We’ve highlighted basic and starter packages from five cable TV companies for you. All of which have a wide availability in the US, because who wants to search through tons of cable TV providers that might not be in your area? While an HD antenna is one of the best ways to get local channels, we know a basic cable package can promise you a decent channel lineup. So let’s dive in to see which of these cable TV providers is ideal for your home. A basic plan will be low-priced with a fair number of channels, and these channels should include your local channels and could include some top channels, such as Disney Channel and HGTV. It also helps a cable TV provider’s case when they’re widely available across the US, have easy-to-install equipment, and a decent DVR storage to record all of the live shows you might not be home for. Since some of these plans are only available in certain areas, we recommend finding out if they’re offered in yours. (Choice TV is for the Central and Western US residents and Limited Basic is for the Northeasters.) No matter what region you live in, you might have to pay up to a $21.95 broadcast fee and an $12.30 regional sports fee. So we recommend double-checking your monthly total during the checkout process. It’s a steal because, depending on where you live, this plan might give you 100+ channels despite the “10+” advertisement! (It does include 50 music channels and lots of HD channels.) Xfinity’s entry-level package includes the following in its channel lineup:
ABCCBSCWC-SPANDaystar Television NetworkEstrella TVEternal World Television Network (EWTN)Family Entertainment Television (FETV)FOXHome Shopping Network (HSN)INSPIONJewelry TVLeased AccessMusic Choice ChannelsNBCPBSPBS KidsQVC, QVC2, QVC3ShopHQSonLife Broadcasting NetworkTelemundoTrue Crime NetworkThe Word NetworkThe CWUnivisionUniversal Living Faith Network
And even though the Limited Basic package is advertised as “10+ channels,” when we entered a Boston address, the channel lineup actually had over 150 channels (including 50 music channels and lots of HD channels). The local broadcast, government, and educational channels Xfinity’s Limited Basic include in its channel lineup are the following:
ABCCBSC-SPANDaystar Television NetworkFamily Entertainment Television (FETV)Gem Shopping NetworkHome Shopping Network (HSN)ION TelevisionJewelry TelevisionMeTVMusic Choice ChannelsNBCPBSPBS KidsQVC, QVC2, QVC3ShopHQSonLife Broadcasting NetworkThe CatholicTV NetworkThe CWTelemundoTrinity Broadcasting NetworkUniversal Living Faith NetworkUnivisionUniMasWBPX (ION)
Popular TV is a TV plan with over 125 channels for only $50 per month. This is our favorite plan because you get all your favorite channels for a low price compared to other cable providers. We’re talking the best dollar to channel ratio here. Check out our Xfinity TV review for the list of channels Popular TV provides you. And if you’re interested in bundling with Xfinity Internet, we have a list of the best bundles. The Ultimate TV package was made for sports fans. With this plan you’ll get a total of 22 sports channels, including all the major ones like ESPN, NBA TV, and NFL Network. Spectrum doesn’t require a contract, you get a solid number and a great selection of channels, and the price doesn’t break your bank. You might notice that Spectrum offers 125+ channels for $10 more than Xfinity TV’s Popular TV plan. We’re not sure why, but they’re both widely available across the country. There’s a good chance one of them will be available in your neighborhood. But you’ll get the choice between paying Xfinity’s pricey fees or being OK with Spectrum’s 80-hour DVR storage. Spectrum’s TV® Select plan includes the following channels: We don’t necessarily like that price tag because 50 of those 75 channels are music channels. But hey, maybe you like playing the music in the background while cleaning or working. The price tag might also be worth it if you like bundling all of your services in one: TV, internet, home security, and a landline. You’ll have to commit to your bundle for two years. Cox has this thing called a two-year contract that we could honestly do without. But after you see the personalized bundle you’ve created for your home on Cox’s website, the contract might not matter. Cox’s Contour TV Starter channel lineup includes the following: You’ll get around 20 channels, including local broadcast channels in standard and high definition, along with faith, shopping, and music channels. Or maybe you live in one of the 21 states Sparklight offers coverage, and there isn’t another cheap cable TV option. So, Sparklight has got your back. (Or you could consider the HD antenna route.) Keep in mind that the local channels differ in each area Sparklight is offered, but to give you a sneak peek, these are the 26 channels offered in Idaho. The local channels included in the Economy TV plan are the following: Unfortunately, Optimum’s website doesn’t list all 50 channels you’ll get in your lineup with its entry-level plan, but at checkout, Optimum says they guarantee these local channels: To decide which basic cable TV packages are best for you, we ranked each on these five factors. Because these plans we’ve highlighted are basic, starter, and entry-level, we weighed the pricing and channels more heavily than other aspects. No entry-level TV plan should break the bank for the number of channels you could get with an HD antenna. With a great basic cable package, you should also have access to entertainment and lifestyle channels like HSN, The CW, C-SPAN, ION Television, and Telemundo. Lately, we’re noticing that cable TV can actually be cheaper than a live TV streaming service (which wasn’t the case when live streaming first came around). Cable TV isn’t worth it if you rather stream on your device or smart TV, you only need 30–200 channels (rather than 200–300 channels that cable TV could offer you), and you want on-demand content. We have a list of the best live TV streaming providers if the latter sounds like you. We recommend checking out Xfinity’s inexpensive packages that can offer over 100 channels for $20–$50 per month! (Pricing depends on your location, but we like how Xfinity is one of the most widely available cable TV providers in the US). Xfinity TV and Spectrum TV both have $50–$60 per month plans for 125+ channels, and Cox TV has a $139 per month package for 250+ channels.
