6 Rules of Cable Coexistence

These simple rules of cable coexistence can help keep everyone happy -- or, at the very least, they can help keep the peace!

By Category: Tips

Sharing a cable subscription with family and roommates? These simple rules of cable coexistence can help keep everyone happy -- or, at the very least, they can help keep the peace! 1.Live Events Get Priority Viewing. Spoilers are everywhere in the internet age -- so asking someone to just watch the big game tomorrow is a no-go. (The game is a lot less exciting when you have already spent the whole day listening to your co-workers eagerly discuss every single play and mention the final score about forty times!) Similarly, watching the New Year´s Eve ball drop over Times Square is decidedly less exhilarating on January 1st. Series premieres, the Oscars, and NFL draft day round out our list of the top 5 most urgent live TV viewing experiences. The bottom line? If there is a debate over who gets to watch now and who has to use the DVR, the person watching a live event always wins! 2.Practice Responsible Deletion. Finding a cable company that offers plenty of DVR storage is probably a good investment of your time and money -- but all the same, everyone fills us their DVR space sooner or later. And finding that the series you've been waiting all week to binge has been deleted is one of the most frustrating experiences in the entire range of human emotion. Fortunately, there are two simple rules that can help prevent this scenario from ever occurring.

Rule One of responsible deletion: If you finish watching a show, erase it from the DVR to free up space for friends and family.
Rule Two of responsible deletion: If you must delete an unwatched show to record something new, then that show should be something you recorded in the first place.

3.Guide Flipping is Totally Lame. Good cable deals can offer upwards of 500 channels -- and with so many options out there, no one wants to get stuck watching another person flip through the TV guide. So if you aren't sure what you want to watch, just defer to someone who is. 4.Multi-Room Viewing is your Friend. Apart from the sheer number of channels available, another insightful measure of a good cable setup is the option for multi-room viewing. (And this option is also one of the most important reasons why internet streaming services cannot fully replace cable TV, as we discussed in a recent Bundle Your Internet article.) Ideally, your viewing locations should be limited only by the number of televisions you have in your home! 5.Help Kids Have a Good Cable Experience. There is an enormous variety of positive, educational programming available in today's world. There are also lots of shows with adult themes and potentially frightening scenes. Choosing a cable company that offers parental control -- and being an active, present parent -- will help ensure that your kids get the most out of your cable connection. 6.Watch Together! Sharing a television event can be a wonderful opportunity to share an experience -- all you need to do is make the time and make it a priority! Still searching for the right cable provider in your area? Visit Bundle Your Internet online today for more information!