How an $80 FiOS Custom TV bundle wound up costing $140 a month

The new Verizon FiOS Custom TV package sounds like a great way to pay only for channels you really want to watch, which should cut your cable bill, right? It does, to some extent, but you might wind up paying more than you expect and getting less than you want. Here’s what I discovered when I pieced together a package, an experience that should give you an idea of what to expect if you’re considering FiOS Custom TV service and whether you can save any money. Including equipment rental (for two HD set-top boxes, multiroom DVR service, and a wireless router) and one extra channel pack, plus taxes, fees, and other charges, the grand total for this $80 triple play comes to $140. Just for kicks, I checked out a standard FiOS triple-play package with Preferred TV, which has 290-plus channels, according to Verizon. It also has 50Mbps Internet, twice as fast as the Custom TV package. This plan was more expensive, $171 a month, but it would provide faster Internet service, which is increasingly important to our home, and a ton more channels, many of which I like. The $30 a month I’d save with FiOS Custom TV is nothing to sneeze at, but I’m not sure I’d be willing to give up so much in exchange.

So is FiOS Custom TV a good deal for you? It depends on what you watch, what you’re willing to give up, and how much you’re willing to pay for a month of entertainment. But this is clearly a case of buyer beware: All those extra charges do add up. That's not unique to Verizon by any means. No matter what TV provider's bundle you're considering, be sure to check the bottom line before you sign on the dotted line.