Share your experiences with TV, Internet, and phone bundles

We’d like your help as we prepare our annual report, on bundled telecom services—those packages of television, Internet and telephone service sold by cable, phone, and satellite-TV companies.

Specifically, we’d like to know your experiences with, and some details about, your home telecom service. We’ve prepared a questionnaire that asks about how you get these services, whether they're bundled, and how easy or hard it was to sign up for them. The 20 questions—any or all of which you can answer—include queries about how you selected providers and whether you negotiated with them over prices.

Begin the quiz by clicking here. After you’re done, you’ll be taken to the results page, where you’ll get an early look at what other readers have reported.

Extra Extra: Consumer Reports Electronics Buying Guide is on sale

(Click to enlarge.)

It may be a tad early to start your holiday shopping, but there’s a good chance you’ve at least been thinking about it. Maybe you’ve had a big-ticket gift—like a new TV or home theater—in mind for a while now, but are putting off the purchase till November or December. If it’s sales you’re waiting for, you probably know what you want and how much you’re willing to pay. On the other hand, you might just a teeny bit leery of throwing so much cash at something you know very little about. Which is better: a plasma or LCD TV? Should you upgrade to a Blu-ray player or stick with standard-def DVDs?

If you find yourself in need of expert advice, consider the newest edition of the Consumer Reports Electronics Buying Guide. Inside you’ll find a wealth of information on everything from televisions and computers to smart phones, GPS units, and much more. For each product, the Consumer Reports editors walk you through the basics, explaining what’s available, which features matter, brand profiles, and offering tried-and-true shopping tips.

In addition to product information, the guide offers advice on how to shop smarter, including:

• Netting the best deals online, and protecting yourself when you shop on the Web


• When to repair and when to replace a broken item


• How to haggle effectively


• Finding the best electronics retailer based on our comprehensive annual survey


• How to save—and what to be wary of—with refurbished or open-box products on store shelves


• Where to get free office software, free computer security programs, and more useful freeware

Samsung adds Blockbuster, Amazon on-demand video services

Samsung Series 7 7000 LED-backlit LCD TV. (Click to enlarge.)
[ PHOTO: Courtesy of Samsung ]

Tired of playing wallflower while other TV brands did the streaming-movie tango, Samsung today hit the dance floor with deals with both Blockbuster and Amazon to bring their respective on-demand movie services to select Samsung TVs, and in the case of Blockbuster, Blu-ray players and home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs).

We've been waiting several months for Blockbuster On Demand, the video giant's streaming movie service, to appear on Samsung TVs, but weren't aware the service would be rolled out to other Internet-enabled devices. The deal with Amazon was also a surprise, as the company offers Netflix's instant-movie service on some Blu-ray players.

The Blockbuster On Demand service, which requires a firmware update, will be available on all Internet-enabled Series 650 and above LCD and plasma TVs, plus Series 7000 and above LCD models with LED backlights. In addition to the TVs, the service can be added to three Samsung Blu-ray players—models BD-P1600, BD-P3600 and BD-P4600—and Samsung’s HT-BD1250, HT-BD3252, HT-BD7200 and HT-BD8200 HTIB systems.

Movie streaming: Vudu can do HD

A comparison of HDX (left) and SD (right) streaming video quality, provided by Vudu, for the movie "Chronicles of Riddick." One might argue the quality of the picture exceeds the quality of the film. (Click to enlarge.)
[ PHOTO: Courtesy of Vudu ]

We recently had a chance to try out some of the newer streaming movies services that are available to owners of newer Internet-enabled TVs (as well as some Blu-ray players). What we've found, as we did several month ago when we tested a number of standalone streaming players supporting services such as Blockbuster OnDemand, Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand, is that all of the services are capable of sending decent-looking, DVD-quality video streams. However, none lived up their their HD billing.

The sole exception was Vudu's HDX-format video. When we tested it previously, it did look like real HD but was available only as a download, which could take several hours to process before it was stored on the playback device's internal hard drive. More recently, however, HDX video has become available as a stream on TVs from LG and Mitsubishi, as well as on LG's BD390 Blu-ray player. So naturally we were curious to see if the streaming version of HDX could match the picture quality we saw as a download.

Much to our—well, at least my—surprise, our preliminary tests showed the Vudu HDX movie streams continue to be head-and-shoulders above the other streaming offerings in terms of picture quality. They also include the Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 soundtracks that were available on the downloads. During our preliminary testing of streaming HDX, performed on LG's 60-inch 60PS80 plasma TV, the HDX version of "Lord of War" started up quickly, and image quality was impressive. We were able to pause, rewind, and fast-forward with no buffering delays, just as you do on a disc player or DVR, and return to the movie at the point we left off.

FCC to probe competition in wireless service, and other issues

With concern rising among legislators of both parties over a range of issues in the wireless industry, the Federal Communications Commission today decided to launch a broad investigation (PDF) into the competitiveness of wireless service. They also approved two additional inquiries to address other consumer issues in telecom service—including one in which they cited a study finding by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

The Commission is interested in how the level of competition between cell-phone carriers may be affecting their customers and the level of investment in the industry, including the entry of new carriers to the market.

At today's meeting, the first with its new roster of commissioners, the Commission was responding to petitions that asserted that a lack of competition in wireless has resulted in some unwelcome developments. Those include a rise in deals that make certain cell phones available exclusively from a particular carrier, the continuation of often-hefty termination fees when consumers end their cell-phone contracts early, and the blocking from certain phones of software to allow consumers to make calls outside of their carrier's cell-phone network. (The concern about such blocking is now extending beyond merely voice-calling applications, as our advocacy colleagues at Consumers Union, the parent company for Consumer Reports, recently covered.)

The Commission also launched an inquiry into other ways in which telecom consumers might be empowered and protected. In doing so, it cited results from the most recent report on bundled phone, TV, and Internet service by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. That survey showed a high incidence of complaints about billing, support, and fees with the so-called "triple play" packages offered by some telecom providers. The Commission cited the study because it wants to further establish how widespread are the complaints it highlights, according to FCC staff member Lisa Boehley.

The Commission also confirmed a third inquiry, into wireless innovation and investment, including such issues as the use of the wireless spectrum in ways that benefit consumers and help "solve real-world problems in areas such as health care, energy, education, and public safety."

Blog on free DVDs at library saves me money

We don’t rent that many DVDs in my house, so I’ve never gotten around to signing up with Netflix. I can usually find something to watch at the DVDXpress kiosk in my local supermarket, which rents recent releases for just $1 a day. If there’s a specific movie I can’t get there, I can generally find it on my cable company’s on demand service. But at $4.95 a pop, I try to use that as little as possible.

What I can’t get from the kiosk or cable on demand are compilations of TV series, like Showtime’s Dexter and The Tudors. I toyed with the idea of subscribing to Showtime, but that would run me $16 a month with the on demand option, which I’d need to catch up on previous seasons. I could also rent those series from Netflix, but that would cost at least $8.99 a month  I kept dragging my feet, reluctant to take on another recurring entertainment expense--I’m already paying about $125 a month for my cable TV with DVR, plus phone and Internet triple play.

Then the light bulb went off. I remembered that we ran a blog on borrowing DVDs from the public library. I reread it and noticed that one reader said his library carried TV series. I checked, and so did mine. In fact, it had both of the series I wanted to watch. 

Better late than never. Now I’m looking forward to enjoying many hours of mayhem with Dexter’s sympathetic serial killer and the randy royals in the Tudors.

The moral of my story: If you haven’t checked out your local library’s video section in a while, give it a once-over. You might be happily surprised by what you find. Some libraries are even starting to carry Blu-ray discs, noted one reader of our previous blog. We've also seen some with video games for the Wii and Xbox 360. Others are likely to follow suit, so dust off your library card and hit the stacks! —Eileen McCooey

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bchai/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Airport checkpoint tip: If in doubt, take gear out

If you want to get through airport checkpoints more quickly this vacation season, remove not only laptops but all other “major electronics” items from carry-on bags before they’re x-rayed.

That’s the upshot of several recent conversations with spokespeople for the Transportation Safety Administration. However, the agency doesn’t have an up-to-date list of what qualifies as “major electronics,” and its latest information on the topic specifies only laptops for removal.

That ambiguity can leave you guessing whether your device is “major” or among what the TSA characterizes as “small and portable electronic items that need not be removed.”

So I discovered when preparing to clear security at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on a recent trip. I dutifully removed a netbook from my briefcase, presuming the device would qualify as a laptop. (There’s an exception for laptops carried in one of the relatively new laptop bags that are TSA-approved to travel through security without removal.)

But I didn’t think to remove my Kindle DX e-book reader. But the device, with its 9.7-inch screen, attracted the attention of the agent manning the x-ray machine, who asked if it contained some “device with a screen.”

“TV Everywhere” brings cable shows to the Internet

If you’ve been thinking of ditching your cable service, your local provider is hoping a new online streaming TV service in the works will leave you feeling like Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part III—“Every time I try to get out, they keep pullin' me back in.”

The TV Everywhere service—offered exclusively to subscribers, free of charge—will stream cable TV shows and movies to your computer from nearly two dozen content providers, including HBO/Cinemax (the first time viewers can catch shows such as True Blood and Entourage online) and CBS. The effort, proposed by Comcast and Time Warner, is a way for cable companies to remain relevant even as more viewers look online for TV shows and movies.

While Comcast and Time Warner are spearheading the initiative, it’s not exclusive, and could eventually be offered by any subscription-based TV service provider, including other cable companies, DirecTV and Dish satellite, and Verizon and AT&T as part of those companies’ TV services. And at some point, it's likely the TV Everywhere concept could be expanded from computers to mobile devices, such as smart phones

Give Dad the gift of entertainment on Father’s Day

[ Photo courtesy of Paula Pandey Chhetri ]

With Father’s Day just 3 days away, here are some last-minute suggestions that don’t include either a Sham-wow or a Snuggie. Instead, get your Dad or husband something he’d actually want—a gadget to make his entertainment more, well, entertaining. Here are a few suggestions for any budget.

$50 or less: Consider a set of decent earbuds (the Sony MDR-ED21LP, $20, is one example), or a DVD or Blu-ray disc of his favorite flick or series. An iTunes gift card, $15 to $50, will let him download music as well as movies and TV shows he can watch on an iPod, iPhone, or computer.

$50 to $100: A pair of noise-canceling headphones can deliver satisfying sound while providing a sonic sanctuary from unwanted outside noises, whether he’s on the go or just hanging out at home. We found several that fall into this price range in our last headphone Ratings (available to subscribers).

If you can spend $60, consider a basic Netflix subscription, which entitles Dad to two DVDs a month for a year. That translates to 24 movies, or a compilation of a TV series he might have missed. (A few critically acclaimed series to consider: Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock, Mad Men, The Wire, The Shield, and Dexter. And allow me one personal recommendation: If he’s into history and mystery, I think he’ll love Foyle’s War, a PBS series about a police inspector dealing with espionage, sabotage, propaganda, and everyday crimes on the English coast during World War II.)

DTV transition takes full effect today

Friday June 12, 2009 marks the end of all analog broadcasts from nearly all but a minority of television stations in the United States.
[ stock photo courtesy of: Doru Lupeanu ]

DTV day has finally arrived, after what seems like the longest ramp-up in history. Here’s what you can expect, and what you should do, as full-power TV stations pull the plug on analog broadcasts and go all-digital.

Watch the clock. Stations will be cutting off analog broadcasts at various times during the day. Some made the switch in the wee hours of the morning while we slept, as soon as the date rolled over to June 12. Most will be making the change sometime between noon and 11:59 p.m. tonight, according to the FCC. You can telephone your local stations to see when they'll be doing the deed.

Run a channel scan. This will pick up any new digital stations that just became available and stations that just increased their transmission strength. Because some stations might be changing over late in the day, rescan your channels again tomorrow, on June 13. For more help, check out our video guide to setting up and using a DTV converter box.

Check for new channels. You might find extra "side channels" with different programming from major networks. They should come up (as 2.1 or 2-1, for example) as you surf using the channel up/down button on the remote.

Get help. The FCC's toll-free help line, 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) is currently up and running 24 hours a day. The 4,000 agents on duty can answer a question or tell you whether free, in-home local assistance is available in your area from a source such as AmeriCorps or your local fire department. You can also get hands-on help at one of the 600-plus walk-in centers set up nationwide. The FCC's online DTV hub has all this information and much more.

Look for analog holdovers. You might find that some stations in your area are still sending analog signals. There are thousands of stations (technically called low-power stations, Class A stations, and TV translator stations) that did not have to discontinue analog broadcasts as of today. Many operate in more remote areas. If you have a DTV converter box connected to your TV, you'll need to use the box's analog pass-through feature to get those analog stations in addition to the digital broadcasts you can now get. If the box you bought does not have this feature, you can connect the equipment in a way that will allow you to pull in both types of broadcasts. A diagram in the brochure DTV Made Easy shows how to connect your gear. (If you have Adobe Acrobat, you can download a copy of DTV Made Easy here. —Eileen McCooey