the connections in your home
come from one company and only having to write
one check. With several companies offering the
package services in San Antonio, it couldn’t be
easier to switch.
Time Warner Cable, GVTC and AT&T all offer
bundles that include digital television, home phone
service and Internet. Some even allow you to add
on cell phone plans and home security
systems. This consolidation really helps
to lower the bill every month and gives
you fewer headaches when it comes to
keeping everything running.
Not only will all these services come on one bill,
but the bill will be considerably less
each month.
 Digital television
With this now standard service, you
have the ability to watch what you want
when you want it. All of the companies listed above offer DVRs and On
Demand controls to watch your favorite
channels and shows. These DVRs can be set up to record all your favorite
programs with just a few clicks, and you
can easily fast-forward right through the
commercials.
Now On Demand doesn’t
just mean a few Pay-per-view movie
channels; each provider has a whole
suite of interactive channels that let you
catch up on the news for the day or
watch your favorite music video.
Home phone
Transfer your current phone line
over to a cellular phone and quit worrying
about long-distance charges. All offer unlimited nationwide calling, so it
doesn’t matter if you’re calling Dad here
in San Antonio or Aunt Linda in Detroit.It all costs you one low rate.
You’ll even find highly discounted rates
for worldwide calling. Expect all of the packages to include all
of the essentials, like caller ID, call forwarding, call waiting and
three-way calling.
GVTC reminds that residents in far north San Antonio
and the Hill Country may want to retain their land lines to guard
against possible spotty wireless connections, and often security
system companies will require a traditional phone line for
monitoring services.
 Internet service
As Web sites continue to provide more information and
videos, the speed of our Internet connection has to be able to
keep up with the technology. With satellite, cable and fiber optic all offering connections to
the Internet, it’s now faster than ever.Many GVTC customers receive their services through fiber-tothe-home connections. Fiber technology provides outstanding
reliability, quality and the fastest connection speeds. You should look for downstream connection speeds of about 6-8 megabytes
per second (Mbps) and upstream speeds of about 512 kilobytes
per second (Kbps). You should also expect to receive free antivirus,
firewall and spyware protection.
Bundles
With all of the providers of these digital packages, you have
the option to add or subtract any of the services. If you find yourself
using your cell phone more than the home phone line, this
may be the perfect opportunity to save money each month and
just cancel the landline. With home phone systems available that
allow you to make calls through your cell phone, there aren’t a lot
of reasons to continue using your old phone. AT&T makes it even
easier to do this because you can bundle your cell phone, cable
and Internet together.
When you do decide to take this step and start saving money
and checks, don’t be afraid to shop for a good price. Each company
offers its own programming features that may fit you and
your family’s personality a little better.Also, ask about the promotions
they offer. Most of the time you can pick up 15 more movie
channels for just a few dollars more a month. But before you sit
down to enjoy your technology, look down and see if technology
isn’t the only thing you need to get into shape in 2008.
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