909 agoodmovietowatch Staff Lists (Page 48)

Figuring out Xfinity's TV packages is like navigating a maze. The offers often change, the plan names differ per location, and the additional fees are notoriously written in the finest of prints, so sometimes it's not until checking out (or even after!) that you learn about the required broadcast fee, for instance, or the need for TV boxes. 

Enter this explainer. In this guide, we'll try our best to explain the Comcast internet provider's most popular live TV package, Xfinity Choice TV, and clarify who can get it, how to get it, and what comes with it. With this, we hope not only to simplify the scattered information about Xfinity Choice TV out there, but also to help you decide whether or not this is the cord-cutting service best suited to your needs.

Summary:

• Price: $53.8 per month ($20 base fee + $26.30 broadcast fee + $7.50 DVR rental fee)
• Channels: More than 10 channels, including ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC 
• How to sign up: You can sign up on their website

What is Xfinity Choice TV exactly?

Xfinity Choice TV (known as "The Basic Plan" in some regions) is the most affordable of the three TV plans Xfinity offers. It includes all local and some national channels, including ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, and it comes with 20 hours of cloud DVR. It is as basic as live TV gets, so if you're gunning for something simple, this could be an ideal option for you. 

Who can get Xfinity Choice TV?

Anyone with a subscription to Xfinity Internet and access to a TV box can subscribe to Choice TV.

If you don't have the latter just yet, you can include one when checking out the Xfinity Choice TV plan online. Previously, Xfinity Flex was the most popular TV box the service offered, but since it's been discontinued, the X1 TV box is now the most likely TV box you'll be asked to get. 

How much does Xfinity Choice TV cost?

Despite being advertised as a $20/month plan, a subscription to Xfinity Choice TV requires you to pay a broadcast TV fee, which costs around $26.30/month, and rent a TV box, which starts at $7.50/month. This means that the price of Xfinity Choice TV is exactly $53.8 per month.

Keep in mind, however, that the price is still exclusive of taxes, which can range from $3 to $4. You'll also need to agree to paperless billing to enjoy the $20/month price. Otherwise, you'll be billed an extra $10. Finally, if you go beyond the allocated 20 hours on your DVR, you will be charged another $10. 

Can you get Xfinity Choice TV without a TV box?

No, you'll need a receiver of some kind to access the channels on your plan. It doesn't have to be an Xfinity device, though we'd argue the Xfinity X1 is actually good value for money, as far as DVRs go. 

Can you get Xfinity Choice TV without local channels? 

No, Xfinity Choice TV comes with local channels, so whether you want to or not, you'll have to pay the monthly $26.30 broadcast TV fee.

Channel lineup

Xfinity Choice TV promises "10+" channels, but that varies per region. For the purposes of this guide, we used an address located on the West Coast to find available channels. 

• CBC
• C-SPAN
• C-SPAN2
• Discovery Channel
• FETV
• Family Movie Classics
• Gem Shopping Network
• Hallmark Channel
• Home Shopping Network
• Jewelry TV
• PBS
• Catchy Comedy
• MeTV
• True Crime Network
• Quest
• Cozy TV
• Telemundo
• CW
• Charge!
• Music Choice
• QVC
• SonLife
• The Weather Channel

What channels can I add to my base Xfinity Choice TV package?

You can enhance your lineup by adding any of the premium and sports channels listed below. If you're more of a sports person, you can explore Xfinity's $10 sports package here, and if you're interested in international content, you can explore their foreign channel packages here. 

• HBOMax
• Starz
• Showtime
• Cinemax
• The Movie Channel
• Epix
• NFL Network
• NBA TV
• ESPN Goal line
• MLB Network
• GOLF
• NHL Network
• NASCAR
• HBO Boxing

How to subscribe to Xfinity Choice TV?

You can subscribe to Xfinity Choice TV online on their website. You can also call them, live chat with them on their site, or visit a branch.

Which local channels are available on Xfinity Choice TV?

Depending on your area, Xfinity Choice TV is likely to come with ABC, CBS, Fox, PBS, and NBC local channels. 

What is the difference between Xfinity Choice TV, Popular TV, and Ultimate TV?

Choice TV is the most basic TV plan Xfinity has to offer. The next tier, Popular TV, makes a giant leap from offering 10 channels to 125+ channels, including ESPN, Bravo, and TBS. Meanwhile, Ultimate TV offers more than 185+ channels, including NBA TV and the Disney Channel. They cost $50 and $68.50 per month, respectively.

Does Xfinity Choice TV have a trial period?

Yes, sort of. Instead of billing it as a free trial, though, Xfinity calls it a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're not happy with what you have, you can cancel it within the time period and get a refund. But as is the case with Xfinity, you'll have to read the fine print very carefully here to avoid surprise payments. 

If you didn't already know, Sony's PlayStation isn't just a powerful gaming console: it's also a media player that can host music apps like Spotify, livestream apps like Twitch, and perhaps most notably, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. And it makes sense for the console to be an all-around entertainment hotspot. After all, it's built to support 4k and crisp surround sound, which is basically all you need for the ultimate TV and movie viewing experience. 

Now, if did already know all that, what you might be surprised to learn is that PlayStations are fully equipped to host not just on-demand streaming platforms, but also live TV streaming services like Sling TV, sports services like ESPN+, and specialty streaming services like Crunchyroll and CurioistyStream. In fact, it's not uncommon to find PlayStations listed under the "compatible devices" sections of most, if not all, streaming services. Sony also recently set up what it calls "Sony Pictures Core," a storefront that allows you to rent theatrical releases and watch them on the console, just in case whatever title you're looking to watch isn't available on streaming platforms yet. 

At the time of this writing, we found more than 30 noteworthy services that can be downloaded on this device, so if you're interested, read on to learn all about the best streaming services on PlayStation below. 

Spectrum/Charter may be known for their cable and internet plans but they have a little-known and little-advertised cord-cutting offer called “Spectrum TV choice”. There is little online about this plan. In fact, you can’t even subscribe to it online. You have to either call Spectrum or visit a local branch.

Summary:

• Price: $29.99 per month + $23.20 local channels fee
• Channels: Choice of 15 from the list below including ESPN, can be changed once a month
• How to sign-up: in-person

Who can get Spectrum TV Choice?

Spectrum TV Choice is available only if you are in a Spectrum “serviceable” area. You can know if your zip code is eligible for Spectrum by visiting spectrum.com and then typing your address. If your household is not in a Spectrum service area, you simply cannot get Spectrum TV Choice. It might be possible to get a friend or a relative who lives in a Spectrum area to subscribe, and then you can download the app from a non-service area and use the service.

How much does Spectrum TV Choice cost?

The listed price for Spectrum TV Choice is $29.99, but there is an additional mandatory “flat tax” of $23.20 for local channels. This means that the price of Spectrum TV Choice is exactly $53.19 per month. DVR is extra and costs $5/month

Can you get Spectrum TV Choice without local channels?

No, Spectrum TV Choice comes with local channels, and you can't unbundle them from the 15 channels. This means that you have to pay the "flat tax" for local channels of $23.20, even if you don't want any local channels.

Channel lineup

With Spectrum TV choice, and on top of local channels, you can choose 15 channels from the following list:

• A&E
• AMC
• ASPiRE TV
• Animal Planet
• BBC America
• BBC World News
• BET
• BeIN SPORTS
• Bravo
• CNBC
• CNN
• CNN en Español
• Cartoon Network
• Cleo
• Comedy Central
• Discovery Channel
• Disney Channel
• E!
• ESPN
• ESPN Deportes
• ESPN2
• FOX Business Network
• FOX Deportes
• FOX News Channel
• FOX Sports 1
• FOX Sports 2
• FX
• Food Network
• Galavisión
• Golf Channel
• HGTV
• HISTORY
• HLN
• Hallmark Channel
• Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
• Investigation Discovery
• LMN
• Lifetime
• MSNBC
• MTV
• NFL Network
• National Geographic
• Nickelodeon
• OWN
• Oxygen
• Paramount Network
• REVOLT
• SYFY
• Smithsonian Channel
• TBS
• TCM
• TLC
• TNT
• TV Land
• TV One
• The Weather Channel
• Travel Channel
• USA Network
• Univisión
• VH1
• truTV

Can you change the 15 channels you watch on Spectrum?

You can change the 15 channels you have picked an unlimited amount in the first 30 days of signing up, and then only once every 30 days.

How to subscribe to Spectrum TV choice?

There is no way to subscribe to Spectrum TV Choice online, you have to call Spectrum Charter or visit a branch.

Which local channels are available on Spectrum TV Choice?

Depending on your area, Spectrum TV Choice is likely to come with Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, and Telemundo.

What is the difference between Spectrum TV choice and Spectrum TV essentials?

The main difference is that Spectrum TV Choice is an “à-la-carte” service whereas Spectrum TV Essentials is more of a “basic” cable subscription. With Essentials, you get about 75 channels, basically everything except for local channels and sports. With TV choice, you have to get local channels and you can pick 15 channels including sports channels like ESPN and TNT.

What is Spectrum Xumo?

Xumo is a box similar to Roku or Amazon Fire TV. The Spectrum agent I spoke to on the phone said that Xumo is in fact better than them because of something called “content-based search”, Xumo will search within the apps for content. So if you type “Denzel Washington”, it will bring out all movies starting the Hollywood legend, without having to go into each streaming app to look.

Do I need to have Spectrum internet to get Spectrum TV Choice?

You don’t have to have Spectrum internet to get Spectrum TV Choice, but you do have to be in a Spectrum serviceable area.

Do I have to get Xumo to get Spectrum TV Choice?

No, you don’t have to get Spectrum Xumo to get Spectrum TV Choice. Instead you can get the streaming service “boxless”, meaning without the Xumo box.

Does Spectrum TV Choice have a trial period?

Spectrum TV Choice includes a trial of 7 days, but they told me over the phone that the lenght of the trial will depend on your account history, standing, and area. Make sure to check with them when you're signing up to get the trial.

How do you change the 15 channels selection on Spectrum TV Choice?

Go here: spectrumtv.com/Choice, and login. Then Click "Settings" and "Edit Channel Lineup".

Can you bundle Spectrum TV Choice?

Spectrum offers the option to bundle it with Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, STARZ ENCORE, and THE MOVIE CHANNEL for an extra $40/month.

You probably know by now that Netflix's catalog of films and TV shows widely differ per region. Whatever's available to stream in America isn't necessarily available in the UK, and vice versa. This makes it difficult to continue watching a show when you're traveling abroad, but also, it's just plain annoying knowing that a movie you've been eyeing for so long would've been available on Netflix if you've simply been in another part of the world. 

The good news is there is an effective (and legal!) way to trick Netflix into thinking you're in a different country, thus unlocking an entirely new library that is yours for the picking. Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, have different features — they protect you from malware and encrypt your data — but their standout feature, at least for us, is that they get through Netflix and other streaming services' geo-block restrictions by giving you a temporary IP address from your country of choice. The more servers a VPN has around the globe, the better chances you have of viewing something from that region seamlessly. So to make a long story short, if you want to maximize your Netflix subscription and gain access to even more movies and TV shows, then you can switch countries using a VPN.

Why should you change regions on Netflix?

It's worth repeating: the difference in Netflix's global libraries is massive. For instance, while all eight Harry Potter films and all 10 seasons of FRIENDS have transferred to Max in the US, they're still available on Netflix in countries (like Australia) that do not have Max. You might also be delighted to know that Slovakia actually has the most extensive Netflix catalog in the world, with over 8,400 titles to its name, while South Korea has the most award-winning films on the platform. So sure, you can subscribe to different streaming services to access more titles, but alternatively, you can just change regions via a VPN and continue to watch Netflix on your homepage like it's an entirely new service with entirely new options.

How do you change countries on Netflix?

To change country on Netflix, first, you'll have to sign into your Netflix account or register for one if you haven't yet. Then, using the same device, download, install, and log into a VPN. Next, you'll want to connect your VPN to a server located in a country of your choice. Don't worry, most VPNs make the country selection as easy as can be. Once the VPN verifies that you're connected to a server in that country, you can refresh Netflix, which will show you all the movies and TV shows available in that country. The final step? Watch as you please!

What VPN should I choose for changing countries on Netflix?

This decision depends entirely on your preferences and budget. But we've had our fair share of experience, so below we've gathered the streaming services that will work best for switching locations when streaming. We've also detailed the existing deals they offer (more of that here) and their specialties if any.