For the third time this year, Time Warner Cable is increasing prices on some of its cable products in upstate New York.

Some customers in western New York are receiving notification that effective this October, the price for the cable company’s digital video recorder (DVR) box is increasing by 18 percent from $10.95 to $12.95 per month (remote control included). Time Warner Cable charges different prices for DVR service, depending on what each local market will tolerate and how much competition the company receives.  A representative of Time Warner Cable in Buffalo told us the company was trying to “standardize rates” across Upstate New York.  If true, residents in Buffalo who already experienced one recent rate increase for DVR service will get a big shock if rates are “standardized” in the same direction Rochester and Syracuse are experiencing.  More details below.

After multiple contacts, we’ve managed to sort out what we believe the increases to be.

Buffalo:  Verizon FiOS and the Buffalo economy have conspired to keep prices considerably lower in Buffalo than other upstate cities.  Buffalo residents pay just $9.95 a month for DVR service and will experience no increase in rates… for now.  If the Buffalo representative was correct about rate standardization, residents there will eventually see a $3 a month rate hike for DVR service.

Rochester: Effective October 15th, DVR service will increase $2 a month from $10.95 to $12.95, an 18 percent increase [Update 9/20 — Many areas are being notified on their bill it is $1, not $2 — see update below.]  Each additional DVR box will cost $11.95.  Originally, we were told the increase was a dollar a month.  Not so fast, says our reader Tim who tipped us off to the story.  He lives in a Rochester suburb and his September bill contained a notification the rate was increasing two dollars a month.  The bill was correct and the original representative we spoke with was wrong.

Syracuse: Residents of the Salt City are in the same boat as residents in Rochester.  On October 15th, DVR service there also increases by two dollars a month, from $10.95 to $12.95.  Apparently Verizon FiOS has not made as much of a competitive difference in Syracuse, probably because it is not widely available yet.

Ironically, if you register for TWC's MyServices control panel and shop the cable company's services online, you can grab a DVR box free for 12 months.

In February, Time Warner broadly increased rates on its cable and broadband services.  In September, rates for broadband-only customers also increased.  The latest increase will not affect customers on promotions or bundled packages that include a DVR.

Our reader Tim says he’s not going to stand for it.

“Time to trim another item off of my TWC bill,” he writes. “I already quit HBO, I guess the DVR is next.”

The Time Warner Cable representative we spoke with only learned about the rate increase “an hour ago.”  She told us, “We’re probably going to get some calls on this.”

Ironically, Time Warner Cable is giving away a year of free DVR service to customers in the northeast using its recently introduced “My Services” control panel and online shopping section.

Our advice to those who don’t want to pay the increase:

• Complain to Time Warner and ask for a credit for the difference in price for a year.
• Turn in your DVR box, wait a week and then take advantage of their “online only” offer, if available in your area, for a year’s free service. (Registration for MyServices required.)
• Cancel something else in your package that will make up the difference.  Are you still watching HBO or Showtime?  Many TWC systems charge $13.95 for HBO and $10.95 for Cinemax and other pay channels.  That’s up to $167 a year per premium network!  Many HD subscribers might still be paying for a Digital HD Tier that used to include HDNet and HDNet Movies.  Now you’re paying an extra $4.95 a month for MGM HD, Universal HD, Smithsonian, and the cattle auctions on RFD-TV.  Not watching those?  Drop that tier and save $60 a year.  If you still want commercial free movies, consider Encore’s Movie Pack instead of HBO, et al.  Encore only charges $5 a month for seven theme-based movie channels.

Believe the bill -- for residents in the city of Rochester and adjacent suburbs, the rate increase turns out to be $1 for DVR service, despite repeated assertions from TWC reps back on the 9th).

[Updated 3:30pm ET — We have been on the phone with Time Warner Cable reps in Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse a total of eight times to re-verify some of the information for this story after the first representative we spoke with gave us conflicting information.  Subsequent contacts also gave us a range of responses from “I’ve worked here four years and am telling you there is no price increase” to “Unfortunately we are increasing the price and I don’t know why.”  We’ve updated and corrected the details below.]

[Update #2: 9:15am ET 9/20 — I pulled up a copy of my October statement and discovered a dollar increase in the town of Brighton for DVR service, which triggered another call to TWC this morning to learn why the information I was given on the 9th was different from what the bill showed.

The latest explanation is that different areas are subject to paying different amounts.  Apparently.

For folks in the city of Rochester and adjacent suburbs, “less is more,” so the dollar increase is slightly better than the two dollar increase.  I just wish representatives were better trained to answer simple questions accurately.]