Compare Basic Cable Vs. Basic U-verse
By David Benton
About 60 million households subscribe to cable. Cable companies provide a wide range of programming, most of it the same. When it comes to choosing a cable company, the choice really depends on price. Cable can be expensive, so it’s important to find a good deal. Basic U-Verse (U-Basic) from AT&T is growing in popularity but it doesn't have as many features.
Monthly Cost
Basic U-Verse costs about $19 per month, while basic cable ranges between $50 and $90 a month.
Channel Offerings
Basic U-Verse provides up to 20 television channels. Basic cable offers as many as 74 channels.
Installation Fee
AT&T charges a $95 installation fee for basic U-verse. Other cable companies charge an average of $50 to install basic cable.
DVR
Basic U-Verse includes a DVR (digital video recorder) for an additional $15 per month. Other basic cable packages charge $9.99. Some cable companies provide DVRs only to subsribers with the high-definition tier of channels.
High-Def Channels
For an additional $10 per month you can upgrade the picture quality of channels to high-definition (HD) with basic U-Verse. Some cable companies offer HD channels for free, but most charge between $5 and $15 extra per month.
References
Writer Bio
David Benton has been freelancing since 2004. His clients include Kaizen Publications, Metrowest Homes and Rubicon Publishing Inc. He graduated from California State University at Fresno with a Bachelor of Arts in English and received his Master of Arts in English from National University.