Cheapest option for Cable TV in Northern Virginia (Alexandria, Fairfax: apartment, live in)

[poloi3eai2]

I just moved to Alexandria and I'm looking for BASIC cable. I dont really care for premium channels. I just want ESPN, Discovery, and Travel Channel. I'd be fine with basic analog cable but everything seems to be digital now. Is there anything cheaper than 29.99 a month? If not what provider gives me the best bang for my buck?

[Carlingtonian]

They all are required to offer a limited-basic service with nearly all the local channels, though I'm not sure if you'd still get the cable channels you named. Verizon's was about $20/month as of a year ago.

[leighland]

Originally Posted by poloi3eai2

I just moved to Alexandria and I'm looking for BASIC cable. I dont really care for premium channels. I just want ESPN, Discovery, and Travel Channel. I'd be fine with basic analog cable but everything seems to be digital now. Is there anything cheaper than 29.99 a month? If not what provider gives me the best bang for my buck?

I have basic Cox cable. It has about 15 total channels: ABC NBC CBS FOX PBS, several local government cable channels (ex: City of Falls Church Cable Channel) Speed, WGN and a couple of others. It is analog and costs me 20 bucks a month. Due to the landscape of my area, I cannot properly receive over the air digital free channels or I would do that. (I had the same problem and the same Cox plan in SoCal)

If you want ESPN, etc, those are standard channels, one+steps up from basic service. Usually the companies bundle those into a Phone, internet, Cable grouping that has a cheap introductory price then shoots up in the 2nd year of your contract.

[pcity]

If you live in City of Alexandria, your only option for cable is Comcast. Satellite is available if you have a place to mount the satellite.

If you live in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County, Cox is the main provider and Verizon FIOS has most areas wired as well.

For ESPN/Travel/Discovery, you're looking at the Expanded Basic tier, which is a bit under $60 for both Comcast and Cox if I remember correctly.

[AdumaU]

Also moving to Alexandria in September. I looked at the Comcast site, and they have a "special" for cable (80+ channels) and internet for $70 for 12 months. However, there is a 2 year agreement. How do those work? Am I not allowed to cancel my service once my 12 months are up? Chances are I'm going to move to another apartment once my 12 months are up.

I'm also looking for a basic no frills cable/internet package. Just want my ESPN, USA, TNT, Foodnetwork, and HGTV for the misses.

[pcity]

It varies. Read the fine print. I believe FiOS actually makes you sign a contract, while Cox just guarantees the rate for 2 years. Comcast, I don't remember.