Get the Most Out of the World Series with a New HDTV Package

The World Series kicks off next week, but is your TV plan ready? Without the right service, you won't be getting the most out of the action.

If you have third-string TV service, don't worry, you still have time to upgrade to an all-star before the first pitch. With WhiteFence, you can easily compare offers form all of the top providers in one place. Not only will you be able to find a plan loaded with the features you need, but you'll get a great deal, too!

Here are some cool things you can do with the cable and satellite plans here on WhiteFence:

• Get the Most Out of Your HDTV– Without HDTV service, your awesome new TV will be displaying the same old standard-definition sludge. Upgrade now and experience the future!
  
  Pro Tip: Make sure your service delivers 1080p for maximum awesomeness.

• Control the Action – Miss a home run? Want to see that strikeout again in glorious slow motion? With DVR service, you are in control of the highlights.
  
  Pro Tip: If you re-watch enough plays during an inning, you can skip the commercials before the next inning. It may drive your family crazy though, so keep that in mind.

• Get the Whole Picture – Real fans crave more than just the games themselves, they need all of the geeky analysis and commentary the sports channels thrive on. Pick a package with lots of sports channels to feed your inner baseball nerd.
  
  Pro Tip: After 2am, there's really not much new sports news to be found, so feel free to hit the sack.

• Watch the Games on Your Own Schedule – Work the night shift? Does your significant other have plans to drag you out the theater during the series? No problem! When you pick a plan with DVR service you can record the games and watch them whenever is best for you.
  
  Pro Tip: After a few weeks, it's not really fair to expect your friends not to talk about the outcome of a game around you, so watch recorded games sooner rather than later.

• Be Ready for Next Season – Sad about the season coming to a close? Pick a plan with access to MLB EXTRA INNINGS® and commit yourself to watching every single game next season. That way when the World Series rolls around next year, it will feel like you're gaining sweet freedom from a prison of your own design rather than saying goodbye to a diversion.
  
  Pro Tip: Don't watch every single game next year. Seriously, that would be insane.

Ready to start comparing offers in your area? Just head over to our cable and satellite center and enter your address.

City Highlight: Moving to Cleveland

Every month, we try to highlight a city to show savings-savvy consumers how they can save money. Whether people are moving to a new place or just looking for deals for where they live, we hope these prove to be useful for shoppers that are trying to cut down on their monthly expenses.

This month, we take a look at the great city of Cleveland, Ohio. There are lots of great specials to be had with a Cleveland zip code at the moment, especially if you are trying to lock in a natural gas rate just before the temperatures start plummeting.

Here are some of Cleveland's best deals!

Natural Gas

• If you want to get a low natural gas rate before it gets too cold, check out Vectren Source natural gas service. You can find a low variable rate plan that starts at only 5.828 cents per therm.

Bundles

• AT&T; is letting you save money with phone and high-speed Internet bundles that start at $29.20 per month. This deal can help save you up to $180 on your bills!

High-Speed Internet

• Order lightning fast Internet from the folks at Cavalier! You can get up to 8.0 Mbps download speeds for the low price of $39.95 per month!

TV

• DIRECTV is offering their Choice XTRA plan for as low as $34.99, which will also net you 3 free months of Showtime and Starz.
• DISH Network is running a special for the America Top 120 package, which has over 120 channels for only $24.99.

Phone

• Sage Telecom has great deals on home phone, starting at just $19.99. This well priced package will give you unlimited local calling as well as 200 free long distance minutes.

Some of these prices and specials may vary by area, and may change at a future date. To find out what you can save, visit WhiteFence and enter your address to get started!

HDTV Prices Dropping This Holiday Season

As any technology rolls out, each successive year tends to bring lower and lower prices. HDTVs have certainly followed this trend, going from incredibly expensive to commonplace in just a decade. With this in mind, you'd expect HDTV prices to be a little lower this holiday season than they were last year.

However, due to a large oversupply of HDTV panels, prices are foretasted to plummet by the end of the year. According to CNN Money, prices are already roughly five percent lower than they were this time last year. With the glut of panels on the market beginning to take effect, they predict prices may get as low as 12 percent lower than they were just a year ago.

If you've been biding your time waiting to make a TV purchase, it looks like your time is coming. There are already some great buys to be found on the market, but I'd recommend watching the big box store ads and deal sites (like SlickDeals) in late November and December to find the absolute best possible deals.

Looking for more information about HDTVs and TV service? Check out these articles:

• Which HDTV is Right for You?
• What to Watch for When Choosing a TV Plan
• Everything You Wanted to Know About Satellite and Cable TV

WhiteFence's October Deals

Here in Houston, the change to the fall season doesn't always mean immediately cooler weather. Last year, the mid 90s heat stayed the same all throughout the month of October, giving us no real reprieve from the sun's hateful beams. However, this year, it actually feels legimitately like fall, seeing as how we are experiencing some of the best weather we've had in all of 2010. It's a nice reminder that summer is officially over.

While our focus on the blog might have been the summer of savings, the chances for you to find great deals are still all over WhiteFence. Here are some of the best deals for October:

• Get three FREE months of Starz and Showtime with select DIRECTV plans.

• Receive a $50 gift card with select Green Mountain Energy plans.

• Reward yourself with $40 in bill credits with select Georgia Natural Gas plans.

• Get $240 back plus $5 off per month for 24 months with select Verizon bundles.

• Get AT&T high-speed Internet for as low as $14.95 per month.

• Save $45 per month or get a $200 reward card with certain AT&T U-verse bundles.

As always, these promotions are subject to change and are true as of the date posted. Really, the best way to ensure you catch one of these deals while they last is to enter your address and see just what's available where you live. Don't miss these fall savings!

Poll: On Demand or Premium Content?

Over the weekend, I began doing some research to see how I could expand on the already numerous features of my current TV package. Having never really sought for more channels, it was a brand new experience for me, and one that I wasn't aware of before. Through our DVR interface, I was able to see what other channel options I could add instantly, including sports (was very tempted by NFL RedZone) premium and on demand content.

I actually ended up ordering a premium channel, and was surprised at just how simple the whole thing was. Honestly, the thought never really occurred to me that it would be something I would be interested in, but this weekend proved me wrong. Since then, I've caught myself going through on demand content, just testing the waters to see if there are any movies or shows I'd like to catch instantly.

Even though this was new for me, I'm guessing it's a practice that's fairly common for many avid TV watchers out there. So I thought I'd do a poll to see where our readers stand. Do you guys watch premium, on demand content, or both? Feel free to vote and tell us in the comments!

3DTV Without the Goofy Glasses?

Though the idea of watching 3D movies at home has left me cold, the idea of watching sports in 3D intrigued me. I remember when we made the leap to HDTV watching sports changed forever. I can see 3D doing the same thing for sports this time, but I just can't see myself wearing those goofy battery-powered 3D glasses at home. Plus, the glasses themselves are expensive, which is a problem if you don't plan on watching your 3DTV alone.

That's why I was so excited last when HDGuru reported that RealD, a 3D technology company, has announced a new type of 3DTV display that works with the lightweight and cheap glasses used in movie theaters. RealD actually makes a lot of those theater glasses, so they know what they're doing.

Their new ZScreen technology uses polarized passive glasses instead of the $200 battery-powered active shutter glasses. By cutting cost, weight and the need to charge new way of doing 3D at home glasses could totally change the 3DTV game and bring in a lot of skeptical consumers like yours truly.

The new screens should make their debut at CES in January and come to market shortly thereafter.

Poll: DVR or No DVR?

Several years ago, I balked at my friends that swore up and down that I would not view TV the same once I got a DVR to go along with my TV service. Being able to record shows and movies was not a new concept. After all, that's what people had VCRs for. To me, the notion that a bigger box on my entertainment center would change my TV watching habits was absurd. If someone wants to watch a show, why not just be around when it airs? Once I experienced it, however, all bets were off. Years later, I can't imagine keeping up with my shows without it.

For one, having a DVR is simply convenient. Why plan your life around when TV shows air, when you can catch up with them later and at your own leisure? I've also found that using a DVR helps to focus the stuff I watch. When I didn't have a DVR, I would spend hours milling around on the couch just watching whatever happened to be on at the moment. With DVR, I always have something accessible that I want to watch. The end result is less time spent lazing about.

As hard as it is to believe, there are still numerous households out there that haven't taken the next step up to DVR, for a variety of reasons. Whether they simply haven't upgraded their TV plans, or they don't like the idea of paying more per month is anyone's guess. I thought I'd do a poll and figure out what our readers thought on the blog.

So what about you? Do you have a DVR? Feel free to vote and answer in the comments!

Preparing Your Home for the NFL Season

In a little over 24 hours, football fans everywhere will be rejoicing for the opening kickoff of the NFL 2010-2011 season, as the New Orleans Saints take on the Minnesota Vikings for a re-match of last season's NFC title game. All around the country, football nuts are completing their fantasy rosters, talking the season up with their friends and getting ready to cheer on the hometown team.

If you want to properly enjoy the NFL season to its fullest, then your home needs to be prepared for each gridiron match-up. With all of the different regions and locks, you're not always assured to get all the NFL and football TV coverage you'd like. Here's how to prepare:

• High-definition. Is your TV set up to properly display a high-definition signal? In addition to needing either a tuner or set-top box to view HD content, you also need to be sure to have the right cables for the job. HDMI or component cables will deliver the picture in the right resolution, allowing you to enjoy every hit and every touchdown.
• NFL Sunday Ticket. NFL Sunday Ticket is a package exclusive to DIRECTV that gives you the ultimate essentials in watching football week-to-week. If you want to watch every game in HD, NFL Sunday Ticket is what you need. With the Super Fan upgrade, you also get NFL Red Zone and a number of other football bonuses.
• NFL Network. Available on both satellite and cable, NFL Network is great for around the clock NFL related TV viewing. It's also the channel to have for pre-season football, and gets a few of the games that you won't find anywhere else, particularly during Thanksgiving week.

To browse TV packages for your area and see what's available to you, visit the WhiteFence TV page.

Provider Highlight: Time Warner Cable

With so many different providers available here on WhiteFence, things can get a little overwhelming. To help you find the right companies for your needs, we showcase different providers and what t hey have to offer here on the blog. This time, we're highlighting Time Warner Cable.

Time Warner Cable is one of the nation's largest communications companies. They started off as just a cable company, but they now offer cutting-edge broadband and home phone along side their television service. Time Warner is also one of the biggest names in bundles, with a wide range of bundles that has contains the perfect solution for everyone.

Here are some things to look out for when shopping Time Warner:

• The Speed You Need – Time Warner broadband plans go up to 15.0 Mbps, which means you can surf the Web and download files with lightning-fast speed.

• All of Your Favorite Channels – Get up to 200 channels of TV when you go with Time Warner Cable TV.

• Unlimited Calling – When you order home phone service with Time Warner, you can get a package loaded with unlimited local & long distance.

• PowerBoost – To make your downloads even faster, some Time Warner Internet plans come with PowerBoost service. This new technology gives you an extra boost of speed when you start to download large files.

• Freebies – Right now when you shop for Time Warner TV service or bundles, you can find plans with three FREE months of DVR service and set-top box rental!

Ready to start shopping for Time Warner packages? Just head over to our Time Warner Deals page and enter your address to see what's available in your area.

Poll: Why Did You Choose Your Current TV Service?

Consumers today have more choices than ever when it comes to television service. Your options used to be rabbit ears, cable or cable with HBO (if you were lucky). Today though, with digital cable, satellite, FiOS and U-verse options out there, we're spoiled for choice. From bargain priced basic cable to cutting-edge satellite packages loaded with HD, DVR service, on-demand programming and more, there's sure to be a plan out there for you.

A few weeks back, we asked you what sort of TV service you have. This week though, we're interested in why you have it. What made you choose the TV service you have today? Was it price, features or something else?

As for me, all of the apartments my wife and I have ever lived in mandated a certain cable company. So, when we moved into our first home last year, it was the first time we actually got to choose our television provider. I was very excited and was comparing offers on WhiteFence before we'd even heard back on our offer.

Despite owning an HDTV, we'd never had access to HD content, so that was a must. After years of living with DVR service, it had become an essential option, too. I was also looking forward to finally getting my hands on on-demand content as well, so that went on the list as well. Oh! And movie channels, I love my movie channels. As you can probably guess, we ended up going with the plan that offered the most features.

So, why do you have what you have? Vote on the poll and feel free to add detail in the comments. And don't forget to head over to our television section to see what options are available for TV service in your area. You might have options you weren't even aware of!