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Coming Soon: HBO Standalone Subscriptions

In its pursuit of online, cable and Satellite TV subscribers, HBO announced today that it will be selling its service via the Internet starting in 2015. This will give customers access to HBO content even if they don’t have cable or Satellite TV service. Specific details have yet to be revealed, but the network’s CEO Richard Plepler says, “It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO.” According to Plepler, there are 90 million homes that don’t have HBO and the new service will give those homes an alternative to subscribing to HBO through their cable or Satellite TV provider – if those homes even subscribe to TV service. The new service will create a new competitor to online streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu who have begun to pull consumers away from subscribing to cable and Satellite TV. HBO GO is the network’s current online streaming service but it requires a subscription to a cable or Satellite provider. The new service would only require customers to have an Internet connection. Are you thinking of getting a better Internet service to stream Netflix, Hulu or HBO without buffering? Make sure you’re getting the best deals and fastest Internet speeds in your area here. Also announced today, Netflix has acquired streaming rights for the popular 90s comedy series, Friends. This gives Netflix subscribers access to all 236 episodes of the series; the first time all 83 hours of the series has been available on a streaming subscription service.

Say Good-bye to Compromising Internet Service When Moving

When you’re moving, the last thing you want to worry about is losing access to your high-speed Internet. Your “to do” list is already multiple pages long and not to mention, having Internet service set up at your new house would simplify the moving process. HughesNet gets it, and they’ve got you covered. The HughesNet Move Program is now FREE which means taking your high-speed Internet with you is something you can cross off that never-ending “to do” list! The program includes free standard installation at your new address giving you access to high-speed Internet service no matter what stage of the moving process you’re in. Check your email, confirm the moving company is on schedule and best of all, cross off a “to do” item from your list all while saving on a moving expense – the moving process just got easier thanks to HughesNet. HughesNet Gen4 Internet packages include these great features: –        Free standard installation* –        Download speeds up to 15 Mbps – great for watching videos and streaming –        Promotional prices starting as low as $39.99 per month* You no longer have to compromise your high-speed Internet service during a move. Plus, you can save on a moving expense when you become a HughesNet subscriber. There are a lot of “good byes” when you move; saying “good bye” to your Internet service shouldn’t be one of them! Find the perfect HughesNet high-speed Internet package that fits your lifestyle here. *Click here to view complete terms and conditions.

Want Your Viacom Channels Back?

A dispute over contract terms between Viacom and Suddenlink has resulted in a blackout of popular Viacom channels such as Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV and VH1. If you’re a Suddenlink Communications subscriber, you no longer receive 24 Viacom networks as the two companies have yet to reach an agreement over pay rates. There’s no word on when, if, or how soon an agreement will be reached, but if you don’t want to miss out on your favorite shows from the popular networks listed below, let us help you find the perfect TV package now. Here at Connect Your Home, we value your time and loyalty so we are dedicated to connecting you to the home services you need, for the best price. Our partnerships with the nation’s top providers allow us to pass on the best offers to you. We compare all the providers in your area saving you time and we make sure you’re getting the best deal saving you money. Looking for a great deal on a bundle? Or are you just looking for a provider who carries your favorite Viacom channels? No matter what you’re looking for, we will find you the best price, package and special offers to fit your lifestyle. Call today! VIACOM CHANNELS SUDDENLINK HAS DROPPED –        MTV –        Nickelodeon –        Comedy Central –        BET –        TV Land –        VH1 –        SPIKE –        CMT –        Nick Jr. –        LOGO TV –        MTV2 –        VH1 Classic –        Centric –        Palladia –        MTV Hits –        MTV U –        Nicktoons –        AAPKA Colors –        BET Gospel –        TeenNick –        Tr3s –        MTV Jams –        VH1 Soul –        Epix

Time Warner Cable Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month On Demand

Hispanic Heritage month is kicking off and Time Warner Cable is celebrating with a special On Demand category that includes 15 acclaimed Latino films. The Hispanic Heritage Month On Demand movie collection features a variety of actors and directors including Javier Bardem (The Sea Inside) and Edward James Olmos (American Me). Time Warner Cable customers will have access to the special On Demand content through October 15, 2014. All customers have to do to enjoy the following films is turn to the Movies On Demand channel, click on “Enjoy Better,” and select “Hispanic Heritage.” – American Me – Buena Vista Social Club – Cesar Chavez – Crazy/Beautiful – El Cantante – Frida – Frontera – Illegal Tender – Like Water For Chocolate – Love in the Time of Cholera – Our Family Wedding – Pan’s Labyrinth – Selena – Sin Nombre ­- ­Stand and Deliver – The Motorcycle Diaries – The Sea Inside – Under the Same Moon – Zoot Suit Celebrate and enjoy the Hispanic Heritage Month On Demand with great deals on Time Warner Cable! Each year in the United States, Hispanic Heritage month begins September 15 and is observed through October 15. During this time, Americans celebrate Hispanic history, culture and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The time frame in which Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated includes; September 15 which is the anniversary of independence for the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; September 16 and 18, respectively, which are the anniversaries of independence for Mexico and Chile; and October 12 which is Columbus Day.

“First Step” in Global Wi-Fi

Comcast and Liberty Global reached an agreement today that allows users to access both companies’ Wi-Fi networks. This first-of-its-kind agreement is the first international Wi-Fi access partnership that Tom Nagel, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Comcast, says is, “…our first step in bringing global Wi-Fi connectivity to our customers.” Liberty Global is better known in the U.S. for the Starz movie channel and owning part of DIRECTV. But by 2015, Americans will know Liberty Global as the company who has given them access to Wi-Fi networks across Europe. Customers will have access to the two companies 5.5 million+ Wi-Fi hotspots throughout North America, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Poland and Switzerland. And as both companies continue to grow their Wi-Fi footprints, the number of Wi-Fi hotspots will also continue to grow. The idea for this partnership is based off of the fact that consumers from all over the world are using the same technology, devices and spectrum to access Wi-Fi networks. So why not give the 12 million Europeans visiting the U.S. and the 11 million Americans visiting Europe annually an alternative to cellular data roaming? Balan Nair, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Liberty Global expresses the hope of making deals like this with other cable companies in the future, “We are delighted to join forces with Comcast to begin building worldwide Wi-Fi connectivity and we hope that this will create interest from other cable operators to join us.” The companies plan on launching a trial of the shared Wi-Fi service later this year and on a wider scale in 2015. Stop paying cellular data roaming charges and switch to XFINITY® by Comcast today!

NFL Sunday Ticket to Stay with DIRECTV

According to multiple sources, DIRECTV and the NFL are on the brink of making a deal to renew their agreement regarding the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket package. The agreement that has been reached is only in regards to the price and length of the deal which means there are several issues that still require negotiation. Issues such as over-the-top rights, which DIRECTV already has plans to roll out this season and other digital rights agreements, remain. The agreement reportedly includes a renewal period that will last until either 2021 or 2022, but those details aren’t clear at this point. It has also been reported that the deal includes an average annual rights increase to between $1.3 – $1.4 billion over the next decade. Talks of a renewal have been relatively “close” for most of the past year despite the potential complications with things such as a potential AT&T – DIRECTV merge. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and DIRECTV’s CEO Michael White have expressed their confidence in the two sides striking a deal in regards to the digital rights that still need to be agreed upon. DIRECTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket package currently has around 2 million subscribers. DIRECTV declined to comment on the agreement and an NFL spokesman said discussions are ongoing. Join the 2 million NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers today!

Free TV for College Students Courtesy of Large Cable Company

Just in time for the school year, Comcast has launched XFINITY On Campus™. This service gives college students at select universities access to stream live, free TV and on-demand video content via laptop and desktop computers that are connected to the university’s Wi-Fi networks. Students living in on-campus facilities in the eastern part of the country this fall will enjoy XFINITY On Campus as a part of their room and board. Schools that are currently* offering this service to their students include Bridgewater College, Drexel University, Emerson College, Lasell College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Delaware,  and University of New Hampshire. XFINITY On Campus offers approximately 80 channels including AMC, Bravo, Comedy Central, ESPN, FX, and MTV. The service also gives students access to XFINITY ON DEMAND™ allowing them to stream their favorite shows whenever they find the time; or, you know, whenever they need a reason to procrastinate on that term paper. Perhaps even more enticing is the service’s upgrade that includes premium channels such as HBO®, Showtime®, and STARZ®. The upgrade also includes the XFINITY Sports Entertainment Package which includes NFL RedZone, PAC-12 Networks, CBS Sports Network, and Fox College Sports. And just in case all of this isn’t enticing enough for college students, there will soon be an option to upgrade to a cloud-based DVR service that will allow students to record from their device and then “check out” the selection to download. If you’re still looking for that perfect back-to-school TV package, you can find it here! *As of 8/21/2014.

Looking for 1 Gig Internet Speeds?

Who doesn’t want faster Internet speeds? How does speeds up to 1 Gig sound? If you’re a subscriber to CenturyLink, AT&T U-verse or Cox, you may already have access to Internet speeds that are 100 times faster than the average broadband speed.* These Internet service providers have announced that they are planning to, or already have, launched 1 Gig speeds in select cities. Cox Communications has chosen Dallas/Fort Worth as their first destination of 1 Gig speeds. AT&T launched these speeds in Austin, Texas late last year and have chosen to expand the service to:
  • Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
  • Houston, Texas
  • San Antonio, Texas
  • Carrboro, North Carolina
  • Cary, North Carolina
  • Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Durham, North Carolina
  • Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  • Overland Park, Kansas
  • Miami, Florida
  • Nashville, Tennessee
Below is a map of the cities where 1 Gig is available to CenturyLink subscribers: FIND THE BEST 1 GIG DEALS HERE! So what is 1 Gig of speed capable of? Reliable service for multiple devices connected at the same time; faster streaming, uploads, and downloads; and online gaming – the capability to do all these things on the same Internet connection. What else could you ask for? *The claim “100 times faster” is based on Akamai’s State of the Internet 4Q2013 report that concluded that the average American broadband connection speed is 10 Mbps.

SEC Network Holds Largest Launch in Cable History

August 14 stands to be a big day for the SEC Network as yesterday’s announcement of its deal with Charter has brought the total number of SEC Network carriers to eight* of the top ten TV providers. In addition to Charter, other providers who will be carrying the network include DISH, DIRECTV, AT&T, Cox and more. With football season fast approaching, it seems as though fans of the Southeastern Conference won’t have to worry about missing any action from their favorite SEC teams; Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Coverage of the conference includes access to over 1,000 events a year. We are talking about 45 SEC football games, over 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, and other events from across the SEC’s 21 sports. Other programming will include studio shows, original content such as SEC Storied, spring football games, signing day and pro days – all included in this one network. And don’t forget the hundreds of additional live events from various sports available on the SEC digital platform! If you are wondering whether or not your TV provider will be carrying all of this great sports programming, find out here! *As of 8.6.14

“Over the top” TV Service Courtesy of DISH

You’ve probably heard about the plan DISH is developing to roll out an Internet-based TV service or “over the top” TV service, as the Satellite TV company has recently labeled it. But ever since DISH and Walt Disney Co. made an agreement in March of this year, a big question has remained – what TV channels would this service stream? After a few fairly silent months, DISH finally announced today that an agreement has been reached with A&E Networks. This agreement gives DISH the rights to stream channels such as A&E, Lifetime and The History Channel which will be in addition to the channels included in the Disney deal; ABC, ESPN, and more. DISH has said the service would include 20 to 30 channels so there is still plenty of room for other agreements to be made with other popular networks. DISH plans on launching the Internet-based TV service which targets adults aged 18 to 35 who are less likely to subscribe to traditional TV services later this year. An initial price range DISH has said to target is between $20 and $30 per month.

Sign up for DISH today to be one of the first customers to have access to the new way to watch TV once it becomes available! Get the best deals from DISH here.