explain cable/internet in NYC to me

riz

I'm hoping to apply for an apartment by the end of this weekend, assuming other people don't snipe both of the two places I liked. So I started looking into stuff like how much utilities are going to run me. And holy fuck could the Time Warner laundry list of charges and fees be any more retarded? I'm really confused by what you get for the different options. I'm not sure if I even want to pay for cable, I didn't have it for about eight years on my own in Boston, but it would be nice to still be able to watch the Food Network and stuff after I move back out of my parents' house.

I've been told that in the city you get many options for cable/internet providers, ranging from Time Warner to Time Warner, and even Time Warner. Is this even true or are people just not bothering, or it's not worth it?

Basic vs standard vs premium channels is sort of self explanatory, but what about when I get a good TV? Do I need to pay more for HD stuff or that's just included in a standard cable package these days?

Then there's the internet options, oh god. Different bandwidth tiers, which I don't know what I even need... And then there's a mention of like an additional charge for having more than one computer connected ("multiple IPs"). WTF? I can't just use my router for my multitudes of internet-using devices including desktop, laptop, and gaming consoles? Or is that something you avoid by using a router?

I tried my usual "Google for random forum posts about thing I'm trying to learn" tactic but all that comes up for awhile is cable provider sites. So I figure maybe NYC denizens here can explain their setups in plain language.

Erios

It's true, you either have your area wired for Verizon Fios or you go with the default of Time Warner.

TechBoy

When you sign up for Time Warner TV, they'll rent you a cable box ($5/month) that gets hooked up to your TV. Extra TV's require their own cable boxes which you will also have to rent from Time Warner. I believe Time Warner offers free HD channels, so all the local channels and basic cable channels (TNT, ESPN, TBS, SciFi, etc.) with HD versions are free, the only thing is you'd need to get an HD cable box from them ($10/month) instead of the regular one.

In terms of internet they provide a cable modem. You can then hook that up to a router and share the internet to as many devices as necessary. You don't need multiple IP's as a regular user so don't pay for that.

As for what is fast enough, that kind of varies depending on what kind of user you are. A rule of thumb is that if you divide the advertised Mbps (Megabit per second) rate by 10, you'll get your actual download speed (in MBps or KBps, Megabyte per second, which is the number you're used to seeing when you download stuff). So for example if you get a 6 Mbps download plan, you can expect to see downloads going at about 600 KB/s. Upload speeds don't really matter for browsing but can be nice if you frequently upload large files. In my opinion, you don't want to do less than 1Mbps down if you watch stuff online like Youtube or Hulu as you will be buffering a lot. 2-3 Mbps is acceptable for streaming video and largely removes the need for buffering. Go above that and large downloads become more palatable but you won't see much of a difference in regular surfing.

Deebaser

Your bill will be $99 - $150. Your DVR will skip regularly no matter how many times you replace the box.

Fuck time warner.

Deebaser

To answer your questions more specifically,

1- I don't think we pay any extra for HD channels.

2- You can use a router, that 'per computer' is for chumps that dont know what a router is.

Reiten

NYC should offer you multiple options. Cablevision and Verizon FIOS should both be options in much of NYC.

riz

Thanks everyone.

Mostly I play WoW and some games on Steam, and stream Netflix to the Xbox. Wasn't sure if I needed to shell out for the highest internet option or if it's just overkill, which it seems like it probably is.

Figgy

"Multiple IPs" is when you want.. multiple IPs.

When you use a router, it takes your single IP and then gives internal IPs to the different computers in your house, so you don't need multiple IPs.

illig

yeah, you're either in the areas blessed with Fios or you're in the lower levels of hell solely served by Time Warner... you can also get Verizon DSL (if you're one of those weird landline having people) almost everywhere, and RCN in some places...

just check out twcnyc.com and see what they have in your neighborhood... the standard High Speed is "up to" 10Mbps up and .5Mbps down... that's $33/month in a package... a few bucks more is "up to" 20Mbps (that's what i have), and you can get Wideband (50Mbps down, 5Mbps up) for $99 in many areas as well

Cognisseur

hey i moved to the city like 5 months ago. youre most likely stuck with time warner, which sucks but whatever. get the cheaper internet, it works fine. i stream hd videos, play wow, and play tf2 on steam and i have no problems with connection speed. also, if you think time warner has a ton of fees, just wait until you see your con ed bill, lol.